What are light weights vs heavier weights?

mel4bee
mel4bee Posts: 225 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I just started strength training with two 5 pounds weights. I was wondering what is considered light weights and what is considered heavy for a women.

Thanks

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    light versus heavy is a rep range. Not an actual weight. for me 8 & under is heavy, with 5 & under being more typical. Up to 12 or so reps is medium, and over 15 reps is light.
  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
    Well personally it's heavy when I *can* finish my 5 sets of 5 but couldn't really do more..
    So 5lbs weight is not heavy no, considering just the barbell without the weights I add weights 45lbs alone

    I don't know how many reps you do but 5lbs is quite light IMO
  • JenBrown0210
    JenBrown0210 Posts: 985 Member
    You will find out you are a lot stronger than your realize. Heavy for me is doing 6 to 8 reps and reaching failure (not being able to do another rep) Depending on the move you are doing, you will need heavier weights. When I started I had 2lb, 5lb, 8lb, 10lb, 15lb, and 20 lb dumbbell sets.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It's all relative to the individual regardless of sex. It has more to do with what kind of rep range you're working in than the actual weight. If you can do 5 reps and you almost fail on that 5th rep, then that's "heavy"...if you can do 10 reps then it's "moderate"...if you can sit there repping out like a mofo, it's light and you're probably wasting your time.

    Also, lifting "heavy" or "strength training" is also defined by the actual exercises. Generally compound lifts that work the entire body, not isolation exercises like arm curls and the like.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    If you can lift it more than 12 times, I'd call it light.

    Under 5 is heavy.

    That's my personal opinion anyway, but most will be in the same ballpark.
  • gelendestrasse
    gelendestrasse Posts: 204
    What they said. I pretty much aim for 20 reps and out (like I can't do 21) as I don't want to damage joints (more than they already are). If you want to go for heavier try to get some swimming in too to keep limber and build stamina. Might be a good idea to pay a trainer for one session just to learn what you're doing. *kitten*
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    5-8 reps is heavy
    8-12 is heavy-ish (my term)
    12-15 is medium
    anything over 15 is light
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    There's only one thing that is absolutely required when training for strength: progression of the load. Everything else can be done in other ways, but the exercise must get harder as time goes by.

    If you're using weights for your strength training (instead of body weight exercises), that means using heavier and heavier weights. You can not strength train without progression!

    Your muscles are all different strengths, and some movements use more than one muscle, so you'll need a variety of different weights. And you'll be progressing very fast at first, adding a lot of weight in the first month, as you take advantage of your newbie gains. Newbie gains is why so many people get addicted to strength training with weights: there is nothing more motivating than seeing your lifts get stronger every single day.

    Just to give you some perspective, I'd be willing to bet that today, without ever doing the exercises before, you can already squat and deadlift 50 pounds. And even if you can't, you'll certainly be there in a couple weeks or so. You might struggle more with bench press or overhead press, where light dumbbells - 10 or 15 pounds - might come in handy while you first get started. Within the first year, if you keep at it, you'll likely need a 100-pound barbell to do some lifts, and it's very possible you'll need quite a bit more than that.

    So, yeah, 5 pound dumbbells aren't too helpful for a serious strength program.

    The best way to start strength training is to pick a respected beginner program and follow it to the letter. It doesn't really matter which one you use - as a beginner, you'll improve fast on any half-decent program. Pick which ever one looks like most fun. Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, All-Pro, New Rules of Lifting, and Strong Curves are all weight routines I know well enough to recommend. Body by You and You Are Your Own Gym are bodyweight routines that need minimal equipment, and they're good too.
  • kristen2713
    kristen2713 Posts: 253 Member
    I'm a newbie to lifting and currently have been working with the body beast program for 4 weeks now. Like everyone else said, it's about the reps, and what it takes you to get to "failure". It also depends on what muscles you're working and what kind of sets. I can tell you that I use a range from 5 lb weights for light to 20 lb weights for heavy depending on the exercise. I'm looking forward to graduating and investing in 25 lb weights soon, just maybe not the cost involved :noway: Hope this helps if you're looking at taking stock of what you should invest in if you're trying to work out at home.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    If you can lift it more than 12 times, I'd call it light.

    Under 5 is heavy.

    That's my personal opinion anyway, but most will be in the same ballpark.

    I agree with this. It's not so much about the poundage you're lifting but more so about how many reps you can do with that poundage with good form.

    So for example, if the OP is able to do 12 bicep curls before form breaks (which I would bet she easily can) then it's time to up the weights.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    5lbs is nothing unless you're injured somehow. This really does apply to anyone, that's not even a college textbook.

    Here is a good estimation of what your 1 rep max should be around by weight and training experiance. The bar (barbell) on a bench press is 45 lbs by itself.

