Women's weight lifting..i know NOTHING!!

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Replies

  • dplumbtree
    dplumbtree Posts: 13 Member
    Bump
  • SwimBikeRunMama
    SwimBikeRunMama Posts: 32
    You don't have the hormonal makeup to bulk up unless you REALLY try. I would strongly suggest picking up a copy of Oxygen magazine. It's all about weight training for women (and doesn't use Cosmo models for it), and it's super informative. Sparkpeople.com has some great exercise demos that can give you some ideas as well, but Oxygen can teach you about different types of weight lifting, techniques, styles, and little tricks that can make a big difference.
    Good luck!
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,411 Member
    Get a copy of the book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift like a Man, Look Like a Goddess." You can buy it online. I actually checked it out at my local library. It is a wonderful starting point.

    This^^^^^^^ Very very imformative and helpful!!!
  • sanndandi
    sanndandi Posts: 300 Member
    bump
  • DOElston
    DOElston Posts: 102
    I'd suggest starting with a Les Mills' Body Pump class (or something similar), which is an excellent introduction to weight training. If the instructor is good, you'll get help on proper form and learn many exercises for major muscle groups. Also, hire a personal trainer for a couple of sessions to give you a routine and teach you what to do and how to do it. It's all about proper instruction and form.
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
    Bump
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
    :drinker: bump
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    From what I have learned it's almost impossible for a woman who lifts heavy to BULK up.... I love lifting heavy weights. It has increased my energy and endurance. I'm not dropping tons of weight yet, but I feel so much better about myself. I encourage you to study up and go for it. Every woman should do strength training anyhow, increasing the weight just makes it more challenging. Good luck

    Maybe not bulk up, but some definitely seem to get larger arms and butts, and either maintain or even gain up to 20Ibs doing weights, having read around the forums here. So it can make one somewhat nervous if they want to lift, but also want to lean out and not develop really obvious muscles around areas like the shoulders and biceps. Some girls here seem to get it right and lean down, losing inches and getting an amazing figure, but others I notice, seem to develop a thicker waist, larger butt and more developed legs.

    There must be some specific routine to get the results you want if you want to avoid too drastic of a shape change.
    I only did a short time of lifting a 30kg barbell and I can tell you, the difference in my arm size was very noticable to me.

    What is they key?
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    From what I have learned it's almost impossible for a woman who lifts heavy to BULK up.... I love lifting heavy weights. It has increased my energy and endurance. I'm not dropping tons of weight yet, but I feel so much better about myself. I encourage you to study up and go for it. Every woman should do strength training anyhow, increasing the weight just makes it more challenging. Good luck

    Maybe not bulk up, but some definitely seem to get larger arms and butts, and either maintain or even gain up to 20Ibs doing weights, having read around the forums here. So it can make one somewhat nervous if they want to lift, but also want to lean out and not develop really obvious muscles around areas like the shoulders and biceps. Some girls here seem to get it right and lean down, losing inches and getting an amazing figure, but others I notice, seem to develop a thicker waist, larger butt and more developed legs.

    There must be some specific routine to get the results you want if you want to avoid too drastic of a shape change.
    I only did a short time of lifting a 30kg barbell and I can tell you, the difference in my arm size was very noticable to me.

    What is they key?

    Because at the end of the day, weight lifting is no more a magic bullet than anything else you do. You have to get your diet right and you need to be eating at a deficit to lose fat. I have been lifting weights a long time, done it competatively, known people who do it at elite levels in ALL WEIGHT DIVISIONS.... there are heavy-weight female weight-lifters out there who will train harder than you can possibly imagine, but they also eat a truckload... weightlifting doesn't make them magically lean....
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    Isn't that just called....weight lifting? Unless you're lifting weights with your ...um... parts.
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    ETA - I get ya
  • nadiB
    nadiB Posts: 283 Member
    Bump I am also interested in learning more about lifting
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    From what I have learned it's almost impossible for a woman who lifts heavy to BULK up.... I love lifting heavy weights. It has increased my energy and endurance. I'm not dropping tons of weight yet, but I feel so much better about myself. I encourage you to study up and go for it. Every woman should do strength training anyhow, increasing the weight just makes it more challenging. Good luck

    Maybe not bulk up, but some definitely seem to get larger arms and butts, and either maintain or even gain up to 20Ibs doing weights, having read around the forums here. So it can make one somewhat nervous if they want to lift, but also want to lean out and not develop really obvious muscles around areas like the shoulders and biceps. Some girls here seem to get it right and lean down, losing inches and getting an amazing figure, but others I notice, seem to develop a thicker waist, larger butt and more developed legs.

    There must be some specific routine to get the results you want if you want to avoid too drastic of a shape change.
    I only did a short time of lifting a 30kg barbell and I can tell you, the difference in my arm size was very noticable to me.

    What is they key?

    The only way a woman can bulk up is eat in a calorie excess and then yes like anyone they will increase in their muscular size. Eat at maintenance or less you will lose body fat and show of the muscle underneath. Even then it is incredibly difficult.

    It takes YEARS of effort to put on serious mass and if you find an area starts to over develop STOP training it. It can't grow without you training it and then eating in calorie surplus to rebuild, but bigger.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,081 Member
    We all did research, many hours of reading, googling and asking about at the gym, talking to personal trainers, etc to know and get on with what we do now...I cannot summarise all the stuff I have read over the years, I began strength training when I was 19...but I can tell you what has worked the best for me...

    Pick up an olympic barbell and see if you can lift it (it is 45 lbs or 20 kg). This is the starting point of most lifting heavy programmes. I used the stronglifts 5 x 5 programme, then madcow when I stalled on upper body lifts, then I progressed to Wendler's 5/3/1.

    To get a feel for the programmes, you need to research them, try them out for yourself and maybe watch some form videos for lifts or ask a trainer at the gym to show you some compound and even olympic lifts.
  • kcallas88
    kcallas88 Posts: 192
    Someone please tell me about it and everything i need to know, i have been seeing it on here for a while all these women talking about lifting and heavy lifting and strength training but i dont know anything about it. Im sorry if this seems like a stupid post but i would really like to add some muscle on top of losing fat. I dont want to get huge and way bulked up just fit and lean. So what all do i need to know where should i start what kind of lifting do i do im literally a blank slate when it comes to this subject im new to working out as it is...but with lifting weights all i can think of is bench pressing and bicep curls haha

    Unless you're planning to take steroids you won't "bulk" up. It's not in the female hormones to bulk. Since you are a beginner here are a few links to help you get started:

    http://www.niashanks.com/2011/12/11-beginner-strength-training-tips-women/

    http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/build-strength/strength-training-for-beginners/

    http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/easiest-strength-training-plan-ever

    http://www.gymjunkies.com/beginners-workout-plan/

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/

    http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbeginners/a/begstrength.htm

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/110864-beginner-weight-training-women/

    Take it slow and don't try to over do it...remember it isn't a race and there is always the next workout; you do not have to try to fix everything in the first workout. This is a common mistake by beginners and advanced alike; they overdo a workout and then they can't move for a week. :smile: Don't do that! Take it slow...the weights will still be there the next time.

    Edit - I do have a lot of my own workout routines if you're interested. I've been training for about 23 years...I will say I wasn't always as slim as I am now, though. :smile: I am married to a chef.

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