women who lift heavy

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  • lemonadem
    lemonadem Posts: 398 Member
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    Bump
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
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    I crossfit about 4-5 days a week and lifting is usually part of the WOD. The scale has barely moved, but body composition tells another story: from a 16 to a 12 and those are falling off me too.

    My stats:
    clean: 120
    Bench: 115
    Jerk: 130
    strict shoulder press: 98
    Back Squat: 185
    Front Squat 150
    Overhead Squat 100
    Snatch 90
    Deadlift 248

    No machines.
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
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    LOL I weigh 205lbs but if you do the fireman's carry you're able to lift way more than you think!
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
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    Nothing hotter than a woman who can lift me up and press me against the wall too:wink: Bonus points if she can carry me up the stairs!

    LOL. I don't think the Fireman's Carry is in the NROLFW, which is what I just started a few weeks ago. If you tell us how much you weigh we'll all have something to work toward.

    Question for those using the olympic weights/bar: do you factor the weight of the bar into your numbers? eg. for the deadlift I use 20 kg on either end of the bar and the bar itself weighs 40 lbs (40 lbs = 18.14 kg), does this mean I deadlift 58.14 kg?

    You're lifting it, aren't you?? OF COURSE! :drinker:

    **Edit to say: most Olympic bars weigh 45# lbs. Not saying the one you use does, but you might want to check just to make sure.

    there are junior bars or women's bars at 35#, and "baby" bars at 22lbs.

    ABSOLUTELY factor in the weight of the bar!!
  • Ayla20103005
    Ayla20103005 Posts: 104 Member
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    Yep I factor in the bar, ours weigh 20 kg.
    I used this bar alone for my shoulder presses yesterday.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Here's what I did sunday. not sure if it's either heavy, or strictly speaking lifting (since some of these are with machines)



    Leg press - 190lb
    Elevated row - 110 lb
    Bicep curl - per arm - 15 lb
    Chest press 44lb
    Lateral pull down 100lb
    Pectoral fly 100lb
    Shoulder press 44lb
    Abductors 190 lb
    My squats are pathetic – 44lb, but this is more about stance form and balance than strength. When I sort that out, I think I’ll probably be able to manage heavier weight fairly quickly.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    2000 a day on lifting days/3 times a week tops. My theory is, if you can do more than that you're not lifting heavy enough. I'm usually so sore the next day I wouldn't be able to lift if I wanted to. My schedule is Tues/Thurs/Sat. I run on Mon/Fri and I take Wed and Sun off.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Oh I'm not counting the bar in that lot - an additional 10kg various presses. and another 20kg for the squat.
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    i started out with 5 pounds weights back in April. I'm now lifting 10 pounds.

    she said "heavy"....lol:wink::tongue:



    me, anywhere from 15 lb dumbbells for chest fly, to 30 for some things, 40 lb bench, 60 lb barbell squats, 80 lb deadlifts.

    Goal is to bench 100, Squat 120, Deadlift 150 before I turn 40.

    I eat about 2000 a day and am maintaining nicely at 5'2" 110-112 lbs
    I've had females tell me 10lbs is HEAVY for them, yet they carry their 20lb baby with one arm with no effort. Go figure.
  • mandasimba
    mandasimba Posts: 782 Member
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    Figure there are plenty of these threads so I'll just throw my question in here instead of starting a new one.


    I know free weights are the way to go, but how bad or good are the machines? I work out alone and am far too shy to ask any stranger for a spot so I always do squats (leg press, I suppose) and bench press because I don't want to hurt myself. I typically lift at a weight to failure on the final set, hence needing a little help, not in the mood for any jugglar crushing. Is there a better or different way I can be doing those instead of machines?
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    Figure there are plenty of these threads so I'll just throw my question in here instead of starting a new one.


    I know free weights are the way to go, but how bad or good are the machines? I work out alone and am far too shy to ask any stranger for a spot so I always do squats (leg press, I suppose) and bench press because I don't want to hurt myself. I typically lift at a weight to failure on the final set, hence needing a little help, not in the mood for any jugglar crushing. Is there a better or different way I can be doing those instead of machines?

    If you're pushing yourself with each set/rep and not just lifting something that's too easy, it will be good, you'll get stronger and get muscle tone. The difference between that and free weights is that machines don't work the stabilising muscles, all the other little muscles that help you balance the weight. Squats work so much more, and give you a far better burn than leg press will - same goes for the other comparable lifts. Also, the balance that improves by using free weights will help you in real life when you apply the strength to other daily situations.

    If you can't get a spotter there are alternatives you can do.
    Bench press: with dumbells instead of a barbell (they get put down to the side when you can't lift anymore)
    Squats: Use in those squat stands that have the bars put across on either side (I don't know the proper name) but basically if you get down and can't push the weight back up, you can leave it resting on the bars.
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
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    I was a competitive powerlifter in college 30 years ago. I still lifted here and there over the years, but not as much. Jan 2010 I decided to get my *kitten* together, and went back to the gym regularly. I used MFP's calorie guidance, using a heart rate monitor, and so far I've lost about 45 pounds. I started at 170 and I'm 5'4" tall. My starting body fat was around 29-30%, and it's now around 18%. I've recently switched my diet to Steve's plan found here in the "Eat" article:

    www.body-improvements.com

    So I now just eat 1350 cals a day and try to hit my macros. I don't fuss with exercise calories anymore. I'm doing this to try to get the last few fat deposits off, since I've been stalled for a while. My trouble spots are love handles, inner thighs, and butt.

