💪 Why strength training is political (hear me out)
from bench pressing to smashing the patriarchy
Before we dive in: Last week you received a Verve Letter that was paywalled. In response, quite a few people got upset and cancelled their subscription altogether. I’d like to apologize to anyone who was also offended by the tease – I get that it’s frustrating. I’d also like to point out though, that writing these newsletters is work that still mostly goes unpaid. So, from time to time you will find a teaser in your inbox. Because I do need to pay rent. Anyway, thank YOU for still being here and now please enjoy this completely free post.
And a content note: If exercise or nutrition are triggering topics for you, you may want to skip the first part and head to the pop culture pleasures straight away.
This is a weird one. I have spent quite a few weeks debating with myself whether I should write about this topic – because the last thing I want to do is tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do with their body.
But ever since I read Casey Johnston’s piece in The Cut about how she got into weightlifting as a woman, I have been wanting to join the conversation about strength training. Simply because my story is so similar to Casey’s – and many other women in the comment section of her article have reported the same.
Casey initially started weightlifting because she was trying to get her “weight and size under control”, not because she wanted to get stronger or build muscle. But she quickly found that lifting completely transformed her relationship with her body, food and exercise. It ultimately lead her to ditching the diets and cardio and becoming a great advocate for more (all!) women in the weight room.
She writes the excellent “She’s A Beast” newsletter, where she’s doing the lord’s work by debunking bro science around lifting and eating, and helping women (or anyone actually) to get stronger and eat carbs.
In her Substack about me section, Casey writes, “[I] used to have a terrible relationship with my body; I ran too much, ate too little, ruminated about food constantly, and thought that was all just part of the beautiful experience of “being a woman”. Show of hands if that was you in your twenties. And no shame if that is still you today – it’s not your fault, it’s the system.
It was definitely me between 2010 and 2016. Until I started weightlifting, I used exercise almost solely as punishment. I was punishing myself for living in a body that was too big for what society deemed attractive, and I was punishing my body for every meal it demanded. I would run longer and longer distances, do back-to-back cardio-classes at the gym, and I would restrict my calories so much that I was always fatigued, no matter how much I slept.
At the end of 2015, I was training for a marathon and was looking for a time-efficient strength training. That quest lead me into a backyard garage that had been transformed into a small olympic weightlifting gym. There, I was told that if I wanted to get stronger, I only needed to do three different exercises, for three sets of five reps, three times a week. And, I was instructed to eat. A lot more than I was used to.
Whoa. That sounded like a scam. I was used to spending half a day at the gym, eating half of what my trainer recommended. Now, I was done with my workout in less than an hour. My trainer put me on a very basic program of squatting, pressing and pulling, plus some complementary core work. The difference to all my prior gym classes was: I was lifting heavy.
And guess what, I did get stronger. Fast. I added more weight to my lifts at almost every session (it’s called newbie gains and it’s glorious). I felt powerful. Energized. My body didn’t get smaller, but I didn’t mind. I was hooked.
In the years since then, I have parted with long distance running and fully embraced lifting. I left the backyard gym after about a year, maintained my strength base for a long time and then Covid and lockdowns threw me off course. I finally got back into a proper routine this January and I’m already reaping the rewards.
When I lift, I feel confident and capable– inside and outside the gym. Lifting has taken my focus from how my body looks to what my body can do. Not least because of confidence having that beautiful effect that I care much less about what other people think of my body.
Lifting is my self-care canary in the coal mine. If I don’t rest enough, or eat enough, the barbell won’t move (or it will, but it will threaten to crush me). As a direct result of eating, sleeping and moving, I have more energy. My moods are more stable. But most importantly: I no longer want to become smaller. I only want to become stronger. I don’t want to be less, I want to be more. I no longer work out to burn calories. I eat to support my workouts. Win-win-win-win!
So, this is where the real talk starts and where I’d like to join Casey Johnston in asking: WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THIS??
Why are we doing such a bad job of selling weightlifting to women? Why have I not seen one headline in a women’s magazine that said “Lift heavy, workout less, eat more”? Honestly, every single month they are pushing new crazy workouts and absolutely wild diet trends on us – a barbell and a big, yummy plate of pasta hasn’t been featured once (that I know of).
The worst part is: We are not only not talking to women about the benefits of weightlifting – we are actively trying to keep them away from it. We say “careful, honey, you don’t want to get too bulky!”. And, “careful, you don’t want to hurt yourself with these complex exercises!”.
