"Lifting Heavy". What does that really mean for women?

i agree. i'd like to hear from some of the women here on exactly what their progression has been. in short, to simply answer these questions:

1) starting bench press? current bench press? how long have you been doing bench presses?
2) starting squat? current squat? how long have you been doing squats?
3) starting dead lift? current dead lift? how long have you been doing dead lifts?
4) starting overhead press (OHP)? current OHP? how long have you been doing OHPs?

I started around October of last year, got lazy around the holidays. Picked back up in January then stalled due to knee pain in March. Started back up doing Wendler's 5/3/1 two weeks ago.

1) Starting BP - Oly bar @ 45#, Current 75#
2) Starting squat - Oly bar, Current 90# (was up to 100# before taking break)
3) Starting DL - 90#, Current 135# (highest 5x5 reps 170#)
4) Starting OHP - 45#, Current 55#

i agree. i'd like to hear from some of the women here on exactly what their progression has been. in short, to simply answer these questions:

1) starting bench press? current bench press? how long have you been doing bench presses?
2) starting squat? current squat? how long have you been doing squats?
3) starting dead lift? current dead lift? how long have you been doing dead lifts?
4) starting overhead press (OHP)? current OHP? how long have you been doing OHPs?

1) starting bench press = 10 lbs.
current bench press = 25 pounds
how long have you been doing bench presses = 10 months

2) starting squat = just the bar, no added weights
current squat = 30 pounds + the bar
how long have you been doing squats = 10 months

3) starting dead lift = 0
current dead lift = 0
how long have you been doing dead lifts = I have not done them yet :embarassed: I will start the next time I go lift. Today!

4) starting overhead press (OHP) = 10 pounds...and it was a STRUGGLE to do that little at first. I hate this one, truly. But I feel I have conquered it!
current OHP? = 60 pounds :drinker:
how long have you been doing OHPs = 10 months

1) starting bench press? current bench press? how long have you been doing bench presses?
2) starting squat? current squat? how long have you been doing squats?
3) starting dead lift? current dead lift? how long have you been doing dead lifts?
4) starting overhead press (OHP)? current OHP? how long have you been doing OHPs?

NOTE: Started in late January 2013 with the Stumptuous workout, switched to midified (see note on Squats) Stronglifts 5x5 in March, and had to deload back to the bar once for benches and rows when I realized I was doing them wrong. I also have knee damage, so the squats are a work in progress

1) A 5 lb vinyl dipped bar with two 10 lb plates on it (25 lbs total) ---> 55 lbs (45 lb bar and 2 5 lb plates)
2) 5x5 bodyweight squats with a support nearby for balance issues (I tend to tip over at the bottom, but I push up without support now, so that's a lot farther than the hanging on for dear life I started with!)
3) 45 lb empty bar ----> 125 lbs (45 lb bar, 2 25s, 2 5s, 2 2,5s)
4) A 5 lb vinyl dipped bar with two 10 lb plates on it (25 lbs total) ---> 45 lb empty bar (sort of, I'm at 5x5x5x4x3, but I'll get there)

I'm also doing some leg press to supplement the squats, since my balance issues and knee pain make them hard. (I have noticed a definite increase in knee flexibility and overall stamina since I started, though), and those are at about 120 for 5x5 - I started with 55 lbs.

Hope that helps! It's not much, but I'm new at this, so I'm going slow.

-Betty-

ETA: Note that, when I started SL 5x5, I thought I couldn't / shouldn't do it because I was so feeble I couldn't even start with the empty bar for most of it, and it seemed like it would be pointless until I was "stronger". But I was topping out at what I could do for 12 reps of any given task, so I decided instead to try it anyway and just start with where I was and work up to the bar. I'm telling you, the first time I could bench press the "big kids" bar, I practically cried, I was so happy with myself. So don't be afraid to try it, even if you have to go a little slower than you might like - overnight success isn't.

Thank you for this, I understand this now!

I need to weight train. I use to but cannot afford the time for the gym (or money) at this time. Perhaps when I am traveling less for work I can look into a membership.

2 yeas ago as I recall these were my weights.

10lb (each side) chest press.
15lbs curls
90lbs thigh press
20lbs calf extensions
60lb bench
--- this was results at two months at the gym---
I am sure if I went back now I would be close to all but the bench, obviously I'd love to go higher. Strength training is what i am missing to finish my goals.

Very helpful thread. Question for those of you who are posting your progress: When you're posting the weight is it the weight you have on the bar? Or is it the weight on the bar + the bar's weight. For example today I had 20# on the bar, but I've learned the bar is 45#. So it's actually 65? I'm in the second week of NROLFW, and I'm having a hard time figuring out what my weight should be. I pushed them up by a decent percentage today and felt like I was closer to where I should be. How did you determine your starting point?

