A LADY WHO LIFTS - 1 year of progress! (pics)

SairahRose

You look fantastic, and I love seeing progress pics from women who lift!

rieann84

I sooo hope to have progress like you!!

larryc0923

You look amazing and have demonstrated progress in not only your outward appearance but in so many ways the camera can never show including the dedication to consistently work to improve your health for over a year, the self confidence to do things a lot of people would frown on and new strength of body and mind. Very inspirational, thanks for sharing.

tiggermamaof2

wow amazing results.

joleenl

Wow I'm gonna start. Ill order the book online! Thanks for sharing.

LesaLu4

This it's so inspirational. Thanks for taking the time to share not only your results, but a lot of information as well.

Onyx3333

You look fantastic!

fruitloop2

You look amazing and your body form is what I'd like mine to look like eventually as well. Although I know genetics and body structure has a roll in this, I'd like to have a nice lean, body with muscle definition. I am quite a bit shorter than you though so I am doubting I will ever completely look like you but I am determined to try. I have dome some strength training but I am starting to get more into it with heavier weights so I am trying to decide if I want to do SL 5x5 or NROL4W. I already do cardio twice a week with circuit/ strength training 3x week so I don't know which program would be better for me. SL 5x5 is definitely more straight forward but NROL has a bit more variety...ugh...decisions decisions...

You are a definite inspiration!!

fittiephd

fantastic job!
this is probably the best recomp I have seen on MFP

Wow! what a compliment, thank you so much!

fittiephd

Hey, this looks AWESOME, I really want to start lifting heavy on some sort of program...I've done Body Pump for a few months and worked with free weights alone a few times but no real program, and it's all been while eating at a deficit, and doing lots of cardio. Now I'm at about 135ish lbs (I'm 5'7) and I thinkkkk I'd like to be somewhere between 125 and 130...but I'm more worried about how I look than a number on the scale. My question is would you recommend starting a program while eating at a deficit (knowing that muscle gains will be tiny or nonexistent) until I'm at the weight I'd like? Or just eating at maintenance and starting a program before trying to cut down any more weight? Or (scary - I don't think this is the best idea but it's what other people have told me) eating at a slight surplus for a while to start lifting? Basically, what calorie levels will change my body composition faster?

Thanks so much! I went to a body pump class once, it was tough! Im not used to the high rep work like the class ha! Changing body composition is a VERY slow process. It's been a year for me and it's still changing. Personally I would recommend eating at maintenance while lifting for slow body recomp like I did, but you can eat at a slight deficit, no more than 200 calories less than your maintenance, if you feel you need to. But honestly the number on the scale really doesn't matter when you get to the last 10 lbs or so, you'll see a lot better results from changing your body comp with lifting. Make sure to eat high protein too!

One can eat at a surplus and do a "bulk" and then a "cut" but I have not yet done that and it's definitely a possibility but it's not a fast process. I think the basic suggestion is a 6 month bulk then 6 month cut. I personally haven't done it because I am also not sure I could mentally handle gaining weight on purpose.

I am a huge proponent of just starting lifting right away! Why wait! It won't hurt your progress, only help it! A lot of people find that lifting makes them very hungry so you may find you want to eat maintenance anyways!

fittiephd

OP - you look incredible and are a massive inspiration. I'm looking to get NROLFW, join a gym and hire a trainer to help me start out but I am definitely nervous about doing it!

It's nerve racking but all your nerves will go away very quickly once you get started! Find a buddy to go with you who's just starting that might help!

fittiephd

Wow I think this may be one of the best posts I have read in my life!!! This has just made me determined into getting into weights!!! Currently I've been trying to lose weight doing cardio and tiny bit of strength training, nothing much while eating low cal diet but then I reached a platuau which infuriated me to the point of tears as I was so angry that I was eating little but there seemed to be no point. I eventually pulled myself together a bit, upped my cals and started doing 30day shred everyday as some small cardio here and there. I'm almost finished and I've seen a little change. No weight loss but I expected it. Tiny inch loss which is good but I hoped for more. So I'm starting to get frustrated again and weight lifting just seems to constantly come up as the answer for me. I want muscles so I would be really excited to get into it!!! I just feel totally lost as a beginner though as I have no clue what to do and the names of lifts or what I'm capable of and what I should be doing. Anyways this post jut inspired me so much! And yes I have jiggly bits too! Even after weightloss which shows I definitely need to get into strength more!!!!! Wow thank you so much I'm so getting that book now!!!!!!!!

