Heavy lifting ladies, a moment please?

bleweydgrl
bleweydgrl Posts: 55
in Fitness and Exercise
Hiya, I have recently started lifting heavy and I have now progressed far enough to have joined a gym and gotten myself a trainer. I have only had 2 sessions with him but I have a couple of questions for the women who lift as even my trainer has only sporatically trained women and he says they mostly want to do cardio machines...So I told him I want to lift heavy and he has given me two routines one for upper body and one for lower body and today (along with the lower body) we did a 30 min session of interval cardio with some resistance thrown in.

Ok, my question are, 1: am I always going to feel just a little bit sick and like my heart is gonna come out of my chest when I do this or is that just because I am unfit and overweight? Yes, it is a serious question. I have found quite often I get really queasy towards the end of my workouts and I am struggling to overcome the feeling but it only happens when I work hard.I know I am capeable of doing the work and I feel stronger every day but... I will just say too that I do not have diabetes or heart problems of any kind.

question 2: How often should you work out with your trainer? I have 1 hour left paid for and he is going to split it into 2 sessions but then I have to look at if I want to book more sessions and I have to think what I can get out of it...but I dont really know what to expect from a trainer once they have shown you a routine?

thanks in advance for your answers, I really appreciate your help, please forgive me if my questions seem ridiculous to some people but I am a noob :)

Replies

  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    I do a lot of circuit training and sometimes I do leave the gym feeling a little shaky but I've never felt like I was going to throw up but at the classes that I take I have seen people that are new to the class get sick so it's not uncommon at my gym. But after a couple classes they are fine. I know for some of them it's diet related and they soon learn what works for them in terms of eating prior to a workout.

    I've never really gone the personal trainer route. I always found my routines through magazines or websites like bodybuilding.com. Are you comfortable enough on your own to do the workouts he's shown you or written out for you right now? If now maybe a few more sessions wouldn't hurt.
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    I personally feel that split programs are better for more advanced lifters and that compound full body workouts are better for beginners. I think you can get a lot of strength gains from compound movements as a beginner and then transition into a split body program when you are more advance.

    I have never used a trainer and don't believe it necessary. There are so many programs you can follow and so many useful online resources to make sure you are doing things correctly. I would suggest finding a program; Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules for Women Lifting, etc. and do research online to learn how to do the lifts properly. If needed, you could hire a personal trainer to check your form once you have picked a program and have practiced it.
    my trainer has only sporatically trained women and he says they mostly want to do cardio machines
    This statement worries me, women and men lift the same way. He should be able to train men and women in the same manner if they have the same goal.

    As far as how you are feeling, it doesn't sound like you are resting between sets? Are you eating before your workout? Are you drinking enough water? I have never felt that way during my lifting and follow Stronglifts. I eat about 60 minutes before my lifting session (usually carbs cause I need the energy) and drink lots of water.
  • Megatwin07
    Megatwin07 Posts: 7 Member
    The getting sick could possible be what you're eating before working out. Honestly I don't eat before lifting because I do it in the morning. Maybe try eating earlier before lifting?

    I haven't used a personal trainer, but I am following the "New Rules of Lifting for Women" weight lifting routine. Its very informative and has a 6 month plan already laid out. Also, I have heard great things about Stronglift 5x5 as well. Both have it laid out for you. You could have your personal trainer show you how to do those routines. I know at my gym they have a free assessment at the beginning and whenever you want one. Its not a personal trainer, but they can show you how to do the routine properly if that is an issue.

    Good Luck!! :)
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    I do Stronglifts as well but I've added a few accessory lifts to it just because I get bored easily. I studied form and instructions for the lifts I do online and then put them into practice. After I felt like I had some idea of what I was doing I hired a trainer for a couple of sessions just to check my form and make sure I was doing it correctly. She only had to make some minor adjustments and offered some tips but other than that I was doing fine. The thing I loved about the sessions, other than knowing my form was good, was that she pushed me to find my one rep max for the lifts I'd asked about and I learned I could go A LOT heavier than I'd been doing. I may hired her again now and then just for a push and later I will probably get her input on a new routine but for now I'm okay on my own. She has several certifications and really seems to know what she's doing plus she was excited that I wanted to lift heavy so that made me happy.

