‘You’re pretty good for a girl.’

‘You’re pretty good for a girl.’

This is a phrase that I can remember hearing for my entire life: whether it is to me directly, or to somebody else. Whether expressed seriously or communicated in jest. Whether it is laughed in a playground, spoken in the workplace, or spurted on social media—does society accept this phrase too easily?

I consider myself a strong woman. What does strong mean to me? I am never afraid to stand up for what I believe in; I stay true to me; I never allow myself to feel inequality in any circumstance (some people may shy away from dominant men and women—I am comfortable facing anyone in any form and have enough confidence in myself to adjust to the situation).

We are all people, why fear anyone? Adjust yourself but never change yourself; push yourself and don’t be afraid to accept a challenge—create your own challenge. Be proud, but never too proud to accept mistakes and learn from others. The strongest of women have made mistakes, and often this is what makes them stronger.

So, when is this phrase used and why? Well, women can face gender prejudice in just about every scenario—and why? This is probably a discussion for another day, for the sake of your minds (and eyes) and mine.

As a fitness fanatic myself, this is an area which has been heavily male-dominated, but one where females are undoubtedly making a breakthrough. Social media is a massive driver of this, reaching out to us women, saying you too have a place in that weight room with the men. Lifting heavy and increasing your goal to 15 pull ups is a normal and achievable thing—having muscles is sexy, not manly.

With the ongoing ‘Strong Not Skinny’ Instagram campaign, and with so many influencers coming forward to promote fitness and strength, women now have a strong place on the squat rack and not just the cross-trainer… and you know what, I think men quite like it too. A fantastic example of not being frightened of standing strong.

I am also really enjoying seeing more demand for female fitness brands. With the female gym wear market rapidly growing (my personal favourites being Gymshark and Sweaty Betty), they too are supporting women’s confidence in fitness. This is now the same for nutrition—long gone are the days of male-targeted protein powders with angry, black packaging… now we have shelves full of wonderful variety and products you are not afraid to pick up and read more about. This includes protein products specifically targeted to female muscle building too. It’s exciting to see and exciting to hear of women squatting more than men: ‘Men are stronger than women’? Well, you better keep up boys!

Returning to the phrase ‘you’re pretty good for a girl.’ Does this attitude negatively affect me? Absolutely not! Does this attitude push me one step further to where I want to be? Absolutely! Because girls are pretty damn good.