What heavy weights can do for you (pix!)

But then as we were talking about lifting, he said that low weights with high reps will get me lean and that higher weights with less reps will build muscle. Uh..he also said that I don't have a petite frame

"Bros" think they were born knowing everything about the gym. They're usually wrong. (I had one guy ask me: "Why do you lift so heavy? Are you angry?" I asked him if he'd ever asked a guy that.)

This guy? Wrong.

Keep doing what you're doing. Lift and lift whatever is heavy for you. Eat right. Repeat.

Funny thing about that- Gwyneth Paltrow's personal trainer evidently has gone on record saying women should never lift anything heavier than 3 pound dumbbells. She has Gwyneth doing *hundreds* of reps with light weights. Wish she would take a tour through some of these posts. She'd probably crap her pants seeing what OP does.

Oh WOW, what a FABULOUS job you've done !

I too am at the "skinny fat" crossroads (loose skin where excess fat used to live, weak arms, legs and mid-section). Recently joined a Les Mills Body Pump class & absolutely love the workout I get from it. I'd like to do more than just this specific class (once a week) to gain some strength & muscle tone but am afraid I'll "bulk-up" (I'm only 5'2").

Your progress pics show that it IS possible to gain strength/muscle tone without adding unnecessary bulk with the proper weight/routine !

Thank you for sharing

Wowza, you look incredible! Fantastic work *fist-bump* for heavy lifting!!

You should be very proud of what you've accomplished. ^5

< I've been lifting heavy for a few years now and I'm not bulky. I probably don't even look like I lift.

You sure don't look bulky on your profile pic, thanks for the reassurance

where is the typical fine print I read all the time * Not typical results. lol

love love love this! Great work

thank you so much for posting this. I just started lifting and have been so discouraged as I barely can do a few squats with the bar on my shoulder. Can't even do one single push up. When I leave the gym I sometimes think "there is no way I can do this" . You have given me hope that it is doable . I just cannot understand why lifting seems so difficult and foreign to me, despite the fact that I love other exercise such as running and spinning.
Thank you for the encouraging post, you look great. I am sure you will inspire many of us.

I sure will. The funny thing is , it took me a while to work up the nerve to ask someone at the gym how to use the squat rack. So when I finally had enough courage, the guy at the front desk went with me. I sheepishly pointed at the rack and said "this is the squat rack, right?". He pointed at the barbells with the little weights on it and said "this might be a better option for you (I'm sure he meant well)". So I explained to him that no I did not intend on playing with Barbie weights that I wanted to lift weights. He looked at me as if I had come from Mars and said "so you want to do body building" I told him, no I hate lifting and I would like to make it as effective and short as possible so combination exercises such as the ones in NROL or some of the ones you are doing are probably the best way to go.
He showed me how to set the rack and I went home. That evening I came back and circled the room several times and finally just decided to get it over with and get started. It didn't look pretty, I started sweating while I was warming up thinking I am going to die.
Being the only female in the free weight section didn't help either, but I just turned the music up and kept going thinking about the women who have posted here and have written how much of a difference weight lifting has made for them. When I was done, I barely made it down the stairs, but I went back and every time I go back I will think of women like you who just started and kept going. Interestingly, I am still the only woman in the free weight section. It seems that most men frequent the free weights, while the ladies only use machines if they do weights at all.
I love my cardio, it relieves my stress , but I am convinced that the free weights are the way to go when you really want to become healthy and strong. , But , yeah, the look on the guys face was priceless when I insisted that I wanted to know how the squat rack is set correctly.

This SO inspiring! Your body shape and size in the before part of your profile pic is very similar to mine now.
And while I am certain that I can have a rockin body... THIS was well beyond what I could consider possible. Woohoo!

You are hot stuff, lady!!