Girls - How heavy do you go for squats?
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How many squats are you people doing at these heavy weights? I do Body Pump where the squat track can be 3 - 3.5 minutes of squats ... and more squats, and more squats ... until I want to take the bar off my back and bludgeon my instructor. However, I realistically can't do more than 20 lbs on the bar or I want get through the other 57 minutes of class.
I'm guessing that squats aren't all you folks are doing or not in high reps.
Most people here are doing 1 to 5 reps. A typical beginning strength routine has you doing 3-5 sets of 5 reps.
I wouldn't say "most" or "typical". There are a lot of people who don't do the 5x5 strong lifts. I currently do 3 sets of 10-12 and then 4 sets of 8-10 on the days I increase the weight (sometimes I fail at 6 on the last set of these). I do however believe that most of us agree that heavier weight and less reps is more beneficial than low weight at higher reps. My goal when it comes to lifting is to be efficient not excessive which is why I focus on less reps and heavier weights as well as compound lifts.0 -
5x5s - 130 currently!
and I'm a little shortie- I'm 5'0" and I weigh 108. I was always worried I'd "bulk-up" but that has not been the case at all! Good luck with lifting- it's a lot of fun! 1 -
Putting up 150 reguarly for 5 x 5 and on rep max last time was 200... hoping to be able to hit 275-300 by the end of the summer.
LOL at using 15's and 20's.... so cute. are they pink too?
chuckle. PIck up the weights girl.1 -
I've been doing 5x5 for the past few months and got my squat up to 90-95 lbs. It would be higher if I didn't take a 3 week break this month.
I was at the gym yesterday getting back into it and this guy came over to me and saw that I was picking up 2.5 lb plates to put on either side which added to my 85 lbs making it 90. He commented on why I was 'only adding 5 lbs total' to the bar, and his friend made a joke saying "that's FINE for you, girls think they're gonna get bulky or something doing heavier weights".
I guess he didn't see the other 45 lbs that I added to the bar?? Making it a total of 90 lbs, not 50... -___-0 -
I weigh around 60 kilos and go at about 50 kilos x 8. Would do more (went over body weight a couple of times) but I have a lumbar hernia and I am more cautious (have had relapse due to attempting a widowmaker at bw
) now. I slowly want to build it again to at least bodyweight with ease (so around 60 kilos x 10). We;ll see afterwards, but my motto is... as heavy as possible with good form (in terms of squat that is atg for me, or at least a bit below parallell). 1 -
They both sound like douchecanoes. So what if you were only making it a total of 50, rather than 90? I'm just starting lifting, and I wouldn't be able to go much heavier than that right now, but that doesn't mean d!cks like them can talk down to me for it. :grumble: :explode:I've been doing 5x5 for the past few months and got my squat up to 90-95 lbs. It would be higher if I didn't take a 3 week break this month.
I was at the gym yesterday getting back into it and this guy came over to me and saw that I was picking up 2.5 lb plates to put on either side which added to my 85 lbs making it 90. He commented on why I was 'only adding 5 lbs total' to the bar, and his friend made a joke saying "that's FINE for you, girls think they're gonna get bulky or something doing heavier weights".
I guess he didn't see the other 45 lbs that I added to the bar?? Making it a total of 90 lbs, not 50... -___-1 -
Yeah, it's not wise to compare absolute amounts. Strength depends on many factors, including your weight (especially LBM), height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
^^yep. Plus whether someone is at a deficit or maintenance or a surplus.
This makes me feel better, especially since I've been lifting for a while. So....I'm fairly tall, female, still have a significant amount of body fat, have been eating at a deficit and I'm older than most of you....sheesh! What else do I have going against me? hehehehe
Another major factor I forgot to mention is genetics--the baseline composition of your muscle fibers and nervous system. Some people have more raw power starting out than others. And build makes a big difference, too. If you are one of those people with long limbs, a short torso, and narrow shoulders, you might never lift as much as someone with more advantageous proportions for lifting and is a match for you in every other way.
Upshot: compete against yourself first and foremost.0 -
I've been doing 5x5 for the past few months and got my squat up to 90-95 lbs. It would be higher if I didn't take a 3 week break this month.
I was at the gym yesterday getting back into it and this guy came over to me and saw that I was picking up 2.5 lb plates to put on either side which added to my 85 lbs making it 90. He commented on why I was 'only adding 5 lbs total' to the bar, and his friend made a joke saying "that's FINE for you, girls think they're gonna get bulky or something doing heavier weights".