First, becoming bulky is a full-time-job, it’s what professional bodybuilders do. It’s really, really hard to become huge. Especially for women. If you’re lucky, you’ll put on a bit of muscle and look: strong. Like Casey, who can deadlift an impressive 300 pounds.
Second, learning the proper form of the major lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, row) is easy. You should probably book a few sessions with a trainer at first, but none of them is more complex than a sun salute. No offense, but look at all the meatheads in your gym, pumping iron. If they can learn how to bench press without dropping the bar on their face, so can you.
The question remains: Who profits from women being chronically fatigued from under-eating and over-(cardio)-exercising? What would happen, if women felt strong, well-rested and energized? If they had much more time on their hands? If they didn’t feel the need to buy more products to live up to arbitrary beauty standards? Would they invest their excess time, strength and energy in smashing the patriarchy? Hmm…
There’s a long way to go though. When it comes to physical strength, I have witnessed the most outspoken feminists dial it back to 1950 in a heartbeat. The desk needs to be moved to another office? Oh dear, we need a man! Boxes need to be carried up three flights of stairs? We need a man!
There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, and there are certainly reasons why someone may not be able to lift weights. But maybe we also don’t talk enough about how good it feels to be strong? Have you ever grabbed your 23kg-suitcase with one hand and sprinted to the check-in counter? Helped a friend move houses? Carried three crates of beer up to the third floor? Now imagine doing all of these things without breaking a sweat or throwing your back out.
Finally, consider this (even if it sounds pathetic): I once had to throw a punch to get out of a reeeally bad situation and if I hadn’t been able to put a significant amount of weight and force behind it… I honestly don’t know if I’d be writing this newsletter.
(Which is why I get so angry when men respond with “uhh now I’m scared you’ll beat me up” when I tell them I do weightlifting. You’re not scared I’ll beat you up out of the blue, mate. You’re scared that I could, maybe, physically defend myself. But that’s a whole different can of worms.)
As I said in the beginning, I am not here to tell you what to do with your body. I am not here to tell you to stop running or doing Yoga. I absolutely love Yoga and enjoy how a short run clears my head. You do you. I am just saying that weightlifting is for everyone, that it has the potential to change your life and that gaining strength means gaining freedom. Nothing more, nothing less.
Any further question you might have now, Casey can answer.
pop culture pleasures
I recommend Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead to anyone who loved the portrayal of unconventional women in City of Girls, and who is ready for a bit more graveness.
Allison P. Davis is one of my favorite feature writers and what she’s put together on the looming “Vibe Shift” is both funny and relatable for a geriatric millennial like me. I’d like to go on record and say that while I strongly oppose the comeback of the Nick Carter hair, I wouldn’t mind if mosh pits became cool again.
Finding work-life balance is easy, says Gloria Liu. You just have to figure out the meaning of life. Super easy. Here’s a pointer:
“A good life is marked not only by the ability to do what you love, but also by the ability to be a good person, which is why a good job is also one that allows us the time and energy to engage with our communities.”
I watched the documentary “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator” on Netflix and am wondering more and more: Are there any cult leaders who are not also creeps and rapists?
Francesca Specter craves a “sofa friend” and I do, too. Why does every social interaction with our friends have to involve doing something? Why can’t we just chill together, preferably without talking too much?
I finally watched, sorry, binged, Mare of Easttown. And it’s really as brilliant as anyone said. The twists and turns, the tight-knit community, the theme of mercy and, of course: the magnificent Kate Winslet.
Since I couldn’t part with the show right away, I listened to everything that The Watch podcast said about it. They had two interviews with Kate Winslet (one and two) and one with writer Brad Ingelsby. I enjoyed them all.
I’m four episodes into Bonaparte. It’s a very standard true crime / cold case podcast, but it’s well produced. And since it’s set in and around Iowa City (where I spent a very formative teenage year), I’m fully committed to listening until the end.
The investigative journalism I need in my life: Why do (some) men make their car engines so loud? Thank you, Vice.
🇩🇪 In den letzten Monaten wurde der Podcast-Markt mit aufwändig produzierten, deutschsprachigen Doku-Serien geflutet. Meine Favoriten bisher: Der Pornhub-Effekt, Inside Kabul Luftbrücke und Das System Söring.
Phew, this was a long one. Thank you for sticking with it! I’d love to hear your thoughts on strength training – leave a comment, send me an e-mail or slide into my DMs.
Until next time, stay strong,
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