You can call me monster thighs’: Exploring women's body image in gym culture through photo-elicitation

Strength training offers substantial physical and psychological health benefits for women, yet gym environments often remain exclusionary, gendered spaces that reinforce harmful appearance ideals and undermine body image. This study explored women's experiences of gym-based exercise using photo-elicitation methodology. Seventeen women (aged ≥18 years) were recruited from a prior survey study, with 47% aged 30-39 and 65% residing in the UK. Over a period of 1-2 weeks, participants captured or selected images representing their gym experiences, which were then used to guide semi-structured interviews conducted online. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, generating four themes: (1) 'It's Bigger Than Me': Strength Training for Lifelong Health; (2) 'Be Afraid and Do It Anyway': Empowerment from Strength Training; (3) 'I Am Proud of My Body but … Will It Ever Be Good Enough?': The Inescapability of Diet Culture; and (4) 'I Think I Look Good': Positive Body Image Dichotomy. Although participants engaged in strength training for health, longevity, and empowerment, many continued to experience negative body image thoughts and practices, including comparison with others and discomfort in gym attire. Participants further described a continual negotiation between rejecting appearance ideals and navigating the sociocultural pressures embedded within and beyond gym spaces. Findings highlight the need for more inclusive and supportive gym cultures and challenging fitness industry norms that perpetuate body dissatisfaction. By using photo-elicitation to examine women's everyday gym experiences, this study conceptualises body image as a dynamic and negotiated process and offers applied insights for creating more inclusive and psychologically supportive gym environments.