Lifting and pregnancy

wanderingarcher
wanderingarcher Posts: 695 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'd like some of your thoughts on lifting while pregnant. I'm not pregnant at present or anything, but I've been many times. I've often wondered why people get freaked and warn so much about not lifting weights while pregnant. I mean, there are workouts for pregnant women. So why can't they lift weights? Or is it just like those warnings they have to put on everything "do not take while pregnant"? Kwim?

Replies

  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    :huh:
    well, you can surely go ahead and lift pink minnie mouse weights, but I doubt that the goal to DL one's own bodyweight won't go by the wayside in favor of body weight exercises, deemed safe like yoga minus certain poses.

    Just doesn't seem a fair trade-off to me, but to each his own :wink: When I was pregnant, I wasn't thinking about lifting, I was thinking about strengthening other muscles not outwardly seen :blushing:

    edited for under rated punctuation :laugh:
  • wanderingarcher
    wanderingarcher Posts: 695 Member
    Ha ha. :)

    I was thinking more of a happy medium. No pink minnie mouse, but not DL one's own body weight either! My current routine uses from 8-30lb weights, depending on the move. I know some moves would have to be modified. But are the discomforts and danger of falling iron the only reasons not to lift while pregnant?
  • dez_yaoichan
    dez_yaoichan Posts: 454
    anything more then a moderate weight can cause muscle strains and possible miscarriage.

    moderate weight depends on you.

    I have 2 friends that are currently pregnant and 1 isn't allowed to lift over 10 pounds while the other can lift up to 50 pounds.
  • carrietehbear
    carrietehbear Posts: 384 Member
    I don't speak from experience because I have to be pregnant. However, my friend lifted throughout her pregnancy. She decreased weight and modified when needed.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I have heard that you can do whatever you are used to doing. Within reason, of course. Your doctor should be made aware of this is you do get pregnant. I really am curious about your question...it is a good one.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    If you are a lifter already, you can lift while pregnant. Are there limits? Sure. But I've seen women in their third trimester doing Olympic lifting.
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    I don't see why a person can't continue doing what they were doing before, barring any restrictions from a doctor, or just feeling uncomfortable in later pregnancy. I ran until I was 6 months, then I suddenly ballooned and could only walk for the last three months. I wasn't lifting weights, but I don't see how that should be any different.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    Google is an amazing tool:

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/staying_healthy_while_pregnant.htm

    http://www.babycenter.com/0_great-pregnancy-exercise-weight-training_7878.bc?page=1

    http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/lifting-weights-while-pregnant.html
  • TX_RattleSnake
    TX_RattleSnake Posts: 94
    Here is my wife 8 months pregnant, we have the healthy and happiest little daughter now.

    2z58vpw.gif
  • TX_RattleSnake
    TX_RattleSnake Posts: 94
    I have 2 friends that are currently pregnant and 1 isn't allowed to lift over 10 pounds while the other can lift up to 50 pounds.

    "Why sit on your butt for 9 months, just to go through the most intense work out of your life. Keep lifting" - My wife's Dr.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    Here is my wife 8 months pregnant, we have the healthy and happiest little daughter now.

    2z58vpw.gif

    This is all kinds of awesome.

    I actually asked my gynecologist about it. I'm not even married, so there are no babies in the near future, but I just wanted to know. She told me the main issue for me, since I already lift heavy, would be balance. She said for most women, your balance gets poorer the further along you are, and that's obviously a problem when you've got a heavy barbell on your shoulders and a tiny human in your belly.
  • Vini9
    Vini9 Posts: 343 Member
    Yes you can lift while pregnant as long as you have before. I think the biggest problem is your balance is more off when your expecting and it is easier for you to "tweak" a muscle. There are limits but you just have to safe about it. I think your comfort level is also important. I was very sick with each of my pregnancies and couldn't hardly walk let alone excerise. It just wasn't an enjoyable time for me.
    Part of me does think its just they way most people view pregnancies, you know the ones: your eating for two now, don't reach for that you could hurt the baby, and we just shouldn't do anything in general because we are "very delicate"during this time. It really ticks me of to hear that. Sure times have changed but woman can still do the things that woman for centuries have done. Some people can be really bad about this including doctors :(

    Good luck to you with your lifting!
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    Here is my wife 8 months pregnant, we have the healthy and happiest little daughter now.

    2z58vpw.gif

    This is all kinds of awesome.

