Is being Bad Ass Scary?

I recently posted a video of mine doing Push Press with some decent weights on my video sharing platform of choice aka Instagram. Some folks were impressed, some got motivated, some even smiled at my budget vs forecast vs aspiration analogy of the workout that I did and how I approached it.

But then I had some women who called me scary. I genuinely asked them why do they find women doing strength training scary? One of them said she was joking and the other said she meant bad ass.

So here's some history. I have been called a bouncer by a colleague, someone who could beat up the goons and all kind of association that brings out the masculinity attached to weight training (unfortunately). So I was trying to understand what makes women doing weight training scary? Why do we unconsciously perpetuate the notion that women with muscles are masculine? (TBH even if they are, it doesn't matter :))

Here's my not just two bit:

• Strength training is not just important but imperative for women. It need not be heavy weights but simple free weights
• Strength training is akin to meditation for someone like me
• If strength training makes you stronger or bad ass call that dont call it scary and perpetuate the negative connotation of women with muscles
• Muscles over fat works better any day
• Stronger over skinny works better any day
• Awareness and acknowledgement that people come in different sizes and shapes need to be respected

I look at all the GOATS like Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Phogat Sisters and so many other inspirational and motivational women who stood against all odds and reached the pinnacle of their sports but still had to confront body image issues!

Its upon each one of us to take that first step in normalizing all kind of body types, motivate women who embrace being healthy over fasting themselves to death to get that skinny shape, and last but not the least not perpetuate the already prevalent narrative over muscular women. As women if we take the first step, it might work faster :))

#StrongNotSkinny #WeightTrainingforWomen #Momwholifts #Lifeofaworkingmom #Womenwithmuscles #allshapesallsizes