“It is important that you keep your lower back neutral,” says trainer Coco Sabajo-Lanen as she performs a split squat occurs. It’s nine o’clock in the morning in the Vondelgym in Amsterdam-West and the StrongHer class, a strength training class especially for women, has just started. She tilts her pelvis slightly forward to demonstrate correct posture. “So that’s how you prevent injuries.”
Six bench presseseight split squats per leg and five hip thrusts with as much weight as possible – these are some of the exercises that are performed. They are not specific to women; a group of men in the weight room further away does them just as well. What distinguishes the class is the attention to postures that suit the female body and to menstrual or menopausal complaints, so that training can be adjusted where necessary. StrongHer started ten years ago with a handful of lessons at Vondelgym West. There are now up to three lessons per day, at each location.
Women are increasingly choosing strength training to feel stronger and more confident. The gym chain Basic-Fit also sees this. Commercial director Erica van Vonderen-Hahn: “Three years ago, half of our female members indicated that losing weight was the main reason for starting fitness; only 19 percent wanted to become stronger. Now, 45 percent of women say that they want to feel physically and mentally stronger. We have adapted our clubs to this; fewer treadmills and more strength training equipment.”
Gyms are further responding to this shift with training plans, strength classes especially for women and sometimes even separate weight rooms. “Member surveys show that women like to have a space where they can strength train safely, without unwanted comments or looks from men,” says Neil Randall, CEO of TrainMore. That is why the gym introduced so-called GAIA zones in 2024; shielded weight rooms for women. “55 percent of our female members use them during every exercise session.”
Weights in the gym
Photos Zara Nor
This also applies to Lisa Jane Heijdt (25). “Although I feel safe in the mixed fitness room, I prefer to train in the women’s room,” she says. “There I work out in tight sports leggings, in the mixed room I wear loose sweatpants. The idea that men might be watching influences how I move. In the GAIA zone I can let go of that more. And it’s fun there: if you achieve a new personal record or flex your muscles, other women encourage you.”
According to professor of physiology of exercise and nutrition Luc van Loon, strength training is important for women – just like for men. “It helps maintain muscle mass and bone density, supports joints and stimulates metabolism,” he says. From perimenopause, the transition phase before the last menstrual period, between the ages of 40 and 50, women lose more muscle and bone mass than men of the same age, which puts them at a higher risk of osteoporosis. “Strength training at least once a week reduces the risk of fractures and reduces complaints such as fatigue. In addition, it provides mental benefits: those who train strength feel good because neurotransmitters are released, such as dopamine and serotonin.”
According to researcher Agnes Elling of the Mulier Institute, the growing popularity is partly because there is more attention to the positive effects of strength training on the women’s body, including in the media. She also points to a socio-cultural shift. “Although there is still a dominant standard image of the slim, non-muscular woman, we see more and more diversity in role models. On social media, female athletes and influencers often show an overall more powerful body, with more muscle. This influences the reasons why women enter the gym.”
NRC spoke to three women from different generations about why they do strength training and what it has brought them. “In the mirror I see a woman with arm and leg muscles, who trains for herself and feels sexy.”
Lisa Jane Heijdt in the Trainmore Utrecht Stationsplein
Photos Zara Nor
Lisa Jane Heijdt (25) from ZeistSince I started strength training, I walk on the street differently: upright and more confident
“The first time I pushed 160 kilos on the leg press felt like a victory. I was stuck at eighty kilos for a long time. I didn’t dare go any heavier, because I was afraid it wouldn’t work. Until a friend challenged me. He went above eighty kilos – contrary to my expectations, I simply pushed him and the weights away. I realized that my body is capable of much more than I thought.
I have been dancing all my life, training to become a dance teacher at ArtEZ Academy in Arnhem and working at Albert Heijn, where I stand and walk a lot. When I played sports outside of school and work, I mainly did cardio to maintain my stamina for dancing. And to stay slim. But during my lessons I noticed that I lacked strength in my jumps, and I could barely do a push-up.
Weight training always seemed like something for men to me. Yet I saw more and more female influencers on social media – like Shiv Wilson and Diana Conforti – lifting heavy weights. That inspired me and gave me the push to start strength training last year. Gradually I realized that I train not only to become physically stronger, but also to feel more resilient. That motivation was reinforced late last year, when reports of violence against women dominated the news. The murder of Lisa from Abcoude made a big impression on me.
In the mirror I see a woman with arm and leg muscles, who trains for herself and feels sexy
Since this year I am locked in: I train in the gym six times a week according to a fixed schedule. The days on which I train my upper body are especially satisfying, because that is where I see the most progress. Some friends are afraid that their arms will become too muscular, because they think that is masculine. I don’t recognize that concern. I want my body to be balanced: if I train my legs heavily, my arms are just as important.
