Weight Lifting

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BADAS5
BADAS5 Posts: 26
in Fitness and Exercise
I've asked several people this question but everyone seems to have a different answer. How many sets/reps should women be doing if they are looking to tone up but not build bulk?

Since I haven't gotten a very solid answer I have been alternating between doing 2 sets of 20 at a lower weight and 2 sets of 12 at a higher weight while slightly increasing the weight on the second set. Thanks for your input!!!

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  • KKButter
    KKButter Posts: 33 Member
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    I would like to know that too ...hope we get an answer:)
  • Shirley0220
    Shirley0220 Posts: 8 Member
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    My trainer has me doing 3 sets of 10 with medium weights very slowly
  • haylayne81
    haylayne81 Posts: 56
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    The key is more reps, less weight for women. For men, less reps, more weight. :D
  • FitToFab
    FitToFab Posts: 47
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    the only way you can bulk up is by eating a lot and pumping hard iron...your sets are ok
  • fitnessGETZeasy
    fitnessGETZeasy Posts: 79 Member
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    You're actually on the right track alternating weight and reps. First of all, (and I'm sure you've heard this before) women do not produce enough testosterone to bulk up. It's just not possible. There are a ton of great articles out there on the topic, but the bottom line is, it's virtually impossible. I try to lift 3 days a week. One day I'll do lots of reps with lighter weights, the following session will be less reps with heavier weights, and then back to lots of reps for the next session. This keeps your muscles guessing and works different muscle fibers. Keep working at it. You'll see the results!
  • jhill55
    jhill55 Posts: 6 Member
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    In the simplest terms, low weight/more reps is better for tone/cardio. High weight/low reps is better for adding muscle.
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
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    Actually the key is for women to realize that they do not gain muscle like men, it is hard for a woman to bulk up like a man so going heavier does not hurt at all. It depends on your goals, 3 sets of 20 at a light weight will encourage lean muscle in men and be more of a cardio for women. Heavy weight low rep will build bulk muscle in men and build lean muscle in women, 3 sets of 10 or less.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    Most women do not produce enough hormones to bulk up so dont worry about that unless you are purposely taking steriods it just isn't going to happen. Most MEN have a hard time bulking up. Its something we just dotn have to worry about. You will never look like Arnold.

    I do 3 sets of 12.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    First of all, it's very, very hard for women to bulk up. (It's hard enough for men to do it). You need a calorie surplus, lots of protein and lots of testosterone which we don't have. That being said...)

    on P90X Tony Horton says lift weights heavy enough to get 8-10 reps to fail for size and lift weights heavy enough to get 12-15 reps to fail for lean muscles. Without sacrificing form.

    to fail means those last 3 reps should BURN!!!!

    You could do curls all day with light weights and never get anywhere.

    I have been on calorie restriction and cardio for 5 months and lost 8lbs (out of 10) but nothing on my belly. A month ago I switched to maintenance calories or more and started lifting weights and it might be coincidence but my abdominal pinch (body fat calipers) has gone from 20mm down to 16mm which means I'm finally losing belly fat.
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
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    12 - 15 reps is ideal for long & lean muscles. I think 20 is too high. Up the weight a bit so that you struggle to finish the last 3 of those 15.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
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    actually you should not bulk up unless you start body building which is a whole other entity. As you have heard you lift with your legs. Start off slow and build and when you lift lift slowly you get a better you see a lot of people in a gym doing everything fast when done you have cintrifical (sp)force helping you , you do it slow and you can really feel the burn and you are not able to do many but it is better for you
  • ebkins7
    ebkins7 Posts: 427 Member
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    The only way a woman can get HULKlike is with steriods... true some women have more muscle than others and look bigger but that's just their body. Light weights/more reps is just dumb! You're not working your muscles appropriately! A medium weight with 10-12 reps (the last rep should be a struggle while still maintaining good form) is what's REALLY going to work!

    The illussion that you're going to get huge is unrealistic. It's all about hormone levels - a woman simply doesn't have the NATURAL hormones to get HUGE!!! Besides... if becoming a professional bodybuilder IS NOT your goal, you'll never be like that anyways because it's not your mindset!

    Go Heavy(er) or GO HOME!!! just my opinion after TONS of research!
  • jdgjd
    jdgjd Posts: 1
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    As a disclaimer let me say that I carry no medical degrees - my knowledge (or lack thereof) comes from about 35 years in and out of gyms. It is very, very, very (get the idea) difficult for women to "bulk up" unless they are taking drugs. If you look at women body builders from the 70's you will see fit/toned ladies. Conventional wisdom is that you are probably better off in the 8 to 12 rep per set range, however mixing it up is not going to hurt you. You could actually get by without weights by doing push ups, pull up and dips as these exercises cover most of your upper body. Good luck
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    For pretty much the majority of the time I've been doing strength training I've done 5 sets of the most reps I can perform and I usually move up a weight on anywhere from 6-8 reps. Only recently I've started moving up on 10 reps but that's because I got stuck on a plateau - I find if you do higher weight lower reps it's easier to move up and get stronger. Today for example I did 5 sets on an exercise and the reps went 7,5,4,4,3
    You wont bulk unless you eat loads and train loads :) all the women that do bulk up put years of effort and hard work into doing exactly that, they make it their number one aim. Even if you do start to get a little more muscley/bulky than you'd like, it's not forever, you can change things up or cut it down a bit and you'd soon lose it again.
  • BADAS5
    BADAS5 Posts: 26
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    Thanks for all of the posts. Another wide variety of suggestions but I think I have a better feel for what I should be doing. Unfortunately I am one of those girls that does sort of tend to bulk up. Nothing extreme like a body builder but after 6 years of being a swimmer/diver my shoulders have taken a liking to adding bulk.

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