can't lift heavy to save my life! literally

chantey16

hi all, i am a female at 5'11 and 300 pounds down from 350. i have recently started a 'heavy' weight lifting routine which isnt really heavy atm because i am so unfit at this weight i can barely lift anything, and also i only have adjustable to 100 pound dumbbells as i do my workout at home because i'm simply too embarrassed to go lift weights at the gym (promised myself i would go when i get to 250 pounds).

my question is this - i am so unfit because of my weight that i find that i can't lift heavy at all. for example, i can only lift about 40 pounds on a squat and deadlift 80 without collapsing on the floor, when some tiny girls can lift my weight and more! ive heard at my size i should be able to lift HEAVY! or would this be the case if i was 300 pounds of pure muscle rather than fat? although i don't have a MASSIVE amount of fat to say i'm a 300 pound obese girl (around 30% bf).

so yeah...please let me know if you think i should be capable of lifting really heavy or if what i am doing will be good enough to get me results for the time being. i will give a few examples of what i can manage to do, using 8 reps and 3 sets. (all using dumb bells rather than bar bells)

squats (i am also rubbish at the actual squat form...find it sooo hard to keep my back straight when i get up) - 40 pounds started at 20
dead lifts - 80 pounds started at 40
bicep curls - 30 pounds started at 15
tricep extensions - 40pounds started at 20
bent over rows - 30 pounds started at 20
bench press - 40 pounds started at 25
shoulder press - 30 pounds started at 15
hip thrusts - 80 pounds started at 40

this is the usual full body workout i do twice a week, along with a tiny bit of ab work and some cardio. do you think this is good enough? although i have progressed in weights over a few months, i really feel that i am stuck here (have been for weeks) and incapable of lifting anymore than that at my current fitness (or nonfitness level) lol. am i wasting my time even lifting if this is all i can do, so should i wait until i get a bit smaller and fitter or just carry on with this routine?

any advice on my actual routine would be good too

i am also confused about dumb bells. when we talk about how much we lift, we do mean the combined weight of the 2 rather than one on its own right? i hope so otherwise my lifting is even worse than i thought lmao.

sorry about the extremely long post. i'm just sooo confused!

ps don't be afraid to criticise...i promise i can take it lol

mmddwechanged

What you are doing is AWESOME!!! It's ok to progress slowly especially keeping good form.

neandermagnon

heavy is relative to your current level of strength. If you're lifting as much as you can with good form, then that's exactly right. Keep it up, and as you progress you'll be able to lift heavier and heavier :drinker: :flowerforyou:

Don't compare yourself to others, you can lift what you can lift, and the more you do it, the more progress you make. The girls you've seen lifting more have probably had more practice than you, that is all.

Mads1997

As long as you are increasing the weights you are doing good. Dont worry about what others are lifting, everyone is different.

mountaingirl2207

The girls that you see lifting a lot more than that didn't start lifting that much from the very first day.... they had to start low just Iike you. The key is to just try to add weight each time you work out, as long as you can keep your form. Keep at it! As you shrink your weights will go up and before long you will be laughing at how you thought you couldn't do it. Hang in there.

__Di__

"Lifting heavy" is when you can just about manage to finish your set each time on the weight you have, not about the weight that is on the actual dumbbell or barbell.

For instance, for me to do "Lat Pulldowns" at the gym, heavy for me would be 66lbs. Now for some people that would be like lifting a matchstick, yet for others they may not do well at that weight at all.

Lifting heavy is when you can barely finish your set and the actual weight on the bar is irrelevant, it is the effort involved that is the issue.

Get to the gym and start enjoying yourself there xxx

SkimFlatWhite68

Yes I agree, heavy for one person may not be heavy for another.

You are doing fabulously!!!

Just do what you can do, and when you easily complete your sets, go up in weight. I normally do my heaviest set first, and if I need to, I'll drop the weight in the second or third set. When I get all 3 sets to the heaviest weight, I go up. That's just the way I do it, others might be different. I'll also go heavier if I'm doing less reps.

Watch some good bodybuilding clips for technique, or pay for a session with a trainer so you get your form right.

The great thing is, that you are lifting weights and you'll be doing your body a favour by starting now.

Best wishes.

MonsterToBe

Lifting heavy is when you can barely finish your set and the actual weight on the bar is irrelevant, it is the effort involved that is the issue.

This. I'd just add that the rep range matters -- for building strength, you want to barely be able to finish a set of less than 8 reps. Three sets of 5 reps is a good place to aim for when you're beginning.

A lot of the early progress people make as beginners comes from your nerves and muscles learning how to do the movements efficiently and making changes to accomodate the new demands you're placing on your body. Be patient with yourself! Keep working at it, and believe me, you'll be so glad you did!!

dwmathers

A few things:

Those amounts are fine for beginning lifting.

Your strength increase will be slowed by weight loss.

Your strength increase will be slowed by doing sets of 8 reps. Sets of 5 reps is more appropriate. If you can physically lift the weight 8 times then it's not heavy enough to give you the maximum possible strength increase.

The above sentence doesn't apply to the bicep curls and triceps extensions, but I would drop those from your routine until you're more advanced.

darrensurrey

heavy is relative to your current level of strength. If you're lifting as much as you can with good form, then that's exactly right. Keep it up, and as you progress you'll be able to lift heavier and heavier :drinker: :flowerforyou:

Don't compare yourself to others, you can lift what you can lift, and the more you do it, the more progress you make. The girls you've seen lifting more have probably had more practice than you, that is all.