Wow I'm so glad I've inspired you to get more into lifting! I wasn't going to post my success on the forums but I was hoping to inspire some people so I went for it I'm so glad you've upped your cals recently that's a huge step and a really important part. My best advice to you now is to just throw out the scale. if you're eating at or slightly under maintenance you aren't going to gain real weight or bad weight because you'er doing everything right. It's not going to move a ton if you don't have much left to lose, and how your body looks is much more important. NROLFW is a great book to start with read it cover to cover and it will definitely help you get more confident with the names of lifts and will help you feel less lost!! Good luck!!

fittiephd

You've made fantastic progress--looking great!

I'm going to send my MFP friends to your thread, as I have a lot who are just getting interested in lifting.

Thanks for answering all the great questions you've had--it was interesting to hear your thoughts on NROLFW vs. Stronglifts for a beginner. I feel like I'm always directing women towards Stronglifts or Starting Strength because I just find those programs so much simpler in design, and much more efficient. But I grew up with a stepdad who coached strength, so I was pretty comfortable with lifting and the guys in gyms, etc. I've encouraged other women to just get over these hang ups and lift, but if it helps to have NROLFW vs. SS or Stronglifts in the beginning, I'm definitely supportive of that.

I should add that I've not done NROLFW, but I've read the book and liked it, for the most part.

Best wishes with your continued lifting and your PhD! Exciting stuff. :flowerforyou:

Thanks so much! I'm glad you are inspiring friends to get into lifting! I haven't tried starting strength but I know the lifting gym I go to starts people with that when they start out, but then again I imagine someone who has never stepped into the weights section of any gym ever would not go to a power lifting gym in the first place haha! I know some people have some hang ups with some of the nrolfw things in the book but I think in general it's a great step in the right direction and a great beginners program.

You're right the workouts are way more complicated but I am glad that I did it since it exposed me to a lot of lifts that I know I could add into my workouts at any time if I wanted to.

fittiephd

Hey, just wanted to say congrats for your results! You've obviously been working hard!
I'm a lady who lifts as well and have been for a while, but I'm struggling to get the results I want!
As per most women, it's my abs and my butt that I want to focus on!
I'm unsure whether to put my weights up or not, or even how high to put them up!
Any tips for a fellow lifter?

Hey! I am always workin on my abs and butt I know what you mean hah! My butt is finally starting to get some shape, it was really flat before haha (as you can probably see). Abs are still a work in progress I think they are more a nutrition thing though.

Make sure you are eating high protein and yes I would continue to up your weights. Stronglifts encourages upping your weight by 5 lbs for squats / barbell rows, 2.5 lbs for ohp / bench press, and 10 lbs for deadlifts any time that you can successfully complete the sets you aimed at doing.

"How high" isn't really a question in my book... just keep going up and up and up until you plateau forever I guess! haha My next big goals are 200 lbs on squats (~1.5x my body weight) and 100 lbs for bench press

fittiephd

Now I gotta explain to everyone why I woof-woof'ed at my laptop in very sultry voice...:blushing:
Amazing job, so gonna keep this thread as motivation to stop slacking and get lifting .

Hotdaaamn .

Edit:
Nope, I still can't spell.

HAHAHA thanks so much!

LayerzOff

Thats pretty ****in impressive hun.. Well done btw

fittiephd

Don't you think that some women are afraid of looking bigger or like a man?? Also they feel maybe that they will build muscles under fat and look really gross?? I think that is why we shy from it...but you just proved us all wrong!!!!!!!!!! I have a bowflex at home. My husband uses it...but i just do up to 10 lbs. with free weights. Maybe i should start using that bowflex!!!!!!!

Definitely try out the bowflex! I'm pretty sure you can do a lot of good lifting work on that, although I haven't used one before But if it's already there, then go for it!

In a lot of my pics I purposefully made my muscles stick out so that I could show them off, but as you can see in some of my pics (like the second to last one where I'm dressed up in heels and a dress) when I'm just in clothes I don't look bulky at all! In fact I look very thin and tight if I say so myself If the muscles are built under fat, eventually if you keep it up the fat % will go down and those gorgeous muscles will show! A lot of women are afraid of getting bulky but honestly it's VERY hard to get actually bulky as a woman, all the women who do it for bodybuilding work VERY hard for years to get where they are.