    My lifting routine is 5 days a week. I rotate through legs and arms, chest and back, shoulder and abs, repeat. I do some cardio (20-30 minutes) every day since I have a lung disease and I'm trying to improve my breathing. I do several different exercises depending on my mood. The bulk of my routine is powerlifting work, with some machines and free weights added as assistance exercises. As I've gotten older, I've developed degenerative disk disease in my lower back, so I'm still working on my squats. I do the following pretty regularly. Once I can do 6 reps on anything, I up the weight. I usually do pyramid sets.

    Squat 90x8; 135x4
    Leg Press 200x10; 260x8; 320x6
    Leg extensions; leg curls; calf raises
    Bench press 95x3
    Chest flies 20x10; 30x8; 35x6
    Cable chest work
    Push-ups - regular style and I'm trying to get a one-armed PU; not there yet!
    Seated lat pulldowns and rows; bent-over rows 40x6
    Lat pullovers 20x10; 30x8; 40x6
    Dips and pull-ups
    Back flies; shrugs
    Bicep curls; bicep 21s; concentration curls
    Tricep push-downs, bench tricep extensions with 50 pounds in lap
    Forearm curls
    Shoulder press; front and side raises
    Front shoulder raises 40x10; 50x8; 60x6
    Deadlift 135x10; 225x5; 275 1 RM - hoping to break 300 before year's end! (Profile pic is me pulling 275 last week.)

    Elliptical and stairmaster; HIIT 1-2 times per week for fun.

    I don't do all these exercises every time - I pick and choose different assistance exercises depending on what I feel like doing that day. The only things I do every time are squat, BP, and DL (not every day, just every day I'm working that body part). My routine could probably use some fine-tuning from a good PL coach, but there isn't one around here, so I'm just making it up as I go along! I've only been on the new meal plan for a month, so I don't know if it's working yet, but so far, so good. After a few months, if my BF hasn't dropped, I'll re-evaluate.

    Sorry this is so long! Obviously, I love to lift, and I've gotten great results from it. My best advice to you is to lift as heavy as you can without sacrificing form. Personally, I feel that anything over 10 reps is too much; anything under 6 reps is probably too heavy unless you plan on competing in PL or OL.

    Good luck!
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
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    I lift two to three times a week, preferring to go for a full body workout (in the New Rules of Lifting type style).
    At the moment, I'm squatting 132lbs, deadlifting 154lbs and chest press is 65lbs. I need to work on building upper body strength! I'm working towards being able to do pull-ups without any counterweight.

    I average around 2200cal a day (maintaining), but I'm seriously considering eating a surplus to build more muscle because I think I'm just maintaining condition at the moment.
  • mandasimba
    mandasimba Posts: 782 Member
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    Figure there are plenty of these threads so I'll just throw my question in here instead of starting a new one.


    I know free weights are the way to go, but how bad or good are the machines? I work out alone and am far too shy to ask any stranger for a spot so I always do squats (leg press, I suppose) and bench press because I don't want to hurt myself. I typically lift at a weight to failure on the final set, hence needing a little help, not in the mood for any jugglar crushing. Is there a better or different way I can be doing those instead of machines?

    If you're pushing yourself with each set/rep and not just lifting something that's too easy, it will be good, you'll get stronger and get muscle tone. The difference between that and free weights is that machines don't work the stabilising muscles, all the other little muscles that help you balance the weight. Squats work so much more, and give you a far better burn than leg press will - same goes for the other comparable lifts. Also, the balance that improves by using free weights will help you in real life when you apply the strength to other daily situations.

    If you can't get a spotter there are alternatives you can do.
    Bench press: with dumbells instead of a barbell (they get put down to the side when you can't lift anymore)
    Squats: Use in those squat stands that have the bars put across on either side (I don't know the proper name) but basically if you get down and can't push the weight back up, you can leave it resting on the bars.

    Thank you very much for that. DBs seem so obvious for chest... I'm not the brightest crayon :p I've thought about using the squat bar thing you speak of but was still worried about the safety. I think I will give it a go next leg day, thanks for the info :)
  • deninevi
    deninevi Posts: 934 Member
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    bump
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    All these heavy lifting women are making my test rise...................
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
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    All these heavy lifting women are making my test rise...................

    Amongst other things...........:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    /jk/
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    All these heavy lifting women are making my test rise...................

    LOL was thinking the same.

    Some seriously strong women around here.

    Question for you all: who can do a pullup or a chinup? And if for reps, any weighted ones? It seems to be quite a difficult task for women (and men as well I guess :tongue:)
  • ritajean3
    ritajean3 Posts: 306 Member
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    So my db are 5kg atm that is my starting but for shoulder presses and the like I am upping it to 10kg today since I am noooooo where near having my muscles fail on shoulder moves. I could prolly stand to up them a bit for the others but I can't make it even with my set without adding another 5kg. I have a barbell but haven't used it yet so no idea what I would use on that.

    The only issue I am having is the stabilizing it and as I lift alone I get worried I will drop them and ruin my very thin floor boards but anyway I am doubling my weight and if I need help I will just wait till hubby gets home from work

    I gross......about 2300 if I can be bothered to count I get eat a ton of carbs pre workout and protein after, lots of fats mixed in with whatever else I wanna eat and watch the scale if I gain too much I will drop my cals a bit. I'm within healthy bmi now and gaining a couple kg for muscle growth is fine by me. I can always cut it later

    Just about to start circuit training on my cardio days.

    oooooo chest flies......yer I need to drop it from 5kg for those because I know they are ganna hurt

    ooooo I forgot to add in my bars they are like 1kg each I use them for my circuit training

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