Heavy lifting??

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Footballgirl83
Footballgirl83 Posts: 39
in Fitness and Exercise
Everyone (especially the girls) talk about a lot of success with heavy lifting.. can someone explain what exactly it is? Is it using free weights or weight bars? Is there any good videos on youtube for starters? I've been running for almost two months now but would love to do some strength training on my off days from running. Any and all info would be helpful, thanks!

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    It's generally free weights (dumbbells and barbells), but can be done with machines. The idea is to lift as much weight as you possibly can (3-5 sets, 4-8 reps per set) such that the last rep or 2 is a real struggle to complete. No real videos on routines to follow (get those from programs like stronglifts or starting strength), but you can youtube mark rippetoe for videos on technique.
  • kavanaghev
    kavanaghev Posts: 75 Member
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    I am a runner, too, and found that once I passed 5 miles as a decent run, I could no longer run every day. SO I bought a barbell and squat rack and Starting Strength by Mark Rippentoe and I have been doing a variation of StrongLifts 5x5 three out of seven days. It's only been a few weeks, but I LOVE it. It is so great for feeling like you are using your body without pounding your bones on the pavement. I will say that you will have to give up the scale if you are emotional about it, because my weight went up 7 pounds after my first lifting day and hasn't really gone back down (it's water), so that is an adjustment!
  • Footballgirl83
    Footballgirl83 Posts: 39
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    thank you both for the info! much appreciated!

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