Gone are the days of watching Rekha in her leotards. Women are into gyms doing weights and strength training.

But some questions remain. Some FAQs from women: Is it ok to do weights? Is weight training going to tone our bodies or turn us into The Hulk?

Are the best exercises large, compound body movements, or should we stick to simple stuff? Does strength training lead to gynaecological problems?

Trainers complain that women may kick off with strength training, but not many go on. If they keep coming to the gym, they go back to basic stuff, away from the equipment that challenged them.

Many women, feel trainers, also shy away from picking up serious weights.

But all this is changing, reassures Ritu Agarwal (above), CEO and founder of Rush Fitness Clubs. Conducting a proud walking tour at its brand new outlet at S.P. Mukherjee Road, she points at the state-of-the-art equipment for strength training that is meant for both men and women.

The number of women members at the Rush gyms has been steadily on the rise, Agarwal points out, from the time she started five years ago.

Men still outnumber women, but at any time you see women in a significant number, training with no mini dumbbell, but military pressing, crab reaching and battle roping (see pictures for more details). Exercises, including strength training, like many good things of life, are not gendered. There is no specific exercises meant for men, or women.

That said, adds Agarwal, each member at the gym is recommended a customised plan. The idea was to bring the best and the most contemporary facilities, she says, pointing at a jogging strip installed on the floor. “The aesthetics and size, coupled with cutting-edge equipment, experienced trainers, health cafeteria and an exclusive cardiovascular zone is unique to the location. We want our members to train with the best trainers, hence we invite master-trainers from all around the world to train the Rush team intensively and update them with the latest fitness trends,” says Agarwal.

But best practices also include improving the gender ratio.

To make the space more interesting for women is a special working women’s package offered in the evening at a reasonable rate, as well as several facilities and classes that can be attended for free. “It is a little community of women that we have here,” smiles Agarwal with pride. She also mentions that the Rush studios, headed by her, is run by women.

• Models: Monisha Sen, Mou Baidya and Sreyashee Dutta

• Photographs: Baban Mukherji

• Make-up: Rebecca Polizzi

• Shoot direction: Nick Rampal