(I wasn’t planning on posting this here at first, I admit, but since it turned out differently than what I had in mind at first, and therefore becoming suitable for this blog, I guess I can add today’s post without shame.)
The more I think of it, the more I’m starting to get kind of pissed-off at all that ‘exercise’ we had to do in P.E. classes in junior- and high school.
Or rather, at the whole mindset around it. Yes, that mindset of “either you’re already buff and good at sports, or you’re a stupid loser who deserves to sit on the bench, and God forbids you’re overweight on top of it, because then you’re doomed to be a loser forever”.
Why am I pissed? Because for so many years, I’ve lived with the totally wrong idea that I was fat, therefore I couldn’t do anything good in terms of physical exercise. Even the few sports in which I was good enough to not make a whole team lose, and even to make it earn points, always seemed to be overshadowed by the stigma of ‘the short, fat girl who must be crap at sports’. And today, at almost 28, I still have to remind and convince myself at times that because I am slightly overweight doesn’t mean I should give up before having tried at least once. Most of all, it doesn’t mean that I will necessarily fail.
Case in point. This very morning, 11 am, weight-training class, at the campus gym. With my upcoming schedule for next year, I know it will be hard to always go to those classes on the days and hours they’re held. As a consequence, I will have to pass a short exam in order for the instructors to deliver me a card allowing me to use the weights room without supervisation, whenever I want (well, except at 4 am, that is :P). Either that, or my strength-training efforts will go down the drain very fast, I’m afraid.
One of the excercises I’ll have to be able to perform is keeping my body above the ground by the sheer force of my arms (curled biceps and all that). It’s not a set of pull-ups, but it’s the upper position of a pull-up, if I may say. And I’ll have to keep that posture for 15 seconds. The boys have it worse, they have to do 20 reps, so I won’t complain.
Now keep in mind that I have never done that exercise before. Never. So I grew curious, and wanted to see if I could do it, then later on train for it. I climbed on the wall bars and prepared myself to do it, already thinking, half-amusedly, that I’d be crap at it and would give up after 1-2 seconds. And possibly make the other women in the room chuckle, too.
Wanna know for long I managed to hold good on my first try? 10 seconds. 10 frelling seconds. Without any specific training before, save for 3-4 weight-lifting sessions in the past weeks, but this is not enough to build a really strong muscle mass, and it was never geared at performing that specific exercise. So much for the “I’ll look ridiculous” thoughts, eh?
Well, screw the high-school jocks and the childish mindset. I’ll be short forever and I’ll never weight 50 kgs only, but I too have the potential to develop lean, strong muscles and do something nice with my body. And I really, really need to remind myself more often that a few extra kilos don’t mean I’m a piece of crap anyway. I too can be successful, as long as I try and do my best.
- Kery
June 2nd, 2007 at 17:14
Wow, way to go on the bicep thingy!
I have to say, it sounds kind of sadistic to make people pass a test in order to workout! Cart before horse?
Many people would have used that as an excuse to say screw it, but it sounds like you’re rising to the challenge.
I think weight training is one of those secrets to a better metabolism and to just feeling good generally. Shouldn’t be a secret, but most women don’t seem to realize it.
That’s so cool that you’re doing it, even when there are obstacles.
June 2nd, 2007 at 17:52
To be honest, I was very annoyed with that test, because I wanted to take it this year already. The only problem being that on the official day of the test, I was sick (nasty stomach bug, I really wasn’t able to work out :(), and the only other moments I could take it were during the scheduled classes–to which I couldn’t go because they ALL fell either during one of my school classes or during a work day. I only can attend now because my classes are over. But next year, I’ll do everything it takes to do it. Heck, I’ll even ask to take the test in advance, before classes officially start again, if it is possible.
It IS annoying to have to take it, but I think they have to do that for security reasons. Free practice is really unsupervised, and from my past experience in other gyms, I can tell that some people, when left unsupervised, really adopt dangerous behaviours (like doing bench presses all alone, instead of having a partner ready to catch the bar if it falls on their chest and crushes them). So there’s not really much choice in those circumstances. They have to make sure we know how to use the machines, and see what our level of fitness is.
But that’s just a challenge to work towards during the summer. It’s motivating.