women should lift weights?? wtf?

LorinaLynn

i can lift what i need to, when i need to, and that includes carrying my 70 odd lb 10 year old all the way down the street on one hip with one arm when he was crying his eyes out and distressed and refusing to walk the other day (hes autistic), so i dont think im particularly weedy. I push a massive phil and teds double buggy up hills with my 4 and 3 year old in it when im doing the long nursery run, and its not a problem for me, and i do a lot of things with no problem...

In other words, you DO plenty of resistance & strength training, without lifting one stinkin' dumbbell. :drinker: Good for you! And I mean that, sincerely.

I do some weights and other machines at the gym, and I enjoy the results, but to be perfectly honest... It really seems stupid to me. The "I Lift Things Up and Put Them Down" mentality. Running or cycling in place. Silly! It makes me think of what our ancestors - those who worked their *kitten* off from dawn til dusk... fighting, farming, hunting - that our lives are so cushy now that we have to do these bizarre exercises. I mean... do you think Viking pillagers did bicep curls?!

Yeah, yeah, yeah... it's good for you and all that. I know. And I do it. But if you can get the results you want just living your normal life... all the better!

Janworkingitout

Well I"m offended by people telling me I should try Zumba! Did it... hated it! :noway:

SpaceMarkus

I think the main point is you need to focus on all three aspects of fitness. Cardio, strength, and flexibility. If you neglect one it'll affect the others.

Many runners do resistance training to build leg strength. This helps them run farther. Many body builders do cardio training. This helps them lift heavier and longer (from a cardio standpoint, they don't run out of breathe as quickly and can go longer). Flexibility is just the important tie in to both.

Finding what you enjoy could just mean finding the right lifting regiment. I hate lifting weights. I got a D in weight lifting in High School!! I hate P90X, I hate going to the gym and doing the machines. I just can't get into it. I found ChaLEAN Extreme, bought a set of Powerblocks, and lifted straight for 90 days. It improved my running pace, my flexibility, and I dropped quite a bit of body fat.

Find what you love, but try and incorporate all aspects of fitness into your routine

dad106

I lifted weights last night at my gym... and the only reason why I liked it, is because all the guys were staring at me because I was pretty much the only women lifting on her own... all the other women were with their trainers. Made me feel kinda special.. and want to do it again!

If its not in the cards for you then, then don't do it.. I think that's pretty much what this thread was trying to get at for 8 pages. Just like I'd never run.. and anytime my trainer tries to get me to run, I throw the nearest medicine ball at him.. He soon stopped trying after that.

silkysly

I enjoy running on the treadmill & I had a guy tell me I “should” bump up my incline to bla bla bla. This jerk doesn’t run let alone exercise. WhatEV!

Janworkingitout

Eh, I wasn't gonna respond to this thread, but here are my $.02.

If you asked me 2 years ago, do I need to lift weights to be in good shape? My answer would have been no. I was skinny, 102 pounds, fit in size 0, barely ate and thought I looked terrific. Meanwhile I got sick all of the time, my skin was flabby, I had cellulite on the back of my legs, and I was literally a frail waif who probably couldn't lift a 20 pound box.

Fast forward 2 years, lots of education, a leap of faith and urging of a friend to try Crossfit, now I am 110 pounds, strong as a damn ox, feel great, eat TWICE what I used to, my skin isn't flabby, I have no cellulite, and I look like I'm 25. I helped move my mom and was able to lift everything the guys could. My size 0 clothes fit better now, I sleep better, my skin is better....the list goes on and on. My hubby says I have a "Benjamin Button thing going on". :laugh:

So, do I think women should lift weights? The answer is HELL YEAH, and I am living proof. Cardio still has its place, I do still run (but I don't spend countless hours on the treadmill like I used to) and do many aerobic-type activities (way more hard core than I used to), but I believe lifting weights is the biggest reason I look as tight as I do now.

I'll have what she's having! :drinker:

crisanderson27

This thread is just a very long semantics game based around the word should...

well yeah, and i cant believe its taken 8 pages for some people to realise that its the implication that its necessary or should be done, rather than having anything to do with weight training in particular

I can't believe it's taken you 8 pages to realize the fact that you creating a post telling other people they should NOT do something is no different, and is in fact...more telling smoeone what to do than the instigating post was.

The worst part of it though...is she wasn't even saying YOU SHOULD! She was posting picture reasons why she BELIEVES ANY woman should!!

Lillyzar

This thread is just a very long semantics game based around the word should...

well yeah, and i cant believe its taken 8 pages for some people to realise that its the implication that its necessary or should be done, rather than having anything to do with weight training in particular

I can't believe it's taken you 8 pages to realize the fact that you creating a post telling other people they should NOT do something is no different, and is in fact...more telling smoeone what to do than the instigating post was.

