Female Heavy Lifters - How to lift heavy without injury?
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i like strstd.com for a 5/3/1 program. you put in your numbers and it give you an estimated one rep max. it give you a program based off that.
Imo this is a good program, but only if you are already strong, more intermediate in scope.0 -
Watch lots of videos. There are links in the Strong Lifts group, or google Ripptoe (sp?). Start light, concentrate on form. Maybe have someone video you while you do the lifts, post here, ask for help. OR better yet, find a friend (hire a trainer) who knows how to do the big lift and see if they can help you.
Be weary of trainers who have a certification and still don't know what the hell they are doing.0 -
All of the online workouts and magazine adverts I've seen aimed at women tell them exactly what weight to use. This is both very confusing and very wrong.
Agreed.
Which is why I would really recommend the NROLFW. It doesnt tell you what weights to use - just how to get the form down and then how to progress without hurting yourself. Great program for beginners (IMO).
I second the suggestion to do NROL4W. I did the program in 8 months and now I don't feel like a complete noob anymore. I'm lifting heavier than I was last September when I started the program and continue to make progress all the time. Good luck to you.0 -
bump good info0
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As others have already said: form form form form. Lift light until you are SURE your form is good. Watch videos, read descriptions. Keep your core tensed and your back arched. Don't look down to grab the weight, etc. Etc.
It seems like a lot to concentrate on at first, but once you get it, you'll do it without thinking about it.0 -
This is a great question, thank you for asking it. I am very timid about lifting for fear of injury. Bumping to read and digest later.0
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in her first week my wife was squatting 75, benching 65, OHPing 45, deadlifting 1150
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^This.One last note: the best way to prevent injury? Knowledge.
Push yourself, but go at your own pace
Give yourself enough fuel
Learn proper forum
Take over the world.0 -
Startingstrength.com
^.^
This is the program that I use. The 100% best way to not hurt yourself is make sure your form is correct. Some lifters use a belt to help reinforce their core and make their trunk more stable, but it is not necessary. I really really suggest finding someone that knows what they are doing to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly. If you are really interested in ln lifting, I suggest buying the starting strength book "Starting Strength Basic Barbell Training 3rd edition" (Written by Mark Rippetoe).
I do stretch before and after but I don't fuss with protein shakes because i'm not concerned with bulking at this point and time.
I also recommend mobilitywod.com its a website of various stretches and movement. That site is n by a man with a PHD in physical therapy, he runs a crossfit gym and teaches the mobility certification for crossfit.
Today when I went to the gym I lifted:
Squats
80lb 3x5
Deadlifts
90lb 1x5
Overhead press
30lb 3x5
These numbers do not include my warm up sets or any sets I did backing off my work set. I've not been doing this for long but I've literally more then doubled the weight I could lift when I started. I lift three times a week, and each session i'm adding five pounds to my work set. When the weights start getting really heavy I might not be able to keep adding 5lb each time.
I lift with my husband so he can guide me on my form and the ends and outs of weight lifting. Feel free to add me if you need some extra support.
Ignore my message i sent you, I see all the info here. That is awesome. Thanks so much0 -
You cant just jump in lifting heavy..every week you just add a bit more.. New rules has been mentioned..but I'm a strong lifts girl now myself..and dont try to push TOO hard when it comes to heavy weights..there is always next week to add more...
FORM. FORM and more FORM!!! Practice with an unweighted barbell...watch yourself in the mirror..watch you tube videos....over and over...until you are comfy with the move..then add more weights..
This is what my last stats were..
Squats 125
Deads 135
Bench 125
Overhead press (my weakest) 75
Barbell rows 1100 -
For deadlifts for instance, start with just the bar (45lbs) and train from there. I also recommend reading up on Starting Strength (http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki), which has the basic instructions and how to get your form down.
Also check out videos on youtube to proper form!
Good luck and don't forget to warm up with a lower set!
My last week stats:
Deadlift: 145x10
150x7
150x7
150x8
155x8
Squat: 145x5
145x5
145x5
BP:
105x5
Wow, you guys are kicking my butt! Im so glad i asked about this. I am not heavy lifting after all. This is inspiring.0 -
'Heavy' is relative. Don't compare yourself to others in what you're lifting and focus on progressing against yourself.
Good form avoids injury. If you can't move it with good form, it's too heavy.
Thanks, great addition0 -
Be weary of trainers who have a certification and still don't know what the hell they are doing.
[/quote]
LOL - Got it!0 -
Above and beyond the beginner basics of form and correct weight.....
Balance.
Weightlifters are very prone to chronic long term injuries/problems. Very few have good coaching and follow a very comprehensive program striving for balance. Even some of the good programs fall short in this area.
