How heavy should girls lift?
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nothing beyond pink weights. If they aren't pink, not for women. Same with protein. If the protein is in a pink container, it's formulated properly.0
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I'm just starting Strong Curves, which takes a different approach - has explicitly aesthetic goals more in line with traditionally "feminine" bodies. Involves lifting heavy, though
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nothing beyond pink weights. If they aren't pink, not for women. Same with protein. If the protein is in a pink container, it's formulated properly.
I joined recently a Planet Fitness. I have read here people complaining about them not having free weights, so I visited before joining, and fortunately this one here is a perfectly average gym, with several free weight benches. What they have however thatis weird at first glance, is a lot of pink weight plates I suspected at first that they used to be red and just faded with time. But now I realise the error of my ways, it is a clever plan to attract women to heavy weights 
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nothing beyond pink weights. If they aren't pink, not for women. Same with protein. If the protein is in a pink container, it's formulated properly.
I joined recently a Planet Fitness. I have read here people complaining about them not having free weights, so I visited before joining, and fortunately this one here is a perfectly average gym, with several free weight benches. What they have however thatis weird at first glance, is a lot of pink weight plates I suspected at first that they used to be red and just faded with time. But now I realise the error of my ways, it is a clever plan to attract women to heavy weights
God, I hope not. I would hope a judgement free zone wouldn't be so steeped in sexism... 0 -
queer_mermaid wrote: »Lift however much you damn well please as long as your form is on point and it makes you feel good! high weight low reps definitely builds strength, but muscle size doesn't really grow unless you're eating at a calorie surplus, if anything, the heavier the weights I lift, the smaller and more defined but strong I seem to get. If you're concerned, you should book a programme with someone at your gym who will probably know loads about it all.
Also, I use IIFYM to make sure I'm hitting all my macros etc!
I've seen a few people talk about this, what's IIFYM?
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like others said..as heavy as you can.
are you doing a structured program, or are you doing a homemade one?
Just doing a home made one. I'll tend to do my run first - anything from 30 minutes to an hour. I do one session of HIIT training a week on the treadmill too. Then I'll do an hour of weights focusing on either back and biceps, chest and triceps or legs.
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You can lift as much as possible, however Im pretty sure you eat below your BMR sometimes which can be dangerous and will cause you to lose muscle mass! 1300 is not enough for a grown woman!0
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It's been a while since I've done proper lifting (illness and hamstring injury). But I gain a fair amount of weight when I start lifting - like others have said, I think it's because your muscles hold more water.
Looking at your diary, you're logging the real weights of things (I note the slightly different weights of the grapes each day) - keep it up, that's a great habit to get into.
My advice would be to be patient. I don't think the weight you've gained is fat, I think it's water and it will settle down.
Oooh and IIFYM is short for If it fits your macros (essentially eat what you like so long as you're getting the right balance of carbs, fat protein and cals).
I'm no expert but I'd be interested to know what others think of an hour's lifting after a run - to me this seems too long but I'm not a qualified trainer or at target or any of the other things that might add knowledge to this gut feeling.0 -
Here's the Strength Standards for the major lifts (men and women's tables included) http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html0
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Thanks, that's really interesting!Dragonflag07 wrote: »Here's the Strength Standards for the major lifts (men and women's tables included) http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html
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I would not base anything on lifting standards, everyone is different, some people can squat more but their bench is weak, some people have week squat but their bench is good (me:D). Women should lift as much as it would be challenging for them, lifting 1kg weights if you can easily lift 4kg wont do any good, it can even regress the progress.
Progressive overload at any time:)0 -
MoniqueHoltman wrote: »I eat anything between 1,300 and 1,700 calories a day. I do a lot of running too as I'm training for a half marathon - surely that can't be a calorie surplus?
How much running are you doing a week? In miles/kg's. . .and you lift 5 days a week and you consume 1300 to 1700 calories. Are these accurate?
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_Terrapin_ wrote: »
How much running are you doing a week? In miles/kg's. . .and you lift 5 days a week and you consume 1300 to 1700 calories. Are these accurate?
Hope its not...
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As much as she can and wants to (with proper form yes)
If you're getting bigger, I'd pretty much guarantee you're in a calorie surplus or at the very least maintenance but then that would be especially hard to gain any significant muscle on. It would be more like a recomp.