When I push myself to the limit in the gym, it feels strange to treat myself carelessly outside. So since I started strength training, I eat healthier, I spend less time on my phone and there is more structure in my days. This also makes me feel mentally stronger. In the mirror I see a woman with arm and leg muscles, who trains for herself and feels sexy. Moreover, I walk on the street differently than I did a few years ago: upright and more confident.”
Maaike Dorp in Vondelgym Amsterdam-West
Photos Zara Nor
Maaike Dorp (50) from AmsterdamStrength training ensures that I can continue to do my physically demanding work
“I have been the owner of Café de Toog in Amsterdam-West for eighteen years, a brown café with a large terrace. On busy summer days the work demands the utmost: orders follow each other quickly, the terrace is full and I am constantly busy with beer kegs, crates of soft drinks and full trays. In the past, I could be completely exhausted after such a working day. Since I have been doing strength training, my body can handle the physical strain better.
Ten years ago I started at Vondelgym mobilitylessons, which consisted of many yoga and stretching exercises. I wanted to become more flexible, but to be honest, I also went because friends were taking similar classes and I didn’t really know what to do with the gym. When the gym started StrongHer classes, it immediately appealed to me. During my work I noticed that I lacked strength in my arms and shoulders.
For many women in the group, strength training is a way to enter perimenopause and menopause stronger. I hear and see how it helps them to maintain energy, muscle mass and vitality. Because I experience few menopausal symptoms myself, that is not the reason for me to train with weights. What I do think is important is that strength training benefits my body in shape and resilient, so that I recover faster if I become ill in the future, but above all I can continue to do my physically demanding work.
In addition, the social aspect is one of my motivations. A number of women I met in class have since become good friends. We follow each other’s progress, encourage each other and inspire each other to become stronger.
It’s also just nice to realize that, if ever necessary, you can deliver a good pounding
Regularly training my muscles has not only made me physically stronger, but also more confident in everyday life. As a café owner, I was already on solid footing, because guests can sometimes be quite assertive. But since I started strength training, I feel like I can stand up for myself even better. It gives me peace of mind to know that my body can handle the work in De Toog. But honestly, it’s also nice to realize that you can deliver a good pounding if ever necessary.”
Ina Koolhaas Revers in the Crossfit Flames XL gym in Amsterdam
Photos Zara Nor
Ina Koolhaas Revers (78) from AmsterdamThe fact that I still exercise fanatically at the age of 78 should not be so special at all
“Around the age of forty, I lost my husband and my child in quick succession. Sports became my way of dealing with that grief. I started running in the Oosterpark around the corner from me, but when my knees started to protest, I had to find another way to keep moving. I reluctantly signed up for a gym.
A personal trainer there spoke to me after she saw me on the rowing machine. She saw that I had a remarkable amount of strength for my age and convinced me to start training together. What started with one lesson a week quickly grew to four. I knew discipline; my father was a Marine and my last partner was a Commando Marine. I liked the strict training regimen.
A year after we started training, I started competing in weightlifting competitions. I became world champion in my age category several times. My personal records don’t lie: I deadlift with 140 kilos, back squat with 100 kilos and bench press with 65 kilos. Some jackets no longer fit due to my broad shoulders, but I don’t mind that. On the contrary: I advocate that a muscular female body – including arms, chest and shoulders – becomes much more normal.
Some jackets no longer fit due to my broad shoulders, but I don’t mind that
I feel stronger and healthier than ever. I recently babysat a friend’s dog and effortlessly lifted him up the steep stairs of an Amsterdam house several times a day. At the same time, I know: strength training is not a panacea. In 2021 I was diagnosed with colon cancer and had to undergo major surgery. You can’t force yourself to survive such an illness, but the strength I had built up helped me get through the treatment. My body bounced back quickly: three weeks after the operation I was lifting again.
A lot of people ask me why I’m still doing this at my age. But as long as I can, I will continue. It gives my days rhythm and direction. Moreover, it has given me many new social contacts – also with young people, who keep me up to date. Of course, not everyone can become world weightlifting champion, but the fact that I still exercise fanatically at the age of 78 should not be so special at all. Strength training always makes sense, regardless of your age. I am living proof of that.”
Ina Koolhaas Revers in the Crossfit Flames XL gym in Amsterdam
Photos Zara Nor
Strength exercises
- Bench press
- You lie on a bench and push a barbell with weights straight up from your chest.
- Split squat
- You put one leg in front and one leg behind and lower yourself in a controlled manner.
- Back squat
- You rest a barbell with weights on your upper back and make a deep squatting movement.
- Hip thrust
- You lean backwards (feet flat on the ground) with your shoulders on a bench, rest a barbell with weights on your hips and push them up.
- Deadlift
- You lift a barbell with weights from the ground to hip height, with slightly bent legs and a straight back.
