Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid Of The Weight Room

Don’t ever be afraid of clanging and banging in the iron, especially after elite athlete Ashely Horner reveals how visiting the weight room could change your life for the better – forever.

I see you because I was you. I was that girl, the one who hid out on the cardio side of a crowded gym, maybe venturing into the machine area once in a while. However, one day that changed for me, and I’d love for it to change for you too.

Overcoming shyness

After weeks of watching mainly men use the barbell, I finally got the courage to walk into that zone. You know, the one that timid girls like myself were too shy and insecure to be seen in.

I didn’t know a lot about weight lifting at that point in my life, so I found myself, when I did venture out of the cardio grind, stuck in the corner with some little 5lb dumbbells or working out with grandma on the machines that lined the back of the gym.

But I’ll never forget that day I crossed the boundary into the ‘men only’ world of the weight room to see for myself what all the clanking of iron was all about. That was the day that changed my life. I realized that what society tries to make us believe about lifting weights is false.

Becoming powerful

Strength was there for the taking, regardless of gender. And it didn’t take long for me to go from being a shy, timid girl to a woman who walked with confidence and pride in my body. I found that the more I pushed myself, the more powerful my mental state became. In fact, I became forged by iron, finding beauty in my strength.

Prior to my transformation I didn’t like my body for a long time because I felt too thick. I was what many people refer to as a ‘cardio bunny’ – getting nowhere, unable to lose weight and frustrated that all my hard work was going to waste.

I was afraid to lift weights, thinking that my arms and legs would get even bigger and I’d dislike myself even more. This evil circle of self- doubt went round and round in my head, causing a negative impact on my self worth the longer it went on.

The change

There’s something very powerful about iron. It changes and molds women, giving them strength to physically and mentally overcome any obstacle life throws their way. More so than ever before, women are now getting to the gym and stepping under the bar, not fearing the thought of getting ‘too big,’ but instead pushing themselves to be stronger.

They’ve had the same realization I did: the moment I stopped fighting with the scale and started to lift because I wanted to be strong, I fell in love with my body. I saw through the myth that lifting heavy will only make you look big, bulky or like a man. It just isn’t true, and now I want more women to realize that.

I truly believe iron changed me for the better. I overcame obstacles in life I wouldn’t have been able to without the strength I acquired in the gym. And off the record, any guy you see working out near you is probably more concerned with how ‘swole’ he looks in the mirror to even see you.

So put those headphones in and pull your hat down low. It’s time to get sweaty and be forged by iron because it’ll change your life.

Find toning advice and more in TRAIN for HER magazine.