Women strength training... for real

jetscreaminagain

Great thread for ratio of smart people. I'd friend almost all of you.

I will say some of it was Greek to me. If you're new and want to start a program with weight training, I'm doing body for life. You can look at their website or get the book. There's a bunch on Amazon used. Don't necessarily think you have to use his supplements or anything. You can just follow the program and do pretty well. Its awfully reasonable strength AND cardio AND reasonable diet. Any plan that doesn't have all three I wouldn't touch.

crisanderson27

Great thread for ratio of smart people. I'd friend almost all of you.

I will say some of it was Greek to me. If you're new and want to start a program with weight training, I'm doing body for life. You can look at their website or get the book. There's a bunch on Amazon used. Don't necessarily think you have to use his supplements or anything. You can just follow the program and do pretty well. Its awfully reasonable strength AND cardio AND reasonable diet. Any plan that doesn't have all three I wouldn't touch.

I do zero traditional cardio. My 'cardio' consists of heavy bag work in a tabata format on off days, when I feel like it. I lost 40lbs in three months, the last month of which my diet has been absolutely dismal.

I'm not saying one should or shouldn't do some form of cardio...I'm just saying that a plan that doesn't include it, isn't necessarily worthless =D.

craftykimmer

I LOVE THIS!!!! I just started training with a personal trainer 2 months ago and have found out what "real" exercise is..LOL! I have never worked out so hard but had so much fun! And these women absolutely inspire me!!! Good for them! I

jetscreaminagain

Fair enough. I would say that tabata can kick some folks' cardio-butts. But you've got great results and you're happy so I say yay you. I like that I look at my little print out and see that tomorrow is day 50 and therefore lower body weight training and what that means is laid out for me and the only thinking I do is, do I up the weight on the starting set of any of the exercises from last time?

But seriously yay you.

My comment was thinking more about silly plans lile eat only grapefruit and don't work out and you'll lose.

SMarie10

I totally agree with the OP on this, and am perplexed with my women friends - In real life who never lift any weights and are really surprised when I explain to them that it's part of my normal workout. I look forward to the weight lifting much more than the cardio parts of my workouts. I just turned 50, and if lifting will help me maintain my muscle mass, you bet I'm going to be dedicated to doing it all the time.
My only question is how to determine the right amount of weight to be lifting. I don't completely understand when a weight is considered Heavy vs. normal. Any advice there?

Rae6503

I totally agree with the OP on this, and am perplexed with my women friends - In real life who never lift any weights and are really surprised when I explain to them that it's part of my normal workout. I look forward to the weight lifting much more than the cardio parts of my workouts. I just turned 50, and if lifting will help me maintain my muscle mass, you bet I'm going to be dedicated to doing it all the time.
My only question is how to determine the right amount of weight to be lifting. I don't completely understand when a weight is considered Heavy vs. normal. Any advice there?

I've always done 12 reps. The last 2-3 reps should be hard, really hard on the last set. If it's not, move up weight. However, now I think "they" say 8 reps....(or maybe even lower).

pinkita

I want to know what that song is--great workout music!

crisanderson27

Fair enough. I would say that tabata can kick some folks' cardio-butts. But you've got great results and you're happy so I say yay you. I like that I look at my little print out and see that tomorrow is day 50 and therefore lower body weight training and what that means is laid out for me and the only thinking I do is, do I up the weight on the starting set of any of the exercises from last time?

But seriously yay you.

My comment was thinking more about silly plans lile eat only grapefruit and don't work out and you'll lose.

I'm glad you took it how I meant it! Which was to say that many (not all) plans can be successful without certain things people think of as 'mandatory'. Well rounded is always good...and assuming your plan is...I'd certainly take nothing from it.

And thank you, by the way. I've worked hard, and its a great feeling, as well as an incredible motivational tool, when people notice =D.

