LIFTING LADIES!! Help please!! kinda long

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  • Kaheaki
    Kaheaki Posts: 8
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    I am responding mostly about the back portion of your query. In the grand picture, strengthening your back muscles will improve your pain levels as well resistance to future injury. I have a really bad back. I have issues all three sections and what I have noticed for myself is that the less I do the more sensitive my back becomes. It is a cycle where I get pain, I do less, pain increases, so I do less. Obviously not the way to go.

    I would offer a few pieces of advice on lifting. Proper form is important but won't help if you are already in pain. Look for ways to slowly begin and use modifiers in the beginning. I do this even if I don't feel pain just so I don't shock my back. For example, when starting deadlifts I do not attempt to go straight from the floor. I use something to hold the bar well above the ground and slowly work my way lower over the course of several workouts until reaching full range of motion. Also be very careful of repetitive back bending motions in the beginning. To strengthen your back without bending start out with exercises that work them in conjunction with other parts like lat pull downs or rows.

    Lifting is good and won't make you 'manly' unless you supplement testosterone and/or block estrogen. I have also found it addicting. You will see and feel the difference almosf instantly. Good luck!
  • ianthy
    ianthy Posts: 404 Member
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    Great photos ladies!
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
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    Been lifting for the better part of a year. Smaller, lighter, but certainly not bulky. Keep your diet in order, pay attention to form, and ignore anyone who has anything rude to say.

    Vzgfpwy.jpg?1

    DjPXWWa.jpg?1

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    Wow! you look amazing :)


    Edit: Added one with less of my babby muscles.
  • graham713
    graham713 Posts: 56 Member
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    I have been doing the Strong Lift 5X5 for about 3 months now. I too work out where it is mostly guys. I just put in my headphones and do what I need to do. I do notice some of them staring at me...but its probably because I'm lifting more than them lol. I weigh 142 and am wearing smaller clothes then when I weighed 130 so I'm definitely not bulky!
  • misscmhomer
    misscmhomer Posts: 7 Member
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    Just go for it! Weights and a good diet get fantastic results :) x
  • thelastpicked
    thelastpicked Posts: 5
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    Not weight training for fear of bulk as a woman is like not driving your car for fear of becoming an F1 driver. It's pretty darn unlikely it'll happen, but if it does you won't be complaining, trust me.

    My avatar is 1 month on the 5x5 program after a year of a machine based program. As you can see, I'm not yet the Hulk. Unfortunately.

    Editing to add that I naturally have too-high levels of testosterone for a woman thanks to PCOS, and I still don't get anywhere near my male relative's bulk at my strongest.
  • nomorebingesgirl2014
    nomorebingesgirl2014 Posts: 378 Member
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    Bump
  • mimiteh35
    mimiteh35 Posts: 486 Member
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    I have (or had) a bad back from acar accident. At first there would be days that i would be in so much pain that i just lie on the floor and couldn't move. This was a few years ago. Since then it got better but would still hurt if lie in one position too much or sitting or doing cleaning around the house. I started sl in february. I dont know when it happened but i no longer having back issues. I can lie in bed reading with no pain.

    I am moving slowly with sl -not always adding 5lbs each day. I Increasing when i can. I really recomend lifting. For squats, i just started with body weight.

    That is how I am, I don't sleep through the night without moving A TON because my back gets to be in pain and wakes me up and I have to readjust to get remotely comfortable enough to fall back to sleep. So, knowing you did SL and improved and no longer have back pain is AWESOME TO HEAR! Thanks for sharing!! This gives me hope because just using a little bit of weights with squats has shown results, and I love seeing some muscle definition in my arms, even at my skinniest in high school and college I never had muscle definition at all.
  • mimiteh35
    mimiteh35 Posts: 486 Member
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    I have been doing SL 5x5 for 6 months...prior to that resistence training with weights ie bodyweight lunges holding hand weights and in that time I have lost over 20inches all over, I have gone from a size 12 to a size 5/6. I weigh 156 lbs.

    I went from bulky to lean...when I flex can you see muscle definiton...sure can...when I stretch my shoulders are defined...when I stand my butt is perky, when I walk my legs show the muslce...if that is those guys defintion of bulky hand them a websters...

    My profile pics show befores and afters...but so you don't have to go digging top right is me bulky at 205...bottom right is me after 2 months of resistence training 175 the LBD is me in Nov 3 months into lifting not so bulky not flexed...in a size small knit dress.

    337cf4fe-0b1f-4ec4-a6ec-d2e551f7d567_zpse8037836.jpg

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1096001-halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky?page=13#posts-19366042

    As you can tell this myth is wide spread...otherwise there wouldn't be so many threads dispelling it.

