Ladies...LIFT HEAVY or do a million reps?

Abells

Lift heavy weights as stated in previous posts/replies

If you want to see a difference you can't just do bicep curls -- what is your routine? Do some tricep workouts and work to build all the arm muscles not just focus on one.

COMPOUND LIFTS ARE YOUR FRIEND (dead lifts, thrusters, squats..ya know!)

thelovelyLIZ

Lift heavy. Lifting five pounds weights isn't going to get you anywhere. I mean, if your purse weighs more than what you lift, what good are you doing?

The other advantage of lifting heavy is that it's way less time consuming. Back when I was lifting and had access to a gym, I could get in a pretty good full body workout in about half an hour doing usually three sets of 8-15 reps, doing maybe 6-8 different exercises.

piinchi

I got the book New Rules of Lifting for Women, and its been excellent. Its helped me feel more confident lifting heavy. People can say "lift heavy" but I didn't really know what that meant exactly. There are exercises you can do that perform compound moves, i.e. a pull-down or a squat, that work more muscles better than isolation exercises like bicep curls or crunches. It helped me anyway. I'm already seeing some serious changes in definition.

Ge0rgiana

I've been lifting heavy, so I'm on the right track I guess. I would just like to see my arms with more definition... My stupid scale won't budge very much lately, thanks to a stupid plateau I'm trying to get through. Anyone have any good arm exercises in mind?

The most important lifting is lifting your scale. To toss it out the window. :bigsmile:

curvykim78

Lift heavy weights as stated in previous posts/replies

If you want to see a difference you can't just do bicep curls -- what is your routine? Do some tricep workouts and work to build all the arm muscles not just focus on one.

COMPOUND LIFTS ARE YOUR FRIEND (dead lifts, thrusters, squats..ya know!)

I mix it up and do a little bit of everything.

curvykim78

Lift heavy. Lifting five pounds weights isn't going to get you anywhere. I mean, if your purse weighs more than what you lift, what good are you doing?

The other advantage of lifting heavy is that it's way less time consuming. Back when I was lifting and had access to a gym, I could get in a pretty good full body workout in about half an hour doing usually three sets of 8-15 reps, doing maybe 6-8 different exercises.

LOL at the purse comment!!

Elle408

Definitely lift heavy, but you do have to lose that body fat first... or during I guess. I got to my goal weight before hitting the gym and it only took a few weeks to start seeing a difference with heavy lifting, after a few months I had the definition that I wanted!

curvykim78

I've been lifting heavy, so I'm on the right track I guess. I would just like to see my arms with more definition... My stupid scale won't budge very much lately, thanks to a stupid plateau I'm trying to get through. Anyone have any good arm exercises in mind?

The most important lifting is lifting your scale. To toss it out the window. :bigsmile:

I LOVE YOUR WAY OF THINKING!!

scrumdidlly

Lift heavy. If you want definition you want to trie in 8–10 reps. If you worried about the outside of your arms focus on kickbacks or something like it. You should do them before your curls to maximize the strength in your arms.

DeanneLea

Bump.


Also, it is harddd to lose bf while lifting heavy lol. Any suggestions?

Capt_Apollo

Bump.


Also, it is harddd to lose bf while lifting heavy lol. Any suggestions?

negative. actually, building muscle (lifting) is what causes your body fat to drop.

professorRAT

californiagirl2012

So I am looking to get some input from my fellow lifters out there. I bought a home gym and have been lifting pretty much every other day for about 6 months now. I can see a change with my muscles and body shape changing, but it's not fast enough or what I want. I can see my biceps when I flex my arms, but I would like to have more definition on the 'outside' of my arms. (When your arms are down at your sides, the 'outside' is the part others see.)
My question is this...if I want to get more results with my exercises, is it better to 'lift heavy' or is it better to 'do a million reps' of each exercise at a lower weight?
I'm also welcome to other ideas or hepful info as well. Thanks!

BOTH. change it up. Don't do the same thing over and over. I did just 10 reps, about 3-4 sets, of about 10 exercises for years and years and it gave me a good base but didn't do much for my shape. I really changed my shape last year when I did two things; lose the fat, change up my routine.

The routine I do consists of weight lifting first and cardio second, but I still do cardio (mainly running). I change up everything all the time. My running is sometimes long easy runs, sometimes HIIT, sometimes shorter medium pace runs. My weight routine changes each day, each week, Circuits, Intermittent Super Sets, Fibonacci Pyramids, X-sets, Progress Venus Pyramids, and some splits, constantly changing it up, everything a variety of Strength, Hypertrophy, and Endurance.

Legs; In addition to Deadlift's, Stiff Leg Dead Lifts, Sumo Dead Lifts and Squats I do Bulgarian Split Squats, Lunges, Reverse lunges, Curtsey lunges, Step Ups, Crossover Bench Step Ups, One legged Deadlifts (T-Bend), Lunge Matrix, Bowler Squat, One Legged Get Ups, Bower Squat and Calf Raise, Bowler Squat + Stiff Leg Deadlift, Curtsey Lunge + Dumbbell Squat, T-Bend + Y-Squat, Reverse Lunge & Step Up, Curtsey Lunge + Step Up, Y-squat, Narrow Stance Squat

For upper body I do Standing Shoulder Press, Standing Dumbell Curls, Lying Tricep extension, Pullovers, Bent Barbell Row, Standing lateral Raise, Standing front Raise, Curl and Press, Shoulder Press + Curl, Dips, Lying Tricep Extensions + Flyes, Venus Raise (a type of snatch), Bent Row + Standing Lateral Raise, Pullovers, Pushup + Dips, Standing Dumbbell curls + Overhead Tricep Extension, Bent Lateral Raise + Pullovers, One Arm Dumbbell row, Flyes + Pushups, Seated Curl & Tate Press, Seated Curls + Overhead Tricep Extension, Pushups, Pullovers + Dips, Bent Barbell Row, Lateral Raise + Full Front Raise, Venus Raise + Dips, Standing Dumbbell curls + Lying Tricep Extension, Upright Row + Dips, Bent Barbell Row, Flat bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Bent Row Narrow, Bent Row + Kickback,

Then some upper and lower combos; Squat and Front Raise, Step Up & Press, Step Up + Standing Shoulder Press, Squat & Press, Squat & Swing, Curtsy Lunge + Standing Shoulder Pres, T-Bend & Row, Pike Front Rais + Curtsey Lunge, Flat Bench Press + Step Up.

