Yes, I would posit that people (women) are bothered by the noise that other people (men) make in direct proportion to the need they feel themselves to be quiet and ladylike.
There was a guy in my favorite spin class who constantly shouted “woo!” — at first it annoyed me, but then I got over it. He was just so into the workout and clearly loved our instructor, and eventually, I found it kind of endearing. He also sweated BUCKETS, and I had to make a point not to grab a bike near his usual spot. He could only help one of those things, and I didn’t really mind it after a while!
As for me, the only sound I usually make in class is a desperate “oh my god” whenever the instructor lets us in on how we’re about to sprint again. 😅
before i was an instructor i think i would eyeroll at the woos, too. once i became one, i wanted to give anyone who ever woo'd a hundred dollars. it's so helpful for morale when you're not the only one bringing any enthusiasm lol
I think what bothers me the most about that article is the feeling that it's policing/monitoring men in studio classes the same way that many women feared being policed/monitored in the gym.
Sure, we should all use common sense and practice basic etiquette, but bodies are going to body. And we should all feel good about taking up space.
As someone who has always been a loud breather, angry grunter and a dance to hype myself up for the next set kinda person, I never even thought other women found that annoying. I’m just out here being blissfully unaware and fine with it. Some people need to chill out and let other people live.
I’m reminded of the Jemima Kirke quote where she’s like, I think you guys may be thinking about yourselves too much. lol people out here thinking too hard about themselves and others. Just work out! Do what you need to do to survive the workout! Leave other people alone!
I used to teach Pilates and I always encouraged groaning, mostly by doing it myself after demonstrating an exercise. It built connection amongst everyone in class because after the groans, we'd inevitably giggle 😂
When I teach Pilates (where 99% of my students are women), there's a point in the class where we do a kinda long figure 4 stretch. Figure 4 can be a great opportunity to release pelvic floor tension, but you have to be pretty intentional to make that happen. I guide people through relaxing their jaw and tongue, which tends to be a little more accessible (not everyone knows how to relax their pelvic floor!), and one of the ways I do *that* is by getting everyone to make an audible deep-sigh HAHHHHHHHH sound, or blow a raspberry through their lips. It's so effective but I really have to kinda cajole people into doing it! I'm like DON'T BE SHY, BE LOUD! Once everyone gets into it they tend to love it, but it's always interesting to me that women seem to need both permission and pushing to actually make noise.
Your statement about how women are expected to be meek and quiet made me think of the videos I've seen of men, nearly fathers, complaining about how loud their partners were in LABOR! Telling them to quiet down because they were embarrassing him. Considering when I took my birthing classes, they encouraged us to moan and groan and scream.
My physical therapist is *always* telling me to breath louder and I just don't know how to be that noisy (why yes I am almost forty and systematically strength training for the first time ever after being seeped in 90's diet and cardio culture, why do you ask?).
I totally get breathing correctly. I think I'm now a loud breather, happy to blame CorePower, and I'm sure I sound annoying whilst exhaling on my rower. However...there was a dude at my former CorePower who did the boxer breathing thing during yoga, that sort of whistle exhale. And, no. Did not need to hear that, that loud, at 6AM in 97 degree humid heat for an hour. I used to workout at Gold's Gym Venice and there was a certain group who loved to let us know what their O sounded like and, no. No thank you. It was over-the-top loud and overacted. Didn't need to hear it...across the gym and through my NIN-playing earbuds. These were also the dolts I'd have to chide to clean up their sweat off the bench/machine and bring an effing towel. Not just my preference; that was posted throughout the gym, on the mirrors they couldn't take their eyes off of. It's a different type of manspreading, IMO. It's the attitude that comes with it that irks. If a dude is just dude-ing and being himself, we can tell. No biggie. If they are trying to assert dominance, we can tell that, too, and that's not welcomed. Again, IMO. xo
I didn't realize until recently how important the breath is. There's a physical therapist who has a fitness app, and during lifts, she talks about exhaling like you’re blowing through a straw to manage intra-abdominal pressure that can affect the pelvic floor.
>it evinces an attitude that’s more corrosive to our culture than anyone cares to admit
Amen, sister! Sounds like that woman lugs around her toxic energy like a shell, from the gym to online. Gyms are one of the few places where people from all walks of life can mix. For an hour or so, we are all reduced to primates trying to get our bodies into shape. Just don’t take up a valuable machine while you spend half an hour on your phone. And put away the weights when you’re done.
Yes, I would posit that people (women) are bothered by the noise that other people (men) make in direct proportion to the need they feel themselves to be quiet and ladylike.
yees
There was a guy in my favorite spin class who constantly shouted “woo!” — at first it annoyed me, but then I got over it. He was just so into the workout and clearly loved our instructor, and eventually, I found it kind of endearing. He also sweated BUCKETS, and I had to make a point not to grab a bike near his usual spot. He could only help one of those things, and I didn’t really mind it after a while!