    And for men to say it..psh just assume they are threatened cause they will have to share the squat rack and/or you will be able to lift more than them...:bigsmile:

    Beautiful! and lol on the last line! ;) Thank you so much for sharing, THIS is exactly what I envision lifting weights will get me, toned, fit, healthy, happy and SMALLER not bulky! I admit up until I started checking out MFP I too believed the heavy weights=bulky because I never saw physical proof before this web site. Love it! Thanks again for sharing!
  • mimiteh35
    mimiteh35 Posts: 486 Member
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    Not weight training for fear of bulk as a woman is like not driving your car for fear of becoming an F1 driver. It's pretty darn unlikely it'll happen, but if it does you won't be complaining, trust me.

    My avatar is 1 month on the 5x5 program after a year of a machine based program. As you can see, I'm not yet the Hulk. Unfortunately.

    Editing to add that I naturally have too-high levels of testosterone for a woman thanks to PCOS, and I still don't get anywhere near my male relative's bulk at my strongest.

    Well if lifting gets a back like that, that alone is worth it! I admit I myself believed the bulk hype until I saw a few pics here and there on forums. I also worried because I'm one of those girls who are short and stocky, and I have huge calf muscles so I always assumed I'd bulk up quick and it scared me, but after seeing pics on here I was excited to look into it, but every guy I've talked to in person says the same thing, so that is why I was on the hunt for proof without women flexing to prove ya don't look bulky or "too muscular"... I LOVE your back! Thanks so much for sharing!
  • mimiteh35
    mimiteh35 Posts: 486 Member
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    Just go for it! Weights and a good diet get fantastic results :) x

    I'm starting to think the same thing! :)
  • mimiteh35
    mimiteh35 Posts: 486 Member
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    59eaf65c7d96c09610490719d3d820cd.jpg

    I started stonglifts and have noticed that as long as I maintain correct form I don't have any pain. Strengthening those muscles makes them stronger and therefore less prone to injury... My doc once told me the worst thing you can do with back pain is stop strengthening it bc it gets weaker and therefore worsens the issue (this does not apply to recent back *injury* however, and obviously if you're not doing the move correctly..)

    Females will not bulk without supplements, I also keep hearing you can't bulk on a calorie deficit but not 100% on that. We just don't have the genetics for it either way. And worst case scenario, just cut back some if you get too muscular for your taste.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=female+lifting&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=3ThbU-SYFYTmsASa74GAAw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&biw=1680&bih=942#q=female+fitness+model+off+season&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

    Thanks for the links!! :)
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
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    Been lifting for the better part of a year. Smaller, lighter, but certainly not bulky. Keep your diet in order, pay attention to form, and ignore anyone who has anything rude to say.

    Vzgfpwy.jpg?1

    DjPXWWa.jpg?1

    EYxFOzo.jpg?1


    Edit: Added one with less of my babby muscles.

    I remember when you posted the first set of pics. I had just started lifting then. You have made great progress! Congrats on that"
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    Just go for it! Weights and a good diet get fantastic results :) x

    I'm starting to think the same thing! :)

    This is true. Pay attention to those macros
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
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    I competed in my first powerlifting competition last Sept(I started off with STarting Strength and continued with Wendler's 531 to prepare me for my comp)...

    It did not make me bulky at all!

    I will be competing again in August! Don't be afraid!
  • RobinLynx
    RobinLynx Posts: 60
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    My doctor says working the glutes helps lower back pain & coincidentally a book I ordered called "STRONG CURVES A Woman's Guide to Building A Better Butt and Body" by Bret Contreras & Kellie Davis got here the same day & it says the same thing. Got it because after getting to goal weight, my butt needed to be built back up & I want to make sure to use proper form (been working it & it's starting to help after only a few weeks). It DOES help the lower back problems & it does lift the booty. (Sitting & doing paperwork for hours makes the back hurt like crazy, though, on the days I don't lift). Well, the book has all kinds of great info & so do so many people on myfitnesspal forums! Listen to the people who say lifting doesn't make women bulk up, check out the success stories & see for yourself, it makes you strong & beautiful :happy:
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
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    I just started lifting. With my build I probably couldn't bulk even if I did "juice"(steroids)!

    These before and after pics are amazing! Wow!
  • Fitfully_me
    Fitfully_me Posts: 647 Member
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    I started lifting weights back in June of last year. Lost 53 lbs while doing so. My mom used to try to tell me she got bulky from working at an ice cream shop when she was younger. She warned me not to lift over 50 lbs... I don't listen very well. I'm close to a 200 lb 1 RM on Deadlift. If you live your life worried what other people think, you'll be forever miserable searching for acceptance. Don't worry about what anyone has to say. Be you.
    in78jk.jpg

    AWESOME!
  • jrhanna84
    jrhanna84 Posts: 66 Member
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    Nuts to what other people think. Just go in there and do your thing. Iron is good for you. :wink:
  • mimiteh35
    mimiteh35 Posts: 486 Member
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    Thank you all so much for sharing/posting and your advice!!! You all are amazing and an inspiration!! I truly appreciate everyone's input and might I say many of you have these guys second guessing that myth!!

    I love the other links and they helped out, also some of those links have lead to me find other helpful links/posts about how to get started, so even more thanks! :)

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