What does lifting "heavy" mean to women?

cynthiaj777
cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I see many women claim to lift heavy, and I am just curious what exactly this means? I know heavy can be 100s of pounds for men and can vary for both genders, but for women, what does heavy mean to you?

Out of curiousity, what are you lifting when you do these various exercises?

Edit: Poor wording I guess? No one is giving me numbers. I want numbers.

I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.

I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers associated with the phrase.
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Replies

  • SirBonerFart
    SirBonerFart Posts: 1,185 Member
    Just like time and space heavy is relative
  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    Heavy means I'm struggling to complete rep number 6 or so.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
    Can't really ask that as my heavy will be nothing to someone else
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Just like time and space heavy is relative

    That's deep, man.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    For some women, heavy is...let's say for a deadlift...85 lbs, and for other women it's 215 lbs. Heavy is defined by what challenges you.
  • SirBonerFart
    SirBonerFart Posts: 1,185 Member
    Just like time and space heavy is relative

    That's deep, man.


    That's what she said
  • DeeBrownBaker
    DeeBrownBaker Posts: 145
    are we talking arms or legs? I can lift more with my legs... my upper body strength is what I work on most...
  • VincitQuiSeVincit
    VincitQuiSeVincit Posts: 285 Member
    "Heavy" isn't a number.
    For me, it's fatigue by the 5th or 6th rep.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Just like time and space heavy is relative

    This.

    Last lift session I squatted 100lbs, OHP 56 (blah), and deadlifted 133 (cause kilogram plates). To me this is heavy. To someone else? Not at all heavy.
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    Well, I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.

    I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

    I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Heavy for me is the most weight I can lift to reach my rep goal.

    Sometimes I'm working in the strength range doing 3 to 5 reps, other times I'm using hypertrophy range of 8 to 12 reps. The weight I can lift obviously varies accordingly.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Heavy to me means, taking the exercise to failure within a few reps (after having done a few sets).
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
    Heavy lifting is subjective but usually implies lifting to failure at the 6-8th rep. Meraning, adding weight to your workset until you can barely perform a few reps in perfect form. This signals additional muscle fibers to come into play.

    Example: I see girls on hip abductor machines doing 100million reps of 20lbs whereas I've seem girls do 110lbsx10 etc. You get the idea
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    The same thing it means for men. There is no difference.

    What is heavy for them. It's relative.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Heavy lifting is subjective but usually implies lifting to failure at the 6-8th rep. Meraning, adding weight to your workset until you can barely perform a few reps in perfect form. This signals additional muscle fibers to come into play.

    Example: I see girls on hip abductor machines doing 100million reps of 20lbs whereas I've seem girls do 110lbsx10 etc. You get the idea

    ^ There are men doing the same. It is not exclusive to women.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Heavy means the same thing to women as it does to men. It is a high percentage of your one rep max, which can be safely gauged by working with a weight that causes you to fail at 3-5 reps. This is approx. 85-90% of your 1RM.
  • treesloth
    treesloth Posts: 162 Member
    Just like time and space heavy is relative

    Duuuude.... totally... and why are they called fingers? Do they fing?
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Well, I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.

    I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

    I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1060132-so-who-s-the-strongest-woman-on-mfp?hl=strongest+woman
  • cmay89
    cmay89 Posts: 337 Member
    lifting at 85 or 90% of my max. My personal bests are listed out on my profile if that helps. Different for everyone though.

    My idea of heavy is more like the average male's idea of heavy I believe, not the average female view.
  • cleotherio
    cleotherio Posts: 712 Member
    Well, I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.

    I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

    I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers.

    Currently -
    Squat - 5x5 @160 lbs
    Bench - 4x5@105
    DL - 1x5 @205
    OHP - 4x5@85
    Curls - don't do them often, but last time I tried I did at least 10 with the barbell (45 lbs)

    ETA - I started Stronglifts 5x5 in March with the barbell for all the lifts (other than deadlifts). I had some weight lifting experience over the years. The bar by itself didn't feel "heavy", but I wanted to follow the program as it was written. I started failing at higher weights about a month or so in.
  • EnviousDan
    EnviousDan Posts: 107 Member
    It's unrelated to gender. You'll often see a lifting program cite a percentage (ex: 85% of max X amount of times). It's more abouty personal records and improving yourself.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Well, I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.

    I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

    I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1060132-so-who-s-the-strongest-woman-on-mfp?hl=strongest+woman

    These numbers change so it would be hard to give specifics..ie bench 50lbs today....60lbs in a week...
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Well, I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
    I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

    I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1060132-so-who-s-the-strongest-woman-on-mfp?hl=strongest+woman

    Exactly, there are women in that thread that can lift more than a lot of men I know...including me on some lifts. Granted..not too much more...because, you know...I'm a man and all. Grrr n stuff.
  • metalvegan
    metalvegan Posts: 133 Member
    I'm doing 5x5s these days and I deadlifted 50lbs+bar and squatted 70lbs+bar yesterday.

    I was pretty happy with myself.

    (And I do not know the bar weight.)

    Like everyone else said, heavy means I can only just finish the 5th rep of each set.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    100 pounds shouldn't be heavy for a man, just sayin. I'm a 50 year old woman and I can deadlift 100 pounds, and I'm still kind of wimpy because I haven't been lifting very long, and I'm kinda old. But, most people heavy lifting are doing some kind of progressive loading program where you are trying to increase weight every week. I didn't start at 100 pounds. And next week I should be up to 105.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    It all relative to your experience and size. Not that you should really be comparing yourself to others but here is a chart that can at least give you an idea of how you are doing.

    http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html


    ETA
    These are one rep maxes. There are calculators out there that can estimate your one rep max based off your heavy working sets.

    http://www.strstd.com/
  • cynthiaj777
    cynthiaj777 Posts: 787 Member
    Well, I know it varies. I was curious about numbers.

    I am asking specifically....what do you deadlift? Squat? Shoulder press? Curl?

    I always hear "heavy" used, but I never see numbers.

    Currently -
    Squat - 5x5 @160 lbs
    Bench - 4x5@105
    DL - 1x5 @205
    OHP - 4x5@85
    Curls - don't do them often, but last time I tried I did at least 10 with the barbell (45 lbs)

    ETA - I started Stronglifts 5x5 in March with the barbell for all the lifts (other than deadlifts). I had some weight lifting experience over the years. The bar by itself didn't feel "heavy", but I wanted to follow the program as it was written. I started failing at higher weights about a month or so in.

    Nice numbers! That is what I would call heavy, for sure!
  • metalvegan
    metalvegan Posts: 133 Member
    Oh, and my chest press is up to 60 lbs, overhead press 50 lbs, and single arm rows 30 lbs (also all 5x5s).
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    100lbs??? jesus. is there a competition for weakest woman on mfp cos id win that :laugh:
  • pushyourself14
    pushyourself14 Posts: 275 Member
    It's whatever is heavy for you relative to your own strength level/abilities. If you can't get more than 6 or 7 reps without difficulty/failing with X lbs weight, then that is your weight.

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