I guess he didn't see the other 45 lbs that I added to the bar?? Making it a total of 90 lbs, not 50... -___-
Most folks that say stupid *kitten* like that do so because they feel inferior to other folks. Try not to let it get to you, they suck at life.0 -
Another major factor I forgot to mention is genetics--the baseline composition of your muscle fibers and nervous system. Some people have more raw power starting out than others. And build makes a big difference, too. If you are one of those people with long limbs, a short torso, and narrow shoulders, you might never lift as much as someone with more advantageous proportions for lifting and is a match for you in every other way.
Upshot: compete against yourself first and foremost.
Thanks, great information I actually have more upper body strength then lower which is usually the opposite for women. I am always focused on my own goals and I'm not a competitive person by nature, but I do question if I'm progressing enough when I see other people's stats. But considering I couldn't do one squat with my own body weight without falling over I'm doing an amazing job :laugh: 0 -
I like it when girls are squatting 185+.
why?0 -
Yeah, it's not wise to compare absolute amounts. Strength depends on many factors, including your weight (especially LBM), height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
^^yep. Plus whether someone is at a deficit or maintenance or a surplus.
This makes me feel better, especially since I've been lifting for a while. So....I'm fairly tall, female, still have a significant amount of body fat, have been eating at a deficit and I'm older than most of you....sheesh! What else do I have going against me? hehehehe
Pffft - enough of the old. I am 6 years older
As bumblebums says, genetics also plays a big role. Just compare yourself to yourself. Use others as inspiration as to the fact that you can progress, but not as the 'be all and end all' to what you achieve - that comes from you progressing, not others. Adding reps or adding weights. Look back to 3 or 6 months ago. Are you lifting more? If yes, you have made progress.
Edited to fix quotes0 -
Yeah, it's not wise to compare absolute amounts. Strength depends on many factors, including your weight (especially LBM), height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
^^yep. Plus whether someone is at a deficit or maintenance or a surplus.
This makes me feel better, especially since I've been lifting for a while. So....I'm fairly tall, female, still have a significant amount of body fat, have been eating at a deficit and I'm older than most of you....sheesh! What else do I have going against me? hehehehe
Pffft - enough of the old. I am 6 years older
As bumblebums says, genetics also plays a big role. Just compare yourself to yourself. Use others as inspiration as to the fact that you can progress, but not as the 'be all and end all' to what you achieve - that comes from you progressing, not others. Adding reps or adding weights. Look back to 3 or 6 months ago. Are you lifting more? If yes, you have made progress.
Edited to fix quotes
And! Someone who is genetically endowed and young and has the right build but sits on her *kitten* all day will never measure up to someone who trains hard.0 -
Pffft - enough of the old. I am 6 years older
Hey now! I said "older" not "old" I'm nowhere near old Thanks for the posts ladies, you are all very inspirational! 0 -
Pffft - enough of the old. I am 6 years older
Hey now! I said "older" not "old" I'm nowhere near old Thanks for the posts ladies, you are all very inspirational!
:flowerforyou: :happy:0 -
...height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
Are you saying that having more sex means I'll squat more? That will make my husband happy.
The height thing makes sense and I'll use it as an excuse to be prouder of my squat. I'm 5'11ish and yesterday did 115 5x5; I'm going to work on progressively increasing this. I actually bench press more than I squat (120 5x5 yesterday).
This thread is awesome. You ladies are so impressive and inspirational.0 -
Don't be afraid of the weights, you won't bulk - I'm at 165# right now for 1RM.1
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...height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
Are you saying that having more sex means I'll squat more? That will make my husband happy.
The height thing makes sense and I'll use it as an excuse to be prouder of my squat. I'm 5'11ish and yesterday did 115 5x5; I'm going to work on progressively increasing this. I actually bench press more than I squat (120 5x5 yesterday).
This thread is awesome. You ladies are so impressive and inspirational.
Depends on the position
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...height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
Are you saying that having more sex means I'll squat more? That will make my husband happy.
The height thing makes sense and I'll use it as an excuse to be prouder of my squat. I'm 5'11ish and yesterday did 115 5x5; I'm going to work on progressively increasing this. I actually bench press more than I squat (120 5x5 yesterday).
This thread is awesome. You ladies are so impressive and inspirational.
Depends on the position
Touche.0 -
I do only calisthenics, body weight training so when I do my squats I up the reps and intensity by super setting them with another leg exercise!0
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I comfortably squat 195#x10, and was looking to improve. I'm hoping to break 200# in the next couple weeks. Depends on my shoulder's range of motion though. That's put a damper on things.1
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Another major factor I forgot to mention is genetics--the baseline composition of your muscle fibers and nervous system. Some people have more raw power starting out than others. And build makes a big difference, too. If you are one of those people with long limbs, a short torso, and narrow shoulders, you might never lift as much as someone with more advantageous proportions for lifting and is a match for you in every other way.
