What do you define as heavey

kardsharp
kardsharp Posts: 516 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
lifitng for woman?

I keep seeing that term used and I am not really sure what anyone means. Help?

Kristine

Replies

  • roduk
    roduk Posts: 43 Member
    id say lifting heavy is based on a weight that you can lift for 1 repetition (1 rep max). anything above say 75% of your 1 rep max for instance could be deemed as lifting heavy. someones heavy set will be based around their 1 rep max and may look like this: 5 sets of five reps at 75% of their 1 rep max.

    Its not based on what others can lift but what you can lift! the fact that someone else is doing 600lb deadlifts and you can manage 100lbs is irrelevant.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    Heavy is always relative to whatever is heavy for you. If you can perform the exercise 20 - 30 times non-stop then it's not heavy. If you struggle to get the 8th - 12th rep range then that's heavy. Struggling means that you could probably do one more but you would have to do so with improper form or your arm/leg just won't lift the weight anymore.
  • FireBrand80
    FireBrand80 Posts: 378 Member
    Heavy is always relative to whatever is heavy for you. If you can perform the exercise 20 - 30 times non-stop then it's not heavy. If you struggle to get the 8th - 12th rep range then that's heavy. Struggling means that you could probably do one more but you would have to do so with improper form or your arm/leg just won't lift the weight anymore.

    ^^^
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    anything more than 3 reps is cardio...



    JK, heard a powerlifter say that one time.
  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
    For me personally, heavy is doing 8 reps of DB chest presses before my arms start shaking, I sweat like crazy, sometimes I grunt (I try hard not to though) and the ocassional expletive slips out.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Heavy is always relative to whatever is heavy for you. If you can perform the exercise 20 - 30 times non-stop then it's not heavy. If you struggle to get the 8th - 12th rep range then that's heavy. Struggling means that you could probably do one more but you would have to do so with improper form or your arm/leg just won't lift the weight anymore.

    ^^^

    Or the 4 or 5th rep.
  • kardsharp
    kardsharp Posts: 516 Member
    So, 20 pounds, depending on the muscle group worked, could be considered heavey to a newbie?

    Thanks,
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    So, 20 pounds, depending on the muscle group worked, could be considered heavey to a newbie?

    Thanks,

    For tricep extensions, I'm at 12lbs. Side-shoulder laterals are like 8lbs. Deadlifts is 185lbs.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    So, 20 pounds, depending on the muscle group worked, could be considered heavey to a newbie?

    Thanks,

    Yes, it could be considered very heavy, even impossible for some people and some exercises. I'm coming close to deadlifting 300lbs but doing alternating front/lateral raises with 20lb dumbbells is enough to make me die by the 8th rep. Most women are going to struggle with doing raises or tricep extensions with more than 10, maybe 15lbs tops.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    It's all relative. What I consider to be heavy for *me* might not be heavy for someone else.
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Bump
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I don't know. I couldn't find it in the dictionary.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    To me it's not being able to complete at least one, but not more than 8-10 reps at that particular weight. I lift until I can't do anymore reps without totally breaking form, whether that's one, three, seven, etc. But one I can consistently do eight or more reps and don't break form, then it's time for me to increase the weight.

    A big key word there for me is consistently. Like, last night I hit eight reps on one of my lifts. That doesn't mean that when I go back to it on Thursday that I'll increase the weight. But if I continue to hit eight reps multiple sets/nights and then am gradually move up to being able to hit 10 reps most of the time, without dropping back below eight, then I increase the weight.

    And the weight depends entirely on you and the muscle group being worked. But don't sell yourself short and just do fewer reps with a weight you think is heavy for you.
  • fromaquasar
    fromaquasar Posts: 811 Member
    Hey it will take a bit of trial to find what is heavy for you, and then it will constantly change as you get stronger! It's all part of the fun! If you can work out your max for 1 rep and then take 75% of it then that is sweet, that doesn't work for me though as I feel I'd need to work with someone professional to find my max 1 and I'm not in that position at the moment!

    For me I am currently doing a 5 x 5 programme. So I lift a weight 5 times for 5 sets. Then on the next workout I add 5lb to that weight. If I fail to do 5 X 5 (e.g. I might do 5, 5, 5, 4, 3) then I stay at the current weight until I do 5 X 5, then I increase again.