Core: Bar Bell Rollouts (you can start out with Stability Ball Roll Outs), Swiss Ball Pikes (you can start out with Stability Ball Curl Ups), and planks. As you advance Swiss Ball Pike and pushup.

I probably forgot some but you get the idea.

Last June after I'd lost 40 lbs and having lifted for over 30 years (all 10 reps heavy):


After losing another 17 lbs and changing it up all the time. Light, heavy, pyramids, super sets, combos, etc.

mmapags

So I am looking to get some input from my fellow lifters out there. I bought a home gym and have been lifting pretty much every other day for about 6 months now. I can see a change with my muscles and body shape changing, but it's not fast enough or what I want. I can see my biceps when I flex my arms, but I would like to have more definition on the 'outside' of my arms. (When your arms are down at your sides, the 'outside' is the part others see.)
My question is this...if I want to get more results with my exercises, is it better to 'lift heavy' or is it better to 'do a million reps' of each exercise at a lower weight?
I'm also welcome to other ideas or hepful info as well. Thanks!

BOTH. change it up. Don't do the same thing over and over. I did just 10 reps, about 3-4 sets, of about 10 exercises for years and years and it gave me a good base but didn't do much for my shape. I really changed my shape last year when I did two things; lose the fat, change up my routine.

The routine I do consists of weight lifting first and cardio second, but I still do cardio (mainly running). I change up everything all the time. My running is sometimes long easy runs, sometimes HIIT, sometimes shorter medium pace runs. My weight routine changes each day, each week, Circuits, Intermittent Super Sets, Fibonacci Pyramids, X-sets, Progress Venus Pyramids, and some splits, constantly changing it up, everything a variety of Strength, Hypertrophy, and Endurance.

Legs; In addition to Deadlift's, Stiff Leg Dead Lifts, Sumo Dead Lifts and Squats I do Bulgarian Split Squats, Lunges, Reverse lunges, Curtsey lunges, Step Ups, Crossover Bench Step Ups, One legged Deadlifts (T-Bend), Lunge Matrix, Bowler Squat, One Legged Get Ups, Bower Squat and Calf Raise, Bowler Squat + Stiff Leg Deadlift, Curtsey Lunge + Dumbbell Squat, T-Bend + Y-Squat, Reverse Lunge & Step Up, Curtsey Lunge + Step Up, Y-squat, Narrow Stance Squat

For upper body I do Standing Shoulder Press, Standing Dumbell Curls, Lying Tricep extension, Pullovers, Bent Barbell Row, Standing lateral Raise, Standing front Raise, Curl and Press, Shoulder Press + Curl, Dips, Lying Tricep Extensions + Flyes, Venus Raise (a type of snatch), Bent Row + Standing Lateral Raise, Pullovers, Pushup + Dips, Standing Dumbbell curls + Overhead Tricep Extension, Bent Lateral Raise + Pullovers, One Arm Dumbbell row, Flyes + Pushups, Seated Curl & Tate Press, Seated Curls + Overhead Tricep Extension, Pushups, Pullovers + Dips, Bent Barbell Row, Lateral Raise + Full Front Raise, Venus Raise + Dips, Standing Dumbbell curls + Lying Tricep Extension, Upright Row + Dips, Bent Barbell Row, Flat bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Bent Row Narrow, Bent Row + Kickback,

Then some upper and lower combos; Squat and Front Raise, Step Up & Press, Step Up + Standing Shoulder Press, Squat & Press, Squat & Swing, Curtsy Lunge + Standing Shoulder Pres, T-Bend & Row, Pike Front Rais + Curtsey Lunge, Flat Bench Press + Step Up.

Core: Bar Bell Rollouts (you can start out with Stability Ball Roll Outs), Swiss Ball Pikes (you can start out with Stability Ball Curl Ups), and planks. As you advance Swiss Ball Pike and pushup.

I probably forgot some but you get the idea.

Last June after I'd lost 40 lbs and having lifted for over 30 years (all 10 reps heavy):


After losing another 17 lbs and changing it up all the time. Light, heavy, pyramids, super sets, combos, etc.

TL/DR You just can't help yourself with the download and the pics and links can you? It's like some kind of compulsion.

Sarauk2sf

Bump.


Also, it is harddd to lose bf while lifting heavy lol. Any suggestions?

Lifting heavy does not hinder fat loss - in fact it helps it.

DeanneLea

I think I'm moaning about the scale more than anything.

Which I should throw out.

I will say that I dropped 1.5% bf in a little over a week, yet didn't lose via the scale. So, you're absolutely right. The scale fogs my thought process lol.

grim_traveller

Bump

ChristineEaton7210

BUMP

StickingWithIt2015

Bump

SkimFlatWhite68

Great post. I agree with heavy, but then once in a while I also agree with dropping 25% of the weight and doing 3 sets of 15 reps.
Use a journal to write out your workouts and record your progress!! That is really important so you see how you are improving.

The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women is an excellent book.