Petite 24-year-old who can lift twice her own body weight wants to prove women can be powerful and feminine

  • Megan Batchelor, 24, from Southampton, can deadlift 125kg
  • The personal trainer wants inspire other women to lift weights
  • She said you don't have to look like a bodybuilder or 'The Hulk'

By Lucy Waterlow

PUBLISHED: 09:33 EST, 11 October 2013 | UPDATED: 11:14 EST, 11 October 2013

A petite personal trainer who competes in weightlifting competitions wants to prove you don't have to be butch and burly in order to be powerful.

Megan Batchelor, 24, from Southampton, is 5ft 6in and can lift twice her own body weight of 10st 8lb.

She currently trains six days a week so she can deadlift 125kg (19st 6lb), bench press 80kg (12st 6lb) and squat 97.5kg (15st).

Mrs Motivator: Megan Batchelor hopes to inspire more women to take up weightlifting

Mrs Motivator: Megan Batchelor hopes to inspire more women to take up weightlifting

Loves to push herself: The personal trainer works out six days a week

Loves to push herself: The personal trainer works out six days a week

Megan, who only started powerlifting at the start of this year after qualifying to be a personal trainer in 2011, hopes she can inspire other people to get involved with the sport.

 

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She told MailOnline: 'I want to show women that you can do something empowering like powerlifting whilst still remaining feminine.

She added: 'To be clear - it's not bodybuilding. It's very different. Bodybuilding is about size and definition of muscles, aesthetics and not about function.'

Megan has launched her own business, MGB Fitness, with the support of her husband Mark, to help people tone up and get fit.

But she wants to lead by example and show how you can build strength and fight fat through weighting lifting - an exercise regime that many women are loathe to follow in case it makes them look too masculine.

Strong: Megan can deadlift 125kg, bench press 80kg and squat 97.5kg

Strong: Megan can deadlift 125kg, bench press 80kg and squat 97.5kg

Good exercise: Megan recommends weigh lifting to people who want to get into shape

Good exercise: Megan recommends weigh lifting to people who want to get into shape

'A lot of women don't realise how good it is for them, so I wanted to use myself as a guinea pig to help inspire them,' she explained to the Southern Daily Echo.

'It helps women appreciate that you can do this but not end up looking like a bodybuilder. We simply don't have enough testosterone to gain muscle quickly... you don't wake up one morning and look like The Hulk.'


'A lot of women are put off lifting in general because they think it's about getting "stacked" and ending up looking very masculine and bulky' 

She added in an interview with MailOnline: 'A lot of women are put off lifting in general because they think it's about getting "stacked" and ending up looking very masculine and bulky.' 

She admitted that even she was sceptical at first when it was suggested she try it.

She said: 'I was reluctant as I didn't want to end up like a bloke but I did my research and looked at the different weight categories and saw that you don't have to be huge to be strong.

'I know for many people - both men and women - the weights area of a gym can be very intimidating but they are also intrigued to try it.'

She added that women keen to drop a dress size and banish their 'muffin top' should note that lifting weights is 'very good at keeping your body fat down and keeping you slimmer.'

Multi-talented: Her other passion is singing and she's in a band

Multi-talented: Her other passion is singing and she's in a band

She explained: 'Strength training boosts your metabolism so your body uses more fuel and stores less fat.

'Muscle mass is much firmer than body fat. If you have a thick layer of soft, squidgy fat on your body, you are likely to get overhang like 'muffin tops' and 'bat wings' because your clothes cut into the soft tissue. Even slim people struggle with this if they have no muscle tone. A firmer surface (that is muscle closer to the surface of the skin) makes clothes look better and stops those horrendous VPL.'

Another additional health benefit is stronger bones. She said: 'Women's changing hormone levels and often lighter body weight than men make us more prone to diseases like osteoporosis, particularly in post-menopausal women. Strength training tells the bones that they are still needed. It stimulates the rebuilding process and makes them stronger.' 

For those she's convinced to try lifting weights, Megan recommends first seeking advice from a professional via the accredited Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).

Megan intends to compete in a southern counties weightlifting competition in Bournemouth this November. If successful, she will qualifying for a place in the British Drug Free Powerlifting Association's national competition, where she could compete to be the country's strongest woman.

Megan said she's always loved exercising and has been a 'gym bunny' since the age of 16 and run a marathon.

But exercise is not her only passion. She also loves to sing and her band, Madison Heights, regularly perform at events including weddings.

She sought a career in fitness over trying to break into the music industry as she felt the latter was too competitive.

She also gets job satisfaction from inspiring people and pushing herself and others out of their 'comfort zone'.

She said: 'I've had a few women tell me that I inspire them to do more weights training, it's so humbling and I love to see more ladies in the weights area.'

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Where's the muscle definition? Lifting them heavy weights, I'd have thought she'd be ripped.

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Women with some muscle are very sexy

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Excellent role model Megan!

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Saw the word 'petite'... then saw her arms and shoulders... no longer petite I'm afraid

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Note to all women. If you want a body..... lift!!

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Let me be the first to say this here. Why would any girl NEED to life twice her weight UNLESS she was a fire-woman. Ladders, victims and hoses need that strength but not the normal female. We ladies KNOW we can be powerful and strong for life's issues. If we can have a baby, we can be looked upon as powerful, strong and feminine.

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More of this! Awesome that weight training is getting some good publicity. No woman wakes up one day and says "oh no I'm so bulky" - the women who look bulky are like that because they want to be. Running on a treadmill is great, but if you want to really shape your body, get lifting!

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Sexy

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My definition of petite is obviously very different form the DM's.

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I like that she is muscular but still has a set of boobs. most female body builders lose them and end up looking like guys...

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