I totally agree with the OP on this, and am perplexed with my women friends - In real life who never lift any weights and are really surprised when I explain to them that it's part of my normal workout. I look forward to the weight lifting much more than the cardio parts of my workouts. I just turned 50, and if lifting will help me maintain my muscle mass, you bet I'm going to be dedicated to doing it all the time.
My only question is how to determine the right amount of weight to be lifting. I don't completely understand when a weight is considered Heavy vs. normal. Any advice there?

I've always done 12 reps. The last 2-3 reps should be hard, really hard on the last set. If it's not, move up weight. However, now I think "they" say 8 reps....(or maybe even lower).

I like 5 reps, because in order to do only 5 reps...the 'intensity' has to be pretty high (more weight). I make up for the short reps via higher volume...meaning 5 sets, rather than the typical 3.

jenomaha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEkpST0vSbg

I'm sharing this video to highlight that it's possible to get very strong without turning into a man. I know I say it time and time again on the forum and in email conversations. But I also know that seeing is believing and many of the women might 'hear' me but it's just not enough.

The kicker is... in my experience, in order to reach the physique that many women are shooting for... they need to be picking up heavy stuff and putting it back down. Form follows function. The slightly lean, yet still feminine look that many women are shooting for is a strong look. Get strong and look strong.

I posted this on my blog earlier today and there wasn't a lot of comments. Which is fine... but I hope women weren't turned off or scared by what they saw in the video.

And of the comments I did get on my profile... a common theme was "I lift weight but nowhere near that heavy." Please don't miss the forest for the trees. This isn't about lifting that much weight. Don't compare where you are are to where the women in the video are. They've built that strength over a lot of years are dedicated and hard work.

The important thing is to start at a point that's appropriate for you... no matter how light that might be. And then, after you start... the next step is to focus on getting stronger over time.

Just some random thoughts.

Stay strong,

Steve

YES!!!!!!! That's what I'm talking about!!!!

JennLifts

Great thread for ratio of smart people. I'd friend almost all of you.

I will say some of it was Greek to me. If you're new and want to start a program with weight training, I'm doing body for life. You can look at their website or get the book. There's a bunch on Amazon used. Don't necessarily think you have to use his supplements or anything. You can just follow the program and do pretty well. Its awfully reasonable strength AND cardio AND reasonable diet. Any plan that doesn't have all three I wouldn't touch.

I do zero traditional cardio. My 'cardio' consists of heavy bag work in a tabata format on off days, when I feel like it. I lost 40lbs in three months, the last month of which my diet has been absolutely dismal.

I'm not saying one should or shouldn't do some form of cardio...I'm just saying that a plan that doesn't include it, isn't necessarily worthless =D.

I want to say though, that this could be misleading to women. Men have a tendency to lose bf% easier and faster than women, and can do it with diet and lifting in a lot of cases. (We're not talking about the obese or such here.) But women don't have that luxury and often cardio is needed to aid in their body recomp.

kdiamond

Great video! The feelng of lifting up from that heavy squat position is great! I can just feel my leg muscles growing!

And the prowler...if you haven't tried it once, TRY it. It is an incredible workout sprinting with that thing!

crisanderson27

Great thread for ratio of smart people. I'd friend almost all of you.

I will say some of it was Greek to me. If you're new and want to start a program with weight training, I'm doing body for life. You can look at their website or get the book. There's a bunch on Amazon used. Don't necessarily think you have to use his supplements or anything. You can just follow the program and do pretty well. Its awfully reasonable strength AND cardio AND reasonable diet. Any plan that doesn't have all three I wouldn't touch.

I do zero traditional cardio. My 'cardio' consists of heavy bag work in a tabata format on off days, when I feel like it. I lost 40lbs in three months, the last month of which my diet has been absolutely dismal.

I'm not saying one should or shouldn't do some form of cardio...I'm just saying that a plan that doesn't include it, isn't necessarily worthless =D.

I want to say though, that this could be misleading to women. Men have a tendency to lose bf% easier and faster than women, and can do it with diet and lifting in a lot of cases. (We're not talking about the obese or such here.) But women don't have that luxury and often cardio is needed to aid in their body recomp.

