7 Reasons why women should lift heavy

The simplest concepts become very complex on the internet.

So, now, more than 25lbs serves no purpose. Alert the authorities and everyone slash their wrists. It's over. The zombies have arrived.

Did anyone say it served no purpose? (other than you, I mean)

Oh honestly, you're just wanting to bicker about it and feigning curiosity about lifting. If you don't want to lift heavy then why not get busy not doing it? Why come in here and be a downer when you're not even interested? What's the payoff?

I don't want to lift heavy. I don't enjoy lifting at all. But if there is evidence that lifting heavier actually provides more protection against bone density than lifting 15-25 lbs then I might consider it, whether I enjoyed it or not. But I've never seen any, and still haven't despite the agressive replies telling me it exists. And an internet search has provided none. I don't think there is any.

But if there is evidence that lifting heavier actually provides more protection against bone density than lifting 15-25 lbs then I might consider it

No you won't. You've been here for 11,448 posts. It would be literally impossible to miss the evidence you request.

You just don't want to hear it.

Don't lift. That's fine. But there's no need to troll the rest of the forum with excuses and faux interest.

I owe you one fruit bouquet.

Lifting heavy makes you grow chest hair.

Exercise in general makes you grow chest hair--no? And lifting weights will definitely make you into one of those...those...AMAZON women! (By the way, that is what we were actually told when we were teenagers--girls were discouraged from doing anything "too strenuous" as that could "reduce your femininity and fertility". :laugh:

P.S. If a "more mature" woman like me can learn to lift heavy, anyone can.

"...True story! My lifting partner and I need to shave our girls now! It can be kind of time consuming and none of our cute little workout shirts look good anymore..."


Now, I gotta say THAT's a little scary. I did read somewhere that lifting increases testosterone levels in both men and women. But I also read that most post-menopausal women would benefit from a tiny bit of testosterone. Have not read anything about younger women--would probably depend on the hormonal makeup of the particular woman. Mediterranean women tend to run higher levels of androgenic hormones than women whose ethic origins are from further north in Europe. Don't know about Oriental or African women. Interesting.

I have been looking into lifting a lot latley, i really want to start but all i have right now are some adjustable dumbbells so i have been using those a little bit and doing RI30. But i was searching around on google and came across this article. I know there is A LOT of talk about why lifting is good for you and so many women who are worried they are going to "bulk up" (in thier own definition of what bulky is) but this acticle is really good and if you are not sure about lifting or if you already are actually every woman should read this Hope you enjoy and i hope it helps some of you that arent too sure if lifting is for you or not..and i hope this isnt braking any rules posting this article, i have seen a few posted so i think it should be ok

Heres the link take a look
http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2012/12/03/7-reasons-women-should-lift-heavy-weights/#7-reasons-women-should-lift-heavy-weights-10

Thanks!!

From Weighttraining.com under the topic, "Can everyone benefit from weight training?" and "Does it increase testosterone levels?"

"...Women can suffer from missed or irregular periods, weight gain, acne, thinning hair and more. Men, on the other hand, benefit greatly from high levels of testosterone..."

I don't think they were discouraging women from weight lifting but I think they were apprising them of the possibility that it could produce some changes.

You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.weighttraining.com/faq/does-exercise-and-weight-training-raise-testosterone-levels

I wonder if the fellow who was recommending that women not lift over 25 pounds was thinking of the testosterone issue (if there is one) when he made that recommendation?

That is an article on a weight training site with no source. Not to say is completely false, but plenty of women lift heavy and don't have any of those issues. Some people are already wary or lifting heavy, and I can tell you from experience the benefits far out weight any alleged problems. I just don't want anyone getting the wrong idea from an unsubstantiated blog post.

LOL, yes, I've had the same thought! Why are all the big weights so BORRRINGGG??

From Weighttraining.com under the topic, "Can everyone benefit from weight training?" and "Does it increase testosterone levels?"

"...Women can suffer from missed or irregular periods, weight gain, acne, thinning hair and more. Men, on the other hand, benefit greatly from high levels of testosterone..."

I don't think they were discouraging women from weight lifting but I think they were apprising them of the possibility that it could produce some changes.

You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.weighttraining.com/faq/does-exercise-and-weight-training-raise-testosterone-levels

I wonder if the fellow who was recommending that women not lift over 25 pounds was thinking of the testosterone issue (if there is one) when he made that recommendation?

I doubt it. Sounds like sexism to me. i.e. people who think women are fundametally weak and that exertion is dangerous for women...