The worst part of it though...is she wasn't even saying YOU SHOULD! She was posting picture reasons why she BELIEVES ANY woman should!!

AMEN!!!! The Op is basically "You SHOULD word things a certain way when you are talking about your success"

P90XCertifiedCoach

The Moderators SHOULD delete this thread, it just wont DIE

suzycreamcheese

i can lift what i need to, when i need to, and that includes carrying my 70 odd lb 10 year old all the way down the street on one hip with one arm when he was crying his eyes out and distressed and refusing to walk the other day (hes autistic), so i dont think im particularly weedy. I push a massive phil and teds double buggy up hills with my 4 and 3 year old in it when im doing the long nursery run, and its not a problem for me, and i do a lot of things with no problem...

In other words, you DO plenty of resistance & strength training, without lifting one stinkin' dumbbell. :drinker: Good for you! And I mean that, sincerely.

I do some weights and other machines at the gym, and I enjoy the results, but to be perfectly honest... It really seems stupid to me. The "I Lift Things Up and Put Them Down" mentality. Running or cycling in place. Silly! It makes me think of what our ancestors - those who worked their *kitten* off from dawn til dusk... fighting, farming, hunting - that our lives are so cushy now that we have to do these bizarre exercises. I mean... do you think Viking pillagers did bicep curls?!

Yeah, yeah, yeah... it's good for you and all that. I know. And I do it. But if you can get the results you want just living your normal life... all the better!

thats exactly it. Thankyou xxxx

suzycreamcheese

This thread is just a very long semantics game based around the word should...

well yeah, and i cant believe its taken 8 pages for some people to realise that its the implication that its necessary or should be done, rather than having anything to do with weight training in particular

I can't believe it's taken you 8 pages to realize the fact that you creating a post telling other people they should NOT do something is no different, and is in fact...more telling smoeone what to do than the instigating post was.

The worst part of it though...is she wasn't even saying YOU SHOULD! She was posting picture reasons why she BELIEVES ANY woman should!!

well no, explaining it irritates me when people try and tell people what to do, is not the same as telling people what to do.

crisanderson27

This thread is just a very long semantics game based around the word should...

well yeah, and i cant believe its taken 8 pages for some people to realise that its the implication that its necessary or should be done, rather than having anything to do with weight training in particular

I can't believe it's taken you 8 pages to realize the fact that you creating a post telling other people they should NOT do something is no different, and is in fact...more telling smoeone what to do than the instigating post was.

The worst part of it though...is she wasn't even saying YOU SHOULD! She was posting picture reasons why she BELIEVES ANY woman should!!

AMEN!!!! The Op is saying basically "You SHOULD word things a certain way when you are talking about your success"

It's ok hun...her blinders are still firmly in place. Soon everyone who opposes her opinionated original post will get bored with the thread and she will have won =D.

Yay for persistence!

suzycreamcheese

and it wasnt in response to one thread. It was in response to several posts over a period of time, and not just about weights either, if you care to read the whole thread and what ive actually said, rather than what you think i might have said.

suzycreamcheese

and i appreciate the people who have actually seen what i meant here and not just assumed, and all the people who've PM'd me about it too :flowerforyou:

lcarter25

I understand suzys frustration.

Too many times the diet place are quick to state what we should and shouldn't do when truth is everyone has a diff path to success.

crisanderson27

and it wasnt in response to one thread. It was in response to several posts over a period of time, and not just about weights either, if you care to read the whole thread and what ive actually said, rather than what you think i might have said.

I have read the entire thread, and responded to what you expressed.

Basically, you want 90% of the MFP community to change the way they speak, for your comfort level...when you've clearly no interest in doing the same for others. The fact that you were willing to come out here, and make a post telling others what they should do in order to avoid offending you says it all. Key word in that last sentence is 'should'...and good luck with that.

lcarter25

crisanderson27 i dotn think she means that - sorry suzy if im speaking on your behalf

If she asked for the advice then fine!

Its when you dont and people are like oh you should do this and you should do that and firstly your like a) not what I asked you, b) how do you know what I am or not doing and c) just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone

Its about people being able to appreciate that everyones path is diff so one person may lose weight through walking alone and someone else may feel that walking is not proper exercise and they only run. No one person is better than the other they just have a diff way of achieving a goal

lcarter25

crisanderson27 i dotn think she means that - sorry suzy if im speaking on your behalf

If she asked for the advice then fine!

