Women Lifting Heavy

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  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Starting Strength is without a doubt the best guide on a heavy lifting program for beginners out there. All the others, Stronglifts, NROLFW, etc, basically just borrow from it and change a few things up. But it is the original and, trust me, the best.
  • LoveMabody
    LoveMabody Posts: 2
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    Totally opposite to mine. I am going for a personal trainer and he gave me a session before that where he said women are afraid of lifting weights but if you are not then try heavy and he made me do it. I liked it.
  • RunningDirty
    RunningDirty Posts: 293
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    I would interview more trainers if it's in the budget to find someone who specializes in weight lifting or find a lifting gym. Some crossfit gyms offer lifting programs (i.e., power lifting/olympic lifts) so although a more expensive gym option can be cheaper than hiring a personal trainer with the same attention to what your focus is on (lifting).

    I'm sure you've seen StrongLifts 5x5 on here (excellence), but if unsure on form it does help having someone show you the ropes. The women's 5x5 group on here is awesome because there's some knowledgeable people in the group who really take the time to answer a lot of questions and help newbies! It's also very active, which is a plus to stay motivated.

    Have fun and enjoy your results!
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
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    1. New Rules of Lifting for Women, I'm starting it next week.
    2. Talk to the trainer and maybe explain what you mean more, and if he still says no, ask for a new trainer, if you're paying them they should have the same views as you.
    3. If you don't want to pay for a trainer ask around for someone to teach you proper form at the gym, most trainers/employees will help if you ask for free, and I don't know what your gym is like, but if there's someone who has good form ask them if they can help you out, or just get a few sessions for ja trainer to teach you proper form and follow the plan in NROL.

    I would personally have someone teach me proper form and get NROL4W, its like $13 on amazon and has a full 6 month workout plan in it, and walks you through how to do each exercise, much cheaper than a trainer.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    in my gym trainers know nothing.
    I saw one teaching girls how to bench press 5kg (11lbs) bar in smitch machine.

    They would never do free weights here, because that means teaching proper form... machines are just easier for them. Alsoe they make everybody do 12 reps 3 sets, like it's the only way to go.

    don't worry, the fact that somebody is trainer nowadays does not mean a lot, you can be one after weekend training...

    This is why I love the course which I am doing. 2 years for a diploma, but so worth it for the training which you get.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    NROLFW and dont skip all the stuff at the beginning, read it and make it your new building blocks o logic. cause science is sexy. hth.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    GO TO A DIFFERENT GYM. That's my suggestion. What a sexist nincompoop.

    This is why I need to become a personal trainer asap lol damn economy
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    perhaps he meant as someone who hasnt lifted weights before ( I assume you havnt?) that you need to START with low weights.

    All this "lift heavy" talk on these forums is concerning. I hope you dont think that you just walk into a gym as a new lifter and start "lifiting heavy". Like the trainer said, thats a great way to hurt yourself.

    Honestly I think this, well, sort of a male thing? I have almost never seen women trying to rep heavier weight than they safely can, usually the opposite. Lou Schuler has a good rule of thumb - if you're male probably start 25% under what you think you should. Females, start 25% over.

    That said, as other posters have pointed out, lifting heavy is a training paradigm as opposed to an actual concrete thing. This wouldn't have to be said for men, that you should life so as to really challenge your muscles, but it does to women. Thus, you see lift heavy advice.

    I can also vouch for NROL4W. I am in stage 6 and though I started lifting heavy well before I started it I've seen strength gains and really enjoyed the overall programming. Starting Strength is incredible (pages and pages on a squat? yes!) but NROL is a little more accessible for women. Ask that trainer if he's read. He obviously hasn't. Tell him to and then never go back.

