Why do so many women lift such light weights?

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  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    I'm not afraid to lift heavy, but I have NO clue where to begin. I have some dinky 3 pound weights I use when doing workout videos. They do make a difference, and my arms do get more tired than if I hadn't used them. I'm totally willing to try heavy lifting, but I don't know where to start. I'm very fat but I'm weak. lmao.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary Start here. It summarizes the SL 5x5 program super well and has links to his videos. Watch the videos. Over and over if needed. If you have someone who can go with you and do the same thing, you can form check each other. If not, you could try to find a way to record yourself and people here are more than willing to help. Plus, there are people in the gym who can give GOOD advice and not just patronizing stuff, which is awesome.

    I started lifting in January. I love it so much. I had done it in high school, ages ago, but it had been way too long. Now, my favourite gym days are lifting days. I go up slowly (not nearly at the SL 5x5 pace) and I've kept myself at one weight for weeks on my squats while I focus on my form. So there's flex even in that program. There are also a couple books that get recommended over and over - one is Starting Strength, and I think the other is New Rules of Lifting? I haven't read either, but it's another good spot to start. I also peruse videos at Nerd Fitness too...Staci is amazing, check out stuff on her there.

    thanks a bunch for the link!
  • RoseGoldDinosaur
    RoseGoldDinosaur Posts: 133 Member
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    If you see me doing bicep curls with 15lbs weights, that's me maxing out. I can usually do about 8 reps before swapping to 12lbs then about 20 more reps before going down to 10lbs. That's my version of lifting heavy...

    I don't do pull ups with a 75lbs assist because I'm scared of muscles. I do it because I can't pull even half my weight.

    Thanks for noticing :grumble:
  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
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    Why don't women lift heavy? Let's see...
    Because we don't want to?
    Because we don't want to build visible muscle? ( I sure don't!)
    Because we don't need to, so why should we bother?
    All perfectly valid reasons.

    This. Not everyone WANTS to lift heavy, and that is their prerogative.

    But at the same time, there are a lot of women who waste their time doing pointless isolation exercises with 5 pounds and think they are building their strength. If they were more educated on the matter, they might consider and truly enjoy heavy lifting. I know once I learned about heavy lifting I was certainly convinced and realized how misinformed I was before. If you learn about heavy lifting's benefits, and decide you'd rather spend time in other fitness activities, that's totally fine. It's just that most people don't ever learn in the first place.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,302 Member
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    I'm not afraid to lift heavy, but I have NO clue where to begin. I have some dinky 3 pound weights I use when doing workout videos. They do make a difference, and my arms do get more tired than if I hadn't used them. I'm totally willing to try heavy lifting, but I don't know where to start. I'm very fat but I'm weak. lmao.

    There's gotta be a "how to know where to start" tutorial SOMEWHERE! LOL

    I spoke to a trainer once. She suggested that if I can do 3 sets of 15 at a weight with a little recovery in between, and not feel challenged, the weight is too low. I don't know if that is accurate, but it's what I've been trying.

    After a warm-up set, a weight you can do 3 sets and 10 times is hypertrophy or close to it. If you go up in weight the last set, old school of thought was as many reps as exhaustion allows(usually 6-7) you ought to have worked the muscle. SO, 3x10, or 2X10, and the last one go up in weight and go for 6-7; again old school rule but seems to work well. Variations of more weight and less rep moves the muscles to exhaustion faster, IMO.
  • crrampersad
    crrampersad Posts: 18 Member
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    My wife only lifts heavy on the weekends when we work out together. The rest of the week she keeps it everything between 20-30 lbs, or so she says. In her case it's peer pressure - she doesn't want to look like a standout.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    If you see me doing bicep curls with 15lbs weights, that's me maxing out. I can usually do about 8 reps before swapping to 12lbs then about 20 more reps before going down to 10lbs. That's my version of lifting heavy...

    I don't do pull ups with a 75lbs assist because I'm scared of muscles. I do it because I can't pull even half my weight.

    Thanks for noticing :grumble:

    LOL I feel ya, hon.

    I'm working on doing pull-ups too. Progressing, but I'm sure starting off weak! heeheehee
  • Briargrey
    Briargrey Posts: 498 Member
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    Why don't women lift heavy? Let's see...
    Because we don't want to?
    Because we don't want to build visible muscle? ( I sure don't!)
    Because we don't need to, so why should we bother?
    All perfectly valid reasons.