    I eat about an hour before my workout and I make sure it's higher in carbs. If I don't then I get light headed and see sparkles which is not a good thing when you have 150 pounds on your back! If I eat too heavy of a meal too soon before my workout then I will get nauseated. You'll have to figure out what works best for you but I echo the others who have said pay attention to what you're eating and when.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,513 Member
    I did one session with a trainer and I had to stop 3 times because I thought I was going to be sick. Not surprisingly, I decided to go it alone. I completed "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" back in December and I am now working my way through NROL Supercharged. I prefer to go at my own pace. I usually workout about two hours after breakfast and I don't get nauseated unless I push myself too much.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I personally feel that split programs are better for more advanced lifters and that compound full body workouts are better for beginners. I think you can get a lot of strength gains from compound movements as a beginner and then transition into a split body program when you are more advance.

    I have never used a trainer and don't believe it necessary. There are so many programs you can follow and so many useful online resources to make sure you are doing things correctly. I would suggest finding a program; Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules for Women Lifting, etc. and do research online to learn how to do the lifts properly. If needed, you could hire a personal trainer to check your form once you have picked a program and have practiced it.
    my trainer has only sporatically trained women and he says they mostly want to do cardio machines
    This statement worries me, women and men lift the same way. He should be able to train men and women in the same manner if they have the same goal.

    As far as how you are feeling, it doesn't sound like you are resting between sets? Are you eating before your workout? Are you drinking enough water? I have never felt that way during my lifting and follow Stronglifts. I eat about 60 minutes before my lifting session (usually carbs cause I need the energy) and drink lots of water.

    Agree! I'm studying to be a trainer now and in my studies it definitely educates us to train women and men the same. I also agree a full body with compound lifts is better for a beginner.
  • JCLondonUK
    JCLondonUK Posts: 159
    I felt a bit queasy a couple of times after a session with my trainer - I thought it was a good sign I'd been working hard :smile:

    I'm really glad I got my trainer. We meet twice a week for an hour, doing full body compound lifts each time, and I try to do another session by myself each week too. I started as a complete beginner, and have made fantastic progress. Having two PT sessions a week is certainly expensive, but so worthwhile for me that I have scaled back other things in order to find the cash for it. Others may be fine reading books and going it alone, but for beginners I do think a PT is a worthwhile investment (assuming they're good, and keen, and know what they're doing.
  • shutyourpieholeandsquat
    shutyourpieholeandsquat Posts: 1,394 Member
    I personally feel that split programs are better for more advanced lifters and that compound full body workouts are better for beginners. I think you can get a lot of strength gains from compound movements as a beginner and then transition into a split body program when you are more advance.

    I have never used a trainer and don't believe it necessary. There are so many programs you can follow and so many useful online resources to make sure you are doing things correctly. I would suggest finding a program; Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules for Women Lifting, etc. and do research online to learn how to do the lifts properly. If needed, you could hire a personal trainer to check your form once you have picked a program and have practiced it.
    my trainer has only sporatically trained women and he says they mostly want to do cardio machines
    This statement worries me, women and men lift the same way. He should be able to train men and women in the same manner if they have the same goal.

    As far as how you are feeling, it doesn't sound like you are resting between sets? Are you eating before your workout? Are you drinking enough water? I have never felt that way during my lifting and follow Stronglifts. I eat about 60 minutes before my lifting session (usually carbs cause I need the energy) and drink lots of water.

    Agree! I'm studying to be a trainer now and in my studies it definitely educates us to train women and men the same. I also agree a full body with compound lifts is better for a beginner.

    IN for compound lifts!
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    If I've ever felt nauseous it was because I ate too much or something that didn't agree with me before the workout. I have gotten a little queasy after some intense cardio/interval stuff, but after a break I'm usually okay. If you need to rest a bit more, don't be afraid to tell your trainer! I think it will get easier and you won't feel sick as your body gets used to the work.

    I work with my trainer once a week, I have for about 2 years. We switched to heavy lifting in January. She had me do the same exercises (compound movements) for the first 6 weeks, but now we do something slightly different each week. Sometimes it's supersets, sometimes she'll have me do strength exervices followed by a short cardio circuit.

    If your trainer is just going to keep doing the exact same routines week after week, then definitely don't continue to pay him! If he'll change it up and incorporate new exercises each week, it might be worth it. He can teach you new things and you won't get bored.
  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    I personally feel that split programs are better for more advanced lifters and that compound full body workouts are better for beginners. I think you can get a lot of strength gains from compound movements as a beginner and then transition into a split body program when you are more advance.

    I have never used a trainer and don't believe it necessary. There are so many programs you can follow and so many useful online resources to make sure you are doing things correctly. I would suggest finding a program; Stronglifts, Starting Strength, New Rules for Women Lifting, etc. and do research online to learn how to do the lifts properly. If needed, you could hire a personal trainer to check your form once you have picked a program and have practiced it.