    Also, I find it insulting that the simple of idea of women trying to be strong = women getting hurt. Don't want to damage our delicate female bodies.
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
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    NROLFW is a kick resource, as is NerdFitness, if you're interested. I lift. I love it. My goals are "do a little more than last time, every time," so if I have a higher weight, I shoot for lower reps in my sets; the next time I work that group, I increase my reps til I'm doing my full-rep sets at the higher weight. Then I bump my weights the next time after that, so I'm constantly challenging my body to move forward. My goals are to bench and deadlift 1.5x my body weight and do 10 pull-ups without kipping.

    learn your form, take it slow, and enjoy your new body!
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
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    or you can try Crossfit.
  • jolarocknrolla
    jolarocknrolla Posts: 236 Member
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    I had a similar experience ... i tried two different trainers and none of them wanted to work with me one on free-weights - they both wanted cardio (i can run OUTSIDE, i do not need a gym membership for that) with some machines thrown in to placate me ::eyeroll::

    So i quit the gym. Purchased free weights, borrowed a copy of New Rules of Lifting from the library and watched a lot of youtube videos. LOTS of youtube videos. If you have someone around the house who can spot you or a full-length mirror so you can check your own form that is a bonus. If you stick w/ the gym just start out w/ not-too-heavy weights, watch the people who know what they are doing, and read up on proper form. Don't be intimidated, lifting is AWESOME :)

    The things about trainers at the gym is almost all of them want to sell you a fish instead of teach you how to fish .... that way you keep on paying them and they keep making money.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    There is a theory that the low weights with high reps dogma for "toning" arose from and became wide spread due to body builders who used very low calorie diets to shed fat prior to a contest. When asked why they weren't lifting weights as heavy as they had been previously they explained it was for "cutting up" rather than their weakened state being as a result not eating enough to support their training.

    Whilst I think that high rep / low weight training can be very useful if performed and incorporated correctly into a programme I think there are more benefits for a beginner in working for strength whilst dieting.
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
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    What a douche canoe. New Rules of Lifting - Women.

    I am taking this "douche canoe" hahahhah

    that guy sucks the big one -- wouldn't be surprised if half us on here can out lift him
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I want to take guys that will ONLY advocate low weight and high reps for women, grab their areas where the sun doesn't shine and lift. Low weight & high reps.... let's do THAT until they scream. I mean, really? Why is a woman's body viewed as so fragile. Our bodies, more often than not, have the ability to grow another person (or in my case -- people). Our bodies, more often than not, can bounce back from stress and strain as well as any other. Our bodies, more often than not, can be battered and broken and bruised even when our motivation is never lacking. We aren't crazy to want to lift heavy and trainers that don't want to at least pass along the information and refer you to someone who will meet your needs are total buttscarves, IMHO.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
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    Talk to the gym management and see if that is a gym policy or just the trainer. If it is the gym, then it's time to find a new gym. If it's the trainer, report him, and ask for a session with someone else since this guy wasted your time. Let them know his attitudes and that you were very disappointed with the service you received.
  • MissTattoo
    MissTattoo Posts: 1,203 Member
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    NEW TRAINER!!!!
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
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    Unfortunately there are a lot of those sexist pigs here on MFP too. Be careful before one comes bounding in and calls you "*****y" for talking about lifting heavy and sounding like you know what you're talking about. You couldn't possibly know what you're talking about because you are a girl, after all.....:noway:

    But if you were a guy, then CARRY ON!! er I mean Ya bro!! <highfive>
  • cassblue21
    cassblue21 Posts: 207
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    [/quote]

    Of course I know I can't start out with really heavy weights, I wanted to learn the correct forms with lower weights until I get stronger; you know?
    [/quote]

    I had this EXACT same problem yesterday!!!! It was so frustrating! I have been trying to do it on my own for a little while now, but I still feel inadequate in the forms to really try upping my weight until I get it right! I was so mad when he told me not to do it! gggrrrr
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
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    just like anyone else - personal trainers have their opinions.... unfortunately, the one you met with is WRONG. find another one. My trainer (who was a male) had me lifting heavy and I can't thank him enough!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    Also, I find it insulting that the simple of idea of women trying to be strong = women getting hurt. Don't want to damage our delicate female bodies.

    I dont see where anyone said women wanting to get strong means women getting hurt. Dont be inventing things so you can feel insulted. Life is too short for that attitude.

    When Starting out, "lifting heavy" applies to men, women and children. You dont walk into a gym with no experience and just start grunting and groaning with a weight that is too heavy for you. Men can get hurt that way just as easily as women.

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