Experienced lifters - a question for you

carrieous

i think thats quite heavy. Can you do 3 full sets of 10 reps at those weights?

stewartcarden

if your struggling to do 4-8 reps then yeah its heavy , regardless of what weight it actually is (: . its all relative to the person lifting.

shirleygirl910

I think now days when I hear someone talk about a woman lifting heavy it's not necessarily the #'s. They use to say women should lift light weight and do a lot of reps, but that's not true. We can't bulk up like a man, because or our combo of hormones.

I think it's awesome what you are doing. I am trying the same. I've been logging how much weight and I've come a long way in how much I can lift now. You are doing great and I am very proud of you.

jacksonpt

Heavy is relative. If you can only do 3-8 reps before failing you are lifting heavy. How many reps and sets do you do with the weights you mentioned.

This.

While any number of reps is beneficial, heavy is generally considered up to 8. If you're able to do more than 8 with decent form then you can probably go heavier.

ninerbuff

Same reply: heavy is relative. But where some think it's too heavy for them, don't be afraid to try (with a good spotter of course).

IE. Had a female client who felt 1 plate on each side of the leg press was heavy. Now she's doing 4 plates on each side.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

bumblebums

i think thats quite heavy. Can you do 3 full sets of 10 reps at those weights?

Opinions on this vary, but 3x10 is not what one would do for maximal strength gains. For strength, you go for something along the lines of 5x5 with the heaviest weight you can do with good form. Higher reps (I would call 8-15 "higher" here) are popular among people who are looking to gain muscle size. At least that is what I've gathered from reading and talking to bodybuilders vs. powerlifters.

OP, you are very strong, congrats! I cannot squat nearly as much, and I have been lifting longer. You must either have more natural strength or benefit from smaller height (I am 5'9"). A taller height puts one at a mechanical disadvantage.

LessMe2B

BUMP

ndj1979

i got this form lean gains...

Respective goals for women:

For women in the 115-155-lb range, the corresponding advanced strength goals are 0.9 x body weight bench, 1.1 x body weight chin-up, 1.5 x body weight squat and 1.8 x body weight deadlift. Relative to men, women have much less muscle mass around the chest area and shoulder girdle (men have much higher androgen-receptor density in this particular area), but the lower body is comparativly strong to the upper body.

A 135-lb woman that has been training consistently for 5-10 years should then be expected to:

Bench press 120-125 lbs.
Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs hanging from her waist.
Squat 200-205 lbs.
Deadlift 225-230 lbs.

shortchange1

I would be interested what someone (heavy lifter) says. I have recently decided that I want to start researching and incorporating heavy lifting and not sure how to go about it...
Jzammetti- You have improved so I would say that is a personal victory in and of itself :flowerforyou:

I would suggest picking up the book starting strength, or New Rules of Lifting for Women.

You do not need a special book for women to lift heavy.....women can lift just like men can....it may take longer for some, but not all. I know I have put many men to shame in the gym!

Agree Totally!

erickirb

I would be interested what someone (heavy lifter) says. I have recently decided that I want to start researching and incorporating heavy lifting and not sure how to go about it...
Jzammetti- You have improved so I would say that is a personal victory in and of itself :flowerforyou:

I would suggest picking up the book starting strength, or New Rules of Lifting for Women.

You do not need a special book for women to lift heavy.....women can lift just like men can....it may take longer for some, but not all. I know I have put many men to shame in the gym!

Agree Totally!

Again, the full title of the book is
New Rules of Lifting for Women
Lift Like a Man

ndj1979

whenever six reps of anything starts feeling too light..I bump the weight up by five pounds...that is just me....

It sounds like you are on track. You have more than doubled some of your lifts.

I always say that training is progressive in that the weights or the reps should be increasing and not stalling..

Of course once you hit an advanced stage then gains will either go away or become extremely minimal.

jzammetti

i got this form lean gains...

Respective goals for women:

For women in the 115-155-lb range, the corresponding advanced strength goals are 0.9 x body weight bench, 1.1 x body weight chin-up, 1.5 x body weight squat and 1.8 x body weight deadlift. Relative to men, women have much less muscle mass around the chest area and shoulder girdle (men have much higher androgen-receptor density in this particular area), but the lower body is comparativly strong to the upper body.

A 135-lb woman that has been training consistently for 5-10 years should then be expected to:

Bench press 120-125 lbs.
Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs hanging from her waist.
Squat 200-205 lbs.
Deadlift 225-230 lbs.

Oh good! I love numbers! Thanks for this info!!

bumblebums

i got this form lean gains...

Respective goals for women:

For women in the 115-155-lb range, the corresponding advanced strength goals are 0.9 x body weight bench, 1.1 x body weight chin-up, 1.5 x body weight squat and 1.8 x body weight deadlift. Relative to men, women have much less muscle mass around the chest area and shoulder girdle (men have much higher androgen-receptor density in this particular area), but the lower body is comparativly strong to the upper body.

A 135-lb woman that has been training consistently for 5-10 years should then be expected to:

Bench press 120-125 lbs.
Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs hanging from her waist.
Squat 200-205 lbs.
Deadlift 225-230 lbs.

Nice, thanks! And wow. I am much closer on the bench press goal and chin-ups (just a few clicks away) than I am on squats and deadlifts (halfway there). So much individual variation!

ArroganceInStep

I weigh 137lbs....I can squat over 500lbs......

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/files/PLWR-W-02-13-13.pdf

I'd like to know too...

Sarauk2sf

How heavy the weight is is relative to your muscle mass and not your height and weight....let me give you an example....I am 5'5" and when leaned to 7% bodyfat, I weigh 137lbs, which is about 25lbs more than someone else wearing the same size clothes as I do....I can bench 215lb and squat over 500lbs......but you do not just start out lifting that kind of weight. Eating a balanced diet with high protein and natural (not processed) food helps build muscle mass and improve your lifting performance. You are just starting out, so you will not be able to lift "heavy" weight. Riht now, your heavy weight is the weight that you can only do 1-3 reps with....and I mean perform the exercise correctly.....that is key because ALOT of people say they can lift alot and do, but they are doing the exercise incorrectly and not using their muscles correctly. So, my advice to you is to start out with a good trainer to get your technique down and slowly add weight...you will build muscle...just always make sure you do the exercise correctly and do not worry about the weight. I always let my trainer put the weight on and never even knew how much I was lifting! LOL! Building muscle is fun and it is not always easy for everyone, bu hang in there and keep challenging yourself!

7% body fat?

jlapey

I would be interested what someone (heavy lifter) says. I have recently decided that I want to start researching and incorporating heavy lifting and not sure how to go about it...
Jzammetti- You have improved so I would say that is a personal victory in and of itself :flowerforyou:

I would suggest picking up the book starting strength, or New Rules of Lifting for Women.

You do not need a special book for women to lift heavy.....women can lift just like men can....it may take longer for some, but not all. I know I have put many men to shame in the gym!

Agree Totally!

Again, the full title of the book is
New Rules of Lifting for Women
Lift Like a Man

You're still missing a part. It's
"New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess"