Love or Loathe

LOVE

or Loathe

Do men actually care if women have muscles or not? Are they really judging you for going into the weight section at the gym? Do they really loathe you for training like them? We asked them ourselves to find out what they really think...

After a long day at work all you want to do is hit the gym and get in a good muscle pump, right? You shake up your pre-workout, pull on your favourite gym leggings and head to the gym. The tunes are pumping, the caffeine if kicking in and you are ready to kill the workout. But them you suddenly have a wave of doubt. Are the men judging you for going in ‘their’ section of the gym? Should you go over to the cardio section and be with all the other women? Will you even find a lover that thinks your muscles are attractive or will they think you look too much like a man?

These are all thoughts that a lot of female gym goers get when starting out weight training. It can be hard to switch your focus from loosing weight and trying to look slim, to wanting to put on size and gain some muscle. You not only have to switch up your training routines but your mindset too. You have to believe you are worthy of being in the weight sections. You should be proud of your progress and you shouldn’t let anyone get in your way of success and growth. If that means doing something that may seem masculine, then so be it! We all know the male mind can be a wild one and it can be hard to understand them at times but we spoke to 12 males aged 20 - 29 to give you a better understanding of what guys really think about females in the gym…

“I think that females in the gym show a sign of strength and independence. I think that when women have muscles it shows they have motivation and dedication because it is harder for them to actually build muscle. I personally like women with a muscular physiques because I find it more attractive than the average slim women.” - Tommy, 24

“It’s a concept that needs to be normalised! Way too many men think women can only do lowweight high-rep training. However, men also need to stop expecting women to lift the same amounts as them. Although the starting weight might be lower for women on the first instance, the margins of improvement are huge. We all have different anatomy’s so it’s always going to be different from person to person. To me, women need to be accepted in the gym!” - Alexander, 21

“It should be more normalised. People who workout do it to make themselves better and if growing muscle is one of those things then that should be fine. Plus a women would be ballsy to go against societies dream body so I applaud them for it.” - Darius, 20

“Well I think it’s great! I don’t think it’s any different from men to be honest, and like men, it depends on their goals, so I don’t judge at all. I think fitness overall says a lot about a persons character and ability to commit to something consistently. To me, it’s attractive both physically and mentally and in most cases they’re doing it for themselves more than anything which I always commend.” - Jesse, 25

“Personally I think women, just like men, should be able to have whatever body they want. We should be encouraging women to be strong both physically and mentally. There is nothing more attractive than confidence, and if a woman feels more confident with more muscles then good on her.” - Harry, 20

“I find it amazing to see more and more women seeing the benefits of applying weight training into their gym routines, no matter what goals they have. To see their confidence rise by getting stronger, leaner or shredding body fat is very cool to see!” - Dave, 27

“I’m all for women using weights to be honest. If that’s what they want to use at the gym and it’s their preferred method of training then I say go for it. I’d never discourage women from weight training as I think it’s great for everyone. I wouldn’t say I have a preference on a women with a more muscular body, but I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing either. I think as long as they’re comfortable with what they’re doing and how they look then there’s nothing wrong with it. I know some people say weights are for men and women should be doing cardio, but I disagree with that entirely. I think that all forms of exercise are for everyone, and it’s up to the individual to decide what’s best for them and we shouldn’t be judging them for it based on gender.” - Taliesin, 22

“Personally women with muscles doesn’t bother me as I think that no exercise should be gender specific. If women want to train with weights then good for them. I’ll appreciate the work that anyone puts in if they enjoy it.” - Connor, 20 “I think it’s a good thing and I find it attractive because it shows that they take care of themselves and create healthy habits that they implement into their lifestyle.” - John, 29

“Depending on the size and amount of muscle mass (similarly to males) I have respect for the dedication it takes to naturally get to that stage. I think someone who keeps in shape/looks after themselves is attractive, including women who lift weights. To see that women aren’t afraid of the stigma around weight training is very promising and presents evidence that more people are becoming educated on the fact that lifting weights doesn’t make you instantly big or un-lady-like.” - Ethan, 21

“I think girls with ambitions and goals are attractive. In the world of fitness that’s the number one factor. I’ve noticed that girls that workout for themselves and their own goals always look the best; usually the ones that love the grind. Just because a girl has muscle doesn’t mean she’s unattractive, but the big chicks that are huge and taking testosterone are a little too much for me.” - Ivan, 24

“I believe that everyone should be able to do as they please, as long as it’s not hurting anyone else. If that means that girls want to lift weights then so be it! Lifting weights won’t always give women huge muscles anyway which I think is a misconception than a lot of people have. I do admire women that have strength and lean muscle as I know it takes hard work and dedication to get that, especially as a female; so I applaud any women that has that capability. It shows they are motivated and actually quite inspirational. Although, I don’t think women should just do it for looks and to get attention. I think they should want to do it for them and to reach goals they actually want to achieve. I think you can tell when women are doing it for attention and that’s when I don’t think it is right.” - Kyle, 22

“I personally think it’s attractive when a woman puts in the time and effort to better themselves. I can respect the hustle and grind of working out, especially lifting weights. I applaud women that put their minds to it. It’s like anything, if you can see that someone is really passionate about something then no one should have the ability to stop them.” - Clayton, 22