weight lifting advice

Hey everyone, I started lifting weights last July. I got off track with a big move half way across country, and picked it back up less seriously in october. In January I hit the ground running and have been consistently going to the gym. I can tell my body is getting stronger but I am not LOOKING any more toned or in better shape. I have lost a few more pants sizes which is great, but maybe I am just being impatient.

I have tried doing research on how many reps per set and honestly I am left confused. I am currently sitting at about 12 reps with each exercise. I do more free weights than machines, and I really try and push myself and go up in weight if I feel its getting to easy, or refocus on form and making sure I am getting full ROM. I have tried splitting my lifting days between upper and lower body, I have recently tried doing more totally body trainings to see if a switch up would help.

I am a full time grad student so MWF I run between my classes about 3-4mi and then TRS I do 45-60min of weight lifting.

I eat around 1800-2000 calories, mostly from veggies lean protein, and whole grain rice (although I will admit my eating hasn't been as clean these past 2 weeks). I also have a really active job, long story short I am a carpenter so I am always lifting, and building etc 4-6 hours during the work week.

I guess I just see all these success stories of women getting incredibly toned within a few months. I am not sure I am doing wrong or why I am still so "soft" looking.

Any help, tips, suggestions would be great.

Best,
Megan

Replies

  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Most success stories I have seen have been 6+ months of consistent effort. You're sitting at almost 4, so give it some time :wink: I know it's really hard to be patient, but body recomposition (losing that last bit of fat, getting a more muscular look) is slow going. The fact that you've lost several pants sizes is a really good indication that it is working!

    I know that for a lot of women here who have that sculpted look, lifting heavy is the way to go. "Heavy" generally refers to a weight where you can complete a set of 5 reps with good form. I know it was quite an adjustment for me to go from 12-15 reps down to 5! But I definitely feel like it's been very helpful. (I do 5 sets of 5 reps each, I want to be fatigued at the end of the last set). This will definitely help with those strength gains, too!

    What kind of lifts are you doing? I would recommend compound lifts, especially bench press, squat, and deadlift, with some OHP, and maybe a bit of targeting moves like bicep curls or deltoid raises. I actually do quick circuits, with the first move being a big compound lift and then the next 2 generally being the smaller ones (for example, a circuit could be squats, bicep curls, tricep extensions; or deadlift, delt raises, calf raises ... I cycle through the circuit fairly quickly, so I don't have too much time between sets). If you feel like you need more info on the good compound moves, check out Starting Strength, I think it's available online.

    Also make sure you're getting enough protein! You should be aiming for 1g protein per pound LBM (or about .8g per pound total body weight if you don't know body fat %). It's very important when you're going for that look to adjust your macros!

    Hope that helps a bit :flowerforyou:


    Edit to add: I am, by no means, an expert ... just finding what works for me (and seems to work for a lot of other women here, too!)
  • lalonmeg000
    lalonmeg000 Posts: 276 Member
    Thank you so much! That was all wonderful advice! I will look into going down on reps and up on weights. I think my circuits are structured like yours. An example of mine from the other day was squats at the squat rack, iso curls, deadliest with about a 30 sec break between each circuit but nothing between each exercise.

    I do need to relook at my protein. Its the hardest thing for me to get in. I am not a vegetarian per se….but I don't like meat. I usually eat a lot of fish, nuts, avocado, and sometimes ground turkey.

    Thanks again! I will keep it up. I am moving to New York for the summer in June with no access to a gym, so I am hoping I can keep up some "at home" workouts, I don't want to lose these last 4 months of hard work : (
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Do you have an idea of your body fat?

    Unfortunately fat is like wrapping a box in a duvet - it may have lovely square edges, but you won't get so much of an idea when there's a fluffy layer around it.

    So, it's quite possible you need to 'cut' more to get the look you are going for.

    I do a starting strength routing doing 3x5 with longer breaks and no supersets, similar to what the other poster mentioned. It's working well for me. But part of the reason I chose this is functional strength over aesthetics. The 12 rep range should be better for size of muscles. Though, often it's best to do both. (Have a search for 'types of hypertrophy' on google for an explanation.

    As you're female, results are going to be slower coming due to lack of testosterone, when compared to men.
  • purpleleopard76
    purpleleopard76 Posts: 77 Member
    I'm in a similar situation as you - not seeing as good a result as I would have hoped for - so interested to see what other advice there is.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    You may well have made some gains, but as mentioned above, if you still have a high bodyfat % you're not going to see that definition you're after.

    Also, you really need to get the protein in to build that muscle, they won't grow if you don't feed them enough!
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    As the previous poster said, if you have a higher body fat, you may not be able to see your muscles just yet.

    If 1800-2000 your cut calories? Or are you trying to bulk?

    I am kind of unclear on your particular goals by your post.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I agree with the others it takes time.

    Also, get on a solid program, don't just wing it and do various exercises. There are so many good (free too) ones out there. I'm doing Simply Shredded right now.

    I agree try to work on adding more protein. I have this problem too, so i take in a protein shake or bar once a day to add it in. A shake has about 26 grams with 150 calories, a bar 20 grams of protein with 200 calories, so you can find a way to add one in.

    Calories look good so far, just keep on going and make adjustments if needed in a few weeks.
  • lalonmeg000
    lalonmeg000 Posts: 276 Member
    Thanks for all the advice. I will look into more programs and try and get back on that. I had a trainer, but I just can't afford it. It was more short term anyways to show me how to properly lift.

    I honestly don't know my BF% I have done a few online calculators based on measurements and I get a range from 20%-37% ha, last time I had it checked right before I started my journey I was 195lbs and 34% i think. If I had to take a stab at it, I would say I am around 29%.

    I think my overall goal is to go down on BF%. I don't necessarily need to see the 6 pack, in fact that isn't the goal, I just want to be stronger with an overall lower body fat.

    I got my calorie # from the TDEE method.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Run a novice program with linear progression until you no longer make strength gains for a few weeks despite doing the resets prescribed in the program. Then bulk.