The chapter entitled A Woman’s Place is in the… Cardiovascular Room??, brings to the surface many points that I feel are clearly evident in our society today. Shari Dworkin expresses the social norms associated with sections of a fitness center and how they have constructed perceptions of femininity and masculinity that are very different from each other. Being an active individual myself, I agree with many of the statistics that she has pointed out that refer to the wide gaps in gender ratios in weight rooms compared to cardiovascular oriented workout rooms. These arguments have only re-established the confounding debates I have with myself when I enter fitness facilities. The author explains how she’s been active for most of her life and is definitely not a stranger to the gym. She then begins to delve into her research of women on the topic of how they feel when they enter the gym. Shari explains with her previous experience with the fitness lifestyle, she feels rather comfortable in the gym setting. Further into the article, it is apparent that many females are scared to become muscular. Shari presented “a continuum of bodies with very thin, non-muscular bodies on the left and large, muscular bodybuilders on the right” (Dworkin: 139), and when asked which they would like to look more like, most women kept to the left-end of the spectrum. It appears as though women are fearful of looking muscular because it means they would look less ‘feminine’. This makes me wonder if it all comes back to knowledge.
When I first began working out a gym opposed to playing sports or running outside, I felt very insecure even though I’ve been an active person my entire life. However, once I began understanding more and more about the equipment at the gym and how it can be used to benefit me, I became more confident in using them even when there was an abundance of men present. For me, it was more about learning the different types of exercises to do to make me feel more comfortable lifting weights. Now, I’m able to walk into my gym and do both my cardio and my weight training without feeling nervous or scared.
Most of the women Dworkin interviewed had issues that centered around “images/construct of…fit women” (Dworkin: 137). Many women are more focused on working towards the image that media portrays that is deemed acceptable for a feminine stature as opposed to working towards being a strong and balanced individual. The guest speakers that came in to talk to our class on February 28, also made it clear that this was a current problem as well. I understood from the presentation that Women bodybuilders are not necessarily seen as feminine to the general public. It constantly makes me question, what does being feminine even mean? Being a woman makes it hard for me to understand my place in the world today. I believe it all comes down to understanding understanding the science behind being fit and perceptions of femininity and masculinity.
amandaliotta 