Just because you can't see the muscle............

MB_Positif

great post!

brit49

Bump!!

xstealth12x

Niner - you always have great advice on the forums. Thanks for that!

catherine4211

Great post niner as you are always so full of great info. Iwish alll ladies would lift heavy and not be so scared of anything over 5lbs. I just upped my free weight bicep curl from 20 to 25 lbs!! I know there is hott body under this fat and it's starting to peek through!! :happy:

Holy moly - how long have you been lifting? I just went from 10 to 12.5 lbs and it's HEAVY!!!

Well I taught Group Power (which is like Body Pump) for two years and I used 30lbs on my bar for biceps and the track last 4-5 mins so I had good endurance from that. Then I stopped teaching and started free weights last year for a few months but I couldn't progress because I was starving myself and not realizing (eating 700-900 calories and burning 800-1000). So I started eating better 1600-1800 calories started back lifting in December with 15lb weights and now I'm up to 25 and I can do 3 sets of 5-6.

Thanks for the info!

Articeluvsmemphis

doesn't mean you aren't working it while lifting weights. A friend of a client told me yesterday that she doesn't want to lift weights until she loses more fat so she can see the muscle more. While this is true to a point, I told her she'd get much better results if she'd start lifting now and once the fat reduces that the muscle will be firmer and stronger while losing fat along the way. Guess that's why my client introduced me to her.
DON'T WAIT. It's like waiting to start weight loss at the beginning of the month or blah, blah, blah. It's just an excuse to NOT do what needs to be done. IF you're wanting to really change you physique, lifting weights (and not the 2lbs 3lbs weights) can totally change it. NOW HIT THAT IRON!!!!!!

How much weight should women lift? I started with 5 and recently went up to 8.

women can lift as heavy as they can handle. each person is different and some exercises require different amounts, and it all depends on if you're doing free weights or the weight machines/cables. like you can go significantly heavier doing lower body exercises like dead-lifts and squats when I do free weights. but i range from 5 for small exercises and like 130 on something like the leg press. just have to feel your way around, and get help from different people like a trainer even if it's once, search youtube, forums, etc

Kekibird

Thanks for the article on Staci from Nerd Fitness. That was an inspiring read!

And thanks for this, perfect timing.

Rae6503

Question here :
As a strong bodied women, my weights are farely good size weights. I put on mass easier than dropping fat.

Is there such a thing as going with longer repetitions and do not increasing weights or is is a legend of some sort?

For example:

- Biceps, free weights, I am doing 2 sets of 15 with 15 lbs weights not to overcharge and get more resistance.

Should I go with 20 or 25 lbs and do 2 sets of 10 reps instead?

Same for leg press :
2 x15 reps for 180 lbs...

If you are on a diet, you are unlike to put on real mass. You might retain water, and/or your muscles will swell.

Most people recommend 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps. 15-20 sets increase your endurance at lifting weights but are shown to do little to preserve muscle and/or strength as you lose weight, which is of course one of the main reason to lift while dieting.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/categories-of-weight-training-part-1.html

withervein

While I agree with the sentiment that you should "lift" all the time - whether trying to lose weight, or not.

But, I would ADD to that idea by stating you sould LIFT HEAVY.

It isn't just about "lifting" - it's "lifting heavy" that is key!

The key to what? What do you consider heavy?

Heavy is any amount that makes you feel like you can just.. barely.. do it on the last rep of a set. No one can tell you where to start or how much you should lift unless they've seen your progress over a period of time. Learn proper form with a light weight, perfect it with a medium weight and once you have the muscle memory down, challenge yourself.

vs1023

Great post niner as you are always so full of great info. Iwish alll ladies would lift heavy and not be so scared of anything over 5lbs. I just upped my free weight bicep curl from 20 to 25 lbs!! I know there is hott body under this fat and it's starting to peek through!! :happy:

That is awesome. It's so hard for me to go up in bicep weight, but bigger muscles like squats and back are much easier. I recently was able to get to 15lbs on the barbell for curls. Little by little!

Matt_Wild

This is my fav video for explaining how to lift - forget his size (yes he's a tank) but we all are made of muscle and our muscle responds in a very similar way:

Shortened
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr25wNyAt7o

Longer Version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYmVP74CLFw&feature=related

myopus

Bumping. Thanks!

shanahan_09

doesn't mean you aren't working it while lifting weights. A friend of a client told me yesterday that she doesn't want to lift weights until she loses more fat so she can see the muscle more. While this is true to a point, I told her she'd get much better results if she'd start lifting now and once the fat reduces that the muscle will be firmer and stronger while losing fat along the way. Guess that's why my client introduced me to her.
DON'T WAIT. It's like waiting to start weight loss at the beginning of the month or blah, blah, blah. It's just an excuse to NOT do what needs to be done. IF you're wanting to really change you physique, lifting weights (and not the 2lbs 3lbs weights) can totally change it. NOW HIT THAT IRON!!!!!!



