General Comment About People Who Don't Lift

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  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
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    Aside from the obvious, I feel like a lot of these success stories are people who were over weight or had a few pounds over and lost a lot over a period of time. So they go from over weight to skinny fat. Not fat but soft. Instead of fighting to stay at a weight, now that you lost fat, add muscle.
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
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    I have not started lifting heavy and, at my age, weight and limited strength level, I'm not sure that I ever will. :-(
    But I have added some resistance bands to my weekly exercise for all of the reasons below.

    Kudos for a post that PERFECTLY lists the reasons why all able-bodied women should lift more than grocery sacks and Barbie bells!

    1. It helps prevent osteoporosis. A very common problem in women as they age that makes their bones brittle. I don't want to be a senior and fall and break something and be bed ridden

    2. It helps prevent high blood pressure which puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes

    3. Lean muscle helps you burn calories making weight maintenance easier

    4. It can strengthen your joints which can help with joint pain or arthritis

    5. Reduces your risk of diabetes

    6. People who have lean muscles look great
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I have not started lifting heavy and, at my age, weight and limited strength level, I'm not sure that I ever will. :-(
    But I have added some resistance bands to my weekly exercise for all of the reasons below.

    Kudos for a post that PERFECTLY lists the reasons why all able-bodied women should lift more than grocery sacks and Barbie bells!

    Lighter weights (I assume that's what you mean by Barbie weights) are heavy for some. Lifting heavy means lifting as heavy as you can, and progressively heavier. If 3 lbs is all you can lift now, that is lifting heavy. 53 is not too old to start, if you want.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
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    Not that I'm in immediate danger of either, but I'd rather have a dancer's body than a lifter's body.

    I agree a dancer's body is usually very similar to a lifter's body unless you are talking about ballet dancers. Although even ballet dancers constantly lift (their body weight)
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
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    I lift because I refuse to be weak. As a woman going into a very strong career, I want to be physically strong as well. There's no reason to aspire being small and weak.
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
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    I lift because I refuse to be weak. As a woman going into a very strong career, I want to be physically strong as well. There's no reason to aspire being small and weak.

    Finally some sense around here! Good for you lady!
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
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    Not that I'm in immediate danger of either, but I'd rather have a dancer's body than a lifter's body.

    What is your image of a weight lifters body?


    cea5785d52.jpg
    This is Kellie Epperheimer, a dancer who lifts

    misty-copeland100.jpg
    This is Misty Copeland - can you tell if she is a dancer or a lifter?

    These girls look hot ! I bet they eat too ;)

    Yeah, they eat lots of food--they're dancing all day. If they don't eat right, they bonk. xx
    a friend who was So You Think You Can Dance. talk about beautiful.. also check out the alvin ailey website
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4328022566787&set=a.1369610648338.2045171.1473870103&type=1&theater
  • pkdarlin
    pkdarlin Posts: 149 Member
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    I have been reading on here so much about lifting. I'm 65 and I want to start lifting. I do cardio but I have a lot of weight around my med section and think that might help. Also getting real serious about eating healthing. went through a year of chemo and just got finished with it last Sept.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Here is a story of a power lifter. She eats 3000-4000 calories and benches most than most guys. She doesn't look bulky IMO.

    staci is my hero :heart:
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I've always been a little bit stronger than I looked. Even when I didn't do any lifting, when I was a skinny 110 pounds in my early 20s, I beat my ex-boyfriend at arm wrestling (but he was a wimp and made me carry his amp and guitar, hence the reason he's an ex). I could carry lumber and sheet rock and clumsily shift around bags of cement. But I didn't have any endurance and I didn't lift with any kind of good form, so I'd hurt myself regularly.

    Now I'm 40, and I've been lifting about a year and a half, running about 2 years. I want to go back in time and kick my own *kitten* for not starting all this 20-some years ago.

    A few weeks ago, I rearranged my bedroom furniture by myself, which is something I always did. But I always had to take all the drawers out of the dressers first. Not anymore. And some furniture I used to have to slide, I could pick up and carry.

    This winter, I bought the 50 pound bag of rock salt instead of a 20. I was amazed at how LIGHT 50 pounds feels now.

