University Recreation is promoting a more inclusive environment for women in an effort to help women gain confidence in the weight room.

Programs such as Women on Weights and Women’s Only CrossFit are offered at UREC in order to educate and encourage women to add weightlifting to their workout regimen.

Women on Weights, a new program offered this year, is a 12-week long introductory course that teaches women basic form, lingo, and exercises so they can better maneuver the weight room on their own. The program initially started when UREC noticed the lack of women in the lower weight room at the Rec center, said MacKenzie Wilson, a Women on Weights trainer at UREC.

Wilson said UREC staff hoped to encourage women to learn how to correctly lift weights so they could become more comfortable and better utilize the facility.

She said her students “grow confidence in their training abilities and what they can achieve, which then carries over to their daily lives.”

Jessica Whitt, assistant director of Fitness Services and Education and UREC CrossFit coach, said she believes weight lifting helps empower women.

“We, as women, don’t necessarily get taught how to lift weights, and I think the culture is changing,” Whitt said.

Women who take Whitt’s class train to be strong, and develop a pride in their muscles and bodies.

Whitt said UREC promotes its employees to talk about feeling strong, rather than aesthetics and body image.

Oftentimes women avoid weightlifting in fear of getting big and bulky, said Ramon Sodano, personal trainer and graduate assistant for fitness services. Women do not produce the same Testosterone levels as men, so it is extremely difficult for women to look bulky, he said. The environment in the weight room also intimidates some, who fear being judged for their workout and their appearance.

Sodano said he understands what intimidates women, but he also stressed the benefits it can have on women’s bodies.

“With any form of exercise, your body is going to change and you are going to feel better about yourself,” he said.

Sodano said he believes if women take the plunge into weightlifting, they will get into a routine and worry less about their fears and more about reaching their goals.

UREC supports women-only classes because they provide a comfortable environment where women can meet other like-minded women, he said.

“The hope is that these classes create a support base so women can eventually create their own routines with confidence,” Sodano said.

UREC is also promoting “Strong Not Skinny” movements and has set forth a mission to make the entire rec center a more inclusive environment, Sodano said. The movement is to allow anyone at any skill level to feel comfortable and confident when exercising at UREC.