Take for example your average muscle bound guy that walks with his elbows wide and can't put down his arms. Chances are he has shoulder problems. Why? Because his upper body pushing muscles are so much more overdeveloped than his upper body pulling muscles, which affects the natural angle of his arm in his shoulder socket. The angle of his shoulder is horrible, unless he is blessed with crazy biomechancics chances are it hurts to put his arms overhead. Above and beyind this the common exercises don't really work the smaller cuff muscles, so many end up with strong prime movers and weak stabilizers.
Legs are the same way. Overdeveloped quads relative to hamstings = knee problems. Curl too much without developing wrist strength in extension and you get forearm and wrist issues.
Take care to strengthen your body as a whole. Never let any area lag behind. And do as much mobility and balance muscle strengthening as you can. Doing these little things well goes a long way to avoiding chronic injuries.0 -
i like strstd.com for a 5/3/1 program. you put in your numbers and it give you an estimated one rep max. it give you a program based off that.
Imo this is a good program, but only if you are already strong, more intermediate in scope.
agreed. the website and program actually has a box you check to get your first four week's numbers based of 90% of your 1RM. after four weeks are done, you uncheck that box and get your big numbers.0 -
Above and beyond the beginner basics of form and correct weight.....
Balance.
Weightlifters are very prone to chronic long term injuries/problems. Very few have good coaching and follow a very comprehensive program striving for balance. Even some of the good programs fall short in this area.
Take for example your average muscle bound guy that walks with his elbows wide and can't put down his arms. Chances are he has shoulder problems. Why? Because his upper body pushing muscles are so much more overdeveloped than his upper body pulling muscles, which affects the natural angle of his arm in his shoulder socket. The angle of his shoulder is horrible, unless he is blessed with crazy biomechancics chances are it hurts to put his arms overhead. Above and beyind this the common exercises don't really work the smaller cuff muscles, so many end up with strong prime movers and weak stabilizers.
Legs are the same way. Overdeveloped quads relative to hamstings = knee problems. Curl too much without developing wrist strength in extension and you get forearm and wrist issues.
Take care to strengthen your body as a whole. Never let any area lag behind. And do as much mobility and balance muscle strengthening as you can. Doing these little things well goes a long way to avoiding chronic injuries.
THis is good info, thanks0 -
Agree with everyone that form is the key. Rippetoe's videos, his book, all good info there. I started off with Stronglifts, but I also am cutting so it was a little more intensive than I want right now so I do Reverse Pyramid Training, which means that my first lift each day I work out (3) is one of my major compound lift (DL-Tues, Bench Press- Thurs, Squat-Sat) and after warming up I start at my highest number and then reduce by 5-10%, then I do some of my supplements like pull-ups, OHP, Dips, etc. I do not recommend you start there, though, because you don't know your highest numbers yet, so you should build up. Stronglifts, Starting Strength are good for that.
These are not my 1 rep max, these are my working sets
Deadlift - 155 lbs
Bench Press - 90 lbs
Squat - 75 lbs (I was up to 90, but realized my form needed further work, so I have deloaded)
OHP - 55 lbs (I have been stuck here for a while, sometimes I can get in 60, sometimes not)0 -
Agree with everyone that form is the key. Rippetoe's videos, his book, all good info there. I started off with Stronglifts, but I also am cutting so it was a little more intensive than I want right now so I do Reverse Pyramid Training, which means that my first lift each day I work out (3) is one of my major compound lift (DL-Tues, Bench Press- Thurs, Squat-Sat) and after warming up I start at my highest number and then reduce by 5-10%, then I do some of my supplements like pull-ups, OHP, Dips, etc. I do not recommend you start there, though, because you don't know your highest numbers yet, so you should build up. Stronglifts, Starting Strength are good for that.
These are not my 1 rep max, these are my working sets
Deadlift - 155 lbs
Bench Press - 90 lbs
Squat - 75 lbs (I was up to 90, but realized my form needed further work, so I have deloaded)
OHP - 55 lbs (I have been stuck here for a while, sometimes I can get in 60, sometimes not)
If other lifts are progressing and ohp isn't you may need to find a way to deload down, empty oly bar at least, and work back up. Seems too low to start microloading, but that is an option.0 -
Form.0
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Yeah I agree that its all about doing it in correct form. Anything done in bad form can result to injury.
As for myself, I do the following:
deadlift - 80 lbs. barbell
squats - 70 lbs. barbell
lunge - 70 lbs barbell or 35 lb dumbbells each arm
bench press - 30 lb dumbbells each arm or 60 lb. barbell
overhead press - 20 lbs dumbbells (my shoulders are my weakest part)
Honestly I also feel a bit intimidated by some women who can lift hundreds of pounds, some of them can even lift weights that is more than my body weight (I'm only 123 lbs.) but I think we all need to start somewhere though I consider myself an intermediate lifter now since I've been lifting heavy for more than a year.0
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