Like many active, urban young women her age, Sabrine, 25, is a gym member. If she goes there two to three times a week, her pleasure is often thwarted, especially when she enters the « bodybuilding » area of her Fitness Park. “Before arriving in these spaces, I am generally motivated, well in my body, well in my head. But as soon as I approach it, this self-confidence evaporates, I no longer feel legitimate, ”she confides.
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The reason ? The omnipresence of men in this part of his gym. Their selfies in front of the mirrors, the cries at the slightest barbell raised, the « boys’ club » atmosphere, who will push the heaviest and make the most noise. “Most work the upper body muscles. They sweat, scream, make noise when they drop the dumbbells, monopolize the machines… I don’t really feel comfortable, ”explains the young woman.
“Domination by smell and noise”
« When men do bodybuilding, they are in the very strong demonstration of their virility and their masculinity, which goes through this noisy representation », underlines Chris Blache, urban anthropologist and co-founder of the think tank Genre et Ville, accustomed to sports halls. In these places, men exert « dominance by smell and noise. » « , according to her. So, to avoid being embarrassed, some women – when they simply do not give up the idea of going to the bodybuilding spaces – adopt strategies to avoid crossing the path of men.
Lou, 26, has found techniques to repel the « relous »: the triptych cap on the head, headphones in the ears and concentrated air has proven itself, she says. And like many women, when she started bodybuilding, she didn’t like coming to the gym alone. “There always had to be either a girlfriend or my boyfriend. Now, thankfully, I’m past that point, but in the beginning, it was something I was very careful about when choosing my gym. »
Over time, Lou has established a number of “red flags” that indicate she won’t be comfortable in a particular room. In the suburbs of Paris, where she trains, women are relegated to the ends of the room. They move the benches behind two posts that face the wall, make space between them and help each other, thus creating a small space of trust. “We find women in areas where men do not go, and vice versa. Finally, they occupy the bodybuilding space in the same way as they occupy the public space in general: they consider these places as being theirs in priority”, sighs Chris Blache.
Especially since sports halls are, for the anthropologist, very codified places. Two worlds oppose it: that of fitness, therefore of women, and that of bodybuilding, reserved for men. The goal is the same for both genders: to have a body that falls within “the canons of beauty of heteronormative society”. For women, it’s about having a slender and slim silhouette. For men ; big arms. “Women invest in group classes, stretching areas and cardio machines. And on the other side, the bodybuilding area is monopolized by men. »
The problem of “wild coaching”
So, when women finally dare to integrate this space, another scourge awaits them: “wild coaching”. Men, often amateurs, who come to give them unsolicited advice – even get behind them, to “belay” them during squats, for example – and consider the thing as a legitimate flirting technique. « It often happened to me, especially when I started out, when I was intimidated and didn’t really know how to use the machines, » testifies Ophélie, 28. I changed my way of dressing to have peace. The young woman therefore swapped her shorts-bra combo, which she nevertheless finds « much more comfortable and practical », for jogging and a long t-shirt, covering her buttocks.
“When we launched our brand, we were very careful to make the places welcoming for women, trying to prevent this kind of behavior, explains Marie-Anne Teissier, co-founder of the Néoness group. [qui compte aussi les salles plus haut-de-gamme Episod]. It was important for us, and for our business, to make women feel good in our gyms. The walls have no mirrors, the machines are accessible to all sizes (“a woman under 1m70 does not have to ask for help to use them”), and the good part is performed on « guided bodybuilding » machines, which make it easy to adjust the workload.
“We made sure that we could train independently without being an expert,” emphasizes Marie-Anne Teissier. We also have on-set coaches, who remind those who are a little too tempted to take themselves for coaches that they are not. In addition to the fact that these behaviors can make women very uncomfortable, they are also dangerous: bad advice or an incorrect position is an additional risk of injury.
Demystifying bodybuilding for women to own the space
“Recently, we have also developed “booty factories”: we know that the buttocks are an area that women particularly like to work on, but that doing it in the middle of the free weight area, under male gaze, can be complicated” , details the founder of Neoness. In these dedicated areas of the room, out of sight, women can train without fear of inappropriate glances. By popular demand, Néoness has also launched group “cross-training” classes, which mix cardio and weight training, with small weights. « It’s a way of ‘unstuck’ women with bodybuilding: they have long been made to believe that you have to do cardio to lose fat, that by doing muscle building, they will gain mass and become » masculine”, which is however false. »
Mentalities are gradually changing, in particular thanks to committed coaches, like Alaïa Hennequin, who campaign on social networks to change the image that women have of bodybuilding and offer adapted training. But it is also up to the sports halls to continue their efforts. “There are undoubtedly things that can be done in terms of communication, supports Chris Blache. Representations should be changed, in advertisements for example. Stop distinguishing “feminine” from “masculine” activities, get out of gender stereotypes, and stop with the representations of perfect and caricatural bodies. And if it’s not for gender equality, perhaps the business argument will convince them: the more women feel comfortable, the more they will come back.
How dare to take his place?
In the meantime, some venues, such as Fitness Park, have decided to create single-sex spaces. “There are more women in this place than in the rest of the room. I feel mutual aid, solidarity between us, I have the impression of being less judged and observed”, says Sabrine, even if she regrets that “not all the machines are offered”. To overcome this lack, some chains, such as Lady Fitness, offer rooms 100% reserved for women. “The non-mix is a means, and not an end, nuance Chris Blache. We must think about other alternatives in parallel. »
The expert advises women who are apprehensive about the room to “take a seat”, to say to themselves “I have the right, therefore I am doing it”. “All I can tell you is that men don’t necessarily look at women, they look at themselves. All you have to do is watch them: they work a muscle, they admire themselves in the mirror, they flex the muscle to see if it has come out correctly, they start over, they talk to each other, they watch each other to see who has the bigger. It’s not when they’re interested, they’re in their performance at that time. “What works best is to prepare my session in advance, also supports Lou. By knowing where I’m going, what I’m doing, I feel more confident, and guys feel less allowed to invade my space. Finally, in this universe filled with testosterone, Chris Blache warns of the opposite excess. “You just have to be careful not to get into toxic performance, which is often found in men. »
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