I've always been curious about this. The hormonal response is the same for either gender. Cardio is of course the more catabolic of the two forms of exercise. Growth hormone is produced by lifting, which is a direct sign post to your metabolism to burn fat.

I'm not saying you're wrong hun, at all. I'm saying I don't know for sure. I know women have more difficulty shedding fat...but is it enough to negate the benifits of short, intense lifting sessions alone? The reading I've done says otherwise...but I'd be very, very curious to see the concept put to the test. I think a lot of it might depend on diet...and not just what you're eating, but how and when you're eating it.

Most men believe cardio is a necessity as well...and I've been told a bunch of times that my results are atypical, unrealistic, or flat exaggerated. The pictures don't lie. I have a friend here locally that is doing the same thing...only, he's utilizing the knowledge I gained in exploring my own weight loss and physical reconditioning. His gains are coming even faster than my own did.

Interesting comment, thank you =D.

AZackery

When I read her second reply...I knew there was no point in responding man.

I understand her point about looking muscular (for a woman)...but I can't get my head around not wanting to utilize any tool possible to get where I want to be. I HATE cardio...but if it worked for me the way strength training does...to get to MY goals as quickly as possible, at which point I could quit or cut back and go back to what I enjoy (strength training)...I'd be doing it like mad.

*shrug*

To each their own I guess.

I love cardio. I'm doing what's best for me and my body. Everyone else needs to do what's best for their body.

AZackery

I'm not sure if you've read this thread... but women can't get bulky unless they've some serious hormone imbalances. And if you're dieting.... which most of the women around here are... you're definitely not going to be adding appreciable muscle. Heck, even guys who are dieting aren't going to be adding appreciable muscle while dieting.

Look how heavily the women in the video are lifting. They've built up to those loads over extended periods of time. Would you call them bulky?

Toning is about fat loss. Not strength training or whatever.

First off, I don't diet, because I don't believe in dieting. Second, in oder for a man or woman to get bulk, they have to take something and eat a lot to get to that point. It's not easy for a man to get bulk as well. What a lot of people don't realize is that, woman have man in her, hint wo man. If a woman lifts weights like a man and take things like a man, she will bulk like a man.

I strength train to tone my body. I can speak for my body, no one else can.

crisanderson27

When I read her second reply...I knew there was no point in responding man.

I understand her point about looking muscular (for a woman)...but I can't get my head around not wanting to utilize any tool possible to get where I want to be. I HATE cardio...but if it worked for me the way strength training does...to get to MY goals as quickly as possible, at which point I could quit or cut back and go back to what I enjoy (strength training)...I'd be doing it like mad.

*shrug*

To each their own I guess.

I love cardio. I'm doing what's best for me and my body. Everyone else needs to do what's best for their body.

Because each human body is so very different from every other human body?

I don't require you to follow my line of thinking. I don't even require that I comprehend yours. It sounds like you think I'm trying to force something on you...which would not only be futile on my end, this being the internet after all, but would also be a silly thing for you to believe...well, this being the internet and all lol.

Enjoy your cardio...and if it makes you happy, by all means, I am happy for you! Just be aware that there might be better ways to go about things...and don't be offended when people post threads trying to help you and others like you out by saying so. No one required you to reply...but by doing so, in a thread that clearly runs so counter to your stated beliefs...you most definitely opened yourself up for rebuttal.

That too...is a reality of the internet.

Edited to add:

If a woman lifts weights like a man and take things like a man, she will bulk like a man.

This is completely false.

AZackery

Because each human body is so very different from every other human body?

I don't require you to follow my line of thinking. I don't even require that I comprehend yours. It sounds like you think I'm trying to force something on you...which would not only be futile on my end, this being the internet after all, but would also be a silly thing for you to believe...well, this being the internet and all lol.

Enjoy your cardio...and if it makes you happy, by all means, I am happy for you! Just be aware that there might be better ways to go about things...and don't be offended when people post threads trying to help you and others like you out by saying so. No one required you to reply...but by doing so, in a thread that clearly runs so counter to your stated beliefs...you most definitely opened yourself up for rebuttal.