How did the human race survive if heavy exertion like lifting heavy things screwed up women's menstrual cycles? If those symptoms result from following a heavy lifting programme, then how did humans breed in the palaeolithc era and every other era since then where women would have had to do any kind of heavy work? Even being a housewife before the invention of mod cons like hoovers, washing machines etc, women would have had to exert themselves considerably just keeping a house clean.

Weight training does not increase women's testosterone levels enough to produce the symptoms on the list. Additionally, women are supposed to have testosterone in their system, and if it's too low (i.e. lower than it should be for a woman) that can cause health issues . I know a lot of women who have noticed an increase in libido and general health from lifting heavy weights, because it raised their testosterone levels a little. If you look up what happens in a woman's body if her ovaries are removed, a large number of health complications from that are actually due to the fact that she no longer has testosterone in her system. This is produced by the ovaries. IMO there's probably more risk to women from having too low testosterone levels than there is risk from the slightly elevated testosterone levels due to heavy lifting. Massively increased testosterone levels are not good for women, but weight lifting will not increase them by that much.

Also, I've seen the posts of several women on this site who have PCOS (a condition that causes too high testosterone levels and the symptoms on the list in that article) who have posted that their PCOS symptoms got somewhat better, not worse, as a result of lifting heavy, i.e. it seems to have helped to regulate the endocrine system, rather than causing any hormone level to be outside the healthy range.

And one last thing, menstrual disturbances can be caused by undereating or having a too low body fat level, if a woman who is into heavy lifting is having this problem (i.e. menstrual disturbances and loss of hair), this is far more likely to be the cause than testosterone. This is due to the reproductive system producing less female hormones in response to not having enough nutrition to sustain a pregnancy. Her testosterone levels would also be low, and men who eat too little also suffer from low testosterone, which leads to a low sperm count. Low testosterone levels are bad for men and women, and just because women naturally have a lot less testosterone than men, it does not mean that any small increase in testosterone is going to be a bad thing.

But if there is evidence that lifting heavier actually provides more protection against bone density than lifting 15-25 lbs then I might consider it

No you won't. You've been here for 11,448 posts. It would be literally impossible to miss the evidence you request.

You just don't want to hear it.

Don't lift. That's fine. But there's no need to troll the rest of the forum with excuses and faux interest.

I do lift. I never said I didn't. And in 11,000+ posts (or 50+ years being alive, or 30+ years in healthcare) I've never seen one article, study or other evidence that only lifting progressively heavy will prevent bone loss. I'm not trolling, I'm asking someone (anyone) to back up these statements. If they can.

So if you can provide it, please do. Otherwise just keep the insults coming. It's very convincing.

Oh honestly, you're just wanting to bicker about it and feigning curiosity about lifting. If you don't want to lift heavy then why not get busy not doing it? Why come in here and be a downer when you're not even interested? What's the payoff?

I don't want to lift heavy. I don't enjoy lifting at all. But if there is evidence that lifting heavier actually provides more protection against bone density than lifting 15-25 lbs then I might consider it, whether I enjoyed it or not. But I've never seen any, and still haven't despite the agressive replies telling me it exists. And an internet search has provided none. I don't think there is any.

Wolff's Law....an widely accepted reference on this subject.

Wolff's law is a theory developed by the German anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff (1836–1902) in the 19th century that states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The internal architecture of the trabeculae undergoes adaptive changes, followed by secondary changes to the external cortical portion of the bone, perhaps becoming thicker as a result. The inverse is true as well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become weaker due to turnover, it is less metabolically costly to maintain and there is no stimulus for continued remodeling that is required to maintain bone mass.

I love the power rack. I supplement with protein and am in the gym 6 times a week. At first the thought of doing weights was intimaidating but as I started to progress it became more about the challenge and the progress than about what other people thought of me.

The feeling when you squat more than your bodyweight is incredible.

Even with all of the supplements and the time spent in the gym I'm no she-hulk. I'm toned and I feel so much better for it. People notice too.

I got a lot of advice from Bodybuilding.com about weights for women, then i realised there shouldn't be any difference between male and female training programmes.

From Weighttraining.com under the topic, "Can everyone benefit from weight training?" and "Does it increase testosterone levels?"

"...Women can suffer from missed or irregular periods, weight gain, acne, thinning hair and more. Men, on the other hand, benefit greatly from high levels of testosterone..."

I don't think they were discouraging women from weight lifting but I think they were apprising them of the possibility that it could produce some changes.

