Gender in the Gym
Gym space is used and constructed both literally and discursively. Beliefs about gendered gym behaviours are a part of the discursive construction of gym space - which includes marking off different spaces as either masculine or feminine. Despite the fact that there is equal access to the public spaces in the gym, gendered access and limitations of movement within them remain.
Gym Culture
Gym culture is a product of the people using the space, but people usually separate themselves from their role in creating the culture. Most people presume that they arrived into a pre-existing culture, therefore they joining the culture had no role in creating it.
Many perceive the gym as gender neutral for the simple reason that both men and women have access to the same space. Historically, women's movements through public spaces have been more limited. Despite the gender neutrality in many public spaces today, gendered access to them through social norms and stigma still remain.
History
The contemporary commercial gym became a hit in the 1970s, driven by factors including the increase in physical activity among Americans, greater awareness of health, a societal emphasis on self-improvement and a neo-liberal political and economic climate[1].
In the beginning, commercial gyms were male-dominated and the space were used primarily for weight training. This was due to what was offered in the gyms: benches, free weights, weight cages, weighted bars etc., which attracted mostly males. Other types of gyms, such as racquet clubs, attracted middle and upper class men, leading to most fitness facilities being male dominated [2]. For women to be able to have access to these gym facilities, they would have been either earning her own income or have a joint income status to allow for fitness expenditure, as it was considered as a luxury for women.
Feminine Space in the Gym
The types of bodies built through fitness facilities and practices are related to the spaces that can provide the tools to build the ideal body time. Due to the narrow construction of the ideal female body, females that enter the weight room rather than an aerobics class would be viewed differently. Historically, building muscles has been marked as masculine as women are expected to stay slim and are not expected to be able to lift heavy weights. Therefore, when women step into the weight room, they are seen to be transgressing gender norms as she has entered a male dominated space.
Women sculpting a petite, passive ideal that embodies the myth that "women's bodies are inferior to men" remains ideologically bounded by the ideology behind aerobics classes [3]. This creates the space of aerobics classes being viewed as both feminine and inferior.
History of Feminine Space
Before commercial gyms became an all inclusive space that included different type of fitness classes, weight rooms and spas etc., aerobics classes were held in exercise salons. Female consumers were attracted to exclusive spaces for fitness, therefore salons and television programs to encourage at home fitness was very popular[4].
Catering to middle to upper class woman, the exercise salon provided women the physical and social capital from the type of people accessing these salons. Also shielded by the gazes and dangers of public spaces (such as the street) and the masculine, working class culture at male dominated fitness facilities, exercise salons presented itself as safe spaces for women.
Women in the Weight Room
Weight lifting produces measurable health benefits such as strengthening of bones, building muscle strength, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and losing weight. For women, these benefits also come with aesthetic benefits such as weight loss or weight management, and the development of appropriately sized muscles.
Leaving the closed areas like exercise salons, or the more modern female-only exercise areas, women conveyed their belonging in the weight room through their attire or activities. Wearing fitness outfits that are less revealing due to different genders being in the room and setting up circuits for their workout.
Spaces in which weightlifting occurs are always marked in masculine ways. Machines for cardio, barbels and free weight equipment are not segregated into separate rooms - therefore any activity could be done without moving to another room. Description of weight spaces explained the reason why more men occupy these areas: smelly, loud, sweaty etc. are usually not associated with the image of women.
The gender knowledge gap in weight rooms also attribute to the male dominance of this space, as women that have not been exposed to this space may be afraid to step in due to the lack of knowledge of how to use the equipment available. On the light of things, women are increasingly filling up the space in weight rooms due to the passing of knowledge from women to women to lessen the intimidation of the weight room space.