Women and weight lifting.....

kim_mc

Hey MFP friends!

I have started incorporating weights into my fitness routine but I have some questions as I have never used weights at all before, only cardio. I started P90X so that is what I am doing right now as far as weights go.

1. In the video Tony H. states that you can do 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 for lean muscle.If I choose to do 12-15 are these to be light weights or do I still bring myself to the point of muscle 'failure'?

2. Are women really going to 'bulk' up even while trying to lose weight by lifting heavy and doing 8-10 reps??

3. Are there are women out there that have completed this program or who just lift 3x/week that can tell me what you do and your result?

4. Should I use as heavy a weight as I can?

I guess just some overall help would be nice.

Thanks in advance guys!!:happy:

rainbowbuggy

Great question - bump

psb13

bump

Shizzman

Adding muscle doesn't come easy. Women won't bulk up....you want a good example just google CrossFit Women/ladies and look at the images that come up...fit/athletic, but not bulky

timlord

you need advice from a pro/these programs are too generalized
it all depends on each person individually, and genetically
women will not bulk unless they use extreme amounts of exercise and testosterone precursers
look at different work out plans
if you need help, email me lordsfitness@aol.com I ca help
btw 34 y in fitness
ret public school fitness teacher
certified personal trainer
BS MA in fitness
ASFA certified
Doctoral candidate in sports performance psychology
hope my credentials can stack up to his....

poseyj88

Women, unless training or bodybuilding, don't "bulk" the same way guys to. I say do more reps at a lighter weight or a few less with something a bit heavier. Whatever feels good to you. I usually to reps of 10 with 10-12 lb weights for my arms. Not super heavy, but heavy for me!

ETA: I don't do P90X, just lift on my own.

Bunnyboo82

I do three sets of 15 reps. I usually don't do super heavy weights. For example. The bench press, I only lift the bar no weights. For the shoulder press I do 20 lbs. My fitness trainer said moderate rate and high reps = tone. Just my opinion, but women do not have nearly as much muscle mass as men, so while we'll get definition I don't believe we can ever get as bulky as men ;-)

timlord

never, never lift as heavy as you can...these programs do not allow a trainer to see you in person! you need immediate feedback

Kolohe71

1. In the video Tony H. states that you can do 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 for lean muscle.If I choose to do 12-15 are these to be light weights or do I still bring myself to the point of muscle 'failure'?
--- Lift less than you would on the 8-10 rep range, but enough that the last 2 are relatively difficult.

2. Are women really going to 'bulk' up even while trying to lose weight by lifting heavy and doing 8-10 reps??
--- Typically no. There are few exceptions, but women lack sufficient testosterone to "Bulk Up".

3. Are there are women out there that have completed this program or who just lift 3x/week that can tell me what you do and your result?
--- Can't help you on this one.

4. Should I use as heavy a weight as I can?
--- See answer to #1.

kim_mc

So I understand that women will not get as bulky as men and I'm not going to look like I'm on the roids , but do I try to lift the heaviest I can? I just feel like if I do 12 reps with something light and I don't feel like I'm doing much, then am I really even going anything. I can lift a can of soup 100 times and not really do anything, right??

And thanks everyone for all the advice!

dragonflydi

Hey MFP friends!

I have started incorporating weights into my fitness routine but I have some questions as I have never used weights at all before, only cardio. I started P90X so that is what I am doing right now as far as weights go.

1. In the video Tony H. states that you can do 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 for lean muscle.If I choose to do 12-15 are these to be light weights or do I still bring myself to the point of muscle 'failure'?

2. Are women really going to 'bulk' up even while trying to lose weight by lifting heavy and doing 8-10 reps??

3. Are there are women out there that have completed this program or who just lift 3x/week that can tell me what you do and your result?

4. Should I use as heavy a weight as I can?

I guess just some overall help would be nice.

Thanks in advance guys!!:happy:

I asked a trainer at my gym some of these same questions ... and I have seen past controversy on this board about lower weight/high reps and higher weight/lower reps, but I will share what I was told.

