[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/health-wellness\/crossfit-its-okay-to-be-a-woman-with-muscles\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/health-wellness\/crossfit-its-okay-to-be-a-woman-with-muscles\/","headline":"CrossFit: It’s okay to be a woman with muscles","name":"CrossFit: It’s okay to be a woman with muscles","description":"Being stick thin or looking as emaciated used to be the ideal body image for girls and young women. Many tried their best to emulate runway models such as Kate Moss, Olga Shearer and even Victoria Beckham, often driving them to anorexia and even the brink of death. Today, the image of the ideal woman […]","datePublished":"2022-07-01","dateModified":"2022-07-02","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/james_yau\/#Person","name":"James Yau","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/james_yau\/","identifier":849,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/James-Yau-100x100.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/James-Yau-100x100.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/CrossFit_Actualize-CrossFit_Facebook-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/CrossFit_Actualize-CrossFit_Facebook-1.jpg","height":900,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/health-wellness\/crossfit-its-okay-to-be-a-woman-with-muscles\/","commentCount":"1","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/health-wellness\/crossfit-its-okay-to-be-a-woman-with-muscles\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-26 21:35:03","description":"Elevate your standards without debilitate your billfold when you search our betray. https:\/\/www.hipuffy.com\/collections\/sativa-thca-flower  We narrow in source the mellow thca hangman's halter flower and top-grade thca hybrid flower from sustainable, constitutional produce. If you erotic love a slap-up lot, our inexpensive thca flower choice and steep thca flower natural selection provide unmatchable authorization at an unvanquishable Mary Leontyne Price aim. Don't forget to pair your exchange premium thca flower buy online order with our popular delta 9 gummies sativa treats or console indica eatable gummies for a all-around lay away. shop class right away for fast cargo ships!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Donaldfuh","url":""}}],"about":["Health & Wellness"],"wordCount":1389,"keywords":["Actualize CrossFit","Body Image","crossfit","Farhanna Farid","fitness","gym","health","Innervate Fitness","Kampung gym","Kampung Too"],"articleBody":"Being stick thin or looking as emaciated used to be the ideal body image for girls and young women. Many tried their best to emulate runway models such as Kate Moss, Olga Shearer and even Victoria Beckham, often driving them to anorexia and even the brink of death.Today, the image of the ideal woman has changed.\u00a0In Singapore, the body image of the woman has shifted in favour of strength and lululemon, resulting in the number of gyms sprouting like mushrooms across the island republic.\u00a0Look to your nearest shopping mall. Along with this yearn for fitness comes specialised gyms and work-out regimens, all targeted with different health goals. For every spin studio that resembles a nightclub, you will probably find a tamer, \u2018zenner\u2019 pilates classThe latest craze that is shaping the picture of a typical Singaporean woman today is CrossFit.\u00a0CrossFit is a branded fitness regimen that incorporates elements from high-intensity interval training (HIIT), weight lifting, powerlight, and callisthenics.\u00a0CrossFit gyms are rising in number as it grows in popularity. (Photo source: Innervate Fitness\/Facebook)\u201cI think women are less intimidated by weights now, especially after they are exposed to it and realise that they can lift some pretty damn heavy dumbbells. And this is precisely what I wish to encourage – to just try it out, and who knows, you’ll start to fall in love with how strong you actually are,\u201d says the owner of gym Kampung Too Poon Shu Qi.\u00a0You are what you readWhile becoming strong is not a problem for the male counterparts, women tend to be more reserved towards it for cultural reasons. The portrayal of models and ambassadors in wider media also shapes and provides exposure to the public\u2019s perception of how a woman should look.\u201cTraditional Asian media and mindsets portray women to be \u201cthe weaker sex\u201d, with petite body frame. Recently, we see a gradual shift in focus in mainstream media from the models that they use. Whilst blogshop models are still the classic image of \u201cskinny\u201d, with the rise of athleisure in daily fashion, models now sport defined muscles and stronger body frames,\u201d says Ms Cassandra Lau, owner and coach at Actualize CrossFit.The representation of women in media affects how we view body image. (Photo source: IPF\/Facebook)The 29-year-old adds that many clients are inspired by figures who receive media attention. Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid made headlines when she broke the world record lifting 200.5kg at the World Open Classic Powerlifting Champions 2022 in South Africa. Then there is Ms Filza Dorah Sim, a retired bodybuilder and owner of Bold Fitness, who also advocates for women to grow stronger.\u00a0Growing in body and mindWhile the motivations and goals of hitting the gym vary, there is a widening definition of what fitness means. Fitness does not mean being skinny but this does not mean that skinny means weak.