Calling all Women Lifters

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  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    Hi girls,!
    I've been out of the game a while.. a little disappointed. but I am back on it :)

    I am not on that level yet, but pushing to look muscular :D.. but I do get that look alot.the " what is wrong with you" look mixed with " mmmmhh that is hot" look... . espeacially when I am the only girl walking into the free weight room wearing my gloves...

    Welcome!

    Keep checking in here and let us know how you are doing. What's working for you and what isn't. This board and my various magazines are what keeps me motivated. Well, that and the looks I get from my husband. ;-)
  • LivingFitNC
    LivingFitNC Posts: 18 Member
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    I love this thread...I have been lifting mostly on for 13 years and actually just committed to focusing on lifting instead of cardio after reading The Female Body Breakthrough and numerous other texts. This is big as my nutritionist kept telling me that I couldn't lose weight while lifting and I had to wait to focus on building LM. This after not losing weight doing triathlons and getting softer everytime I followed her directions and never being lean when I swam competitively.

    But I love lifting and now I am doing a lot of exercises that use core stabilization as the base with the exercise- so, for example, one-legged romanian deadlifts. I also train with super sets...I always have and I love them, usually I combine an upper body and lower body exercise for the super set. My goal is to finally be the lean female body I've always wanted and I am really excited to see what happens with less time commitment and focusing on weight training. Plus I just love keeping track of my progress lifting, I tend to be able to go up quickly even after a long break assuming its because I'm a mesomorph and being able to lift more is such a motivating and gratifying feeling! It's always great to see other women who like to lift real weights...not just those pastel ones on the floor of the weight room. :)
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    So I'm FINALLY able to do my back muscles today after taking a week off from all upper body (except abs) due to a small muscle pull in my right shoulder. I will be giving my shoulders and upper chest one more week to make sure everything is healed up.

    But I want to tell you this funny story.

    Yesterday I was doing legs on the squat machine and resting between sets when this big guy walks past an even bigger guy who is on the Hack Squat machine, looks at the 450lbs of weights on it and says to him "I see you aren't doing the GIRLY weights".

    Now I don't really know the guy who said this... we occasionally nod and smile at each other. But I do know the guy who is on the machine. He glances at me and then looks at the guy who spoke and says "Ummm... what do you mean by "Girly weights?".

    The other guy walks over to the Hack Squat Machine and starts loading TEN more 45lbs plates onto the rack. He looks at my friend who was about to do another rep, points at the 900lbs on the rack and says "THATS the Girly Weights". My friend looks a little confused and the other guy then points right at me and smiles and says "Because THATS the GIRL who can lift them!".

    A bunch of people who had heard this exchange started laughing. So now, when someone loads a ton of weights onto a rack for a lift, it is known as lifting "Girly Weights" among these guys.

    Pretty funny, eh? :smile:
  • F4v30n3
    F4v30n3 Posts: 12
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    *lol* that is a cute story.. girly weights :)

    I have met my PR. Hit 125 bench press. when I started pressing 5 months ago, the bar was all I could take, now I can load 45's :) yay!! I'm sure my chest will hate me tomorrow but hey! tight squeeze is always love :p

    My motivation is overall health. I like buying clothes and not feeling like, ehh! why doesn't it look right... having a fit form, makes it easier to buy cute dreses or nice jeans. And Of course, my loves curious hands :D *hehe*
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    Congrats on the 125! It's a rush, isn't it, to stack those huge 45s on the bar and press it.

    I love it when a guy walks by while you are in between sets and starts to unload the weights and you explain that you have a couple more sets to go... and he looks at the weights and at you and does a double take. :)

    Keep it going. My personal goal was to be able to press my body weight (155). I am finally at 160 as my 3 rep max. But it kills the rest of my chest day... so I don't do it often.

    You mention your goals being clothes buying. Ironically, clothes buying is my bane. I need a size large to fit my shoulders and arm length, but my mid section is a size medium or even small. So when I buy jackets, I have to always have them taken in.
  • ingeborgv
    ingeborgv Posts: 175 Member
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    Oh, so incredibly cool to find this inspiring thread! I'm not quite in the same league as a few of you, but I'm getting there.