Agreed. As long as it's heavy for you, that's what counts. Your body will change over time as it develops and gets stronger. As a professional wimp, I avoid comparing my lifts with others. It avoids me doing stupid things and getting injured.

Admiral_Derp

First of all: Progress at YOUR pace. Not someone else's. Don't bother comparing yourself to others.

Second: I know this is probably the hardest one, (it is for me) be patient. Metaphorically speaking, weight loss and strength training is more like a marathon than a quick 5k. You can progress just fine adding 5 lbs a week. If you stall out, lower the weight you are using by 10 or 15 pounds and take a few weeks to build back up. You can also look into some exercises that strengthen other muscle groups used in the lift that you're stalling out on.

Third: With the dumbbells, you measure the weight by single. Not combined. For instance, if I say that I did dumbbell bench presses 5x5x80. Then I did 5 sets of 5 reps using 80 pound dumbbells.

You got this!

OnionMomma

I talked with a couple of ladies at the gym yesterday who saw me doing back extension while holding a 25lbs weight for 3 sets.

They commented that they would NEVER be able to do that, I told them YES you can!

We all had to start somewhere, do you really think I started doing those with a weight, NO WAY! I inched up and inched up and inched up.

Keep going, keep increasing those weights and you'll get better!!!

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Heavy is relative. If it's heavy for you, it's heavy.

What I'm more curious about is how you're 300lbs and only 30% body fat. That's quite impressive. That means you have 210lbs of lean tissue! If you just lost some of the fat you would already be at the same level as most top tier bodybuilders.

auddii

heavy is relative to your current level of strength. If you're lifting as much as you can with good form, then that's exactly right. Keep it up, and as you progress you'll be able to lift heavier and heavier :drinker: :flowerforyou:

Don't compare yourself to others, you can lift what you can lift, and the more you do it, the more progress you make. The girls you've seen lifting more have probably had more practice than you, that is all.

This. Work on getting better and lifting heavier as you progress. You will make progress even if it's slower than you like. But, you'll be doing it, you'll be getting healthier, and you'll be preserving muscle mass.

You're doing awesome, keep it up!!

CyberEd312

Patience and Progress is the only things you should be concerning yourself with, Not one single person walked into a gym or home gym and threw 300 lbs. on a Olympic bar and started busting out reps... You take it one day at a time and each week you do alittle more than the previous week. I started this journey 2 months shy of 4 years ago and I couldn't walk across the house, I literally had a computer chair to roll myself to the bathroom and kitchen from my recliner... And this morning I am heading in to put on my knee's braces to go get a 4 mile walk in at the metro park.. Everything is obtainable if you put your mind to it and work towards your goals. Don't set unrealistic expectations for yourself cause you will set yourself up for failure..... Just keep doing what you are doing cause it sounds like it is working to me... Best of Luck.....

fullofquirks

Timely thread, I've loved reading through this as I've just started lifting and am feeling rather sheepish about what is "heavy" to me. I keep being told form is the key. (As I squat 35lbs :blushing: )

I can't lift what you are lifting right now, OP. Good on ya!

Cassea7

Timely thread, I've loved reading through this as I've just started lifting and am feeling rather sheepish about what is "heavy" to me. I keep being told form is the key. (As I squat 35lbs :blushing: )

I can't lift what you are lifting right now, OP. Good on ya!

same here:blushing:

glwerth

You are progressing. No one starts out 'really heavy'.

By the way, I'm a 300 pound woman and I go to the gym because I have just as much right to be there as the thinnest girl or most ripped guy.

It isn't about what other people think, it is about what YOU are doing for YOU.

I started squatting 60 pounds, now I'm up to 140. Is it great? Not my goal, but I'm getting better. I can deadlift 170 pounds, again, not my final goal, but I'm getting there.

I did find that I can lift more with a barbell than dumbbells, since the balance is different and as DB's get heavier, my hands/grip are what I start to have a problem with. Moving to Stronglifts made a big difference for me, personally.

So, keep on working on it and if you want to go the gym, don't put it off until you lose xxx lbs.

There is no point in not living your life because of extra weight, because fat or thin, you are a worthwhile person to invest in!

MercenaryNoetic26

Everyone is different. Do not compare your stats to other women's. They all started somewhere.

I think you're doing great and clearly getting stronger. Congrats on your progress thus far!

GeorgieLove708

You're doing great, keep it up. As time goes on and you build your strength you'll be able to lift heavier weights. Every week I'm able to add a little bit to what I'm doing and it adds up. Squats are awful for me though, I have a bad knee and can barely manage my own weight, tried with a bar yesterday and nearly fell over. Whoops.
Don't worry so much about the gym. Find the one that's right for you. I've been going to the gym (currently 290lbs) and there are very rarely people who say anything, and most gyms allow you to report people who are bullying you about your weight. For the most part the other gym-goers seem to respect that I'm trying to lose weight and get fit... they don't stare, occasionally offer helpful advice, and are really nice. Especially the "intimidating" body builders. They're the nicest ones in the gym, honestly.

cwolfman13

I didn't go through all of the responses but I assume it's been said...heavy is relative to the individual's level of strength. Nobody starting out is going to be able to squat their body weight +, etc. The key is progression and always trying to up your weights rather than staying static