Do women hold themselves back?

One day last week as I was training myself, a client who was training with another trainer asked me how much weight I was lifting. I guess it must have seemed very heavy to her. It impressed her so much so that she asked her trainer if she too could lift a little heavier. I was very impressed by this, actually impressed enough that it made me wonder if women are holding back in the gym because of a myriad of reasons. Think of “holding back” as a form of self-censorship that is inherited from family, society and eventually self doubt. Should a women be as strong as a man? Or should a women just be slightly strong. It is a given that mental focus and strength are critical to getting in shape and staying fit. But what if women have to fight with a subconscious nearly imperceptible little voice that suggests that they shouldn’t get too strong or workout too hard because it might make them less attractive to the opposite sex. These kinds of psychological barriers can prove absolutely fatal in reaching your goals. These goals aren’t limited to the gym. A women’s achievements can and almost always are impeded in the workforce, in the political arena, and in society in general . But actually who is impeding the progress of women? Is it men? Or is it women themselves? I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “glass ceiling” as it pertains to the workplace. That ceiling is a transparent barrier that limits salary levels, responsibilities, power, and promotions for women. But maybe a women’s goals aren’t always hampered by that purvervial glass ceiling, maybe, just maybe they are hampered by a “sticky floor” also. That sticky floor would be themselves in the form of holding back or self-censorship. Always trying to fit in with societies’ norms as to what a “female” should look like, act like and even think like. Women cooperate but do not initiate, produce but don’t invent, participate but don’t lead. I am not saying it’s easy to break out of these psychological blocks that have been in place for generations. But if made aware of them, it’s a step in the direction of unshackling yourself. Be all that you can be in life and especially in the gym. Don’t be afraid to lift those heavy weights….Robert