The Myth of a Good Girl

Close your eyes and picture a bench, Smith machine, boxes and kettlebells. I bet most people see a man, maybe even college football player or professional athlete, heaving with the testosterone this equipment requires.

Now think: Yoga mats, intricate Pilates machines and Zumba classes. Association: Definitely women.

Granted, not all exercises can be so grouped into these categories.

Take spinning. In every class I've been to, men and women flock in equal numbers to have the life hammered out of them by a pseudo-sadistic spin instructor in a darkened group fitness room with no air conditioning.

And even though most guys who go to the gym on campus stop by the cardio room to warm up before crippling their upper bodies with hundreds of repetitions of shrugs, curls and presses; and most of my fellow female athletes skirt the mats lining the edge of the weight room to do abs and pliometric exercises, the gender divide in working out remains well defined.

I like to think of myself as a fitness jack-of-all-trades.

When I'm a reporter during the day, it is my job to become an expert on myriad subjects in order to explain them to my readers. Most of my journalism professors say sometime during the course of a semester, "It is the journalist's job to know a lot about everything, not to be an expert in any one subject."

I've carried this thinking into my workout routine. If there's a new class at the gym, I've tried it. A new piece of equipment -- well, I've been known to buy it off ebay.

I try to cross the gender divide because I believe each side offers pros and cons. A complete fitness -- strength, cardiovascular health, flexibility and diet-- cannot be achieved by watching the opposite sex through the glass wall at the gym.

Today I read an interesting article published in Newsweek by Jessica Bennet, "The Myth of a Good Girl." http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1jsScA/www.newsweek.com/id/214608?from=rss/

In it, Bennett explains the psychological glass ceiling professional women impose on themselves when they act stereotypically female -- with cautiousness, apologetically and afraid to ask for, and receive, what they deserve.

This got me thinking about women when they work out, and more so about the differences between the fitness routines of men and women.

Bennett says females pressure themselves to be "modest, selfless, rule-following 'good girls'" so they can't be called "bitches." Although acting prim might stop co-workers and friends from whispering behind her back, the woman who refuses to enter her workplace confidently on the same level as her male cohorts will not only make less money, but receive less recognition and accomplish less.

I say this applies with just as much force to working out. Not only do women who refuse to participate in "male" exercises miss out on health benefits (such as the reduction in bone loss that comes with strength training), but they cannot achieve their full potential as athletes.

So try it all. See what works for you.

After I sprained my ankle and had to stop rowing and running, I took every class offered at the gym.

I consulted with my guy friends about their workouts. One even advised me to drink chocolate milk when I lifted weights because the unique combination of sugar and protein would help my muscles perform and recover -- I did not follow this advice.

I did research online and in books. I even called my high school coaches for fitness recommendations.

Working out should not be approached with fear or predetermined notions about what only works for you (whether you're a man, woman, professional athlete or novice). I can guarantee there's something out there you're hesitant to try that you will absolutely fall in love with -- be it pole dancing classes or boot camp.

And don't become preoccupied with being a "good girl" or a "good boy," as Bennett describes them. Breaking the workout gender mold can only improve your fitness.

And it might even make you more confident in other areas of your life.