    Agree with Steph!!
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Eh. You'll feel a bit sick when you work hard at first. But it goes away as you get better. Maybe try going a little slower. Slow down just a bit between reps to let yourself catch your breath a bit, and take the time to let your heart rate drop all the way to normal in between sets. Should help.
    Once your trainer establishes your routine for you, and has taught you proper form, their only real benefit is that they will push you a little bit harder than you might yourself. Given that, I might recommend that you work by yourself for a while, get the queezy thing under control, and then, later, use the time remaining to have the trainer critique and tweak your form, again.
    Good luck
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    I've never really been able to eat any closer than about 4 hours before an intense workout, or I'd get sick. It's been that way since I played basketball in high school. So yeah...for some people, it never goes away. Like others have said, though, you just have to play around with things and see what works best for you. I actually found that I loved lifting first thing in the morning, before breakfast.

    I tried a trainer a couple of times, and both of them tried to get me to do pretty much the very stuff that bores the crap out of me and takes forever to do. So, I just do my own thing, loosely based off StrongLifts (though I'm usually doing other types of workouts during the week, too, so I don't follow it exactly, because I don't have the energy to go that hard all the time).

    Make sure to get enough water, though, and if you feel dizzy, make sure you're getting electrolytes. I only had that kind of problem when I started doing stuff that included a cardio component, but it's definitely something worth keeping in mind.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Sometimes when I deadlift and/or squat or have a super tough lower body day I will feel like I'm going to puke. Sprints have gotten me close to puking. I never have though. At my fittest, I've had that queasy feeling in those two circumstances.

    Never have used a trainer.
  • rachelg145
    rachelg145 Posts: 185 Member
    I find it empowering to go bust out a weight lifting session solo with some good music. Take what you've learned from the trainer and go it alone unless you are the type of person who will not show up at the gym without an appointment.

    I don't get sick BUT I cannot eat before I workout. I drink a protein shake (muscle milk light) before I go to the gym and anything more than that WOULD make me feel sick. Be sure the trainer isn't putting you through more than you are ready to do.

    BTW, read your bio - you are GORGEOUS - get the inside and outside to realize that and keep working hard to match them up.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    Re your program, I agree with the posters who suggested SS, SL, NROL4W -- full-body workouts built around compound lifts. I'll throw in All Pro's Simple Beginner Routine, as I think it's pretty ideal for starting out and working on form.

    Re the queasiness, my money's on dehydration. Are you drinking enough water? I go through a quart during my one-hour full-body weight workout and I'm thirsty afterward. Breathing is another possibility. Valsalva maneuver is very useful in the big compound lifts, but if you tend to move slowly through each rep, all that breath-holding can get to you after a while. Gotta breathe, at least between reps.

    Re food, I guess this is one of those "everybody's different" things. I like to do my strength training on a full stomach and my cardio on a well-fed-but-currently-pretty-empty one. People who are doing power work, plyo, or something much more intense than what I'm doing probably wouldn't do as well with eating right before the workout.
  • bleweydgrl
    bleweydgrl Posts: 55
    Thank you everyone for all your great advice. I think up until now I have been having lunch and then a short while after going to the gym. I might switch to a shake before hand and go a little earlier in the day and have lunch after. I have never even heard of breathing properly during workouts! I think I will also stick to lifting days and cardio days and not mix them together.

    I have to look up full body compound lifts, I might give that a go before going back to my trainer. I think it would be great to have a female heavy lifting trainer at my gym but they don't exist unfortunately. Thanks again!
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Have your trainer teach you how to squat with the barbell, deadlift, OHP and Bench. You done need a special routine because you are a woman.

    I do 30mins heavy lifting with my trainer each session and do cardio warm-ups and ancillary stuff by myself.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    As to feeling sick, I often feel a little dizzy toward the end of a good squat session. It's just pretty normal for me, but if it's not mild and not normal for you, my first question would be whether you are eating at an aggressive deficit? I know someone above commented that she lifts on an empty stomach, but I can't do that, myself. I nearly always lift in the afternoons but if it's the morning I need at least some cottage cheese or a banana. Play around with what works.

    You may feel your heart beating hard, lifting does make your heart work hard, although it may seem strange when you aren't doing anything you ordinarily associate with it, like running. :)

    This for me as well...maybe a bit dizzy after a good squat session or DL...

    I can't lift on an empty stomach either...too weak. I usually lift in the late afternoon early evening. After a snack or dinner.

    After squatting my heart is beating very fast and I have to keep water beside me at all times refilling it 2x normally per session.

    As for the routine I agree a compound lifting routine would serve you better atm.

