Document Type
Article
First Faculty Advisor
Deluga, Ron
Keywords
gender differences; weight room
Rights Management
CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Abstract
This paper proposed that despite the benefits of weightlifting, especially for women, that an uneven gender divide still exists in the weight room. It was also proposed that the masculine culture of the gym deters women from lifting. It was found through an observational study that there were four times more men than women in the weights areas of gyms. It was also found that women are more uncomfortable than men when their physique is being examined and that lifting women identify more strongly with traditionally "masculine" personality terms than non-lifting women do. Women cite a lack of knowledge, a fear of judgement, and unwelcome attention from men as causes of discomfort in a gym environment.