\u00a0\u201cOvertime, the perception of how fitness should be built has changed. What started out as typical Zumba exercises or light weights has evolved to become a dive into Functional Training. High Intensity Fitness programs and all the fad in ‘pushing yourself’ is seen as glamorous. Being a CrossFit facility, we do see individuals prioritising movements and functionality over how they look. They focus more on what their body can do and where its peak capability is at, as well as how good they feel both inside and out. Through the workouts that they do here, it has become a staple for them to chase the achievement of running faster, jumping higher, moving more weight and increasing the capacity of what they can do,\u201d says a spokesman for Innervate Fitness, a CrossFit gym.\u00a0CrossFit\u2019s emphasis on movement and functionality takes the focus away from body goals and shifts it to performance.\u00a0The emphasis for exercise has shifted from body image to one\u2019s performance. (Photo source: We Are One Fitness\/Facebook)\u201cWomen who stick to CrossFit pursue a wide range of goals that are mainly performance. Most want to become stronger, learn and unlock different skills and feats of strength, for example, deadlifting more than their bodyweight, performing a weighted pull-up, or even acquire skills like a ring muscle up, and invest in their health (we have a healthy number of mothers who continue to train whilst safely carrying their baby to term). Body goals then become secondary to them,\u201d says Ms Lau.\u201cI believe CrossFit teaches girls and women that having muscles does not make you any less feminine. It encourages people to look beyond how their bodies appear and to view it as what their bodies can do. Women work their asses off and they feel proud to see what they can accomplish. Along the way, they start to feel stronger and healthier, and gradually feel even better and more confident about their own bodies,\u201d says Ms Poon.The rise of super girl and wonder womanAs terms like feminine, skinny, and muscular, gets redefined, the blurring of a once drawn line, breaks down stereotypes and provides one a freedom of expression through fitness.\u201cIt is definitely gaining momentum. We notice that even with the older women who come in to train for our weekly Legends classes (physiotherapist-led functional fitness class for the elderly), they look around and comment how \u201cfit\u201d the younger female athletes look, and strive to work harder to look strong as well. We\u2019re changing the perception of how women should look and feel, and it\u2019s exciting,\u201d says Ms Lau.\u201cWomen are starting to see the appeal of lifting weights. But no, I don’t think the ‘strong girl’ image is growing in popularity; it’s just that women are not afraid of being strong and having some muscles. Looking strong is a byproduct of not being afraid to touch the slightly heavier weights, feeling confident and comfortable in their own skin, and thus feeling stronger, fitter, and most importantly, happier,\u201d says Ms Poon.Strong or not, working out is a step forward in health and wellness. (Photo source: Crossfit Fire City\/Facebook)Health is wealthWhile society reshapes its ideals of fitness and body image, balancing traditional sentiments amidst the deluge of breakneck media influences, the trend of a stronger womanhood is a step in the right direction in the promotion of general health.\u201cThat is still largely the motivation for many women when they get to the gym \u2014 lose weight, look good, and by that definition, feel good as well. While many \u201cInstagram models\u201d flaunt their defined collarbones and \u201cthigh gap\u201d and continue to perpetuate this mindset, more people realise that working out is also for health and longevity. Women now recognise that they should and can incorporate strength and conditioning into their repertoire of exercises, moving away from the lighter weights to lifting multiple repetitions at even two to three times their bodyweight,\u201d says Ms Lau.Moreover, the trend signifies a great leap forward, away from unhealthy eating habits and unsustainable mentalities.\u201cI think it is common for people, not only women, to view working out as a means to burn calories and ‘earn their meals’. That in itself is not healthy and people often feel ‘undeserving’ of meals just because they did not burn enough calories in the gym. I encourage my members to eat to fuel their bodies to do better and work harder. To look beyond the calories burned, and to think more about how they have progressed over time in their gym and how much stronger, healthier and fitter they felt before they stepped into the gym a couple of months ago. Such a mindset is way more sustainable and healthy,\u201d says Ms Poon.She adds: \u201cI think there is a gradual shift in mindset for some, myself included, that perhaps body image should never be the end goal. Truth is, you’ll never truly be satisfied with how you look. Sure, an ideal body type will always exist in our minds and comparison may be inevitable. Yet, I encourage people to begin to look beyond that – think about what your body can do, and how you feel in your own skin. Fuel your body and feel healthier, don’t starve yourself and feel miserable.\u201dJoin the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia\u2019s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Health Wellness","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/health-wellness\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"CrossFit: It’s okay to be a woman with muscles","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/health-wellness\/crossfit-its-okay-to-be-a-woman-with-muscles\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]