    For me this means I am always ""lifting heavy" (because sometimes it is too heavy to lift!) and I am always pushing forward and clearly tracking progress.

    When I started off doing this I picked a baseline to start with based on previous experience. When I did my first set of bench presses I only managed 5, 5, 4, 3, 3 so I lowered that weight a bit next time so I was starting realistically.

    Another good technique I use sometimes is if after doing the full set of work with a weight (e.g. a full 5 X 5 or a 12 x 3 or however you do your weights) if you can do one more set (another 5 or 12) then the weight can be heavier :) Good luck! x
  • roduk
    roduk Posts: 43 Member
    people in bodypump class lifting 10lb barbells for an hour are not lifting heavy!
  • blonde71
    blonde71 Posts: 955 Member
    So, 20 pounds, depending on the muscle group worked, could be considered heavey to a newbie?

    Thanks,

    Yes, it could be considered very heavy, even impossible for some people and some exercises. I'm coming close to deadlifting 300lbs but doing alternating front/lateral raises with 20lb dumbbells is enough to make me die by the 8th rep. Most women are going to struggle with doing raises or tricep extensions with more than 10, maybe 15lbs tops.

    I've been lifting for a year and with front/lateral raises I'm doing 20 lbs. (front) but only for like 4 reps and lateral is 12 lbs. Everyone's different.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    I define "heavy" the same way for both men and women: any weight that challenges a person in the 5 to 12 repetition range. Anything a person can't do 5 times, I consider "very heavy." If a person can do it more than 12 times, it's not heavy.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    anything more than 3 reps is cardio...



    JK, heard a powerlifter say that one time.

    I think that quote is very funny. No matter how many times I see or hear it, it makes me laugh.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Maximal strength training is roughly 85% to 100% of your 1-rep max and typically works in ranges of 1rep to 5reps.
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    anything more than 3 reps is cardio...



    JK, heard a powerlifter say that one time.

    I think that quote is very funny. No matter how many times I see or hear it, it makes me laugh.

    It made me laugh as well the first time I heard it/read it.

    Probably why it stuck. I will say a 5x1 routine (95ish% of 1 rm) with deadlifts is awesome for strength.
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    It just means what ever you struggle with. If your lifting a weight and have no problems with it then it needs to be increased. If your making it past 12 reps and could keep going then that would not be heavy. It is different for everybody though. Find a weight that you have to push yourself to get that last rep out.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    IMO heavy is failure at 8 reps.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I do three sets of 8, so heavy for me is thinking, "Oh, this is easy" on the first three reps, then "Ok, maybe not so easy" on the next three, and "DAMMIT!!!!" on the last two. Rest and repeat. :tongue:
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    Heavy is different for everyone. The idea is to lift as heavy as YOU can but not so heavy that you can't lift it or hurt yourself. 20 pounds may be super heavy for you, but 60 pounds may be a breeze for someone else. I take walks around my town with a 5lb dumbbell in each hand. Those things get heavier as the walk gets longer.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    6 reps & under is heavy to me.
  • Aleluya17
    Aleluya17 Posts: 205 Member
    id say lifting heavy is based on a weight that you can lift for 1 repetition (1 rep max). anything above say 75% of your 1 rep max for instance could be deemed as lifting heavy. someones heavy set will be based around their 1 rep max and may look like this: 5 sets of five reps at 75% of their 1 rep max.

    Its not based on what others can lift but what you can lift! the fact that someone else is doing 600lb deadlifts and you can manage 100lbs is irrelevant.



    This. What was heavy lifting to me a month ago is not even close to what i consider heavy lifting now.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
    My version of heavy is the 8-12 range with me almost reaching failure towards the end of the 4 rep. I stay at that weight until I can get 15 reps with minimal effort. If I can reach one of those sets to fifteen I usually know its time to move up.

    I rely on bio feedback also. Sometimes I know going in that day I might need to up or sometimes even lower the weight. Especially when I'm dieting. Lack of sleep, missed meals, an injury, etc can lower what is heavy to me.
  • hulkklogan
    hulkklogan Posts: 77 Member
    I would define heavy as 7-10 reps. Not heavy enough if you aren't experiencing total muscle failure by that 10th rep.
  • nml2011
    nml2011 Posts: 156 Member
    Maximal strength training is roughly 85% to 100% of your 1-rep max and typically works in ranges of 1rep to 5reps.

    I agree... this is heavy.

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