Heavy lifting

KaydaRN

heavy lifting for me is 80-95% of my 1 rep max.. which usually mean 3-5 reps and i need 3-5 minutes of rest between sets before i repeat.

just use the gym. usually ladies only gyms have crappy weights, no squat rack and a smith machine. don't be intimidated by the weight room

Don't get in the habit of resting that long in between sets... Not very beneficial. Should only be resting 45-90 seconds generally.

wrong.

you've obviously never lifted anything close to your 1 rep max (which is heavy lifting... the subject of this thread ) if you're able to rest 45-90 seconds then get back to lifting.

So you are power lifting? That's the amount of time power lifters generally take in between sets? Heavy lifting is not power lifting. I like my pump I get from the 60 break in between my bench and I toss up 135lbs now, and no I don't do one rep max.

meshashesha2012

heavy lifting for me is 80-95% of my 1 rep max.. which usually mean 3-5 reps and i need 3-5 minutes of rest between sets before i repeat.

just use the gym. usually ladies only gyms have crappy weights, no squat rack and a smith machine. don't be intimidated by the weight room

Don't get in the habit of resting that long in between sets... Not very beneficial. Should only be resting 45-90 seconds generally.

wrong.

you've obviously never lifted anything close to your 1 rep max (which is heavy lifting... the subject of this thread ) if you're able to rest 45-90 seconds then get back to lifting.

So you are power lifting? That's the amount of time power lifters generally take in between sets? Heavy lifting is not power lifting. I like my pump I get from the 60 break in between my bench and I toss up 135lbs now, and no I don't do one rep max.

sorry but your individual number means nothing to me. :laugh:

i think you're mixing up our definitions of what heavy lifting means (which is why i assume the OP posted this topic.. to get an idea of what "heavy lifting" means and people were responding with their definitions.

generally, it used by women to mean anything from "i use more than barbie weights" to "i lift things close to my 1 rep max" . i've already given MY definition of it, which means that your advice of what's effective and not effective in terms of rest breaks is wrong.. for me..

maybe it's right for your definition but it's not for me. so really i dont understand why we're having this discussion when we're clearly defining this in different ways? :huh: take your 60 sec breaks and i'll continue to take my longer breaks mmkay?

lasmit4477

The problem with lifting at home is that you really need a power rack to safely do squats. Power racks are expensive, and big.

:sad: I wish I wasn't a big chicken! Or there was a ladies only gym around here. :laugh:

Girl, don't be!!! I actually love lifting with the guys. I am not into "fitness classes" that all of the ladies go to at the gym I attend. Also, take a look at Stronglifts 5x5.

jayche

Heavy is a relative term.

To me its 85%+ your 1 rep max on the lift (this would be around your 5 rep max) for 1-5 reps.
Yes, this also means longer rest times... you're working to increase your strength after all, not chasing a pump.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I don't think either of you ladies are wrong. Longer rests are important for gaining strength. Shorter rests apparently (just look at Kayda's biceps) work for body building.

Lifting for strength and bodybuilding goals are both what most people consider "heavy lifting".

KaydaRN

heavy lifting for me is 80-95% of my 1 rep max.. which usually mean 3-5 reps and i need 3-5 minutes of rest between sets before i repeat.

just use the gym. usually ladies only gyms have crappy weights, no squat rack and a smith machine. don't be intimidated by the weight room

Don't get in the habit of resting that long in between sets... Not very beneficial. Should only be resting 45-90 seconds generally.

wrong.

you've obviously never lifted anything close to your 1 rep max (which is heavy lifting... the subject of this thread ) if you're able to rest 45-90 seconds then get back to lifting.

So you are power lifting? That's the amount of time power lifters generally take in between sets? Heavy lifting is not power lifting. I like my pump I get from the 60 break in between my bench and I toss up 135lbs now, and no I don't do one rep max.

sorry but your individual number means nothing to me. :laugh:

i think you're mixing up our definitions of what heavy lifting means (which is why i assume the OP posted this topic.. to get an idea of what "heavy lifting" means and people were responding with their definitions.

generally, it used by women to mean anything from "i use more than barbie weights" to "i lift things close to my 1 rep max" . i've already given MY definition of it, which means that your advice of what's effective and not effective in terms of rest breaks is wrong.. for me..

maybe it's right for your definition but it's not for me. so really i dont understand why we're having this discussion when we're clearly defining this in different ways? :huh: take your 60 sec breaks and i'll continue to take my longer breaks mmkay?