    I have never used a trainer either, but I don't go to a gym...I do however plan on going for a month and speaking with a trainer...maybe getting a few sessions just for form work as the trainers at my local gym are woman who lift.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I've never really felt sick after a workout, but I know my trainer and his insane friends have.

    I have been working with a trainer for most of 18 months now. My current trainer is a 20 year old male bodybuilder, and had never had a female client before. He knew from day 1 that I wanted to focus on the big 4 lifts-squat, bench, deadlift, and over head press.He wrote me out a series of 4 workouts to choose from when I'm not working with him. When I do work with him (2x a week) we do the lift, then he has another workout planned. One day this week we went outside and did strength and agility stuff with minimal equipment. Another day we did an obstacle course including tractor tire step ups, sledgehammer swings, and sprints.

    In 2 months I have added 50# to my 1RM squat, learned to deadlift (current 1RM is 160), had visible body changes, and lost a jeans size...but only about 4#
  • bleweydgrl
    bleweydgrl Posts: 55
    I have a sneaky feeling that I will always feel a little sick when I work hard but I am hoping going on a fairly empty stomach helps. I also drink a lot of water during my workouts but I feel like that may be contributing to the nausea? I'm not sure, will have to try a few different things to see what works and I have gotten a few good ideas here.

    My trainer has had me doing squats mostly with kettle balls, my form is pretty bad actually I keep putting my head down for the last couple of reps but they were definately very heavy weights before going to the machines. I dont think he is going easy on me because I am a woman or anything I think he is actually making every effort to train me to lift like he does and he is pretty darn big! I just haven't seen a bar yet. I think I get now that I need to do some more research on it to know exactly where I want to end up and do some more reading on womens lifting. Thanks again everyone :)
  • bleweydgrl
    bleweydgrl Posts: 55
    Wow, Sarah, your trainer sounds like a diamond!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Wow, Sarah, your trainer sounds like a diamond!

    I have been extremely blessed in the trainer department. That's my current trainer, Noah, in my profile pic. He is so sweet and knowledgable. We have a pretty close bond, and I swear sometimes he knows exactly what is in my head even when I can't find the words
  • spicegeek
    spicegeek Posts: 325 Member
    I would not expect you to feel sick - it depends what are you are doing - the one exercise that get me close to puking is sprints - but thats luring everything I have into 2 mins with a 1 min break repeat until dead kind of effort - if I have any food in my stomach it`s over - that is because the body is using all it`s resources to keep me working and can not devote anything to digestion so it gets rid of the stomach contents -nothing to do with fitness levels - you should discuss this with your trainer however

    as to how often to work out - I work with my trainer twice a week for 1 hour sessions on lifting when I`m just generally working out - 3 times a week when I was marathon training and right now I`m training for a lifting event so twice a week with my training and twice a week with a coach - it really is down to whatever fits your lifestyle and goals
  • bleweydgrl
    bleweydgrl Posts: 55
    Ya know, this sprints thing has come up a couple of times now and my trainer does get me doing sprints and then lifting weights or carrying weights and moving them or throwing them while sprinting....could have something there too.
  • spicegeek
    spicegeek Posts: 325 Member
    Sounds like you have a trainer that is making the best use of 30 mins !
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    A few sessions with an experienced trainer are worth it in order to learn dos and don'ts, how to properly use equipment, and how to plan a routine. After that, you should be just fine on your own.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    I think I get now that I need to do some more research on it to know exactly where I want to end up and do some more reading on womens lifting.

    This isn't really a "thing". A woman doing a deadlift or a push press (etc) should be the same thing as a man doing it.
  • spicegeek
    spicegeek Posts: 325 Member
    I took your statement that your trainer has only sporadically trainer women as more of a passing comment that most women do not want to lift rather than some statement that he didn`t know what to do with you ! My trainer generally does not work with women because they usually do not want to work on the basic power lifts ( squats, dead lifts, bench press ) and heavy kettle bell lifts and that is what he prefers - He is a position that he does not need to take any and every client that wanders across his path - He only trains one other female. He trains me the exact same way he trains his guys - I can can out lift some of them.

    From what you have described your trainer has given you a program that starts you working on strength / resistance and includes HIIT - this would seem reasonable if you told him you have a goal to loose weight and you were new to lifting - it is unlikely anyone is going to put you under a barbell until they are sure you can manage a body weight squat with good form. The bar alone weight 45 lb - this is more that many people can bench press or squat when they first start
  • bleweydgrl
    bleweydgrl Posts: 55
    Thank you, that has been really helpful :)

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