Upshot: compete against yourself first and foremost.
I am one of those people, and the only lift I find I struggle with is the back squat. Front squats, deadlifts, and bench are a lot easier for me to master than the back squat.
Point taken though. Build matters.
Oh, and to the OP: my max squat right now is 135 (highbar back). I can do 115 for 5 reps. I'm pretty out of practice with barbell squats, so I have been doing dumbbell goblet squats at home instead lately.0 -
How many squats are you people doing at these heavy weights? I do Body Pump where the squat track can be 3 - 3.5 minutes of squats ... and more squats, and more squats ... until I want to take the bar off my back and bludgeon my instructor. However, I realistically can't do more than 20 lbs on the bar or I want get through the other 57 minutes of class.
I'm guessing that squats aren't all you folks are doing or not in high reps.
about 20-30 total reps (3x5 plus warm up sets), squatting 1-2 times per week. 1 -
As heavy as I can. Right now at 100 lbs.1
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Hmmm replying right after Sara's impressive 250!!!! :laugh: Well I'm still proud of my 90 lbs 3x5!
ETA my legs have only gotten slimmer since I started lifting but I know it's the calorie deficit.
You should be proud. I am bigger and have probably been doing it for longer :flowerforyou:
Yeah, it's not wise to compare absolute amounts. Strength depends on many factors, including your weight (especially LBM), height (smaller people can lift proportionally heavier weights because they don't move them as far and have a mechanical advantage), age (older usually means weaker, all other things being equal), and experience. And sex of course.
^^yep. Plus whether someone is at a deficit or maintenance or a surplus.
hehe thanks. I was just messing with you 0 -
I'm on my second week of Stronglifts and got to 55kg yesterday (5x5) which is around 120 pounds. I plan to beat that in tomorrow's session.
I've never thought about the short persion advantage before, but I guess I have that at 5'2".1 -
I have been trying more free weights after about five months on machines.. But I don't have a spotter and makes me afraid to increase weight, especially after I almost decapitated myself with a bench press0
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Right now I'm at 135.
Meet Staci, she shows you how you can lift as heavy as possible, and not get bigger or bulky, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/0 -
85 lbs right now but I increase every other week or as needed based on what I think I can do safely. lift heavy!!!0
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I'm using 15s right now, but thinking about moving up to 20s. I'm concerned that if I go much heavier, it will make my thighs bigger instead of leaner. I'm not sure there's any science to that thinking, though...
you're right there's no science to that thinking
being lean comes from losing fat. If you have a layer of fat over your muscles, you won't see the muscle, and fat is what makes people's legs look chunky. Lose the fat and you reveal lean muscle, which in women looks "toned" - the less bodyfat you have, the more you will see muscle definition. MOst women seem to like the look at around 18-20% body fat, where your body looks firm and "toned", but not the really heavy muscle definition that you see at 13-15% body fat (though of course many like that look too, it's down to personal preference and how low you want to take your body fat percentage)
using heavier weights will not make your muscles get significantly bigger, but it will make them a lot stronger and make your bones a lot stronger and make it easier to lose the fat, and also if your muscles are atrophied (wasted away), then at lower levels of body fat you will still look soft and half starved, not the firm, lean look that most women want.
Leigh Peele's blog has a free download on body fat percentage, so you can see what men and women look at different body fat percentages, and also the difference between someone with and without muscle at the same body fat percentage. Many women are afraid to use heavy weights because they think they'll look like a female bodybuilder (not that there's anything wrong with how they look - personal preference....) but you won't look like that unless you go down to 13% body fat... the same amount of muscle on a woman but a higher percentage (18-20%) women look more like bikini models without all that muscle definition but still with a good overall shape and looking firm and "toned" rather than defined.
So yes, I think you should use heavier weights... use the heaviest weight you can, if you can do more than 12 reps, it's too heavy. Or do a programme which involves lifting heavier and heavier weights, such as stronlifts 5x5 or starting strength. Lots of women have seen a huge amount of success from these programmes and you can find threads with lots of before and after pics, like this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/977538-halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky
Well said sir.... Heavy lifting for women usually does not = to bulk. Females lack hormones, which aids in the "bulking". It is very slim that a female will bulk from heavy lifting. Females will tone and shred BF. Some muscle will be built but it will be minimal. To top it off if you are at a caloric deficit you will also find it difficult, damn near impossible for male or female, to add mass. Give it a try for 12-16 weeks and see how you like it.0 -
40lbs and climbing. my goal is to squat my starting weight (180lbs)1
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