That too...is a reality of the internet.

Edited to add:

If a woman lifts weights like a man and take things like a man, she will bulk like a man.

This is completely false.

I stand on what I have said. This is the internet and everyone needs to be true to their opinion.

taso42_DELETED

foodforfuel

Wait 10 minutes then pass the popcorn, please!

kensky

Re: reps--12 reps seems to be my "mental" limit now that I've gotten used to (hooked!) on lifting heavy for 6 to 8 reps. I'm on the last stage of New Rules of Lifting for Women now and it's got a component where it's 15 to 20 reps. It's killing me! I plan on starting Rippetoe's Starting Strength program after that and I'm so looking forward to low reps/high weight.

koosdel

.pmub

vim_n_vigor

Bump

crisanderson27

Wait 10 minutes then pass the popcorn, please!

Lol nothing to see, move along .

Any reply I make to her now would be redundant, and serve to dilute the purpose of the thread. The information is there, she's free to utilize it, or not.

Gigi_licious

Bump....pass the popcorn...

foodforfuel

O.K., but I did watch the video and I loved it. Talk about inspiring!

lovejoydavid

I'm not sure if you've read this thread... but women can't get bulky unless they've some serious hormone imbalances. And if you're dieting.... which most of the women around here are... you're definitely not going to be adding appreciable muscle. Heck, even guys who are dieting aren't going to be adding appreciable muscle while dieting.

Look how heavily the women in the video are lifting. They've built up to those loads over extended periods of time. Would you call them bulky?

Toning is about fat loss. Not strength training or whatever.

First off, I don't diet, because I don't believe in dieting. Second, in oder for a man or woman to get bulk, they have to take something and eat a lot to get to that point. It's not easy for a man to get bulk as well. What a lot of people don't realize is that, woman have man in her, hint wo man. If a woman lifts weights like a man and take things like a man, she will bulk like a man.

I strength train to tone my body. I can speak for my body, no one else can.

While this is probably not a very useful point to make, I will say that the notion of man/woman is a contemporary error of an increasing sexist application of language. That is, the etymological root, and denotative definition, of man is as a universal term for human, wifman is the root of woman/female and werman the term used for male. Eventually, the wer was just dropped, and man took on a connotative use as a synonym for male. As such, it is a mistake to assume that the language of gender implies that woman carry some maleness in them (whatever Genesis has to say about the matter), rather, it just implies that language has some sexism in it. And, none of it is applicable to the biology of exercise science.

jetscreaminagain

Please lock this awesome thread before it devolves and needs to be deleted!

Rae6503

Great thread for ratio of smart people. I'd friend almost all of you.

I will say some of it was Greek to me. If you're new and want to start a program with weight training, I'm doing body for life. You can look at their website or get the book. There's a bunch on Amazon used. Don't necessarily think you have to use his supplements or anything. You can just follow the program and do pretty well. Its awfully reasonable strength AND cardio AND reasonable diet. Any plan that doesn't have all three I wouldn't touch.

I do zero traditional cardio. My 'cardio' consists of heavy bag work in a tabata format on off days, when I feel like it. I lost 40lbs in three months, the last month of which my diet has been absolutely dismal.

I'm not saying one should or shouldn't do some form of cardio...I'm just saying that a plan that doesn't include it, isn't necessarily worthless =D.

I want to say though, that this could be misleading to women. Men have a tendency to lose bf% easier and faster than women, and can do it with diet and lifting in a lot of cases. (We're not talking about the obese or such here.) But women don't have that luxury and often cardio is needed to aid in their body recomp.

I've always been curious about this. The hormonal response is the same for either gender. Cardio is of course the more catabolic of the two forms of exercise. Growth hormone is produced by lifting, which is a direct sign post to your metabolism to burn fat.