My saying "don't get in the habit of resting 3-5 minutes" was directed to the OP not you. If you are power lifting go for it.

bgelliott

If you can hit 12 reps for 3 sets without a problem it's an average lifting day... increase your weight so you can do roughly 8-10 reps max for 3 sets but you are struggling to get those last 2 - 3 reps on your last set. That is what I consider a heavy lifting day. Keep doing this and your max weight will increase over time.

KaydaRN

I don't think either of you ladies are wrong. Longer rests are important for gaining strength. Shorter rests apparently (just look at Kayda's biceps) work for body building.

Lifting for strength and bodybuilding goals are both what most people consider "heavy lifting".

Thank you for noticing the biceps, made me giggle. There is no 100% correct way I just believe from the stand point of getting all you can out of a work out in a reasonable amount of time.

JNick77

Heavy is a relative term.

To me its 85%+ your 1 rep max on the lift (this would be around your 5 rep max) for 1-5 reps.
Yes, this also means longer rest times... you're working to increase your strength after all, not chasing a pump.

Yes, yes, yes. This is pretty much what the professional lifters and strength coaches go by, 85%+ for 1 - 5 reps. Now, when you're training you probably won't be using, at least not that often, that exact weight all the time or at least not for every set but that's the basic definition of maximal / absolute strength training (aka "heavy").

Girl, don't be!!! I actually love lifting with the guys. I am not into "fitness classes" that all of the ladies go to at the gym I attend. Also, take a look at Stronglifts 5x5.

Agreed. I think most guys would actually have a lot of respect for you coming in and doing some real lifting. Let's be honest, most guys don't know what the hell they're doing either, just a select few usually.

bgelliott

I've been working out for several years and I have a set of powerblocks that go up to 50lbs each (I've never used above 30lbs each and probably never will). I have an incline/decline bench with preacher curl attachment and an easy curl bar with 2/25lb weights, 2/10lb weights, 4/5lb weights and some 2.5lb weights as well. Aside fromthe other machines in my home gym, the above items were quite sufficient for all my workouts with the exception of a heavy leg day which I need the gym machines for.

jayche

What do you consider heavy enough to fall into the lift very heavy for small reps category? I was reading a blog post about someone that started doing heavy lifting for low reps to gain muscle(a female) rather than lifting smaller weights for longer reps. Does this really work better? And at what weight do you consider it heavy enough to do heavy weight/low reps? Hope that made sense.

Well anyway, to respond to OP's question:
Seeing how as you want to gain muscle you want to aim for hypertrophy (muscle growth) rep ranges, this rep range is 5-15 for most people. "Heavy" lifting in this context would be aiming for 70 to 85% of your 1 RM for 5-12 reps (ideal for myofibrillar hypertrophy or actual muscle fiber growth) with 1-2 minute rest (rest times are arguable; some go for less, some go for more).

Training purely for strength (85%+ of 1RM, 1-5 reps) is more neurological in nature, meaning you are training the speed of which your brain sends signals to your muscles. The goal when working with these rep ranges isn't size but increased strength will prove to be beneficial to future hypertrophy training.

Hope I didn't miss anything here.

meshashesha2012

I don't think either of you ladies are wrong. Longer rests are important for gaining strength. Shorter rests apparently (just look at Kayda's biceps) work for body building.

Lifting for strength and bodybuilding goals are both what most people consider "heavy lifting".

exactly.

i personally am not working out for body building or hypertrophy. my lifting routine is primarily to retain the lean body mass while i lose 60-70 pounds. so yeah, my goals and routine is going to be different than someone else who's working out for definition. i have way too much body fat at the moment to worry about getting defined :laugh:

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I don't think either of you ladies are wrong. Longer rests are important for gaining strength. Shorter rests apparently (just look at Kayda's biceps) work for body building.

Lifting for strength and bodybuilding goals are both what most people consider "heavy lifting".

exactly.

i personally am not working out for body building or hypertrophy. my lifting routine is primarily to retain the lean body mass while i lose 60-70 pounds. so yeah, my goals and routine is going to be different than someone else who's working out for definition. i have way too much body fat at the moment to worry about getting defined :laugh:

I think, Lyle McDonald says that the strength building type lifting is what is best for muscle retention.

Hadabetter

I highly recommend the book "Body by Science". The weight lifting protocols are very low risk with respect to potential injuries, very efficient with respect to the amount of time you have to invest, and very effective in terms of strength development. The downside is that you cannot do this with free weights without a spotter. The good news is that you can do this properly by yourself using weight machines.

Hadabetter

Bingo!

85%+ of your one rep max. It isn't THE best way to build muscle size, but it is the best way to build strength and some size if you are eating enough.