Am I doing enough strenth training?
ashleyShades
Posts: 375 Member
I'm not noticing a large difference in my weight but I am noticing I look different without clothes on. Haha. I've been trying to go to the gym 5-6 days a week. I warm up on the treadmill or the elliptical for 10-15 minutes. I then alternate between upper and lower body strength training exercises on certain days. For example, Monday I'll do upper body and Tuesday I will do lower body. I go with lower weight/high reps on the machines I use. When I do upper body I do nearly every upper body machine at the gym and do 3-4 sets of 15 reps at a lower weight. When I do lower body I do most of the machines there as well and have started doing squats as well. Maybe I need to use more weight? For example when I do the shoulder press machine I do it at 15 pounds. I do the leg press at 40 pounds again 3-4 sets of 15 reps. This usually takes me around 20-30 minutes. I follow that up with about 25-45 more minutes of cardio on the elliptical or my new favorite the arc trainer. How do I get more results without bulking up?
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Replies
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I copied and pasted this, but it's exactly what i would suggest. Good luck and keep at it.:flowerforyou:
Read "New Rules of Lifting For Women" (book)
Read "Starting Strength" (book)
Read "Strong Lifts 5x5": http://s3.stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-report.pdf
Check out these Groups:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
Pick a program, and get started.
I do SL5x5 because it's easier to follow and offers a convenient phone app to track my workouts/progress, but I highly recommend you read the others as well for informational purposes. Good luck to you.
No worries, you won't get 'big muscles' unless you train super intensively for many years, eat at a caloric surplus and take drugs. And even if you could, you could always 'slack off' and maintain before you reach that state. It doesn't happen accidentally. I you have to REALLY want it.0 -
Eh.. not really. You should be able to leg press your own weight at least, as I assume you are able to walk.
Do as spicy^ said.0 -
Lift heavy. You won't bulk. Just search out the threads for heavy lifting women. They look AMAZING- tight and feminine. High weight, lower reps.0
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I think it's time for you to add super sets and drop sets to your routine. Also, try to do more dumbbell exercises instead of machines so that each side of your body learns to use the same weight. Most people are weaker on left side if they are right handed and vise versa. Also, change up your cardio to HIIT. Don't let your body weight loss plateau. Find a new program that works for you and every 3 months, change it up. Good luck!0
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I guess I really don't understand the SL5x5 program. I'm fairly new to strength training =/0
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ExRx.com
I think this is the site. It will show you every exercise and the correct form. Check it out.0 -
For example when I do the shoulder press machine I do it at 15 pounds. I do the leg press at 40 pounds again 3-4 sets of 15 reps.
My purse weighs 15 lbs. Maybe more. Ain't no one getting muscles from that - add some weight.0 -
I guess I really don't understand the SL5x5 program. I'm fairly new to strength training =/0
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ExRx.com
I think this is the site. It will show you every exercise and the correct form. Check it out.
That would be exrx.net. I like the site a lot.
Stronglifts 5x5 is a heavy lifting program, where you do only a handful of basic lifts, 5 reps per set, and lift as heavy as you can.
Beware of the marketing hype on the Stronglifts website. The hype is oriented towards men's vanity, but there's nothing about the program that is male-specific. You won't bulk up on it. You'll also spend less time in the gym and probably see better results than you'll get if you continue with what you're doing now.
On the plus side, the things you're doing now is a great warm-up for Stronglifts. If you give it a try, I think you'll be pleased with the results.0 -
Am I doing enough strenth training?
Strength training is well defined. Very high loads, with few reps, before you hit total muscle failure and can't go any further.0 -
Thank you all.0
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How heavy is heavy?0
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Heavy is what's heavy to you. My heavy will not be the same as yours0
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You seem like a rare case of a person who is legitimately working hard, but doesn't necessarily know the right things to put the hard work into. You have the right idea in that you are using resistance training, but the key to making real changes in how you look, feel, and live is by increasing the intensity.
"Heavy" is a word used to describe intensity in weight training. Intensity is how hard your muscles have to work to move a certain weight.
