Female Gym Survey - could u help me out?! :)

Hi!

I am only 19 but am currently doing a personal training course.

My dream is to open up a gym and teach more women the value of strength training and free weights.

I have done a questionare to ask women if they felt more comfortable with female -only gym environments or if they don't mind men training there too.

I dont think many of you would wanna do the whole survey so could u just give me an opinion on wether you would prefer women - only or mixed and the reason why.

If i get enough for women-only, i know what my business will be targetting.

Thanks!!!!

CCookie

I don't mind training with guys.  I actually go to a gym that is mostly men.  I haven't seen more than 5 different women there.  I actually feel less self-conscious because I'm not comparing myself to the other women there.

However, you won't be opening a gym on CC; you'll be opening it wherever you are.  I wouldn't place much emphasis on what our needs are but rather what the needs in your area are.

Thats good advice. I am planning to put it in Central London in England so many working people will be going.

I understand your opinion. I am the same - training in a gym with no females at all until after work when i am not even there.

Maybe i should just do some strength training sessions in a mixed gym.

 

Thanks a lot!

Maybe make it open to the public but offer more classes that focus on female strength training. I have a gym that I think is more female based. There are alot of guys but they'll play basketball and do the spinning class and focus on the free weights more. or even raquet ball the guys plan. Most of the body pump and step classes are female based. Also yoga there is only about 1 or 2 guys.

I think a mixed gym is okay... you could always form classes that are "female only"... I don't tend to get intimidated by the men I work out with, it is the other women (as one of the other posters said)... crazy, huh? We should all be on the same side, but we are competitive with each other! :-) I wish I lived in London so I could take your class, I need help with that part of my workout! Good luck! :-)

 There's a reason Curves is so successful as it is. Some of it is down to real clever marketing and misuse of the whole "sisterhood" meme by a right-wing anti-choice loon, but he's nevertheless managed to tap into a market segment of people who don't feel comfortable in a mixed-gender setting.

 You might bump up against some of the gender equality acts with an all-female gym in Britain, you'd have to check that out.

 Whether the market segment is large enough to support a commercial facility is another issue - at first guess I'd say 'in London, probably it is' assuming you've got a decent advertising budget or can get free PR from the media.

 

I prefer mixed gym. It motivates me to lift weights, knowing that I will be showing up a room full of guys (all with a front-row view in their line for the bench press). It makes me feel feminine AND powerful.

A lot of body-comparison goes on between women, also...I'd much prefer to be the only woman in the gym than have to look at some and say, "I wish I had her body," and look at others and say, "I hope she's not looking at me and wishing she had my body and getting discouraged."  

I prefer a mixed gym.  It might seem a bit weird but as a female I am motivated by the men in my gym that lift hard and heavy.  I know I'll never come close to the amount of weight they are doing but seeing them lift fuels my training sessions.

I go to a mixed gym that also has a 'women's only' area on the second floor. I work out on both, but the only reason I use the women's area is when I'm doing circut training there are less people in the women's area so it's easier. I have memberships at 3 different gyms (none of them strictly womens) and my biggest pet peeve is kids actually - not that they act poorly but they get this pack mentality going when using the weights and they hang out on the equipment. It's never just one kid working out, it's 4 or 5 hanging off a machine like it was the water cooler.

I hate mixed gyms...it should atleast have a women's only area...it's distracting and annoying....pervy guys who stand and gawk around at everyone, trampy women in designer hot pants and full make up. Lots of them don't even come in to actually work out, they just hang around there taking up precious gym space just so they can impress the opposite sex, flirt, date, gawk and flaunt. It annoys the folks who go there to actually get fit.

It's alot more comfortable when it's all ladies, I just feel alot more at ease and enjoy my workouts alot more without interruptions...the atmosphere is just so much more relaxing, I can let my hair down, get down and dirty with my workouts, without having to mind if my boobs are bouncing a little too much. The ladies are so much friendlier in the ladies-only section...probably the sisterhood thing like the previous poster mentioned, and the really fit and hot ones are really sweet and they give me lots of work out and diet tips on how to be more like them. It's annoying to have males checking you out or trying to hit on you when all you want to do is hit the machines and work out. Oh well...I've only been a member of one mixed gym in the past, then I quit, and put on weight...blegh...maybe it's not as bad at other gyms. Still, I'll always prefer a ladies-only gym. The one thing I do find annoying with ladies-only gyms is that they tend to overemphasize on aerobic type exercises and underemphasize strength training.

Anyways, I've said enough :p good luck to you girl :D You'll do just great!!!

