See What It Means To "Lift Like a Girl"

There's a perception out there that weight lifting is a manly thing that manly men do. But the Oxford University Women's Powerlifting team has a very different message to send the world with their new video "Lift Like a Girl." Because men are not the only half of the species with muscles.

In the video, the young women talk about their love of being strong, and enjoying the fact that they're able to do things people don't expect them to be able to do. "I like people's reactions," one of the women explains. "They're like 'Oh, OK. A girl does lifting?' .... It's great."

As someone who's been getting into weight lifting for a while now, I'd just like to add that I second everything in this video. Getting stronger is awesome. Being able to defy expectations, to pick up those heavy boxes or carry that piece of furniture, is awesome. Feeling like you can do anything is awesome. Plus, there are certain things only girls who lift understand.

As the #LikeAGirl campaign reminds us, when it comes to sports, being a girl isn't an impediment — and that definitely applies to weight lifting. Plus, weight lifting is something anyone can do. There's no hand-eye coordination and you can advance totally at your own pace. So if you're interested, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Schedule a session with one of the trainers at your gym to show you the ropes, and see how you, too, can "lift like a girl."