This is a simplistic explanation:
(with good form):
Very light: weight you can move for 20 reps or more
Light: weight you can move for 15-20
Medium: 8-12
Heavy: 4-6
Very heavy: 1-3
For you, people say "lift heavy" because women tend to lift very light weights and thus see little or no results, but really you want to try the medium range, or 8-12 reps (unless you want to get into more advanced programs like 5x5). If you can perform a movement for 12 reps with good form, try increasing the weight slightly. If you can't get 8 reps, try decreasing it slightly.0 -
Why has everyone always told me low weight/high reps?! haha I'm going to try this at the gym tomorrow0
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Why has everyone always told me low weight/high reps?! haha I'm going to try this at the gym tomorrow0
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Why has everyone always told me low weight/high reps?! haha I'm going to try this at the gym tomorrow
Agreed.0 -
40 years ago Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed that bodybuilding can be a healthy lifestyle for anyone who wants to improve how they look and feel. And here we are...0
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I have very poor upper body strength so 15 pounds on the shoulder press is a lot to me I will try more tonight though and continue with my squat challenge0
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I have very poor upper body strength so 15 pounds on the shoulder press is a lot to me I will try more tonight though and continue with my squat challenge
Are you pressing two 15 pound dumbbells, one on each arm? If so, that's pretty darn good for a beginner.0 -
Hey girl,
Lifting is new new to me. I have been confused and intimidated but have done what many people above me said and picked a program I thought I could do. I chose Jamie Easton's live fit trainer it is a 12 week program and she provides a meal guide too. I am 7 weeks in and I see results and I enjoy having a routine that is perfectly explained and mapped out for me. There are a few great tools for women out there to trim the pounds and tone the bod! Isn't that what we all want hehehe. You can do it, and whatever you do never give up on yourself. Good Luck
Corina0 -
Hey girl,
Lifting is new new to me. I have been confused and intimidated but have done what many people above me said and picked a program I thought I could do. I chose Jamie Easton's live fit trainer it is a 12 week program and she provides a meal guide too. I am 7 weeks in and I see results and I enjoy having a routine that is perfectly explained and mapped out for me. There are a few great tools for women out there to trim the pounds and tone the bod! Isn't that what we all want hehehe. You can do it, and whatever you do never give up on yourself. Good Luck
Corina
Thank you for the inspiration!0 -
How do I get more results without bulking up?
Progressively increase your weights. You will not bulk up. You are a female...it is incredibly difficult for a male to "bulk up" and requires some serious dedication to the weight room and a very strict body building diet with a calorie surplus...even then it's hard as **** to accomplish...so stop worrying about something that won't ever happen to you in a billion years.
Pick a program and follow it and enjoy the ensuing results.0 -
Why has everyone always told me low weight/high reps?! haha I'm going to try this at the gym tomorrow
so. dayum. true.0 -
You seem like a rare case of a person who is legitimately working hard, but doesn't necessarily know the right things to put the hard work into. You have the right idea in that you are using resistance training, but the key to making real changes in how you look, feel, and live is by increasing the intensity.
"Heavy" is a word used to describe intensity in weight training. Intensity is how hard your muscles have to work to move a certain weight.
This is a simplistic explanation:
(with good form):
Very light: weight you can move for 20 reps or more
Light: weight you can move for 15-20
Medium: 8-12
Heavy: 4-6
Very heavy: 1-3
For you, people say "lift heavy" because women tend to lift very light weights and thus see little or no results, but really you want to try the medium range, or 8-12 reps (unless you want to get into more advanced programs like 5x5). If you can perform a movement for 12 reps with good form, try increasing the weight slightly. If you can't get 8 reps, try decreasing it slightly.
^^^^ I second this advice.
And add keep things basic to start. Bench press, overhead press, a row movement and/or assisted pull ups. Squats, lunges for legs. Get a base then decide about going even heavier or adding other movements for smaller muscle groups.0 -
Why has everyone always told me low weight/high reps?! haha I'm going to try this at the gym tomorrow0
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Why has everyone always told me low weight/high reps?! haha I'm going to try this at the gym tomorrow0
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Even the trainers at the gym have told me low weight/high reps but it's true I've been doing that for 3 months and do see results but not as much as I should.0
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Have just started weight training so would like to read the replies here later....0
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In addition to the recommendations here, I would also suggest you give your body the right fuel it needs for your workouts.
Try to ensure you get around 100-110g or more of protein in your daily diet. This will help to provide your body the building blocks it needs to sustain your muscle while you embark on a heavy lifting routine.
If you look at the programs listed, most of them rely heavy on compound exercises, and I would suggest you stay with those type of exercises and don't let any gym rat try to talk you into isolation moves...The main compound moves are:
Squats
Deadlifts
Back Rows
Pullups
Shoulder Press (OHP)
Bench Press
These exercises will engage the most muscle groups, and the largest muscle groups (with secondary focus on the smaller muscle groups) and ensure that your routine is balanced and has the largest impact.
Good Luck, and great choice in deciding to add strength training to your exercise plan!0
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