New Rules of Lifting (for Women) Group - Part 2

TluvK

You know what I like?

Lifting heavier then some of the guys!!!! It really made my day.

That's always awesome, isn't it? :bigsmile: :drinker:

That JUST happened to me today! Such a boost!

idauria

Hi ladies - just had a question/observation. The trainer at my gym is aware of my lifting routine - he's the one who recommended the book to me, so although he's not training me, he gives me tips occasionally when he sees me. Anyway - I was doing 70# dead-lifts and when I finished my set he asked me if it had challenged me. Well, I was sweating and felt a little tired, so I said, I suppose so. I've always been hesitant to add lbs to my deadlift because it seems like an easy exercise to injure myself on.

He told me that I should be deadlifting around what I'm squatting. Did you all know that? I squat 120#. So, we added weight so I was doing 110# deadlifts. I went up 40 lbs! Did my 12 reps and was FINE. In fact, it felt REALLY good. I am a person who typically pushes myself, so, to be honest, this really disappointed me that I thought I was challenging myself when clearly I wasn't.

I guess the motto should be to try heavy and if it's impossible, go lower, instead of starting really low and going up....hmmmm.

This is helpful advice. I don't think I am pushing myself enough. I am squatting 45lbs and deadlifting 55lbs. Neither are terribly hard. Maybe I should re-orient my strategy to fit that motto of lifting heavier. I guess I was afraid of hurting myself but so far I can complete my 3 sets with little effort. I am sore afterward but nothing terrible. Next time I workout I am going to increase my weight by quite a bit and see what happens. Maybe I will try to squat 65. If that's too hard I will go down.

agthorn

This is helpful advice. I don't think I am pushing myself enough. I am squatting 45lbs and deadlifting 55lbs. Neither are terribly hard. Maybe I should re-orient my strategy to fit that motto of lifting heavier. I guess I was afraid of hurting myself but so far I can complete my 3 sets with little effort. I am sore afterward but nothing terrible. Next time I workout I am going to increase my weight by quite a bit and see what happens. Maybe I will try to squat 65. If that's too hard I will go down.

I just finished the first 2 weeks (15 reps) and am at 55lb squats (which is still too light I think) and 65lb deadlifts. I learned form with the bar before I started stage 1 and felt very comfortable adding on to that weight from the get-go.

yanicka

After 4 weeks, I squat and deadlift 80 pounds. Everything else is done using 25 pounds dumbbells. I see major changes in the mirror and the tape mesures but not on the scale.

idauria

Unfortunately after 3 weeks I am not seeing any major changes. Either I am not lifting heavy enough or my diet just isn't right. I am doing the best I can. I'm going to try and cut some more carbs like breads, which I really don't eat much of and cut out as much sugar as possible. My belly is as flabby as ever and I am not seeing any reduction on the measuring tape either. Big time disappointment here.

kensky

Re: how heavy we "should be" lifting--I find this Strength Standards very helpful to use as a rough guide.

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

ETA: Bear in mind these are 1RM (one rep maximum) standards. My own standard of what I can do at 6 reps per set are more than a tad lower, though I'm pleased to see that my squat 6 rep max. is not so much lower than an intermediate 1RM in my weight class. Cool!

baisleac

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

That's very cool. For deadlift and squats I fall right between Beginner & Novice for 8-12 reps so probably at Novice for 1RM. Right on target.

ruststar

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html



According to this I am nowhere near where even the novice level on my squats and deadlifts. I started doing no weight at all with the squats, and am now up to 22.5 dumbells in each hand, and I can use the 70 pound barbell for the deadlift. According to that chart, though, even a novice should be able to do 81 pounds. I'm afraid to try using the olympic size bar in case it's too heavy - I've had a knee injury this year and I don't want it back. How did you all work up to the weight you're doing? What weight did you start with?

kensky

I want to remind folks that according to that strength standards site the definition of novice is: "a person training regularly for a period of 3-9 months." I feel like I, just now at the 9 month mark, am only now approaching novice.

ruststar, I started deadlifts with the fixed weight 30 lb. barbell. I started squatting with the 45 lb. oly. bar. I am still a scooch too weak to bench the oly. bar (grr) but I can use the 40 lb. fixed barbell instead. All of this is for 6+ reps that the book's routine calls for. I should try my 1RM to see what the real deal is for the basic lifts when I am cleared for takeoff by my doc.

yanicka

Wow, in a tread about weight lifting ahd why women should do it, I wrote that 10 pounds dumbbells was not lifting heavy and that I was doing nothing less then 25 pounds bumbbells, I must have hit a nerve because they didn't like it!!!

AnaNotBanana

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

Very cool website! Thanks for sharing. Although I haven't ever tried for 1 RM I think I would probably fall somewhere between untrained and novice. It make sense because until 6 weeks ago I had never done a deadlift in my life. I'd done squats before but never like I'm doing them now. I'll be curious to come back to this chart once I finish the program and see where I am at.

TluvK

Wow, in a tread about weight lifting ahd why women should do it, I wrote that 10 pounds dumbbells was not lifting heavy and that I was doing nothing less then 25 pounds bumbbells, I must have hit a nerve because they didn't like it!!!

