Lifting weights

Huiminlovesfood
Huiminlovesfood Posts: 85
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all, I am a female who has started lifting weights. I will like to get lean and toned, not bulky. How should I go about doing it? Light weight more reps?

Replies

  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    Hey all, I am a female who has started lifting weights. I will like to get lean and toned, not bulky. How should I go about doing it? Light weight more reps?

    you can do light weight more reps. Or you can do heavy/moderate weight for hypertrophy or strength reps. Just pick one and see which works better for you. The lean part comes from your diet.
  • Dexy_
    Dexy_ Posts: 593 Member
    Nothing will make you bulky unless you go out of your way with hormone replacements ect ect.

    Lift HEAVY.
  • FloyMcCaudie
    FloyMcCaudie Posts: 1,132
    wth?no dont lift heavy..lift light and eat under cal. req. and sleep more:D
  • wilsonskab
    wilsonskab Posts: 1 Member
    Weight lifting has never been for me. In the last two years I've started running and in the last year I've added weight lifting! If you have a smart phone download Nike Training Club application, it's amazing has tons and tons of workouts available from 15 min to 45 min and you can do whichever you want, from light weight to heavy weight and increase as you go. Love, love the workouts! Good luck:)
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    wth?no dont lift heavy..lift light and eat under cal. req. and sleep more:D

    why?
  • FloyMcCaudie
    FloyMcCaudie Posts: 1,132
    wth?no dont lift heavy..lift light and eat under cal. req. and sleep more:D

    why?

    cosssssssssssssss!



    she dont wanna get bulky bru
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I would lift 3 sets of around 8-10 to learn good form first, then progress to 5 sets of 5 - the last 2 reps should be almost impossible but still in good form - no contorting your body to get the weight up.

    If you bulk up like a man and you are not on some kind of legal or illegal steroid - sell your body to science; I am sure they would be interested.

    Of course, weights are not the only way to increase overall strength, especially if you are all new to all of this - but you did ask about weights specifically.
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    wth?no dont lift heavy..lift light and eat under cal. req. and sleep more:D

    why?

    cosssssssssssssss!



    she dont wanna get bulky bru

    women don't have adequate testosterone levels nor the genetic capacity to get bulky though. So again I ask, why?
  • SashThompson
    SashThompson Posts: 130 Member
    Lift heavy, at normal rep range 8-12. Unless you are taking testosterone supplements you will not get 'bulky' the women you see in magazines that look like that are generally taking steroids and working effing hard to achieve that amount of muscle growth. Go and read a book called 'The new rules of lifting for women' it's amazing and has everything you could ever want to know about lifting and nutrition.
    Good luck.

    Edited: grr autocorrect haha :P
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    I've been lifting heavy and grown into the hulk!!!

    Only kidding!!

    Lift heavy and you'll look awesome
  • FloyMcCaudie
    FloyMcCaudie Posts: 1,132
    wth?no dont lift heavy..lift light and eat under cal. req. and sleep more:D

    why?

    cosssssssssssssss!



    she dont wanna get bulky bru

    women don't have adequate testosterone levels nor the genetic capacity to get bulky though. So again I ask, why?

    homedog got a point!:D my bad^

    http://www.jcdfitness.com/2011/08/attention-women-heres-proof-that-lifting-heavy-weights-will-not-make-you-big-and-bulky/
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    I'm sure eventually lifting light with plenty of reps will get you the body you want, but personally I'd rather lift as heavy as I possibly can with good form. I'm basically lazy. It takes less time to achieve the results you want, and it feels good.

    New Rules of Lifting, Starting Strength and Stronglifts. You don't need too many different types of moves to get what you want - compound moves like squats, deadlifts and presses will excercise a whole load of muscles in one.
  • earlyxer
    earlyxer Posts: 240 Member
    Lift until you can't do another rep - in other words, lift until you reach failure. Adjust the weight accordingly. Obviously, one rep is too few and 20 or more is too time consuming. So if you fail between 8 and 12 or so, you've chosen the correct amount of weight.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Lift until you can't do another rep - in other words, lift until you reach failure. Adjust the weight accordingly. Obviously, one rep is too few and 20 or more is too time consuming. So if you fail between 8 and 12 or so, you've chosen the correct amount of weight.

    lifting to failure every session isn't really the best way to go about things.



    OP, pick up NROL4W. Or read Starting Strength (I have the ebook if you wanna PM me I'd be glad to share).
    I'd get on a basic barbell program and see how you like it.
  • Huiminlovesfood
    Huiminlovesfood Posts: 85
    Thanks for the comments :)
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Hey all, I am a female who has started lifting weights. I will like to get lean and toned, not bulky. How should I go about doing it? Light weight more reps?

    Find a good beginning strength program like Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5. Eat your healthy deficit or maintenance, do not eat 2 to 3 times more than your maintenance calories, and do not take steroids. I'm being serious about the last part because that's about the only way a woman is going to get "bulky" by weight-lifting. Have fun with it!
    lifting to failure every session isn't really the best way to go about things.

    Agreed, it's very draining to your nervous system (CNS) and will cause you to not recover from your workouts over time.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    wth?no dont lift heavy..lift light and eat under cal. req. and sleep more:D

    why?

    cosssssssssssssss!



    she dont wanna get bulky bru

    women don't have adequate testosterone levels nor the genetic capacity to get bulky though. So again I ask, why?


    Thank you! unless she's taking steriods and severely increasing her testosterone, she won't bulk. Estrogen won't let her. Lift heavy...read New Rules of Lifting and go on Bodybuilding.com to get some answers to your questions.
  • digitalalchemy
    digitalalchemy Posts: 56 Member
    You have to find what works for you. If I lift light and lots of reps, I bulk up. If I do body weight stuff (pushups, air squats, lunges, etc) I bulk up. If I lift heavy (back squat, deadlift, pullups, etc.) in the 3-5 rep range I don't bulk up. Experimenting is half the fun of fitness!
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    I suggest you purchase a book called "New Rules of Lifting for Women". Even if you don't follow the workout, it provides a good education on strength training's effects on women.

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