by Vanely Barumire |
Once used to ‘prove’ manhood, weightlifting is now a test of strength for everyone and picking up the weights are young women.
More female gym goers are adding weights to their workouts.
In recent years, especially with the rise of social media, lifting amongst female gym goers has increased.
With a growing awareness and popularity about the health benefits of resistance training, weightlifting is no longer a male sport but is being incorporated in workouts by all genders.
When Women’s Olympic weightlifting debuted in 2000, only 10% of women participated in strength training.
Less than a quarter century later, that number has almost tripled, with 27% of women now adding lifting into their workouts.
Amongst them is amateur powerlifter, Ivana Baker.
Having grown up with dumbbells in her home and a bodybuilding mother, Baker is no stranger to weights.
She has had an on-and-off relationship with resistance training before taking lifting seriously by joining a weightlifting society at university.
From there, Baker “started training more towards the powerlifting side, and I started doing more competition and meets with others, and now I’m here”.
Despite the sport’s tournaments being male-dominated, Baker would not give up the feeling that powerlifting gives her.
“I feel empowered and happy. For me, it’s something that feels very me. I feel very strong when I do it. It feels like I’m me, I don’t know how to explain that.”
A ‘Bright’ Future
Weightlifting amongst female gymgoers like Ivana Baker is certainly here to stay.
And in terms of the professional sport, the future of female weightlifting also looks “bright” according to British Olympian Emily Campbell.
“We’ve got a strong army of women in the UK and the world that want to weightlift, that want to be strong, that see weights as part of their routine, as a part of their lifestyle and are promoting it a lot more,” says the two-time Olympic medalist.
“I think it’s an amazing space to be in right now, and it’s definitely growing, and I hope that more and more young girls are inspired to be beautiful and strong”.
Check out the full interview here:
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