While there is certainly nothing wrong with lifting 10 lb dumbbells, I wouldn't ever consider it heavy lifting either. I mean, people have to start somewhere, but they should look at it more as "working toward heavy" rather than lifting heavy. It's a little like calling yourself a sprinter with a 10 minute mile.

TluvK

Had to share something that really irked me today. I helped out at my son's preschool fall festival today. There were a pile of tables that needed to be moved to a flatbed trailer with about 3 guys moving them. So, I jumped in and grabbed a table - no problem, it probably weighed about 30 lbs. I did a second one and then when I was going back for my third trip, this skinny little guy says, "Hey, you know, there's enough guys here to do this - don't worry about it". I said, "what, you don't think I can carry a table?" and he said, "well, I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." I WAS SO close to challenging him to an arm wrestle!! :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously, the more I think about it, the more mad I get. I know I should let it go, but it just makes me SO angry that for some, we women are just expected to be weak and fragile. Grrrrrr.

Thanks for the vent. Kudos to my hubby - I told him the story and he laughed and told me that I could totally take this guy down.

duckpond11

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

wow, I really need to lose some weight so that I don't have to lift as much to get to the "novice" stage! ugh. I hope that as I lose weight I keep my strength up, because the amount I lift is perfect, if I were already at my goal weight, LOL.

elizabethblake

Day 1 of Stage 2 here.

Whew. I was ready for a challenge and it was definitely challenging! Did the front squat push press with the Olympic bar and will likely have bruised shoulders! Didn't get 10 reps, got 6 on the first set and 7 on the second, I'm going to push for all 10 next time. Was able to hold plank for 60 seconds although I was shaking and dripping sweat the whole time.

I think I'm going to like this stage!

And - I've talked a girl at work into doing the program, she got the book over the weekend and is starting today!

ruststar

I'm scared of the olympic bar. It may be irrational, but I am. And the smith machine. I'm afraid I won't be able to lift the weight and I'll drop it and make a big, loud, clunking noise, or else I'll break something. Like me.

Unfortunately it's time. I've gone past what I can lift with the smaller dumbbells and small bars - if I can do a 70 pound small bar, I should be able to lift the olympic bar with 20-30 pounds of plates, right? Anyone have any advice to get over this fear? My next workout is tomorrow and I really want to try the deadlift with the olympic bar.

elizabethblake

I'm scared of the olympic bar. It may be irrational, but I am. And the smith machine. I'm afraid I won't be able to lift the weight and I'll drop it and make a big, loud, clunking noise, or else I'll break something. Like me.

Unfortunately it's time. I've gone past what I can lift with the smaller dumbbells and small bars - if I can do a 70 pound small bar, I should be able to lift the olympic bar with 20-30 pounds of plates, right? Anyone have any advice to get over this fear? My next workout is tomorrow and I really want to try the deadlift with the olympic bar.

You'll be fine! Deadlifts are much easier with a Oly. bar than with DBs, IMO. As far as using the Smith machine, try it with half the weight first, so you can get used to the movement before using the full weight. Do you know how to set the stops? That will keep the bar from crashing down in case you drop the weight, but I bet you'll be fine.

AnaNotBanana

Day 1 of Stage 2 here.

Whew. I was ready for a challenge and it was definitely challenging! Did the front squat push press with the Olympic bar and will likely have bruised shoulders! Didn't get 10 reps, got 6 on the first set and 7 on the second, I'm going to push for all 10 next time. Was able to hold plank for 60 seconds although I was shaking and dripping sweat the whole time.

I think I'm going to like this stage!

I completed Day 1 of Stage 2 yesterday. I really liked mixing up the exercises. I really like the dumbbell one point row and the static lunge with elevated rear foot kicked my butt!! I'm having a little bit of trouble getting the wood chop down because I don't have a cable machine. I tried it on a swiss ball but it felt like it was working all the wrong parts. Anyone have advice on that one?

baisleac

I'm having a little bit of trouble getting the wood chop down because I don't have a cable machine. I tried it on a swiss ball but it felt like it was working all the wrong parts. Anyone have advice on that one?

We did it on our swiss balls but found we had to lay on it differently than you would for a crunch. I can't explain it well, but try varying how much of your back/butt is on the ball, forward and back.

ruststar

I'm scared of the olympic bar. It may be irrational, but I am. And the smith machine. I'm afraid I won't be able to lift the weight and I'll drop it and make a big, loud, clunking noise, or else I'll break something. Like me.

Unfortunately it's time. I've gone past what I can lift with the smaller dumbbells and small bars - if I can do a 70 pound small bar, I should be able to lift the olympic bar with 20-30 pounds of plates, right? Anyone have any advice to get over this fear? My next workout is tomorrow and I really want to try the deadlift with the olympic bar.

You'll be fine! Deadlifts are much easier with a Oly. bar than with DBs, IMO. As far as using the Smith machine, try it with half the weight first, so you can get used to the movement before using the full weight. Do you know how to set the stops? That will keep the bar from crashing down in case you drop the weight, but I bet you'll be fine.

I don't know how to set the stops. I'm hoping the staff at the gym would be willin to show me - the guys who lift there are all young and military, not so interested in helping out a 40 year old woman.