You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.weighttraining.com/faq/does-exercise-and-weight-training-raise-testosterone-levels

I wonder if the fellow who was recommending that women not lift over 25 pounds was thinking of the testosterone issue (if there is one) when he made that recommendation?

I doubt it. Sounds like sexism to me. i.e. people who think women are fundametally weak and that exertion is dangerous for women...

How did the human race survive if heavy exertion like lifting heavy things screwed up women's menstrual cycles? If those symptoms result from following a heavy lifting programme, then how did humans breed in the palaeolithc era and every other era since then where women would have had to do any kind of heavy work? Even being a housewife before the invention of mod cons like hoovers, washing machines etc, women would have had to exert themselves considerably just keeping a house clean.

Weight training does not increase women's testosterone levels enough to produce the symptoms on the list. Additionally, women are supposed to have testosterone in their system, and if it's too low (i.e. lower than it should be for a woman) that can cause health issues . I know a lot of women who have noticed an increase in libido and general health from lifting heavy weights, because it raised their testosterone levels a little. If you look up what happens in a woman's body if her ovaries are removed, a large number of health complications from that are actually due to the fact that she no longer has testosterone in her system. This is produced by the ovaries. IMO there's probably more risk to women from having too low testosterone levels than there is risk from the slightly elevated testosterone levels due to heavy lifting. Massively increased testosterone levels are not good for women, but weight lifting will not increase them by that much.

Also, I've seen the posts of several women on this site who have PCOS (a condition that causes too high testosterone levels and the symptoms on the list in that article) who have posted that their PCOS symptoms got somewhat better, not worse, as a result of lifting heavy, i.e. it seems to have helped to regulate the endocrine system, rather than causing any hormone level to be outside the healthy range.

And one last thing, menstrual disturbances can be caused by undereating or having a too low body fat level, if a woman who is into heavy lifting is having this problem (i.e. menstrual disturbances and loss of hair), this is far more likely to be the cause than testosterone. This is due to the reproductive system producing less female hormones in response to not having enough nutrition to sustain a pregnancy. Her testosterone levels would also be low, and men who eat too little also suffer from low testosterone, which leads to a low sperm count. Low testosterone levels are bad for men and women, and just because women naturally have a lot less testosterone than men, it does not mean that any small increase in testosterone is going to be a bad thing.

I think you are probably right and that is a reassuring thought. Thanks.

But if there is evidence that lifting heavier actually provides more protection against bone density than lifting 15-25 lbs then I might consider it

No you won't. You've been here for 11,448 posts. It would be literally impossible to miss the evidence you request.

You just don't want to hear it.

Don't lift. That's fine. But there's no need to troll the rest of the forum with excuses and faux interest.

I do lift. I never said I didn't. And in 11,000+ posts (or 50+ years being alive, or 30+ years in healthcare) I've never seen one article, study or other evidence that only lifting progressively heavy will prevent bone loss. I'm not trolling, I'm asking someone (anyone) to back up these statements. If they can.

So if you can provide it, please do. Otherwise just keep the insults coming. It's very convincing.

I agree that you're trolling--you come into many threads on lifting and attempt to derail them with your inane questions. Do your own research--I'm assuming you have access to all sorts of wonderful medical journals since you work in health care, and then perhaps you could start your own thread asking these questions rather than being disruptive.

My questions are asking people to back up statements in this thread which I believe to be untrue, so this seems the appropriate place.

All I've gotten is more insults, and still no information to back up statements.

Your questions and attacks are an attempt to rationalize your own decision not to lift.

You do not lift and have no interest whatsoever in lifting. Your entire aim, whether you realize it or not, is to justify and defend that position for yourself. You're obviously insecure in your decision not to lift, which appears to me to be an admission that you know how beneficial it is. You just don't want to, and you want to feel good about your decision not to.

And despite over 11,000 posts you still haven't found any successful knowledgeable people telling you it's OK.

Your questions and attacks are an attempt to rationalize your own decision not to lift.

You do not lift and have no interest whatsoever in lifting. Your entire aim, whether you realize it or not, is to justify and defend that position for yourself. You're obviously insecure in your decision not to lift, which appears to me to be an admission that you know how beneficial it is. You just don't want to, and you want to feel good about your decision not to.

And despite over 11,000 posts you still haven't found any successful knowledgeable people telling you it's OK.

What attacks have I made? And I do lift, so no need to rationalize why I don't. My entire aim is for someone to back up what they posted. Period.