This is a touchy one for me and my ego. I used to lift heavy, but after some injuries and time away from the gym I have to grit my teeth and keep to my current routine when some guy way smaller than me steps past me and picks up some 85 lbs dumbbells while I'm standing there with my 35s. I do like a strong woman though so when a woman comes in pushing more iron than me(cause it's bound to happen), part of me will want to know if she's single and the other part will want to burst into tears.
Indifferent. There are some pretty strong ladies at my gym, and while I’m a strong guy, there are some who are more fit than I am. It doesn’t matter, though, and we are usually too busy with our own workouts to notice.
And of all the strong athletes I personally know, none of them have ever made fun of a guy who lifts less than them. They really don’t care.
It triggres a mixture of things..
Can be embarrassing at first when caught off guard. Yet appreciate the fact she's ripping her way out of the comfort zone to outperform me and many other guys.
On my first encounter in a gym there was an early 40's woman that started executing an insane superset routine, while I was doing just a dumbells/rest siting on a bench. Got overwhelmed by her strenght and energy.. Defenitely had a chip on my ego and got me embarrassed doing my workout next to her on that day.
I LOVE when this happens!
Unfortunately, I don't go to a hardcore gym, so it doesn't happen all that often.
What's more, the women in this gym are pretty "normal." I've only seen an FBB in there once, and she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Occasionally, one might see someone who looks like a bikini model, but that's about it.
Heavy sigh...
It depends on your age. If you are in your 40s, 50s or 60s and some young chick that has a great physique and she's in her 30s or 20s then there's no problem. It depends on if you lift once or twice a week or if you lift every day and are very serious about body building and she isn't but can still lift more than you, then you might have an issue. (I'm too old to care and like seeing younger women lift more than me)
A girl I know in the gym lifts so much heavier than me in leg workouts she even jokes about it a lot so how would you feel if that happened to you