Too Heavy of Weights?

1979rrh
1979rrh Posts: 83 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I am worried that I may be doing to heavy of weights at the gym. I go to a woman's only gym and I notice almost every woman there lifts only 10 to 15 pounds on average on the weight training machines. Here is an average workout that I do 3 to 4 times a week...

Cardio:
30 minutes elliptical at a speed of 6.6 mph

I alternate my weight training between these two:

Weight training: 1 to 2 times a week
Seated leg press 2 sets of 12 @ 190 lbs
Hip Abductions 2 sets of 15 @ 140 lbs
Hip Adductions 2 sets of 15 @ 135 lbs
Back extentions 1 set of 15 @ 150 lbs and 1 set of 15 at 135 lbs
Leg extetions 2 sets of 12 @ 60 lbs
Seated leg curl 2 sets of 12 @ 75 lbs

Weight training: 1 to 2 times a week

Weights:
Seated row 2 sets of 12 @ 85 lbs
Abdominal crunch 2 sets of 15 @ 90 lbs
Triceps extensions 2 sets of 15 @ 60 lbs
Biceps curl 1 set of 15 @ 60 lbs
Biceps curl 1 set of 15 @ 55 lbs
Shoulder Press 2 sets of 12 @ 45 lbs
Cheat press 2 sets of 15 @ 50 lbs
Pectoral fly deltoids 2 sets of 15 @ 90 lbs

After weights I do more cardio:
30 to 1 hour minutes stationary bike at a pace of 90 to 100 rpm

I am now 211.5 pounds 5' 5" (I was 240 when I started), I work on a farm, and am very strong because of it. I have always been able to lift heavy weights, but my weight loss has slowed down and I am thinking maybe it could be because of my weight training. I never did any measurements when I started so I know I am down a size maybe two, but I see myself everyday so it is hard to see any changes in my size.

I have done a clean eating diet (food that is not processed and fresh and prepared at home) for the last 3 months (with a few cheat days, we all have them) my calorie intake was at 1240 and I was getting headaches and very hungry throughout the day so I upped it to 1420 a day. I try to eat my exercise calories, but I only will eat about half of what I burn off.

Please give me any feed back as anything will help. Thank you for your time :smile:

Replies

  • wurgin
    wurgin Posts: 241 Member
    i can't actually help... but I am extremely impressed!
  • jaymek92
    jaymek92 Posts: 309 Member
    if you're doing it with good form, your weights are not too heavy.
  • vmclach
    vmclach Posts: 670 Member
    april fools joke?

    you aren't lifting heavy. You need to be eating more if you are getting headaches and hunger pains throughout the day. Eat your exercise calories back and see what that does
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,209 Member
    Hi, I am worried that I may be doing to heavy of weights at the gym. I go to a woman's only gym and I notice almost every woman there lifts only 10 to 15 pounds on average on the weight training machines. Here is an average workout that I do 3 to 4 times a week...



    Please give me any feed back as anything will help. Thank you for your time :smile:

    I suggest that you read "The New Rules of Lifting for Women"......you will get all the information you need to make you feel better about the heavier lifting you're doing........on the cover it says "Lift like a man......look like a goddess"

    Congratulations to you on your training so far :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    lifting heavy will not hurt your goals
    its all i do for exercise
    and there is no such thing as "too heavy" if you can lift it, only too light

    as long as you are in a deficit, you will lose weight, with or without exercise.
  • mrsmangomum
    mrsmangomum Posts: 62
    I would say the issue is you need to eat more, not the weights. Try eating all of your exercise calories back and see if anything changes.
  • enginerd81
    enginerd81 Posts: 50
    So long as they are challenging you by the last few reps you're doing good.

    All the other women there sound like they perscribe to the "I don't wanna bulk up so i'm gonna toss this bag of feathers around and hope it does something good" mentality.

    My wife and I are doing the strong lifts 5x5 program and we both like it - starts out easy and adds weight each time so long as you can complete all the reps. She is really suprised by how much she can lift.
  • suztheq
    suztheq Posts: 168 Member
    if you're doing it with good form, your weights are not too heavy.

    ^^^^Absolutely this. Great job and don't worry about what other women are doing.
  • tgzerozone
    tgzerozone Posts: 160
    Have you done fat % tests and have this gone down or stayed the same?

    You can never lift heavy enough in my opinion, that is the whole point. If you can still push another rep out above what you are supposed to do, you are not lifting heavy enough.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    As long as you are keeping form, you are fine. I believe women don't lift heavy because they don't want to bulk up. I also believe the bulking up is sort of a side effect/benefit of testosterone. Hell, I wish I could lift that heavy.
  • tgzerozone
    tgzerozone Posts: 160
    ...All the other women there sound like they perscribe to the "I don't wanna bulk up so i'm gonna toss this bag of feathers around and hope it does something good" mentality...

    "Thumbs up" on this one!
  • 1979rrh
    1979rrh Posts: 83 Member
    Thanks everyone. I will keep at it, eat more and push myself...

    I have a fear of getting soft and saggy, I have a belly and I do not want to have the saggy belly skin after my weight loss.
  • 1979rrh
    1979rrh Posts: 83 Member
    Have you done fat % tests and have this gone down or stayed the same?

    I am sorry, how do I do this? I am so new to all of this... thanks
  • tgzerozone
    tgzerozone Posts: 160
    I am sorry, how do I do this? I am so new to all of this... thanks

    Just ask someone at your gym. They will be able to assist. :)

    EDIT: A trainer at your gym rather.
  • raystark
    raystark Posts: 403 Member
    Those are some great numbers.

    Keep up the good work..
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
    Sounds like you are doing a lot of weigh machines. I would really try to get off the machines (most of them) and move into the free weight area - and stop focusing on all the isolation excercises and switch to compound moves.

    I'm no expert, but I've been learning a lot from all the reading I've done in the last year. I would suggest reading New Rules of Lifting and/or New Rules of Lifting for Women (the library should have both so you can get read them for free). I suggest them because they are the two points of reference that I can actually name (I've read them both), but there are a lot of other sources that will say the same thing. Both books give you great programs to follow, but even more, there is a lot of really useful info in them.

    Definetly don't worry that you're lifting too heavy - you can't compare yourself to the others - they are probably "afraid to bulk up." Only one other girl at my gym (when I'm there anyway) is in the free weight area and lifting anything remotely heavy. I'm sometimes amazed by what I see (like the girl doing about 100 reps (no lie) of very light weights and a very short range of motion - one day I have to get up the nerve to ask her cuz she's been doing this same thing for the whole 2 years I've been going there).
    I also agree with the others that it sounds like your body may need more fuel (calories). Not only are you lifting and doing cardio, but it sounds like you also do a lot of physical labor on the farm as well. Your body is probably just really short on fuel.

    Good luck!!!

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