I'm not saying you're wrong hun, at all. I'm saying I don't know for sure. I know women have more difficulty shedding fat...but is it enough to negate the benifits of short, intense lifting sessions alone? The reading I've done says otherwise...but I'd be very, very curious to see the concept put to the test. I think a lot of it might depend on diet...and not just what you're eating, but how and when you're eating it.

Most men believe cardio is a necessity as well...and I've been told a bunch of times that my results are atypical, unrealistic, or flat exaggerated. The pictures don't lie. I have a friend here locally that is doing the same thing...only, he's utilizing the knowledge I gained in exploring my own weight loss and physical reconditioning. His gains are coming even faster than my own did.

Interesting comment, thank you =D.

I missed this. I just started reading The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women and it insists that even women don't need a ton of cardio to get the body they want. Another blog I read (by OP I think) said cardio is really just to help with calorie deficit. I can lift and eat 1700 or I can lift, do cardio and eat 2300.... I chose cardio.

crisanderson27

Please lock this awesome thread before it devolves and needs to be deleted!

But if its locked...I will just waste away into anonymity!

Some self policing is in order lol...but ensuring correct information is still key .

AZackery

While this is probably not a very useful point to make, I will say that the notion of man/woman is a contemporary error of an increasing sexist application of language. That is, the etymological root, and denotative definition, of man is as a universal term for human, wifman is the root of woman/female and werman the term used for male. Eventually, the wer was just dropped, and man took on a connotative use as a synonym for male. As such, it is a mistake to assume that the language of gender implies that woman carry some maleness in them (whatever Genesis has to say about the matter), rather, it just implies that language has some sexism in it. And, none of it is applicable to the biology of exercise science.

I stand on what I have said. I'm moving on.

crisanderson27

Great thread for ratio of smart people. I'd friend almost all of you.

I will say some of it was Greek to me. If you're new and want to start a program with weight training, I'm doing body for life. You can look at their website or get the book. There's a bunch on Amazon used. Don't necessarily think you have to use his supplements or anything. You can just follow the program and do pretty well. Its awfully reasonable strength AND cardio AND reasonable diet. Any plan that doesn't have all three I wouldn't touch.

I do zero traditional cardio. My 'cardio' consists of heavy bag work in a tabata format on off days, when I feel like it. I lost 40lbs in three months, the last month of which my diet has been absolutely dismal.

I'm not saying one should or shouldn't do some form of cardio...I'm just saying that a plan that doesn't include it, isn't necessarily worthless =D.

I want to say though, that this could be misleading to women. Men have a tendency to lose bf% easier and faster than women, and can do it with diet and lifting in a lot of cases. (We're not talking about the obese or such here.) But women don't have that luxury and often cardio is needed to aid in their body recomp.

I've always been curious about this. The hormonal response is the same for either gender. Cardio is of course the more catabolic of the two forms of exercise. Growth hormone is produced by lifting, which is a direct sign post to your metabolism to burn fat.

I'm not saying you're wrong hun, at all. I'm saying I don't know for sure. I know women have more difficulty shedding fat...but is it enough to negate the benifits of short, intense lifting sessions alone? The reading I've done says otherwise...but I'd be very, very curious to see the concept put to the test. I think a lot of it might depend on diet...and not just what you're eating, but how and when you're eating it.

Most men believe cardio is a necessity as well...and I've been told a bunch of times that my results are atypical, unrealistic, or flat exaggerated. The pictures don't lie. I have a friend here locally that is doing the same thing...only, he's utilizing the knowledge I gained in exploring my own weight loss and physical reconditioning. His gains are coming even faster than my own did.

Interesting comment, thank you =D.

I missed this. I just started reading The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women and it insists that even women don't need a ton of cardio to get the body they want. Another blog I read (by OP I think) said cardio is really just to help with calorie deficit. I can lift and eat 1700 or I can lift, do cardio and eat 2300.... I chose cardio.

That's interesting, and falls more in line with my beliefs.

I also like that you clearly labeled the cardio a choice. I prefer no cardio for the very same reason. I don't want to have to eat 3000cal/day lol.