    A year ago, I was convinced that I had no potential for being strong what so ever. Thanks to a great personal trainer, I now know that I am built for this! Started out doing regular push-ups and light dumbbells - now I can squat more than my body weight and bench press 40 kg. And though I still carry too much fat for some of the work to show, my arms and back are looking really nice.

    For a period now, I'm just lifting to maintain strength, I need to focus on my cardio for a few weeks and try to get rid of some flab. But I loved finding this thread and will read it often and thoroughly!

    I only have good experiences with the guys at my gym, btw. We are three or four girls there who lift somewhat seriously, and I always feel welcome in the free weights department.
  • F4v30n3
    F4v30n3 Posts: 12
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    :) clothes is still hard for me. My upper body is little compared to my lower body. So buying jeans is the same. My hips are HUGE but my waist is small. so I have to find jeans that will fit my thighs and hips, but wont be so lose around the waist that I sit and everything is shown :p

    Since I met my goal to bench 80, my goal now is to bench my BW. My goal for my BW is 150 :)
    I have 10lbs to get to my BW goal and 25 to get to my bench goal..
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    So I'm FINALLY able to do my back muscles today after taking a week off from all upper body (except abs) due to a small muscle pull in my right shoulder. I will be giving my shoulders and upper chest one more week to make sure everything is healed up.

    But I want to tell you this funny story.

    Yesterday I was doing legs on the squat machine and resting between sets when this big guy walks past an even bigger guy who is on the Hack Squat machine, looks at the 450lbs of weights on it and says to him "I see you aren't doing the GIRLY weights".

    Now I don't really know the guy who said this... we occasionally nod and smile at each other. But I do know the guy who is on the machine. He glances at me and then looks at the guy who spoke and says "Ummm... what do you mean by "Girly weights?".

    The other guy walks over to the Hack Squat Machine and starts loading TEN more 45lbs plates onto the rack. He looks at my friend who was about to do another rep, points at the 900lbs on the rack and says "THATS the Girly Weights". My friend looks a little confused and the other guy then points right at me and smiles and says "Because THATS the GIRL who can lift them!".

    A bunch of people who had heard this exchange started laughing. So now, when someone loads a ton of weights onto a rack for a lift, it is known as lifting "Girly Weights" among these guys.

    Pretty funny, eh? :smile:

    That is funny. I can't really say that I miss those high weights. I used to lift that heavy and my lower back suffered for it. Maybe I already had the issue though. My spine slants a bit. I must be getting better though, because it hasn't deterred me from the plyometrics and jogging. Sometimes the rain upsets it again.
  • tameka1220
    tameka1220 Posts: 517 Member
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    Good thread! I am new to lifting, (aug 2010) and luv the way my body has transformed!

    I have a question:

    I am still trying to tone up, lose inches, basically "get smaller". Should I continue to do 50 minutes of cardio or more lifting i currently do about 20-30 minutes
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    Oh, so incredibly cool to find this inspiring thread! I'm not quite in the same league as a few of you, but I'm getting there.

    A year ago, I was convinced that I had no potential for being strong what so ever. Thanks to a great personal trainer, I now know that I am built for this! Started out doing regular push-ups and light dumbbells - now I can squat more than my body weight and bench press 40 kg. And though I still carry too much fat for some of the work to show, my arms and back are looking really nice.

    For a period now, I'm just lifting to maintain strength, I need to focus on my cardio for a few weeks and try to get rid of some flab. But I loved finding this thread and will read it often and thoroughly!

    I only have good experiences with the guys at my gym, btw. We are three or four girls there who lift somewhat seriously, and I always feel welcome in the free weights department.

    Glad to have you aboard!

    Suggestion: Keep your cardio and your lifting days separate. This will help your fat burn for cardio.
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    :) clothes is still hard for me. My upper body is little compared to my lower body. So buying jeans is the same. My hips are HUGE but my waist is small. so I have to find jeans that will fit my thighs and hips, but wont be so lose around the waist that I sit and everything is shown :p

    Since I met my goal to bench 80, my goal now is to bench my BW. My goal for my BW is 150 :)
    I have 10lbs to get to my BW goal and 25 to get to my bench goal..

