"Lifting Heavy". What does that really mean for women?

Fullsterkur_woman · December 2013

I want to hug this thread. Just like I wanted to hug the bar after my deadlifts last night.

I think for me lifting heavy is about not putting any arbitrary upper limit on the amount of weight I'm lifting. Some of my lifts are simply pathetic compared to my others, but I do the best I can all the time. And when I go for a new one-rep max, I walk into the gym with the mindset that I am going to lift the whole gym. Last time I deadlifted a new PR, I only actually added 10 pounds, but I was prepared to lift all the weights mentally. No limits. That's what lifting heavy is all about for me.

just_Jennie1 · December 2013

For me lifting heavy means I'm struggling to get to 10 on my second set at around rep 5 or 6.

With that said if I were to say how much I lift to some people it wouldn't sound like much but for me it's heavy.

Firekeeper66 · January 2014

*bump* to continue reading later

inktink · January 2014

Thank you! I've been intrigued by "lifting heavy" but have no idea what kind of weight to start with, and the term definitely sounds more intimidating than starting with the bar and adding weight to it over time. It'd be helpful to hear what women started with for different lifts. I haven't done bench press or deadlift or that kind of thing since highschool so I have no clue where to start without hurting myself. I'll also feel more confident going to the weight area at the gym if I know what weight to grab.

My advice is to start small. You don't want to lift too light of a weight but you don't want to drop one on your toes either! So pick a weight, take care to use good form, and do some reps. If you can do more than 12 reps (with good form & nicely slow and controlled movement), then you need to up the weight. If you can't do at least 8, lower the weight. Keep a record so the next time you need to do that exercise, you know what weight you left off at.

WhiteRabbit1313 · January 2014

For example, many women who are new to strength training start their squats with nothing more than an Olympic barbell and no weights attached. that barbell weighs ~45lbs and is a sufficient amount of weight to get started while at the same time focusing on getting correct form for the exercise. In time, she'll start adding small amounts of weight to this via weight plates when necessary and able. Continuing this process over months (and years), she'll get to a point where she's actually squatting a considerable amount of weight compared to where she started, but that progression will have happened over a long period of time. In the process, she will have gotten stronger and added LBM to her body (and improved her measurements and body shape). it's this process of slowly and consistently increasing that weight to their lifts that many of the women on here are referring to when they say "Lifting Heavy".

^^THIS!

Thanks for this. I just started lifting (StrongLifts 5x5) and didn't feel qualified to call myself a "heavy lifter," because I'm currently squatting only 85 lbs., 6 work-out's into it. My OHP is embarrassing...I can only lift 20 lbs. on a standard bar, and can only bench the Olympic bar. haha!

KarenBoehlke · January 2014

I was lifting 90 lbs before I injured my shoulder. When in physical therapy I told them that I was weight training at the gym, I'm a bit of a weakling (especially upper body-I leg press 210). they told me not to lift anything heavy while we work to get my range of motion back. They did not define heavy to me so I dropped down to 45 lbs. When I told them I was lifting 45 I was told that was too much for my injury that I would tighten up the muscles they were trying to lengthen and that I shouldn't lift anything more than 15 lbs. I bring in grocery bags that weigh more than that. So I went to the gym and tried doing my routine lifting only 15 lbs. On the shoulder press and fly no problem, but all the other upper body work outs were frustratingly too light. So I quit till I was released from therapy. I'm working my way back up, but I'm still not were I was. I'm only pressing 65, though I can row 90 and my shoulder press hasn't moved much past 30. My shoulder is still tender so I've been cautious to the point of near fearful.

LadyVeng3ance · January 2014

I just started lifting today actually. And a heavy dumbbell crunch for me was like 5 pounds. I am so weak in my left arm compared to my right arm. I could barely do 4 dumbbell crunches with my left arm, but I could probably have done 10+ with my right.

Anyways, I consider lifting heavy when I lift something I think is heavy, not when I lift something someone else thinks is heavy. How someone lifts heavy is individual.

JoRocka · January 2014

I just started lifting today actually. And a heavy dumbbell crunch for me was like 5 pounds. I am so weak in my left arm compared to my right arm. I could barely do 4 dumbbell crunches with my left arm, but I could probably have done 10+ with my right.

Anyways, I consider lifting heavy when I lift something I think is heavy, not when I lift something someone else thinks is heavy. How someone lifts heavy is individual.

you mean a bicep curl?

Most people are VERY one sided with strength.

I'm a rightie- so I"m in theory stronger on my right side- but I have a messed up elbow- so meh- I can push more on the left now. It's almost comical.

and yes- you are sort of right it is individual. It is VERY individual. Heavy is most definitely RELATIVE.

BUT. It's not when you THINK something is heavy. I think lots of things are heavy. My grocery bags get heavy. Hell my ARMS get heavy when I'm doing veil work in dance class.

But in the world of lifting- and weight training- "lifting heavy" has a very specific meaning.

0-5 reps for strength gains
5-10 is for building size/mass
10-15+ is for muscle endurance

lifting heavy is in the 10 and under range.

Fullsterkur_woman · January 2014

Thank you! I've been intrigued by "lifting heavy" but have no idea what kind of weight to start with, and the term definitely sounds more intimidating than starting with the bar and adding weight to it over time. It'd be helpful to hear what women started with for different lifts. I haven't done bench press or deadlift or that kind of thing since highschool so I have no clue where to start without hurting myself. I'll also feel more confident going to the weight area at the gym if I know what weight to grab.

My advice is to start small. You don't want to lift too light of a weight but you don't want to drop one on your toes either! So pick a weight, take care to use good form, and do some reps. If you can do more than 12 reps (with good form & nicely slow and controlled movement), then you need to up the weight. If you can't do at least 8, lower the weight. Keep a record so the next time you need to do that exercise, you know what weight you left off at.

Eh, horses for courses. I don't like doing 8 of anything. Me, I'm a happy 3-5 rep lifter. I do math and physics; I don't like having to deal with numbers! :laugh:

Fullsterkur_woman · January 2014

I was lifting 90 lbs before I injured my shoulder. When in physical therapy I told them that I was weight training at the gym, I'm a bit of a weakling (especially upper body-I leg press 210). they told me not to lift anything heavy while we work to get my range of motion back. They did not define heavy to me so I dropped down to 45 lbs. When I told them I was lifting 45 I was told that was too much for my injury that I would tighten up the muscles they were trying to lengthen and that I shouldn't lift anything more than 15 lbs. I bring in grocery bags that weigh more than that. So I went to the gym and tried doing my routine lifting only 15 lbs. On the shoulder press and fly no problem, but all the other upper body work outs were frustratingly too light. So I quit till I was released from therapy. I'm working my way back up, but I'm still not were I was. I'm only pressing 65, though I can row 90 and my shoulder press hasn't moved much past 30. My shoulder is still tender so I've been cautious to the point of near fearful.

Honestly, that seems intelligent to me. If you are working in your full range-of-motion pain-free, then you can always increase weight later when you have more confidence. Sometimes giving yourself that permission is all it takes, and then you may find yourself ready to add more weight sooner than you thought. But there's no award for pushing it when you're not ready.

quellybelly · January 2014

Excellent! Bump!

This might have already been said but I'd like to add that "lifting heavy" or "lifting progressively heavier" as OP put it, also means to lift what's heavy for yourself. For example, squatting 95 lbs may be too light, too heavy, or just right depending on the person.