Posted on March 10, 2017 by Jenny Cromack
Following last weeks blog, this week covers more PhD findings and highlights the beneficial influence muscularity and strength has on some of the females included in my studies. So, this week I’m looking at muscularity in females.
More and more women have been engaging in weight lifting activities. There is often a stigma around women and weights resulting in a fear that they will become excessively muscular and masculine. Physiologically, unless specifically trained for, this is not going to happen. What my study has found is that actually training with weights and developing strength and muscularity may have a beneficial effect on their psychological well-being and sense of self.
Within my current findings muscualrity is an apparent form of identity capital with which individuals can construct and manage their various identities. Identity capital is a resource that allows individuals to negotiate their social situations. For the women in the study they expressed a sense of empowerment and independence they gained from being stronger and possessing a muscular (yet still feminine) body. The possession of this muscualrity appeared to stimulate an intangible form of identity capital, which manifested as self-esteem, confidence, and independence. In short, through weight training the women developed their muscualrity and strength (tangible capital) which interacted with, and increased, their self-esteem etc. (intangible capital). This allowed them to construct an empowered feminine identity that allowed them to break social stereotypes, and relieve any need for external assurance.
Some of the women described the achievements they made in the gym regarding their strength and physique provided them with a reference of what they were capable of achieveing. When they then experienced negative life events they drew upon these achievements to remind themselves of their inner strength and resilience which helped them overcome these potentially damaging situations. Others expressed the benefits their muscualrity and strength had on their occupational identity. They found that clients viewed them in a more competent way and placed more trust in their occupational ability because of the way they look and handle themselves.
These findings about muscularity in females (along with a host of others in this study) potentially present the drive for muscularity in a positive light, proposing that seeking a more muscular physique and increases in strength can improve individuals’ self-esteem, confidence, and general sense of well-being that allows them to overcome life obstacles. So when you next deliberate about whether to start weight training or not and someone tells you its for men, laugh in their face, crack on and prove them wrong!