Lou links to this article from his blog today:
Push-ups giving women a bad rep
It's all about women doing push-ups and one writer's response to people who reacted badly to
this piece from the New York Times.
I especially like where she takes it at the end of the article:
Quote:
Of course there's something more insidious going on here.
Women don't do push ups because they think of them as a man exercise. Same goes for weightlifting. We teach women to strive for thin and toned, but not strong and powerful. I mean, be athletic, but not so athletic that you can kick a guy's rear end at strength endeavors.
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I think a lot of women here might be able to relate. Growing up a child of the 80s, the message I got was always "You can be anything you want to be," which may have literally translated in my little brain as, "Boys aren't better than you just because they're boys. You can be just as good at anything they're good at." Which is probably why I love lifting - why SHOULDN'T I be strong? Why shouldn't I be able to haul my groceries without help and move a solid oak hutch if I need to?
But I realize the message may have been different for a lot of women growing up.
So I'm wondering - How did all of you get into strength training? Does it go against what you were taught when you were younger, or were you always athletic and strong? Why do you think some women still feel like it's not their place to be strong?
And how do you feel now, with regards to push-ups? (Thanks, Alwyn!)