    Don't want to: okay, sure. But if you're lifting 2.5 pounds 100 times, you're not actually doing anything. If you're doing something else and it works for you, fine. Whatever. But at least be educated and not waste time.

    Don't want to build visible muscle: Er, okay. If that's your thing. But what do you mean by visible muscle? Do you want some sort of tone or do you just want a 'thinner' body where nothing at all has any definition or 'tone'? If it's the former, lifting will do that - you won't get huge. If you want to be soft all over with no definition, definitely your choice, so I guess keep on keeping on.

    Don't need to: you don't need to exercise at all, yep, so I guess that's true.

    I find those reasons bizarre, but whatever floats your boat.
  • 40andFindingFitness
    40andFindingFitness Posts: 497 Member
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    My first thought would be that they have weak arms. When you're carrying a purse or a child you're mainly using your shoulder or hip not necessarily your full arm strength for an extended period of time. However, many women do have the notion that if it's about 20lbs it hella heavy.

    What is the weight you typically suggest to them?
  • a_stronger_me13
    a_stronger_me13 Posts: 812 Member
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    Why don't women lift heavy? Let's see...
    Because we don't want to?
    Because we don't want to build visible muscle? ( I sure don't!)
    Because we don't need to, so why should we bother?
    All perfectly valid reasons.

    What a silly and ignorant response.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I didn't find that part in NRLW. Don't know if I missed it or what.

    NROLW is the program...it tells you exactly what to do and where to go to download the workouts, etc. Not sure how you missed it if you read the book.

    My wife does New Rules and loves it.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
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    I can only bench 8kg dumbells...

    i so wanted to do the scale free thing. but i cant. i really want to weigh in on my birthday. dumb reason but fudge. grrr.. GO GIRL!!
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    Why don't women lift heavy? Let's see...
    Because we don't want to?
    Because we don't want to build visible muscle? ( I sure don't!)
    Because we don't need to, so why should we bother?
    All perfectly valid reasons.

    I don't know a better way to tell you this, but if you're lugging around hay bales and such, like you said in a previous thread, if you lose weight in your arms and such (if losing fat is your goal), you probably WILL have visible muscle.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    I didn't find that part in NRLW. Don't know if I missed it or what.

    NROLW is the program...it tells you exactly what to do and where to go to download the workouts, etc. Not sure how you missed it if you read the book.

    My wife does New Rules and loves it.

    I left out the "O".
    I did download and read it. Like i said, i guess I just missed it somehow.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    I have been exercising now for 60 days, and I can only do my exercises with 12.5 lb DB (but I have moved up because I started with 5lb, then 10lb....) If I use 20 lbs, I tried to the other day, I can literally only do two of everything including squats and lunges.
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Bad back, knees and arthritis from lifting patients that thought they could lift heavy and ended up blowing out their back are a few factors!
  • Mr_Excitement
    Mr_Excitement Posts: 833 Member
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    I think.... it's because no one makes pink 45lb. plates.

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  • terizius
    terizius Posts: 425 Member
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    Dumbbells are tricky, even for men sometimes, because of the weight increments (usually 5lbs). One girl I'm currently working out with is in that sticky transistion between 15lb and 20lb dumbbells. Thats a 33% increase in weight! She can do about 15-18 reps overhead press with 15lbs.. but only about 8-10 reps with 20lbs. Her program calls for 12 reps.

    I personally always give 2 "grace" reps in either direction, so 12 reps to me really means anywhere from 10-14. So, if I'm able to get more than 14 reps, I go to a higher weight. If I can only get 9 reps, I go to a lighter weight.

    But, there may be a point where you just have to go with the higher weight and do less reps, because in the end, its that higher weight that is going to make you stronger.
  • Jade0529
    Jade0529 Posts: 213 Member
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    I think that there are several factors, but mainly it is that it is not really encouraged for women. Years ago I used to have a very physical job and still went to the gym 3-4 days week. Now I paid for a personal trainer too but he never once suggested lifting free weights or heavy lifting. I had no clue to ask about it either. That area of the gym was full of muscle bound men who frankly, intimated me and didn't look like they wanted any women over there!

    ps I have no problem being muscular, or what colour the weights are! As for being strong? Well I birthed an almost 10lbs baby for 30 hours of labour. I am def strong!

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