Date of Publication

Fall 2013

Document Type

Undergraduate Project

Professor's Name

Katharine Burakowski

Abstract

There are many motivational factors or barriers that effect women to weight train at a recreational standard. In this research, weight training is any use of resistance machines, bands or the lifting of weights. Through this research, the question of how do women who weight train differ from those who do not in a physical, mental and social aspect is answered. Furthermore, this research identifies what the specifics are refraining women from weight training and how to make these barriers motivate women to weight train based off of all the positive benefits it has for women. The theory that helped framework this administered research was the social role theory which specified the role of society on masculinity and femininity. There are prevalent themes that were raised with this research and they include the impact of gender roles, masculinity, barriers and motivations through the practice of weight training. These resulted in the findings of the conducted research proving how there are still inequalities present regarding women in society who weight train. Results also show how the lack of education of weight training has been the major barrier of women participating in weight training. The common barriers that arise from this theory helped to set up the motivation of goals by women to overcome such a barrier. Also, the findings in this research suggest that there are more barriers than motivations and how women need to develop goals to help motivate them to weight train. The methods conducted took a post-positivism research framework where there was a mix of qualitative and quantitative data. This mix of data is gathered to understand the why and how women weight train based on the female participants. There was a conducted survey that was given to every other woman in the lobbies of Planet Fitness in Victor, NY and Penfield Fitness in Penfield, NY. This research could potentially help the gym understand their female clientele and there was an offered incentive if the woman agreed to take the survey and participate in the research. This research is in the midst of implicating women to see the health impact that weight training can have for an overall physical, mental and social aspects of life. Also, to bring awareness of the inequalities that are still present in today’s male dominated activates and sports.

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