Squat: 65# (felt like I could go higher)
Deadlift: 50 (ditto)
Shoulder Press w/ barbells: 15# (pushing it at the last couple reps)
Seated row: 85#

definitely include the bar's weight!!!

Here's the solution: "Lifting Heavy" when talking about 99% of the women on this site, refers only to the notion that you lift weights while progressively adding weight over time to continue to stress your muscles and force them to grow. It does not mean trying to bench press 300lbs by the second week of training. It simply means that as your muscles strengthen and adapt to your current weight loads, you progressively increase those weight loads to keep pushing your muscles. thus, "Lifting Heavy" really means "Lift Progressively Heavier".

This is very well said. My goal is not to lift heavier weights, but to continue to force my muscles to grow. I up my weight by 5lbs whenever I feel my muscles have adapted to the weight I've been lifting. I am not trying to enter a bench pressing contest :P..although I would win because I win everything.

Question...if someone has very limited money and could make ONE purchase to get started lifting...what should it be? I'm talking around $100.

Some good options:

If you don't mind used: Play it Again Sports, Craigslist, Goodwill for dumbbells and/or a barbell
If you prefer new: Wal-Mart for same

I apologize for not stating just ONE purchase as requested. I've been very happy just using dumbbells, but obviously lots of people use barbells too. And both used dumbbells and used plates are almost always available at places like Goodwill for uber-cheap.

Good luck!

Bump, so more of my friends can see this

Best thread in a long time!!

Question...if someone has very limited money and could make ONE purchase to get started lifting...what should it be? I'm talking around $100.

Some good options:

If you don't mind used: Play it Again Sports, Craigslist, Goodwill for dumbbells and/or a barbell
If you prefer new: Wal-Mart for same

I apologize for not stating just ONE purchase as requested. I've been very happy just using dumbbells, but obviously lots of people use barbells too. And both used dumbbells and used plates are almost always available at places like Goodwill for uber-cheap.

Good luck!

All great suggestions. I got all my stuff for home from Play It Again Sports at a much lower price than new. Barbell, plates, bench, dumbbells.

My suggestion would be get the empty dumbbell bars (Walmart has them) and then buy plates to add. Much better than buying sets of different weight pink or blue ones.

Great info. Using your own body as a tool can be helpful too!

When I first started, I could only bear 10 regular pushups and THAT was quite the feat. So I did modified to up my strength. Within 2-3 weeks, I went back and tried regular ones and now I do sets of 25-30 without even really FEELING it until the last 5 reps. I do 75-80 pushups every day and it has made SUCH a difference on my core. I can't even express, but the transformation from mid-March - mid-April was very apparent to me. Visual difference.

As far as the other lifting, I do the Cybex machines and haven't ventured into the dead lifts yet.

But on the machines, I do:

70-75 lbs on the row machine
50 lbs on the overhead press
55-60 on the chest press
75 lbs on the fly machine (not sure what else to call it, but that's what it says)
210 lbs on the leg press

I don't really consider this heavy lifting, but it's where I am at, and if it starts to feel easy, I up it 10-15 lbs at a time.

I'm new to lifting, I started out with JM 30 DS which incorporates weights. I started off with 3lb dumbbells & that was extremely hard! I now use 5 lb weights bc the 3 lb weights were not enough. I haven't done it in a while & am just starting up again, but still with the 5 lb weights. When the 5 lb gets too easy, i have a set of 8 lb weights just waiting for me on my bedroom floor. I'm not sure what to do once those get too easy for me bc I can't afford a gym (and now my car needs much needed repairs) & the higher the weights, the more expensive they are. I'll probably have to buy them one at a time.

EXCELLENT thread!!!!

To answer your questions - I started with the barbell for everything because I wasn't sure what my strength was on the lifts. If it was too easy - I just added a bit more weight each time (well, a lot more for deadlift). I followed NROL4W at first...but then during Starting Strength I was adding 5# each workout or week until I hit stalls.
1) starting bench press? 45# - the bar
current bench press? working sets vary from 80-95#, PR at 110#
how long have you been doing bench presses? Since August 2012
2) starting squat? 45# - the bar
current squat? working sets from 145-170#, PR at 205#
how long have you been doing squats? Since March 2012
3) starting dead lift? 45# - the bar
current dead lift? working sets at 185#, PR at 225# barbell, 250# trapbar
how long have you been doing dead lifts? Since March 2012
4) starting overhead press (OHP)? 45# - the bar
current OHP? working sets at 70#, PR at 90#
how long have you been doing OHPs? since March 2012