Heavy lifters, do you get offended when...?

elprincipito

i must be doing something right, I get compliments almost every gym visit now from random people. I guess it helps being a skinny b#$$2 and strong.

yea i agree with this. I look skinny as crap but i lift same or even more than people with like 30lbs on me.

Awkward30

I prefer to save being offended for things that really matter.

This. I reserve being offended for very special occasions

Erisad

That depends. What would you call heavy? My mother thinks I lift too heavy while the fellas at the gym probably think I'd be better off with the pretty pink barbie weights. It's relative. I'll get to lifting heavier and heavier as I go.

Check out the link in my first post. I think it's pretty spot on in terms of how they classify lifters (untrained, novice, intermediate, etc)

Well, I mostly use machines. Sooo that doesn't really count as lifting. I've increased the weight on all of them a lot and I'm still under the untrained amount for most of the stuff and I've been going to the gym regularly since May. I'm a wuss, I know. :laugh:

Feisty_Red

I'm Intermediate..but really..f all charts that try to make everyone cookie cutter people :frown:

magj0y

No because heavy is relative to each individual.

This.

^^with 4 years, maybe they don't want cloud shoulders?

LesliePierceRN

To each his own.. My feelings never revolve around what someone else does or does not do.. You may not lift heavy compared to someone else, that doesn't negate your effort. Live and let live, life's too short for that crap.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

it's annoying as ****--or when someone tries to make my HEAVY lifting appear UNheavy. WTF?!? Seriously!?

According to those standards I am
advanced/elite for bench
advanced for squat
advanced for deadlift

I want to try the power clean and power snatch but no olympic lifts allowed at my gym Babe maybe you can help me when I'm back!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

No because heavy is relative to each individual.

This.

^^with 4 years, maybe they don't want cloud shoulders?

and maybe they shouldn't boast about "lifting heavy" if they don't want "cloud shoulders."

Hezzietiger1

According to that chart.. I'm novice on everything except squat. On squat I'm intermediate. But I am moving towards intermediate on almost everything. That seems about right. I have been working out consistently for about 8 months, but only lifting heavy for about 2 1/2. Before that it was much more about just getting the weight off. I used weights but in high rep form.

MinMin97

Do you get offended when people who don't lift heavy, claim that they are heavy lifters?

According to these standards, I fall in between advanced and elite. I've been back in the gym for about 1.5 years now after a 4 year hiatus. I know some people at the gym that have been lifting for years and are nowhere near these standards for their years of experience, yet they brag to all their friends about how heavy they lift.

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm

I thought "heavy lifting" meant that your own muscles were being challenged, after 10-15 reps, you're straining to complete the rep

So I thought that term applied to the effect it has on your body, not to a weight range value.

Lift_hard_eat_big

Heavy is relative. What is heavy for me may not be heavy for you. What bothers me is people who think they are "lifting heavy" but they have ****y form. Drop 90 lbs. off of that squat and squat deeper.

That also bothers me. People lifting heavy with sloppy form is a gateway to injuries.

tajmel

I'm between untrained and novice, but I'm only on like week 6-7. I don't brag about how much Ilift, I brag about how hard I work - and that's what actually matters. We all start out at different levels of fitness.

Lift_hard_eat_big

Do you get offended when people who don't lift heavy, claim that they are heavy lifters?

According to these standards, I fall in between advanced and elite. I've been back in the gym for about 1.5 years now after a 4 year hiatus. I know some people at the gym that have been lifting for years and are nowhere near these standards for their years of experience, yet they brag to all their friends about how heavy they lift.

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm

I thought "heavy lifting" meant that your own muscles were being challenged, after 10-15 reps, you're straining to complete the rep

So I thought that term applied to the effect it has on your body, not to a weight range value.

In my opinion, if you can do 15 reps, that weight isn't heavy enough.

Rae6503

No. I don't get offended easily. I doesn't matter to me if people say they "lift heavy" and they aren't "power lifting". As long as they've got their butt in the gym (or at home) and are doing something with a weight that isn't pink, I'm all for it.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Do you get offended when people who don't lift heavy, claim that they are heavy lifters?

According to these standards, I fall in between advanced and elite. I've been back in the gym for about 1.5 years now after a 4 year hiatus. I know some people at the gym that have been lifting for years and are nowhere near these standards for their years of experience, yet they brag to all their friends about how heavy they lift.

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm

I thought "heavy lifting" meant that your own muscles were being challenged, after 10-15 reps, you're straining to complete the rep

So I thought that term applied to the effect it has on your body, not to a weight range value.

well, you're right in a sense. It's a relative term and it is HEAVY for YOU if you are struggling to complete another rep (more like after 8) but it isn't heavy in an objective sense...does that make sense? Like someone else your size who is more trained would be able to do more.

californiagirl2012

I think it's silly to brag about it. I'm a heavy lifter for a girl and I just don't tell other girls anymore what I lift because they are intimidated. I can't help it if they SEE me lifting heavy, but I just don't say what I lift. Besides my goal is more to look good than the amount, but I can't help that the amount needs to go up as I get stronger. But I think it is different for the guys probably?

I don't care what the amount is. Only that I'm working hard enough. Doing the right amount of weights for the reps being done, or the super set, or pyramid, or circuit, or whatever.

The key is that you do the right amount of weight for YOU.

Lift_hard_eat_big

i must be doing something right, I get compliments almost every gym visit now from random people. I guess it helps being a skinny b#$$2 and strong.

yea i agree with this. I look skinny as crap but i lift same or even more than people with like 30lbs on me.

I love that feeling! I'm 165-170, yet I outlift most 200 pounders at my gym.

MinMin97

"In my opinion, if you can do 15 reps, that weight isn't heavy enough."


Good to know.
So the number of reps should be 8-10, with the last few very difficult?

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

"In my opinion, if you can do 15 reps, that weight isn't heavy enough."


Good to know.
So the number of reps should be 8-10, with the last few very difficult?

It depends on your goal (hypertrphy vs. strength):

hypertrophy training utilizes shorter rest periods and more reps (10-12 maybe)

strength training emphasizes low-reps and higher weight with longer rest periods (maybe 4-6 reps)

BinaryPulsar

If you don't say that you lift heavy, then you run the risk of getting an annoying lecture about how you must be "toning with pink barbie weights to avoid being bulky" for the 10,000th time.

I lift as heavy as I can lift, while maintaining form and not injuring my long term injuries. When I am able to increase, I increase (and that is happening at a good, steady rate). I lift heavy for me. It's not heavy for other people. And I would never brag about how heavy I lift. I lift weights for recreational fitness. I would never claim to be some kind of professional lifter.

These MFP threads are getting so petty.