South Asian women and powerlifting - Why I lift
A plethora of research indicates that resistance training has numerous benefits from a functional perspective (Westcott, 2012; Winett & Carpinelli, 2001; Kraemer & Ratamess, 2002). In addition, resistance training has been correlated to improved psychological and social health, especially in women, including an increase in self concept, self esteem and self efficacy (Craig & Liberti, 2007; Dworkin, 2003; Tsutsumi, Zaichkowsky & Delizonna, 1996).
Historically, women have been excluded from resistance training, but has grown popular since the 1970’s. Resistance type sports, such as weightlifting, have seen a recent increase in female engagement due to the popularity of CrossFit (Huebnew, 2020). Increasing research describes the mental health benefits of weight lifting for women, including decreases in body image disturbance (Depcik & Williams, 2004), perceived daily stress (Koplas, Shilling & Haroer, 2012) and increases in self confidence (Holloway, Beuter & Duda, 1988). Social constructionist feminist theory asserts the benefits of transgressing limitations women have historically faced in access to strength building sports, and to illustrate how women who participate in weight lifting are able to access increased physical power and personal agency (MacShane, 2014).
Powerlifting is a competitive strength sport that involves moving maximally loaded barbells in three types of lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. The squat involves loading a weighted barbell onto the lifter’s shoulders and bending the knees so that the hip crease descends below a parallel position, then ascending until the lifter stands erect. The bench press involves the lifter reclining flat on a bench and bringing a loaded barbell from arm’s length straight down to the sternum and then pressing it back up. The deadlift requires the lifter to pull the barbell off of the floor and assume an erect standing position (International powerlifting Federation, 2014).
However, the disparity between men and women and engagement in powerlifting suggests obstacles related to gender socialisation and misled attitudes. In particular, research indicates that women may be socialised from a young age to ‘avoid masculine’ exercise, such as weight training and are encouraged to pursue ‘feminine’ training, such as endurance (Velija & Kumar, 2009; Wachs, 2003). There also appears to be a strong gender based stigma around concerns that more ‘masculine exercise’ may lead to looking ‘manly’ or ‘bulky’, despite the fact these claims are not possible through physiology alone (Dworkin, 2003).
Furthermore, the role of culture has been identified as a significant barrier for women, where women who lift weights may face rejection and disapproval from people from their culture who do not lift weights, as well as efforts from family members to ‘protect’ women from social disapproval through discouragement or prevention of attending these activities (MacShane, 2014; Brace-Govan, 2004). Coined ‘muscularity concerns’, Wojtowicz and von Ranson (2006) describe the phenomenon where women who participate in weight lifting may experience a fear of social rejection due to the way physiological changes as a result of weight lifting, despite the emotional and physical benefits (Wojtowicz & von Ranson, 2006). South Asian women experience specific cultural barriers including pressures in achieving competing body standards and appearance ideals (such as being ‘thin’ and ‘healthy’), and pressures around having lighter skin colour, black hair, minimal body hair in order to increase chances of marrying young, all of which negatively impacted body esteem (Pitetta, 2019).
While there is little research on powerlifting and the impact on South Asian women, there is some research to show that in Asian American women that PowerLifting, there was an experience of ‘transformation and self-reflection’, that led to a need to seek balance within the self and reflections around compromising expectations between American cultural and traditional Asian culture (Pitetta, 2019).
Arthi Nithi is a Tamil woman who lives in the U.S and is an American powerlifter and a World Record Holder. This is what she said about her experience:
"Going back 7 years to when I first started powerlifting at 18 – I was definitely the odd one out. Here I was an Indian woman picking up heavy weights. No one on social media I could look up to, no one in my gym who looked like me, and parents who had never even heard of powerlifting. It was a struggle to figure out how I fit into my community and the fitness world. South Asian communities tell us, especially women, not to have big muscles."
