Sophia Wushanley | Muscle in

Another Look | Women at Penn shouldn't be afraid of strength training

By Sophia Wushanley 04/05/15 9:52pm

Forget STEM and Nursing — Penn’s biggest gender gap is on the second floor of Pottruck.

If, like me, you keep yourself sane by chasing after endorphins on a regular basis, you’ve probably noticed it too. The demographic breakdown on each floor of our gym is depressingly predictable.

The first floor’s cardio machines are generally occupied by girls, with a few guys sprinkled among the treadmills and stationary bikes. A notable exception is the rowing machines — perhaps rowing is the manliest way to break a sweat. I have never seen a guy on a step machine. Ever.

The second floor weight room is where the division becomes obvious. At peak hours, it’s swarming with bros in tanks working on their biceps, and often, there isn’t a girl in sight. My impression the first time I stepped into the weight room was not unlike the uncomfortable feeling of having accidentally walked into the wrong public restroom. Since then, I’ve been the only girl in the weight room more times than I can count.

And that’s a shame, because weight lifting isn’t just for guys who want to get jacked. Women have a lot to gain from weight lifting, too. For one thing, its health benefits are many. Strength training boosts the metabolism and, like cardio, has been shown to improve heart health. Strength training also increases bone density. This makes it especially important for women, who are more prone to osteoporosis than men are. Inactive adults can lose three to five percent of their body’s muscle mass per decade, so knowing how to build and maintain muscle is important for lifelong health.

What’s more, strength training is crucial even for cardio addicts, because it can help to correct muscular imbalances caused by too much of the same exercise — like slogging away on the treadmill every gym visit. This prevents injury and makes it more likely that you’ll be physically capable of continuing to go to Pottruck for the foreseeable future.

Not only can it prevent physical burnout, it’s also a good defense against mental burnout. Exercise is a form of self-care. In order to be a good way to de-stress, it should be fun, engaging and rewarding. And cardio machines can quickly become boring. If you’re looking for some variety in your workouts, weight lifting provides a new and challenging way to mix up your routine.

It can also encourage a healthier attitude towards working out. For women, exercise is often seen primarily as a punishing way to accelerate weight loss. The sad little calorie-count meter on the elliptical, ticking up at its torturously slow pace, is often the only measure of fitness success. Adding the goal of strength can make working out a much more empowering activity, both physically and mentally. And going to the gym with the aim of getting stronger is much more positively motivating than going with the sole aim of atoning for last night’s pizza.

Despite all of its physical and mental advantages, a lot of girls shy away from weight training for fear of a Schwarzenegger-like transformation. I can assure you that this is virtually impossible. Unless running on the treadmill for a few months has inadvertently turned you into Usain Bolt, setting foot in the weight room a few times a week probably won’t turn you into the Hulk. You’ll just be stronger, healthier and more resilient to life’s challenges. It might even make carrying grocery bags back from FroGro somewhat bearable.

So let’s stop self-segregating when it comes to our physical fitness and add a little gender diversity to the weight room. Though it might seem intimidating at first, weight lifting is a world of possibilities for improved fitness, and most women miss out on its benefits. What better time to start than now? After all, college is a time for experimentation and personal (muscle) growth.

SOPHIA WUSHANLEY is a College senior from Millersville, Pa., studying philosophy. Her email address is wsophia@sas.upenn.edu. “Another Look” appears every other Monday.

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