I have to also say that i'd rather a gym without men.  I hate when men hit on me or give me looks.  I once had a gym pass that I had paid about 150 for a three-month summer and quit going after two weeks because a guy hit on me who I found VERY creepy.  I also once got told by another creep that he thought my legs were 'great looking'.   I already new he thought this because i could see him STARING at them while I was on the treadmill. These were two different gyms in two different cities.  I wouldn't mind men at the gym if they were taught RESPECT and MANNERS (i work out now at a gym on a military base and have had NO problems).  I hate creepy men at gyms.  So if any of you are men reading this post, please stop hitting on/staring at girls at gyms.  We don't like it.

 

 

I prefer a mixed gym. The guys do their thing and I do mine, so it all works out.

I really think there is a mix of both opinions... i am getting the impression most like the option of a mixed gym but think women-only classes are good to get more business.

I think one comment by desert-lilly made perfect sense -

"The one thing I do find annoying with ladies-only gyms is that they tend to overemphasize on aerobic type exercises and underemphasize strength training".

This is what i intend to change. Having regular evening strength training classes for females and a mixture of cardio and weight circuits for any women who feel uncomfortable aorund males in gyms or for those who just want an extra session.

I will not only get booming business from males as most gyms do, but will give women a chance to choose and to learn more whilst getting fit.

 

Thank you so much for the insight! It has been more than i could of asked for thank you.

Ccookie -  i will keep you all u to date and ask for more opinions in the future!

I prefer a mixed gym.  I have learned a lot of new exercises watching the guys and they seem to be more focused than a lot of women.  I have never found an all women environment interesting too much competition.  women seem to get very clicky and I don't see much of that from the men.

A mixed gym is fine - I've noticed my thing is that I prefer women Instructors over male.  part of my brain is like - well, if a women can train this weight lifting or (fillin the blank) course, then I can certainly do that too.   If it's a guy, part of me is 'well, that's a guy, and guys are stronger, so I can't be expected to do as well' -

I know it's mostly irrational, but I definetly feel better having a female class instructor.  I feel another women will inherentally know more about my body and how best to work it, and that a women will set standards that I can eventually achieve.  In one of my Yoga classes, the instructor walks around and will help you adjust your pose by touching parts of your body, gently and helpfully, but I'm glad it's not a guy, even if it is all professional.

Irrational, I know, but there it is : )

Theoretically, I prefer women only gym. However, when I take classes at my gym specifically that tend to be all women for weight lifting, I am by far lifting the heaviest weights (I'm the only person who even touches anything higher than 8 lbs. My "light" weight is usually 10 lbs and nobody else even tries) and I am not particularly strong. It's kind of like the "pink dumbbell theory" gets magnified in an all women setting. The same class is taught once a week by a man and he does less reps of all the exercises so I can use heavier weights. However, I get a better work out lifting on my own but then I get embarrassed lifting weights around boys. So basically - I don't know :-P

 

Hi! I'm 19 too :-)

I personally don't mind men at all. I don't feel like they're judging me or anything when I work out. I don't get embarrassed because I feel as though they know that I'm naturally not going to be able to lift as much and therefore I don't have to compete with them.

I go to a co-ed gym that has a smaller area with weights and machines just for women, a huge exercise class room and areas reserved for personal training.   I would say that 90% of the women I see with personal trainers, are with men.  Goodlife also had two female only gyms in town here and I can't tell you what that personal trainers are doing there.  Maybe it evens out....

I like mixed gyms - hey it can be fun to watch the buff guys :p ;)

I like having both sexes at my gym. I don't think I'd go to an all-women's gym again, though I will admit it was the best thing for me when I started working out years ago.  I go to the same gym at the same time every weekday and it's great because I'm usually the only other girl in the weight area. I'm pretty focused on my weight routine so I don't even really notice other people (unless they're using my equipment... haha).

I hate gyms, but the only gyms I've tried are mixed so who knows.

My martial arts gym has a special bodysculpt program that alternates MMA, muay thai and strength training. It's great because the aerobic activities and strength training aren't played down for women. They spar with bags & thai pads & the strength trainging is super intense. 

There are a couple of guys, but mostly women. I love going to the classes because an awesome opportunity to engage with the ladies, sweat, push yourself and not worry about looking good. Seeing the same ladies on a regular basis creates an awesome commradery & support network. It's really awesome.

It's also fantastic because, unlike regular gyms and martial arts classes, there are people of all sizes & abilities. It's a great opportunity for people who are out of shape to bust it out, and since many women are intimidated by gyms & annoyed with places like curves, it's an untapped market.

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