How weightlifting transformed my relationship with my body

“I’m learning to appreciate my body for what it can do and for how strong it is, rather than what it looks like or what size it fits into.”

Despite being a cardio hater, I was always a sporty kid. I grew up doing gymnastics, playing local netball and competing nationally in school rowing. But when I finished year 12, I fell out of practice. I struggled to find the motivation to exercise, even though I knew it was good for me. 

I made a few attempts at getting into running, all of which ended with several very slow PBs and me slinking back into my sedentary comfort zone. There was a short stint with group exercise classes, which seemed like a healthy decision but unfortunately, they quickly became an unhealthy obsession. 

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I’d go almost every day, trying to fit as many classes as possible into my week. I stopped eating enough, and I weighed myself every morning. My jeans gaped at my stomach and it filled me with pride. Thankfully, Melbourne’s first lockdown broke my routine; it was like waking up from a bad dream. 

For a couple of years after that, I waded in and out of gyms, played a little bit of social netball and did a lot of walking (I mean a lot. So many podcasts). But something was missing. I was constantly feeling tired, flat and unenergised. 

As it turns out, what I was craving was a way to tap back into the competitiveness I spent my youth seeking out in sports. I needed to be able to set achievable goals and see tangible progress. My TikTok algorithm knew this, as algorithms do, and started feeding me weightlifting content. 

Weightlifting wasn’t something I’d ever considered prior to this, but it’s had a remarkable impact on my relationship with my body and, more broadly, exercise. Sure, I have bad days, but I’m learning to appreciate my body for what it can do and for how strong it is, rather than what it looks like or what size it fits into. And yes, while I am actively seeking to change my body, these changes are rooted in me becoming stronger, jumping higher, running faster and squatting my body weight (it will happen soon!). 

The weightlifting section of the gym is traditionally a bit of a man’s world. When I thought of a weights room, I imagined sweaty middle-aged men, frighteningly heavy weights and judgemental stares. This was why I’d spent so long confined to the treadmills, too scared to pick up a dumbbell. But on TikTok, I was seeing women of all body types and fitness levels taking up weightlifting, and if they could do it, so could I. 

It’s thanks to TikTok creators like Laylah Kay and Therese that I feel like I can take up space in the gym. They’ve taught me about lifting until failure, sets and rep ranges, proper exercise form and (most importantly) where to get the cutest activewear. They also don’t shy away from the tricky stuff: the doubt, feeling like you don’t belong and the struggles with body image. 

Finding a gym

When it comes to finding a gym that’s right for you, my advice would be to shop around. I tried Fernwood first because I thought I wanted an all-women experience. As it turns out, it was mostly rich old ladies who brought their own yoga mats and stayed for brunch. I’m much more comfortable at the gym I go to now, where I’m surrounded by all kinds of people, from massive bodybuilders to tiny 5’1 women wearing matching hot pink gym sets. 

Eating habits

What I learnt pretty quickly is that the food you eat is almost more important than the actual workout. It’s all about your protein intake, and you need to be organised if you want to hit that consistently. I started planning my meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. That might sound like a lot, but once I got into the groove, it made my life a whole lot easier. I no longer find myself at 3pm wondering what on earth I was going to eat for lunch.

Instead of rifling through the cupboard and landing, inevitably, on Vegemite Saladas or a bowl of Weetbix (nothing against them, they’re top-tier snacks), I’d have a real meal waiting for me in the fridge. And when you’re eating well, you feel well. You have the energy to live your life properly (and lift more).

Final thoughts

I can’t tell you how unbelievably refreshing it’s been for my perspective around exercise to change from ‘How can I get smaller?’ to ‘How can I get stronger?’. When I weightlift, the only competition I’m in is with myself. 

Weightlifting has taught me that my body is not just something to be looked at; it can do so many amazing things. And the more you treat it well and push it out of its comfort zone, the more it will reward you. 

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