    I haven't hurt my back, knees, wrists, shoulder, elbows, hips, etc. ONCE since I've been lifting. I used to throw out my back regularly, and I have a collection of knee and wrist braces and ace bandages from past sprains and strains. I did hurt my ankle, though... a stress fracture about a year ago. I blame running on the treadmill after running outside all summer. I don't run on a treadmill at all anymore and haven't had a problem since.

    When my husband had a work injury last summer with herniated discs and was on all kinds of restrictions, any household chores he would have done were my responsibility.

    And my tushie looks really good. :laugh:
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Not that I'm in immediate danger of either, but I'd rather have a dancer's body than a lifter's body.

    Me too. I do some strength training, but people are too dogmatic about this. The pendulum has merely swung in the opposite direction.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Nothing, don't lift then. It leaves more space at the gym for folks who actually want the benefits lifting yields.
  • jakkidoodles
    jakkidoodles Posts: 103
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    I am going to start doing weights soon, BECAUSE....... I'm going to have a fair amount of saggy skin and I believe it helps tone it up... I may be wrong.....

    Also, muscle burns fat as most of us will know and it will sure help when the loss starts that dreadful plateau. xxx
  • SwimFan1981
    SwimFan1981 Posts: 1,430 Member
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    I wish I was stronger than I am, I could use some pointers/advice about how to get in to lifting for a complete beginner with no upper body strength at all. My legs are pretty strong but my arms :/

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
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    Not that I'm in immediate danger of either, but I'd rather have a dancer's body than a lifter's body.

    Me too. I do some strength training, but people are too dogmatic about this. The pendulum has merely swung in the opposite direction.

    Agree with the pendulum..I started lifting long before I lost weight so I'm pretty confident with what I'm doing now - feeling the benefits at 43, however I often look at this question from the viewpoint of someone just starting and wonder if the insistence on weight lifting puts them off completely. It depends on your endgame...I'm lucky - have a PT that I will enjoy for as long as I'm able and there's a commitment there because I'm booked in..doubt that I'd do on my own at home confidently (people do though). When I finally addressed the weight I asked myself what would I realistically do physically day after day when I finish?...well PT because it's enjoyable, affordable and an obligation and walking kids to school cos it's practical. That was as sustainable/realistic as it got for me! While there are definitely benefits to lifting as stated you are still able to lose healthily and be healthier when done if you don't. Do what you enjoy. Try everything. Find the sustainable for you.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I wish I was stronger than I am, I could use some pointers/advice about how to get in to lifting for a complete beginner with no upper body strength at all. My legs are pretty strong but my arms :/

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    You start where you need to start - at an amount that's a challenge but you can still finish your set while maintaining good form - and work up from there. No one starts off knowing what they're doing and lifting as heavy as possible.

    Women underestimate their strength all the time. They use 2 pound dumbbells, then take sips from a 32 oz water bottle. :laugh:

    As for where to start, try these:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/771-women-strength-training
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Not that I'm in immediate danger of either, but I'd rather have a dancer's body than a lifter's body.

    Me too. I do some strength training, but people are too dogmatic about this. The pendulum has merely swung in the opposite direction.

    Most dancers I know have more lower body musculature than the female lifters I've seen (in real life mind you, not online).

    Resistance training is a very important component of overall health and fitness. That doesn't mean you have to lift weights, you can get similar benefits doing other kinds of resistance training.

    I happen to think (though I know research exists claiming you can get comparable health benefits strictly from resistance training) that for ideal overall health a person needs (in this order):

    1) Nutrition
    2) Rest
    3) Resistance Training
    4) Cardiovascular Training

    Maybe that's dogmatic, but to me that's telling me "Don't eat too much, fatty. Get enough sleep instead of staying up all night watching porn, weirdo. Lift weights, girlie man. Learn to run more than a block without huffing and puffing, slow poke." I feel like it's not really dogmatic in that it can be fit into just about any specific paradigm you want.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I wish I was stronger than I am, I could use some pointers/advice about how to get in to lifting for a complete beginner with no upper body strength at all. My legs are pretty strong but my arms :/

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    A few short weeks ago I was a complete beginner. I got some weights and got the book, "New Rules of Lifting for Women". Now I'm a novice lifter.
  • Mamalea32
    Mamalea32 Posts: 134
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    It actually increases your bone density. Also muscle mass burns calories all day. The more tone you have, the more calories you burn just sitting.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    And my tushie looks really good. :laugh:

    Indeed.

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