Its when you dont and people are like oh you should do this and you should do that and firstly your like a) not what I asked you, b) how do you know what I am or not doing and c) just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone

Its about people being able to appreciate that everyones path is diff so one person may lose weight through walking alone and someone else may feel that walking is not proper exercise and they only run. No one person is better than the other they just have a diff way of achieving a goal

suzycreamcheese

youre incredible. Youve totally missed the point. I absolutely dont tell people what to do, i just said i was irritated at being told women should lift weights. One post. people dont get it, so i explain myself. Thats all. Im not offended ffs, but i was slightly irritated so started a thread, but i wouldnt have bothered if id realised i was going to get so many moronic answers by people who cant even understand basic english.

I have no expectations that people will stop insisting their way is the only way. Not at all. Was vaguely hopeful before starting the thread that people might be more open minded, but hey ho.

mandeiko

Not saying anything particular about OP or responses, but I got a headache jus reading some of this. Sheesh.

We don't all have to see eye to eye, but we can surely try and get along. We are all adults here.

Give peace a chance!

juscallmeb

I would be banking money right now with all these "shoulds" being thrown around.:laugh:

here's my .02 cents.
do what you want - if you feel comfortable with your training program - awesome - keep it up.
if you want to try something new - then try it. at the end of the day - it's your body, what works for you may not work for others and vice versa.
I personally enjoy a nice balance of cardio/strength/resistance/ sleep/ fun/ etc. (rather take a smaller dose of work - but hey can't complain too much)

anywho- hope whatever works for all of you - you keep it up mainly because it makes you feel good and you ENJOY IT! -

that is all. have a lovely wednesday everyone :flowerforyou:

Erindipitous

Ok.. Let's kill this thread already:

If you don't want to lift weights - THEN DON'T. Who cares what people say you "should" or "should not" do. They say you SHOULDN'T drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, drink diet soda, shoot heroin, smoke crack -- Doesn't stop people from doing it, does it?

They say you SHOULD watch what you eat, exercise regularly, take vitamins, practice safe sex, say please and thank you -- Does everyone treat "Should" like it's friggin' law? No, absolutely not.


Bottom line: If you don't agree with what someone says you "should or should not" do, block it out and let it go. Jesus.

End. Of. Story.

crisanderson27

Ok.. Let's kill this thread already:

If you don't want to lift weights - THEN DON'T. Who cares what people say you "should" or "should not" do. They say you SHOULDN'T drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, drink diet soda, shoot heroin, smoke crack -- Doesn't stop people from doing it, does it?

They say you SHOULD watch what you eat, exercise regularly, take vitamins, practice safe sex, say please and thank you -- Does everyone treat "Should" like it's friggin' law? No, absolutely not.


Bottom line: If you don't agree with what someone says you "should or should not" do, block it out and let it go. Jesus.

End. Of. Story.

And this is why we love her lol.

DRetel

SHOULD is a suggestion

Funny how words make a difference.

MUST
HAVE TO

SHOULD
CONSIDER

courtneylwatson

Because lifting weights is good for bone health.
even if you don't see the results, it's there : /

this^^^ and if you do ever develop osteoporosis running is advised against. You say that you really enjoy running so weight bearing exercises now may help ensure that you can continue running later on in life.



edited... I had not read every post before adding in my two cents. Never mind. Should, shouldn't - who cares.

Matiara

what about women like me who have very large frames? i'm already naturally strong and muscular to the point where men ask ME to open jars for them. i have very broad shoulders and big arms and legs. if i lift weights, i would look like a man. i did it in high school and college for sports and guys would always ask me, "how much can you bench?!?" and it didn't really make me feel very "hot and sexy". i KNOW i won't get bigger because i don't have the testosterone and so on, but i don't need there to be more visible muscles in my already very manly looking frame. the muscles in my legs are already leaning towards masculine, and that's with just WALKING everyday. i don't think i will ever use weights again, no matter how many people tell me i "won't bulk up". i would like to go out with a guy for once without feeling like i can take him in an arm wrestle.

i'm all for women being strong and all that, and i'm not saying i want to look like a girly girl with pink ribbons and flowers. i'm just saying that because i ALREADY look big and strong, i don't want to make it worse by using weights. i'll stick to my cardio :flowerforyou:

EDITED TO ADD - i understand the other points of view and i'm not trying to argue that using weights is BAD, because i know that they're not. i know weights are healthy and that MOST women look wonderful when adding weights to their routines. it's just my personal preference that i would like to keep doing what i'm doing. i've NEVER been a normal weight, so maybe when i reach my goal weight, i might have different thoughts about my own body. but for now, i feel that my exercise routine is fine without weights.