    I'd suggest LL Cool J for clothing - available at Sears. It's what one of my teen daughter wears... she is a volleyball player and has very muscular thighs and a small waist. The line is kinda hip - so you'd look cool to the teens and 20 somethings. :)
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    That is funny. I can't really say that I miss those high weights. I used to lift that heavy and my lower back suffered for it. Maybe I already had the issue though. My spine slants a bit. I must be getting better though, because it hasn't deterred me from the plyometrics and jogging. Sometimes the rain upsets it again.

    I have a bulge at L2... but I am a very serious Core exerciser... so when I lift high weights, I use a belt to protect my back and engage my abs. I only do really heavy weights once in a while to send my body a new message and mix it up. I don't do it often because I think too much of that can put unnecessary compression on the spinal column.
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    Good thread! I am new to lifting, (aug 2010) and luv the way my body has transformed!

    I have a question:

    I am still trying to tone up, lose inches, basically "get smaller". Should I continue to do 50 minutes of cardio or more lifting i currently do about 20-30 minutes

    If you are careful with your diet, you can slim down with just lifting. I lost my last 10lbs with no cardio except for walking.

    But I would suggest getting a BodyBugg (not and HRM which doesnt work for weight lifting) so you can accurately estimate your calorie burn.

    The fact is that increasing your muscle mass increases your daily BMR just by existing. But you have to be careful to get enough protein so that your body doesn't start breaking down muscles because it isn't getting enough protein from your diet.
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    So the other day I was at the gym and doing an AWESOME calf, oblique and arm workout. I stopped to check my BodyBugg and noticed that I was burning 5.5 calories a minute! That's almost a full calorie a minute higher than normal.

    I took my pulse and also noticed a higher rate there as well.

    The signal was clear: Take a day off. My calorie rate and pulse were higher because my body was working hard to repair the vacation week of exceptional lifting I had last week (my idea of a wonderful vacation is 3 hours a day at the gym).

    I *hate* days off. But they are necessary.

    So I pouted and packed up my stuff.... counting in my head the number of minutes I would have to wait til I could come back. :cry:
  • aprilshowers13
    aprilshowers13 Posts: 105
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    I've taken a small break from lifting due to a hurt shoulder and a bit of heel pain. My shoulder feels 100% better, but the heel pain is still lingering. I probably need some better shoes to lift in.
  • F4v30n3
    F4v30n3 Posts: 12
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    LL Cool J has a clothing line :) that is funny... Thanks for the suggestion.. I need to go clothes shopping.. dropped several sizes.. not happy about the money but happy that I HAVE to :p
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    I've taken a small break from lifting due to a hurt shoulder and a bit of heel pain. My shoulder feels 100% better, but the heel pain is still lingering. I probably need some better shoes to lift in.

    What do you think triggers the heal pain? Could it be calf exercises? That's where I notice it. First thing in the morning after a really good calf workout... it feels like my tendons are tighter than a fiddle string.... and when they rub, they feel like they could snap (but they don't, thank goodness).

    What helps prevent that is tons of stretching after the workout.
  • guardup
    guardup Posts: 230
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    LL Cool J has a clothing line :) that is funny... Thanks for the suggestion.. I need to go clothes shopping.. dropped several sizes.. not happy about the money but happy that I HAVE to :p

    Yeah - and Sears of all places carries his line. Some good news... its quite affordable. You can get some good jeans for under $30.
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
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    I've taken a small break from lifting due to a hurt shoulder and a bit of heel pain. My shoulder feels 100% better, but the heel pain is still lingering. I probably need some better shoes to lift in.
    "

    I found that my vibrant five finger shoes were the best for my heel pain.
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
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    I've taken a small break from lifting due to a hurt shoulder and a bit of heel pain. My shoulder feels 100% better, but the heel pain is still lingering. I probably need some better shoes to lift in.
    "

    I found that my vibrant five finger shoes were the best for my heel pain.

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