Guys in her gym thought she could never 'lift the same as them' — they were in for some surprise

Come the 21st century, the myth around women and weight-lifting has been debunked, and for good reason. The notion had kept them away from the sport for decades. However, the social stigma remains. Gyms are one place to witness gender stereotypes at play that attack women and rob them of their true potential. But fitness influencer Alice Elizabeth (@ecila_x) was not having it. In a massively viral TikTok video, she left her "gym bros" open-mouthed as she not only lifted but also repped a deadlift bar. 

Two men stood surrounding her, to spectate what was about to happen as Elizabeth prepared for the mind-numbing stunt. Another curious guy sat cross-legged on the floor. Some of them seemed to suspect her abilities with awkward stares and condescending smirks. Unbothered by any of it, the TikTok creator bent down and lifted an insane 160 kilograms (350.7 pounds), and the egos of the many male spectators. “These guys didn’t believe I could lift the same as them…” she wrote in an overlay text on the video. Elizabeth’s great form impressed the guys, as evidenced by their expressions. But she was not done yet.

“So I repped it,” she added. The men gazed in awe while the fitness influencer clapped back with a set of reps with insanely heavy weights. The guy sitting on the floor gasped as she pulled up one after another deadlift. Her commendable strength and dedication left the onlookers speechless, no wonder. In the end, a few of them cheered her on while she showcased true sportsmanship with a fist bump with the watching gym go-ers. While the iconic video was impressive enough, Elizabeth made sure to highlight that she did not use any safety equipment, which only goes to show her true potential. “No belt, no straps, no warm up, just the audacity,” she brilliantly captioned the post. 

The mind-blowing feat by the fitness freak single-handedly the many fitness stereotypes about women’s strength and power. Some theories suggest that women lack the muscle mass or testosterone levels to match the physical capabilities exhibited by men. While biological differences may be used to discourage women from trying these strenuous challenges, flag-bearers like Elizabeth are pushing the boundaries of the fitness world to accommodate women in sporting fields like these. According to Women’s Health, more and more women are curious to try deadlifting, said women’s strength coach Allison Tenney, CSCS. 

The viral TikTok turned heads with more than 48 million views and over 52,100 comments from her fans. One person (@0fficials_19) raved, “This is how you know it has nothing to do with size and all about technique and your breathing. You go, girl,” while another (@claire.mozza) remarked, “Best thing I have seen today. You killed it.” Many others noted the men’s reactions with sarcasm and humor. “Man was too stunned to speak,” quipped a fellow TikTok user (@hannaholiviaax). Someone else (@gabrielaalanis_) extolled her feat, and wrote, “Proving someone wrong literally gives you that extra strength. Go off, queen!” “Harry Potter looks like you just showed him real magic,” joked a commenter, hinting at one of the guys’ reactions.

Initially, women hitting deadlifts was a rare sight merely because of the perceptions of how a woman’s body functions. Heavy weights were thought to be detrimental to their biology. However, research has shown that deadlifts help women increase strength and muscle mass in addition to improved bone density, enhanced metabolism, and boosted mental health, per another WH report. 

You can follow @ecila_x on TikTok for more videos.