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

    Now, I agree that what is light or heavy is dependent on you and your level of strength. The charts in that link are just a relative guide. If you can only press those 5 lb dumbbells for 5 reps per set, then yeah it is heavy, but I really doubt that. That just doesn't apply to most people.

    Also, given the question, I can tell you're not on a good program. You should pickup Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5 or even New Rules of Lifting for Women and do some reading so you don't end up wasting your time.
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    I started with 5 lbs, because I honestly could not do more than 8 reps. But, it sure didn't take me long to graduate to a higher weight as I lifted consistently. You'll surprise yourself. Invest in heavier weights because you'll need them!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    light versus heavy is a rep range. Not an actual weight. for me 8 & under is heavy, with 5 & under being more typical. Up to 12 or so reps is medium, and over 15 reps is light.

    Agreed.

    It's all relative. Heavy is whatever weight you can do for a maximum of 8 reps. Medium is generally a max of 12-15 reps, and light is over 15.

    This will vary person to person and lift to lift.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
    Pretty much what everybody else has said. If you're really interested in heavy lifting, try to find the weight that you can lift (squat, bench) just once. That's your 100% effort. From there you can scale it down to find 70% and 80% effort, which (I've heard) is recommended for heavy lifting.
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
    Pretty much what everybody else has said. If you're really interested in heavy lifting, try to find the weight that you can lift (squat, bench) just once. That's your 100% effort. From there you can scale it down to find 70% and 80% effort, which (I've heard) is recommended for heavy lifting.

    While this is true, a beginner should never try to lift their one-rep-max. Form is critical when you're lifting at the edge of your physical ability, and beginner form isn't good enough to do it safely.

    One Day 1 of your new lifting program, it's smarter to just start with conservatively low weights, and then add a little more weight every time you workout. You'll ramp up to your real strength level soon enough, and the easier weights lets you concentrate on good form.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    If you want to be more precise it's not really rep ranges but the actual load itself. It's been a while since I've read a book on this, but it's roughly...

    Heavy (maximal) is roughly 80% to 100% of your 1 rep-max
    Moderate is approximately 60% to 75% of your 1 rep max
    All else...

    My ranges on the Moderate could be off a little.
  • Katzedernacht
    Katzedernacht Posts: 266 Member
    Hehehe,women are too scared of "heavy" lifting, I use the metric system so I don't know about pounds, but some of the dumbells we have use Lbs, on them, the 5 lbs one are good to start,but now I use the 8 lbs ones and those are fine, you won't look manly or anything,trust me, been doing this for a year now,and now I can lift my own weight kinda easily :D and that's around 100 lbs. so don't be scared, just do it right with a good technique.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    light versus heavy is a rep range. Not an actual weight. for me 8 & under is heavy, with 5 & under being more typical. Up to 12 or so reps is medium, and over 15 reps is light.

    ^^ This. That about pretty much sums it up.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    light versus heavy is a rep range. Not an actual weight. for me 8 & under is heavy, with 5 & under being more typical. Up to 12 or so reps is medium, and over 15 reps is light.

    this is really the only answer that makes any sense (saying its a rep range) i basically agree with how you've labeled the rep ranges (tho i typically do between 6-10).

    I'd say the most important thing to keep in mind is to train to failure. if your in a set and you can do more at a certain weight, do more.

    if you don't, your wasting your time from a resistance training stand point
  • Serena272
    Serena272 Posts: 53 Member
    Bump so I can read later.
  • Naomi0504
    Naomi0504 Posts: 964 Member
    light versus heavy is a rep range. Not an actual weight. for me 8 & under is heavy, with 5 & under being more typical. Up to 12 or so reps is medium, and over 15 reps is light.

    Also agree with this, and will add that I don't use weights under 20 lbs anymore. For instance, 12 reps of bicep curls using 15's in each hand would be light for me.
  • sarahertzberger
    sarahertzberger Posts: 534 Member
    I would certainly up the weight if you're wanting to see good results, the lightest I use right now is 10lb. and I only went down because I'm currently 8 months pregnant and don't want to push my body too much but it I still make it hard on myself but that's with free weights, if I'm using a machine I do up the weights a bit more (30lb), and when I use the leg machine, the lightest weight I do is 50lb
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    If you can lift it more than 12 times, I'd call it light.

    Under 5 is heavy.

    That's my personal opinion anyway, but most will be in the same ballpark.

    this.

    I used to ask "is it heavy?" And I learned my lesson- because the answer is always 'yes'
    now my question for people is "can you do 10 of these?"

    they smile and say- YES.

    then I promptly snatch the weight from their hands- to their dismayed slightly turning faces and hand them something heavier. and say- no heavy means doing 10 shouldn't be 'easy'.

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