As you mentioned in your 2nd post, lifting a soup can 100 times is not really going to do much. What I was told by the trainer I talked to was when someone looks 'lean', it's the result of 2 things: fat loss and building muscle. Fat loss is done via cardio and building muscle, well, speaks for itself.

To 'build' (thereby creating defintion, but not necessarily 'bulking' up), you have to push the muscles beyond their comfort zone. That was what I was doing wrong (for my goal anyway). When the trainer saw me working out doing 20 reps at a light weight with relative ease, he came out and told me to increase the weight and lower the reps.

When I asked how I know how much weight I should be lifting, he said my rule of thumb was to be sets of no more than 12-15 reps and using a weight that allowed me to do the first of three sets fairly easilym but feeling fatigued at the end. 20-30 second rest, 2nd set, half way through I should be feeling it burn and push through. 20-30 second rest again and during the last set, those last 3-5 should be very hard, if impossible to finish (close to or at muscle failure). I adapted to his advice and well, every day this week someone at the gym has commented on my progress over the past 2-3 months, which is when he gave me that advice, so I am going to say it's working He's also a body builder who still competes (and wins) and he'll be 59 next month, so I believe he knows his stuff.

Good luck!!

erickirb

1. In the video Tony H. states that you can do 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 for lean muscle.If I choose to do 12-15 are these to be light weights or do I still bring myself to the point of muscle 'failure'?
If you do 12-15 the last 2-3 should be difficult to do with proper form, if you can do more than 12, you need should go heavier.

2. Are women really going to 'bulk' up even while trying to lose weight by lifting heavy and doing 8-10 reps??
No, unless you are a genetic freak or are on performance enhancing drugs (roids), and is even more difficult if you are in a caloric deficit

3. Are there are women out there that have completed this program or who just lift 3x/week that can tell me what you do and your result?
???

4. Should I use as heavy a weight as I can?
Yes, as heavy as you can lift with good form.

jennieodwyer

Most of your questions have been answered already but I just wanted to say that personally. I have had much better results with heavy weights until the point of failure (usually between 10-12 reps). Not only did I get nice definition it really kicked up my metabolism and help me lose weight better. I know there are different views on this but my motto is: go heavy or go home :laugh:

kdiamond

I do three sets of 15 reps. I usually don't do super heavy weights. For example. The bench press, I only lift the bar no weights. For the shoulder press I do 20 lbs. My fitness trainer said moderate rate and high reps = tone. Just my opinion, but women do not have nearly as much muscle mass as men, so while we'll get definition I don't believe we can ever get as bulky as men ;-)

There is no such thing as "tone". You either have muscle or you don't. Some have more muscle than others.

Lifting light weights that feel like you're not lifting anything will not do anything. You need to lift a weight that feels heavy for 8 reps to gain any muscle at all.

And women will not get bulky. I lift 1.5x my body weight for squats and deadlifts and my legs got smaller and firmer, not bigger. I do bench presses in the 70-80 pound range, I do shoulder and back work in the 65-75 pound range, and I've lost body fat. I used to lift barbie weights for years and it got me nowhere. I'm also 110 pounds and very petite. Don't be scared to lift heavy! It is the only way to change your body.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Based on my understanding:

1. In the video Tony H. states that you can do 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 for lean muscle.If I choose to do 12-15 are these to be light weights or do I still bring myself to the point of muscle 'failure'? I've always understood that you should go for muscle failure and to set your weights around that understanding.

2. Are women really going to 'bulk' up even while trying to lose weight by lifting heavy and doing 8-10 reps?? You shouldn't unless you have a testosterone impalance.

3. Are there are women out there that have completed this program or who just lift 3x/week that can tell me what you do and your result? I have tried that, I do 3 hours of weight lifting classes a week and have been for a few years and I have some very nice lean definition (if I do say so myself), just had to lose the fatty pockets around it to see it, LOL.

4. Should I use as heavy a weight as I can? I do.

kim_mc

Thank you thank you thank you everyone!
I got it now and can't wait to get that last layer of 'pudge' outta here!!!! I know I can always count on my MFP buddies for help!! THANKS!!