A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Great post! I've been weight training for years, and thankfully the muscles hide what the number on the scale truly says. No one believes I'm the weight I'm currently at. Everyone thinks I'm 25+ lbs lighter. See, it has many, MANY benefits besides the usual ones.

kgordon7

I love what weight lifting has done for my body.

ANewLucia

That is absolutely RIGHT! I am a witness! Oh and I would like to add, go heavy too. My hubby would tease me that I could do more and one day I just said you know what I will...I haven't looked back. So far I am curling 20lbs, press 85lbs, row 95lbs, lat pull down 90lbs, leg press 150lbs, deadlift 95lbs...I am working on my numbers and just feel awesome about it because I never thought I would ever be able to lift anywhere near that. Now I walk in the weight room and knock out routines I see men doing and sometimes I am lifting heavier than some of the guys...lol.

addisondisease

While I agree with the sentiment that you should "lift" all the time - whether trying to lose weight, or not.

But, I would ADD to that idea by stating you sould LIFT HEAVY.

It isn't just about "lifting" - it's "lifting heavy" that is key!

The key to what? What do you consider heavy?

Last year a 150 pound dead-lift was heavy for me, a couple months ago a 365 pound dead-lift was heavy, today a 455 pound dead-lift is my new heavy.

Heavy should change, it fluctuates everyday based on how well rested you are, what you've eaten etc. Over longer periods of time your strength will increase and YOUR heavy will increase as well.

Aim for anywhere between 6-10 reps completed WITHOUT FAILURE TO FORM, the last two being very difficult but not impossible.

ninerbuff

Question here :
As a strong bodied women, my weights are farely good size weights. I put on mass easier than dropping fat.

Is there such a thing as going with longer repetitions and do not increasing weights or is is a legend of some sort?

For example:

- Biceps, free weights, I am doing 2 sets of 15 with 15 lbs weights not to overcharge and get more resistance.

Should I go with 20 or 25 lbs and do 2 sets of 10 reps instead?

Same for leg press :
2 x15 reps for 180 lbs...

It's practically impossible to put on mass if in calorie deficit. Reps over 12 and over are more for muscle endurance and muscular endurance doesn't burn body fat as much as straight up strength training. It's like the difference between a sprinter and long distance runner.
Taxing the body with harder "overload" resistance burns more fat calories and strengthens the muscle more.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff

If you are on a diet, you are unlike to put on real mass. You might retain water, and/or your muscles will swell.

Most people recommend 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps. 15-20 sets increase your endurance at lifting weights but are shown to do little to preserve muscle and/or strength as you lose weight, which is of course one of the main reason to lift while dieting.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/categories-of-weight-training-part-1.html

Echoing with the same reply. Good to know that others here are "in the know". Thanks.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jackson343434

I have a question. I workout with a trainer and the majority of my workout is weights. I'm only burning 250-350 calories per 60min workout. My previous trainer did strength/cardio mix. No treadmill stuff. I liked it much better. I definitely feel stronger and have more stamina when I play bball and tennis now but I'm not losing weight any more. I lost 11lbs in 2 weeks when I first started with my new trainer. I haven't lost anything now for 2.5 weeks. I don't feel like I'll lose any more weight with the low calorie burn. I'm considering asking him to switch my workout style. Any suggestions or advice?? Thanks.

AntWrig

doesn't mean you aren't working it while lifting weights. A friend of a client told me yesterday that she doesn't want to lift weights until she loses more fat so she can see the muscle more. While this is true to a point, I told her she'd get much better results if she'd start lifting now and once the fat reduces that the muscle will be firmer and stronger while losing fat along the way. Guess that's why my client introduced me to her.
DON'T WAIT. It's like waiting to start weight loss at the beginning of the month or blah, blah, blah. It's just an excuse to NOT do what needs to be done. IF you're wanting to really change you physique, lifting weights (and not the 2lbs 3lbs weights) can totally change it. NOW HIT THAT IRON!!!!!!

How much weight should women lift? I started with 5 and recently went up to 8.

8 what? What exercises are you doing?

For my female clients, I expect them to be able to bench and and squat their body weight. Over time of course. No one, I mean no one should be using pink DB's.

AntWrig

I have a question. I workout with a trainer and the majority of my workout is weights. I'm only burning 250-350 calories per 60min workout. My previous trainer did strength/cardio mix. No treadmill stuff. I liked it much better. I definitely feel stronger and have more stamina when I play bball and tennis now but I'm not losing weight any more. I lost 11lbs in 2 weeks when I first started with my new trainer. I haven't lost anything now for 2.5 weeks. I don't feel like I'll lose any more weight with the low calorie burn. I'm considering asking him to switch my workout style. Any suggestions or advice?? Thanks.

You could be gaining muscle mass. Why are you tracking calories burned per workout. The calories burned via weight training is completely different then doing cardio (HIIT excluded).

If weight loss has stalled, I would look at calorie intake first.