I just got back from a vacation in Florida. Out of the ten days that I was there, I was able to train six times: twice at a gym (once at a hotel and once at a health club), twice in our condo (check out the photo on Twitter of me doing “piggyback” split squats with my son on my shoulders), and twice at the beach (there was a section at Fort Lauderdale Beach with various chin-up bars). The experience I had at the health club, though, was quite memorable. Let me tell you why.

One morning my wife and I decided to workout at a nearby condominium complex. We discovered that there were separate health clubs for women and men, so unfortunately we weren’t able to train together. We also discovered that there was a double standard between the women’s health club and the men’s health club. See if you can notice it.

First, this is what the women’s health club looked like…

And here’s what the men’s health club looked like…

Did you spot the difference?

Basically, women are not supposed to lift weights. They can do aerobic activity and some light resistance work but nothing with free weights.

Men, on the other hand, are given all the tools they need to build muscle size and strength. They have access to barbells, dumbbells, cables, machines, Olympic plates, and adjustable benches.

I had a pretty good workout. My wife did not!

It’s unfortunate and unfair that this type of mentality still exists. Many women fear that weight training will result in overdeveloped muscles. Whether that’s true or not, it doesn’t mean that all women should be denied the tools necessary to build muscle. In fact, I believe weight training is more important for females than it is for males.

Furthermore, I believe women and men should train together. Actually, females would make excellent training partners for males. If you’re a guy, it may be better to train with a gal than another guy. I’ll tell you why tomorrow.