Gilbrod

I forgot what book or magazine my wife was reading, but the quote stuck in my head. "Lift like a man, look like a goddess."

JNick77

Hey MFP friends!

I have started incorporating weights into my fitness routine but I have some questions as I have never used weights at all before, only cardio. I started P90X so that is what I am doing right now as far as weights go.

1. In the video Tony H. states that you can do 8-10 reps for bulk and 12-15 for lean muscle.If I choose to do 12-15 are these to be light weights or do I still bring myself to the point of muscle 'failure'?

2. Are women really going to 'bulk' up even while trying to lose weight by lifting heavy and doing 8-10 reps??

3. Are there are women out there that have completed this program or who just lift 3x/week that can tell me what you do and your result?

4. Should I use as heavy a weight as I can?

I guess just some overall help would be nice.

Thanks in advance guys!!:happy:

This is all a little genralized because I can't see you workout or know what your specific needs are but I'll take a shot at it.

RE #1: You can approach your work volume different ways. First, I wouldn't recommend training to complete failure too often. It has it's benefit but done too much can be draining to your nervous system (CNS) and can increase the time you need to recover between workouts which will limit your training frequency.
Different weight loads actually have different benefits to your body.
Reps for 2-6 help more maximal strength and also better engage your CNS and if done right can actually be less fatiguing then higher rep loads.
Reps for 8-10 is a very balanced rep range. It sounds like you're just interested in general fitness so this is likely where you want to be. Something like 3 to 4 sets.

RE #2: Bulking, versus, strength, verus... You can't "bulk" without eating a massive excess of calories. If you're on calorie defiict you won't get bulky like a female bodybuilder or anything.

Can't speak to #3...

RE#4: You should use a weight you comfortably lift with some controlled momentum. As you get stronger in your exercises and hit the 10 reps (for example) for all 4 sets then you shoud graduate the weight. Slowly graduate your weight up 5-10 lbs for most exercises, some compound lower body exercises you might be able to do 10-20lbs. If you plan on using any free weights then make sure you learn the correct movement for whatever exercise it might be. There are some good exercise video libraries out there, Bodybuilding.com and TNation.com are two that come to mind.

mmtiernan

I forgot what book or magazine my wife was reading, but the quote stuck in my head. "Lift like a man, look like a goddess."

^^^This = New Rules of Lifting for Women. That quote says it all, along with "Go Heavy or go HOME!" (Chalene Johnson)

katedonn5

Before I started training for a fitness competition, I was lifting max 2-3 times a week. The results didnt' come right away, but after 2-3 months, I had some serious arm definition and my legs slimmed down. I never lifted anything too heavy, but did 3 reps of 15 for each muscle. The lifting did wonders for my metabolism and really motivated me to keep going. Arms are first to show definition; abs, butt and legs will take longer.

klabeau

.

Barneystinson

1. Reps to the point of failure. Really failure and hitting your "holy crap this is HARD" point during your workout is what you need to strive for. That's how you get stronger.

2. No. Maybe the real fear of most women is having an athletic build. Some of us also have some heft in our thighs. My thighs aren't gigantic, but I've got some serious muscle there from squats and cycling. Women do not have the testosterone levels to ever (naturally) develop a build like Hulk Hogan. Now if you're taking (lots of) steroids...well...different story.

3. I did P90X way back when. Pro -> Got a lot of definition in my back and arms from all the pull-ups, push-ups. Con -> Leg work in P90X is lacking, IMO, and the workouts are too long to make a habit in my daily life.

Now I do Stronglifts 5x5, 3x weekly. Goal is to be able to squat twice my weight, so roughly, 260 lb. squat. I'm at a 160 squat now. Progressing at the rate of 5 lb being added to my lifts on a weekly basis. I may or may not hit a wall with that 5 lb progression the more I lift and have to reduce to a lower progression. We'll see. SL5x5 workouts can be accomplished in about half the time of a P90X workout, which is a bonus. On the days I have off from SL5x5, I do bodyweight exercsises in interval and ladder sets, and "fun stuff" like kayaking and rockclimbing.

4. Lift heavy and lift to failure, yes.