Guest Post: Are you afraid of the man cave? (Kate Gorman)

I often walk past the group fitness room at the gym where I work and watch row after row of pump bars whizzing up and down; girls trying to keep up with the crazy paced tempo whilst maintaining no real technique because the room is so full they can’t see the instructor.  I often wonder if those girls wished they were lifting what I call ‘real weights’ but are too scared to enter the ‘man cave’.

Anyone who knows me will know I am not a fan of the ‘Pump’ class.  I hear so many stories from clients who I have lured from the ‘dark side’ who say they couldn’t lift enough weight over their head and onto their shoulders to feel like they were exercising hard enough and who now have neck and shoulder injuries in return.  Whilst I admit to having taken the odd pump class in my time I feel the high rep, low weight, super speed tempo workout seems more likely to help you prep for an acid laced dance party on a Saturday night than to help you build some lean muscle which is probably why most people take the class.

Anyway, I’m not here to bag out ‘Pump’ more to look at why females are so scared to enter the weights section of the gym.  Is this YOU? I reckon there’s a fair chance it might be if you’re the one using those pink neoprene dumbbells and squatting with a 4kg medicine ball or lining up for your pump class but looking over your shoulder at the Olympic plates racked on the wall.  It’s OK, this used to be me too… The longing looks at the squat rack and real looking dumbbells, the desire to feel strong, lift something decent and really challenge myself.

And this is how it goes down; one day you decide to make that ominous walk into ‘the man cave’… you march right on in there, pick up the heaviest looking barbell you can find and smash out 10 awesome reps… Oh hang on, that’s how it looks in your mind as you plan your assault.  In reality, you somehow spend 30 minutes diverting along the way ‘oh look, I need to fill up my water bottle’, ‘best I go to the toilet before I go lift some weights’ and ‘now where are my headphones’ (find them and then spend 20 minutes untangling them) before walking up the to the entrance of the weights rooms only to decide there are now too many big and angry looking men in there and quickly scurry away to spend another hour on the treadmill.

Firstly, I’d like to say, ladies I’ve seen plenty of new male gym members go through exactly the same routine. It’s normal to feel a little uncertain of the unknown.  Lots of equipment you’ve never seen and no clue how to adjust it, the uncertainty of whether your gym pants are really as squat proof as your boyfriend has promised you and whether there are a heap of unwritten rules that you don’t yet know about.  However, in reality there’s nothing too much to worry about.  It’s just a room with weights in it for people to train whatever style they want.  I’ve even seen a girl doing her own Pump session in there – but at least she’s taken the step into the weights room!

Anyway, I thought I’d put together a few thoughts that might finally help you make that step into ‘Man Cave’:

• Those big muscly men – On first glance, the man you think is Arnold Schwarzenegger, actually turns out to be a skinny guy who doesn’t know what the heck he is doing either. Don’t worry, he’s not looking at you because you might be looking at his bad technique and judging him!

 

The rest of the people in the weights room are very easy going, friendly and in my experience will give you all the space you need. Of course there’s always going to be someone who wants to give their input when it’s not welcome or stand in front of you but trust me they dish it out whether you are a newby or qualified trainer.  It’s not you, it’s them!

 

And as for those real life muscly men, they are usually the most willing to help you rack a weight, help you with technique if you ask and the rest of the time leave you well alone.  They are certainly not looking at what you are doing and whether your technique is good or bad. They are there to train, follow strict rest times and get home to eat.

 

• Have a plan of attack – Don’t just walk in to the weights room and make it up as you go along. Have a programme specifically written by a trainer to help you achieve your goals, take into account your Pump related injuries and give you something to look at whilst you sit on your bench feeling shy! A programme written by someone else will not only keep you learning new exercises and interested in your sessions it will help you track your progress making you feel more confident to be in the weights room.  I am a PT and have my programmes written by someone else to keep me accountable and moving in the right direction. Of course I could do them myself but this way it keeps me on my toes and out of my comfort zone. Check out the online services at www.deanjamiesonpt.com.au

 

• Have some PT sessions to familiarise yourself with the equipment at your gym.  Learn the basic compound moves and get comfortable with your technique and the correct weights.  Sure, doing weighted step ups and leg press are beneficial but I know what you really want to get your teeth into is learn to squat in the squat rack, deadlift with olympic plates and bench press just as the boys do. I can honestly say, having PT long before I ever became a qualified trainer is the single greatest thing I have ever done for myself.  It gave me the confidence to move forward and achieve my goals that I would have been lost trying to do on my own.

 

• Ask questions – There’s always likely to be a trainer on the gym floor who’s looking for an excuse to stop cleaning treadmills.  Trust me; I became a PT to share my passion with others, not to clean gym equipment. Come and talk to me, this is what I want!  Ask for help with technique, ask for alternative exercises. Don’t be shy to ask for what you want from your training programme. And if you can’t find a trainer to help you, ask someone else whether they would mind helping you.  Most people are willing to share their knowledge, its human nature.

 

• Wear something you are comfortable in.  I personally don’t dress to impress, I like to get in and just get my sessions done but if you are confident in what you are wearing you will certainly perform better and less likely to back out of your weights session when those nerves creep in.  You do want to make sure though that your gym tights are squat proof.  Find a girlfriend you trust dearly to go through your old tights with you and do the squat test. You all know what I mean; I don’t need to explain this one anymore!! If they fail, bin them and get on www.lovemovement.com.au to find yourself something new!

 

What I think you need to take away from this is that at the end of the day no one is paying attention to what you are doing because they are focused on their own session and what they are doing.  Remember, the weights room isn’t a male only area. You have as much right to be in there regardless of how much you are lifting and so long as you are there training and not sat on your phone or talking to your mates for hours you will be welcomed with open arms.  I believe that learning to lift weights correctly is a life skill that will help you not only physically but perhaps more importantly mentally… but maybe more of that in another blog!  So next time you go to book into a group class, why not take a step out of your comfort zone and brave the weights room instead. You never know it might actually be fun!