Women working out in a gym, an unremarkable scene in many parts of the world, but in Saudi Arabia, a sign of social and cultural progression. These women weightlifters are taking advantage of new female only gyms, the latest in a series of reforms in the conservative Muslim Kingdom. The sport is enticing many women, like Rihama Al-Shaban, to stay in shape and get fit. Though critics in the region claim weightlifting will cause women to lose their femininity. People who are interested in sports, who don't want to give this a try, are usually pretty skeptical of weightlifting. Some of the old assumptions still exist, but the general idea about women in weightlifting, on the contrary, is that it would help women get into better shape, look good and improve their fitness. I don't see any problem with this. For Jim owner Iman Shalad, the idea that weightlifting leads to a masculine appearance is baseless. Some girls fear they might get bigger muscles, like men, but that's impossible if they don't use growth hormones. If they do normal resistance exercise, if they eat proper healthy food, they'll develop a physique that they wouldn't get with any other sport. Saudi women are now allowed to attend football matches and will soon be permitted to drive, as the nation seeks to change its international perception as a repressive state. But for these women, its attitude is closer to home that are in real need of an overhaul. When I first came back from the United States in 2013, I was shocked to see people rejecting the idea that women practice weightlifting or even drink protein shakes. They assumed that if they drink protein shakes, their body would become like a man, even my own family thought that. Change doesn't happen overnight, but for these Saudi Arabian women, it's a push in the right direction.