As for me, the only sound I usually make in class is a desperate “oh my god” whenever the instructor lets us in on how we’re about to sprint again. 😅
before i was an instructor i think i would eyeroll at the woos, too. once i became one, i wanted to give anyone who ever woo'd a hundred dollars. it's so helpful for morale when you're not the only one bringing any enthusiasm lol
I think what bothers me the most about that article is the feeling that it's policing/monitoring men in studio classes the same way that many women feared being policed/monitored in the gym.
Sure, we should all use common sense and practice basic etiquette, but bodies are going to body. And we should all feel good about taking up space.
As someone who has always been a loud breather, angry grunter and a dance to hype myself up for the next set kinda person, I never even thought other women found that annoying. I’m just out here being blissfully unaware and fine with it. Some people need to chill out and let other people live.
we all know too much about each other!
I’m reminded of the Jemima Kirke quote where she’s like, I think you guys may be thinking about yourselves too much. lol people out here thinking too hard about themselves and others. Just work out! Do what you need to do to survive the workout! Leave other people alone!
I used to teach Pilates and I always encouraged groaning, mostly by doing it myself after demonstrating an exercise. It built connection amongst everyone in class because after the groans, we'd inevitably giggle 😂
love it
When I teach Pilates (where 99% of my students are women), there's a point in the class where we do a kinda long figure 4 stretch. Figure 4 can be a great opportunity to release pelvic floor tension, but you have to be pretty intentional to make that happen. I guide people through relaxing their jaw and tongue, which tends to be a little more accessible (not everyone knows how to relax their pelvic floor!), and one of the ways I do *that* is by getting everyone to make an audible deep-sigh HAHHHHHHHH sound, or blow a raspberry through their lips. It's so effective but I really have to kinda cajole people into doing it! I'm like DON'T BE SHY, BE LOUD! Once everyone gets into it they tend to love it, but it's always interesting to me that women seem to need both permission and pushing to actually make noise.
totally. i had an instructor do this by say "ladies, try to be louder than the guys" and a bunch of gals were like WAHHHH at the chance lol
Your statement about how women are expected to be meek and quiet made me think of the videos I've seen of men, nearly fathers, complaining about how loud their partners were in LABOR! Telling them to quiet down because they were embarrassing him. Considering when I took my birthing classes, they encouraged us to moan and groan and scream.
good sweet god
My physical therapist is *always* telling me to breath louder and I just don't know how to be that noisy (why yes I am almost forty and systematically strength training for the first time ever after being seeped in 90's diet and cardio culture, why do you ask?).
i'm sure you'll get the hang of it! you also don't HAVE to be super noisy, i don't think, but the awareness of the breath is so helpful
Over a decade of yoga has me breathing in a decent pattern but a lifetime of misophonia has me doing it quietly 🤷♀️
I totally get breathing correctly. I think I'm now a loud breather, happy to blame CorePower, and I'm sure I sound annoying whilst exhaling on my rower. However...there was a dude at my former CorePower who did the boxer breathing thing during yoga, that sort of whistle exhale. And, no. Did not need to hear that, that loud, at 6AM in 97 degree humid heat for an hour. I used to workout at Gold's Gym Venice and there was a certain group who loved to let us know what their O sounded like and, no. No thank you. It was over-the-top loud and overacted. Didn't need to hear it...across the gym and through my NIN-playing earbuds. These were also the dolts I'd have to chide to clean up their sweat off the bench/machine and bring an effing towel. Not just my preference; that was posted throughout the gym, on the mirrors they couldn't take their eyes off of. It's a different type of manspreading, IMO. It's the attitude that comes with it that irks. If a dude is just dude-ing and being himself, we can tell. No biggie. If they are trying to assert dominance, we can tell that, too, and that's not welcomed. Again, IMO. xo
yes, there is a difference between people just living their lives in the gym and people being shitheads. a delicate balance!
man here, stay quiet in the gym.. this may be due to growing up as a 90-lb weakling, or just natural introversion..
I do grunt when out in the woods tho, it is quite satisfying ;-)
the woods judge no one!
I enjoyed reading this!
I didn't realize until recently how important the breath is. There's a physical therapist who has a fitness app, and during lifts, she talks about exhaling like you’re blowing through a straw to manage intra-abdominal pressure that can affect the pelvic floor.
yeah that's a great cue!
V well written
thank you babe
>it evinces an attitude that’s more corrosive to our culture than anyone cares to admit
Amen, sister! Sounds like that woman lugs around her toxic energy like a shell, from the gym to online. Gyms are one of the few places where people from all walks of life can mix. For an hour or so, we are all reduced to primates trying to get our bodies into shape. Just don’t take up a valuable machine while you spend half an hour on your phone. And put away the weights when you’re done.
LOLing at this post