LayerzOff

Oooops not to say F'in again haha

fittiephd

Love this post ! Great to see your progress, thanks so much for sharing. You look great.
Do you know what your BF was through the different stages?

I am on week 4 of SL and have not lost any weight BUT can tell I am losing inches so trying not to worry about the # on the scale (Trying is the key word !!)

Thanks!! Unfortunately I do not know for sure. I used my scale to "measure" my body fat last summer and I think it said 21 or 22% if I remember right, but those are wildly inaccurate. Then I recently got skin fold calipers and measured and got 19.6%. But I'm not like trained to measure accurately or anything so who knows how valid these numbers are.

Try not to think about losing weight, think about other goals like upping your lifts, hitting your protein goals, changing measurements, and seeing new little muscle bumps I know it is hard to ignore the scale, it's been a long road for me to accept that but you can do it!

fittiephd

I'm quite impresseed! I am 48, want to lose 25, but in the meantime, will try this "lifting thing"!! All I have are some free weights, do you think this will help at all? Currently I run on the treadmill 3 times a week total of about 6 miles.

Anything helps! You can do a lot with your body weight if you don't have access to a gym. check out www.dailyhiit.com

I personally got my results from lifting heavy and I definitely prefer it to body weight exercises, but both are great for you!

Healthy_4_Life2

You look amazing!!!

fittiephd

You look amazing and have demonstrated progress in not only your outward appearance but in so many ways the camera can never show including the dedication to consistently work to improve your health for over a year, the self confidence to do things a lot of people would frown on and new strength of body and mind. Very inspirational, thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much!!! It is so so true, committing to my health has definitely kept me sane and my self-confidence and new strength has been the BEST part about my progress! I absolutely love that I love being healthy and exercising now, I'm so much happier! giving up was never an option

kiykiy79

Incredible!!!! This is why I lift!!! Total body transformation!!! April 1st I'm starting strong lifts! I'm convinced on this program!!

AngelofMusic13

Incredible job! For your deadlifts, do you use wraps or gloves to help you? I've been stuck at 95lbs because my hands can't take it (although, I do try for 12 reps, but sometimes I can only make it to 8 because it hurts my hands/ lose grip). I know my muscles can do the weight. Right now I don't use wraps or gloves and am pretty cheap where I don't want to get them. I think the same is with my rows. Thanks!

Tulipgirl1223

I didn't read all the responses, so if it was answered sorry.
First off....you look GREAT!!!!!!!
Second off.....Is this a program you can do at home with hand weights, or do you need a gym or weight bench at your home

fittiephd

Incredible job! For your deadlifts, do you use wraps or gloves to help you? I've been stuck at 95lbs because my hands can't take it (although, I do try for 12 reps, but sometimes I can only make it to 8 because it hurts my hands/ lose grip). I know my muscles can do the weight. Right now I don't use wraps or gloves and am pretty cheap where I don't want to get them. I think the same is with my rows. Thanks!

I use gloves to lift, but when I went to a powerlifting gym they actually recommended NOT using gloves for deadlifts. I totally get what you mean, I was stuck at 135 for a while because my hands couldn't hold it! When I went to the powerlifting gym they let me try out using the wraps and they did feel really great! I may get some for myself soon

I also found that because the powerlifting gym has olympic bars with narrower bars so they're easier for my small hands to hold Also you could get a grip strengthener to play around with at home to strengthen your grip!

fittiephd

I didn't read all the responses, so if it was answered sorry.
First off....you look GREAT!!!!!!!
Second off.....Is this a program you can do at home with hand weights, or do you need a gym or weight bench at your home

Thank you!! Definitely a program you need a gym or a power rack with weights for. As you can see from my post a lot of my lifts are over 50 lbs, some over 100 lbs. Those aren't the types of lifts you do with hand weights Nrolfw definitely requires a gym unless you have a lot of equipment.

If you google dumbbell workouts you can find some but you'd need pretty heavy dumbbells eventually! When I say lift heavy, I mean HEAVY, like as heavy as possible!

dangerxbadger

10/10
Thank you for this.

WhitneyAnnabelle

You look incredible! Makes me really excited to start CrossFit tomorrow.

BeastModeKitty

dayuuuuuum you go girl!