What is considered "heavy weights" for women?

HaleyAlli

Especially short women? :P

I can do a bicep curl with a 15 lb. weight, but I kinda doubt that's considered "heavy" persay... Any thoughts on what I should try to build up to?

mazomama

bump

kim_mc

bump

femmerides

when i used to do chalean extreme i would use 25lbs but that was after 6 weeks or working up to that weight. i started at 7lbs then went to 10, then 15, then 20, then 25.

rileamoyer

I do the same 15 for biceps but up to 25 for other things, I would like to know too.

meggonkgonk

"Heavy" is a term relative to your strength and ability, not just your size. Typically you should be able to do 3-5 sets of 8-16 reps. You should be going to exhaustion (meaning you literally, physically cannot do another rep) or as close to it as you can get.

Edit to add: Everyone has to start somewhere- you don't just pick up a heavy weight and have a workout! Heavy weight workouts are meant to indicate that you are constantly striving to add weight, rather than just reps which is how weights were ofter prescribed for women. It just means not to be afraid to bump up the weight once you get used to the weights you are at.

torregro

There isn't going to be a stock answer to this because every muscle group is going to require a different weight in order to cause microtrauma and fatigue the muscle for each person. I took 2 months worth of classes and loved them, but the heaviest weights we used for anything were 5-8 pounds. Now that I'm working out with a trainer, I'm using heavier weights than I ever would have taken on left to my own devices. We work 4 sets....a warm up set at a weight that I managed comfortable the last time, then a set of 15 with the weight bumped up and a 10 second isometric hold, then a set of 15 with a 15 second isometric hold and then end with a max set. As soon as I manage the full 15 reps, the weight gets bumped up another 5 pounds. That's heavy lifting to me, no matter what the weight amount is because my muscles are trembling and screaming at me. ;-) If you can stand there with the weight and do the exercise for 40 or 50 reps..........it's too light.

SassyStef

your muscles should be tired buy the 8th rep or so..like if I was doing a set of 16 I want to be almost not able to lift by then.
This is how I judge too...lol...kinda silly but...ok so my 2 year old is 30lbs and I lift her all day. I lift 30lbs + for my upper body

Hope that helps or makes sense!

Egger29

Heavy all depends on what you are physically able to do and your specific goals.

In any strength training exercise, you simply want to do as many as you can until you can't do any more.

So...if you can do 150....the weight is obviously too light....if you can only do 2...the weight is too heavy.

Generally speaking, most people tend to shoot for the 8-15 rep range....meaning..you should be able to push out 15 reps...but not be able to do 16. 15 is the goal.

Once you reach that goal...then you increase the weights and repeat the cycle.

:-)

stephanielynn76

I use 27.5lb dumb bells for bicep curls... today I tried 30's and did 5 reps per arm. I consider that fairly heavy

torregro

Remember too, that form is critically important, and not just the amount of weight. I see guys (mostly) in the gym all the time swinging weights around that are much too heavy for them, but speed and momentum will overcome the weight. If they'd lower the weight amount and slow down their reps, they'd get a lot better result, but they just LOVE lifting up those big dumbbells.
It's better to be lifting 10 pounds correctly than swinging around 20# just to say you can.

jenomaha

Remember too, that form is critically important, and not just the amount of weight. I see guys (mostly) in the gym all the time swinging weights around that are much too heavy for them, but speed and momentum will overcome the weight. If they'd lower the weight amount and slow down their reps, they'd get a lot better result, but they just LOVE lifting up those big dumbbells.
It's better to be lifting 10 pounds correctly than swinging around 20# just to say you can.

Yes!!!! Please focus on form. This should be remembered whether you are a veteran to lifting or relatively new to weights.

stephanielynn76

Remember too, that form is critically important, and not just the amount of weight. I see guys (mostly) in the gym all the time swinging weights around that are much too heavy for them, but speed and momentum will overcome the weight. If they'd lower the weight amount and slow down their reps, they'd get a lot better result, but they just LOVE lifting up those big dumbbells.
It's better to be lifting 10 pounds correctly than swinging around 20# just to say you can.

Very true! You don't want to use momentum to lift... that won't accomplish anything and you'll likely end up with an injury...