    I actually asked my gynecologist about it. I'm not even married, so there are no babies in the near future, but I just wanted to know. She told me the main issue for me, since I already lift heavy, would be balance. She said for most women, your balance gets poorer the further along you are, and that's obviously a problem when you've got a heavy barbell on your shoulders and a tiny human in your belly.

    That is so cool!
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    If you are a lifter already, you can lift while pregnant. Are there limits? Sure. But I've seen women in their third trimester doing Olympic lifting.

    I'm in my second trimester, and while I haven't been exactly diligent in my lifts, I'm still doing it occasionally, just with lower weights. I had been doing 5/3/1 for about a year before getting pregnant and have basically been doing my "deloading week" amounts for weight when I do lift, so less weight, but still by most standards heavy lifting.

    You should be just fine with your 8-30 lb weights, and if your routine seems to hard, just go down in weight.

    There is nothing wrong with heavy lifting while pregnant, as long as you don't have any complications.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    I have the most amazing person on my FL that is almost to full term and has lifted the entire time. She's such an inspiration and pretty much completely a bad mamma jamma.
  • olerolls
    olerolls Posts: 70 Member
    If you are already lifting, I would think you could continue (with doctor approval, of course) as long as you were smart about it. Balance definitely could become an issue, but I would also expect that a bigger issue - especially later in pregnancy - would be tendon and ligament laxity. To prepare for labor and delivery, a woman's body produces more relaxin, which loosens ligaments, tendonsa nd muscles. This could definitely affect safe lifting, so paying careful attention to one's changing body and not pushing it too hard would be important. That's not to say don't do it, not at all. Just be wise and consult with your OB.
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
    I'd like some of your thoughts on lifting while pregnant. I'm not pregnant at present or anything, but I've been many times. I've often wondered why people get freaked and warn so much about not lifting weights while pregnant. I mean, there are workouts for pregnant women. So why can't they lift weights? Or is it just like those warnings they have to put on everything "do not take while pregnant"? Kwim?

    HUH?!?:huh:
  • thatonegirlwiththestuff
    thatonegirlwiththestuff Posts: 1,171 Member
    Here is my wife 8 months pregnant, we have the healthy and happiest little daughter now.

    2z58vpw.gif

    Dang that's amazing. Kudos to your wife.
  • mommy3457
    mommy3457 Posts: 361 Member
    Here is my wife 8 months pregnant, we have the healthy and happiest little daughter now.

    2z58vpw.gif

    This is all kinds of awesome.

    I actually asked my gynecologist about it. I'm not even married, so there are no babies in the near future, but I just wanted to know. She told me the main issue for me, since I already lift heavy, would be balance. She said for most women, your balance gets poorer the further along you are, and that's obviously a problem when you've got a heavy barbell on your shoulders and a tiny human in your belly.

    In regards to the balance, I can second what your doctor said at least for me personally. While I was pregnant, my hip gave out to the point that I'd have to crawl on furniture or hold onto my husband so I could move. This doesn't happen to all women of course. It is best for a woman and her doctor to decide when she is pregnant to see if she can lift or not because our bodies change while we are pregnant. Safety for the baby come first though.
  • thecakelocker
    thecakelocker Posts: 407 Member
    backsquats were tough for me, balance issue, so i switched to front squats

    thassaboutit
  • amwoidyla
    amwoidyla Posts: 257 Member
    I have heard that you can do whatever you are used to doing. Within reason, of course. Your doctor should be made aware of this is you do get pregnant. I really am curious about your question...it is a good one.

    ^This is also what I've heard. There's a lady in my bodypump class who is a week away from her due date and she does heavier weights than me!
  • wanderingarcher
    wanderingarcher Posts: 695 Member
    Here is my wife 8 months pregnant, we have the healthy and happiest little daughter now.

    2z58vpw.gif

    LOVE THIS!!!
  • wanderingarcher
    wanderingarcher Posts: 695 Member
    Great thoughts here. I figured some of what I was running into was that over-cautious sentiment you usually encounter when people don't know you or your situation, so they just give extremely conservative advice.

    I don't have any plans on having any more babies in the near future, but it's nice to hear others' experiences. I tell you one thing-- if I do get preg again someday, I plan on "training" for childbirth this time. Love that doc's advice!

    Meanwhile, I'm really excited about getting more into lifting. I was doing the Body for Life routine, but I ordered the New Rules for Lifting for Women and am really looking forward to it. Fun!

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