Your post made me laugh. Unlike you, I have a small frame, but like you, I do have a lot of muscle just from genetics. My grandpa ate crap and never exercised and was lean with a six pack until the day he died. My mom does not work out at all and has legs that would put Miss Universe to shame. It doesn't take much to stimulate my muscles and body weight exercises combined with light dumbbells maintain what I have just fine and I burn calories like a furnace.

I'm not against heavy lifting by any stretch and was considering it at one point, but I know how my body reacts to things and I know I would end up with a look that I don't want for myself.

kimmerroze

Oh it was so much fun to read this! Thank you OP for commenting all the way through it.. I sometimes get tired of these endless rants over semantics when the OP isn't curtious to all the MFPeeps that take the time to comment and then doesn't respond to others opinions.

It makes for a much more interesting read when the arguement continues to go on and on and on! It was my most eventful 20 minutes of the day! :bigsmile:

1953Judith

For me this has proven to be one of the most useful threads. It caused me to reflect on the areas of the exercise;/active life style where I might be wearing blinders. At first I felt quite virtouous. Then as I read through more posts, I opened my mind further and realized that I hate any exercise that emphasizes stretching and balance, but my long term health (not necessarily my weight loss) would greatly benefit if I add some focus to those two areas of fitness. I should and will try to incorporate them into my lifestyle.

crisanderson27

crisanderson27 i dotn think she means that - sorry suzy if im speaking on your behalf

If she asked for the advice then fine!

Its when you dont and people are like oh you should do this and you should do that and firstly your like a) not what I asked you, b) how do you know what I am or not doing and c) just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone

Its about people being able to appreciate that everyones path is diff so one person may lose weight through walking alone and someone else may feel that walking is not proper exercise and they only run. No one person is better than the other they just have a diff way of achieving a goal

I'm sorry for the delayed reply...I was working, then had to go to the gym...weight training and all =D.

That was a joke by the way...even though it was true lol.

Anyway...I disagree with a couple things here. Lets take them one by one shall we?

If she asked for the advice then fine!

The thread that prompted this (and I don't give a damn if she says it was a hundred threads...ONE thread spurred it on) had nothing to do with her. It was ONE person's way of showing her success for us to appreciate. So I call bull on this part of your post. She didn't even have to read it.

Its when you dont and people are like oh you should do this and you should do that and firstly your like a) not what I asked you, b) how do you know what I am or not doing and c) just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone

If you don't like unsolicited advice...may I suggest you not hang out at a forum that's full to the brim with helpful people? a) If you don't like their answer...IGNORE IT!!!, b) when you only list certain things, people have to make assumptions in order to help...if you want to respond to their reply...clarify, if not...IGNORE IT!!!, c) barring various medical conditions...this last statement is the least true of them all. The human body is a very, very complicated group of systems. Certain actions promote certain hormonal responses...in EVERYONE. This includes type of diet, type of exercise, and about a billion other things. But guess what? To within a relatively narrow degree, everyone's body will respond the same (yes yes, I know some people bulk easy, some don't...etc...but those genetic lotto winners are actually very rare). This crap about 'everyone's body responds differently' is bunk. What everyone's body is responding differently to is HOW they're going about doing it. Suzy is a prime example...x amount of time weight training and she gained nothing? She was doing it wrong...PERIOD.

Now this, I agree with completely:

Its about people being able to appreciate that everyones path is diff so one person may lose weight through walking alone and someone else may feel that walking is not proper exercise and they only run. No one person is better than the other they just have a diff way of achieving a goal

The only thing is...don't go on a site full of people trying to help you do it the 'best' way...and not expect unsolicited advice. Or at the least...put in your freaking signature 'I'm doing it MY way! Don't bother trying to help me unless I specifically ask you for your help!!', because...in essence, that's what you're doing. The benifits of weight training are many, and proven. ANYONE trying to help you...that DOESN'T recommend it...is doing you a disservice...and I'm sorry, I care more about the people on this forum (yes, including Suzy) than that. We are all facing similar struggles, similar challenges, and we all share in each others successes. For that reason, I will ALWAYS recommend what my heart, knowledge, and experience tells me is right, regardless of whether I was asked, or not.

If you don't like it...well, you're certainly not required to read it, are you?

And by the way...the above sentence is EXACTLY why I'm not offended at Suzy's holier than thou attitude, her insulting manner, or her refusal to practice what she preaches.

I didn't have to read it...did I lol?

Cris

garlic7girl

you can use your own body weight for push-ups, dips and lunges. You don't have to use weights. Or you can use resistance bands. If you are worried about building too much muscle it won't happen.
I run too. I have done some reading on safe running and for women we obtain more injury due to weak glutes and quads. Do body weight squats and lunge to help and it will improve your run too!