If your diet is in check and you are still gaining more muscle than you would personally like (if it's fat gain, it's a diet issue) then I would have a look over your program. Has anything else changed apart from the number of days? Just getting to use heavier weights, shouldn't have that much of an impact on your size, unless you're specifically aiming for that. Bodybuilders in fact train with lighter weights, and slightly higher reps (8-12ish) and they gain more size than powerlifters or weightlifters for example who train with heavier weights but far less reps most of the time (<5). Both are pushing themselves just as hard, but the weight dicates how many reps you can do, and they go by what is optimal for their goals. If you really wanted to focus on strength and not size, you could take this into account and adjust your reps (which would end up lower, not higher) but honestly, I think it's more than likely to be a diet issue. This plays much more of a part I think than training style (as long as you're challenging yourself) I've always trained for strength but if I want to gain muscle, my training stays the same, my calories go up!0 -
MoniqueHoltman wrote: »I've seen a few people talk about this, what's IIFYM?
It stands for If It Fits Your Macros. There is a website of the same acronym.
Basically they state you can eat whatever you want as long as it fits your chosen fat, carb and protein limits.
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krzysztof1986 wrote: »You can lift as much as possible, however Im pretty sure you eat below your BMR sometimes which can be dangerous and will cause you to lose muscle mass! 1300 is not enough for a grown woman!
The reason I try to stick to those calories is because my metabolism is terrible. I had blood tests about a year ago because of unexplained weight gain and despite trying everything nothing shifts it. Tests came back fine so I started playing around with my calorie intake. I found that 1300/1400 even with exercise is what makes me lose one pound a week or sometimes only every two weeks.
What do you think is a more suitable daily calorie intake?
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@OP - your ticker indicates you only have 2 pounds left to lose? There is no need to have a calorie intake goal set toward losing 1 pound/week. The general advice is once you have less than 10 pounds to lose, you should adjust to 1/2 pound. Further, when you are dealing with the last few pounds, it is a much more delicate process that leaves very little room for inaccuracy around calories consumed and calories burned.
You will see weight flucuations almost daily between sodium, water, strength training, TOM factors. At this stage, I suggest focussing on enjoying and progressing your workouts (I personally feel you might be overtraining), and ensuring your tracking is dialed in tightly.
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nothing beyond pink weights. If they aren't pink, not for women. Same with protein. If the protein is in a pink container, it's formulated properly.
I joined recently a Planet Fitness. I have read here people complaining about them not having free weights, so I visited before joining, and fortunately this one here is a perfectly average gym, with several free weight benches. What they have however thatis weird at first glance, is a lot of pink weight plates I suspected at first that they used to be red and just faded with time. But now I realise the error of my ways, it is a clever plan to attract women to heavy weights
God, I hope not. I would hope a judgement free zone wouldn't be so steeped in sexism...
my brain probably would have exploded with that kind of nonsense.0 -
You can lift as heav25 as you'd like. You only have 10% of the testosterone a man has, so getting bulky is HARD to do.
I have been lifting heavy for a year now. My trainer says I am one of the strongest women he knows of at my gym. My diet is my weak point, so my weight has only gone down a few pounds...however, in a year I have lost 3.5 inches on my waist, 2.5 inches on my hips, 1.5 inches on my thigh, and 1.5 inches on my chest. I've added ~ 100 lbs to my squat (145lbs to 235lbs) I can deadlift 195lbs. I shoulder press 20/25 lbs in each hand. I've gained so much confidence...both in the gym and in life.0 -
Same rules apply to men and women. True men tend to lift heavier on average. That's just biology. But women don't have some kind of magical upper limit. They should lift as heavy as they can while maintaining proper form. And a woman who puts effort into lifting will kick a casual lifting man's *kitten* any day of the week.0
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Bump0
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How heavy depends on when it get "difficult to lift that weight". E.g If you are going for 12 reps, but the 9th / 10th rep you should feel that your weights are really heavy... Of course its subjective , but by 12th you should be exhausted (almost lifting to failure). Hope that gives you are good gauge.
Personally i do a 3 day split. My goal is not for any competition or beauty contest, its just to shape up after 1 year of weight loss. And hopefully get rid of the loose skin of mine0 -
This. Only been doing it for a year (happy anniversary today!!) but I've gone from doing squats against a fitness ball against a wall to squatting 185 pounds (and have dropped from 171 pounds to current 117). Do NOT be afraid of lifting heavy. "Toning" is crap.
I squatted 284 today, x 30 reps, no big deal, my *kitten* is still flat.0 -
This. Only been doing it for a year (happy anniversary today!!) but I've gone from doing squats against a fitness ball against a wall to squatting 185 pounds (and have dropped from 171 pounds to current 117). Do NOT be afraid of lifting heavy. "Toning" is crap.
I squatted 284 today, x 30 reps, no big deal, my *kitten* is still flat.
like- 30 straight reps? like cardio?
fck me.0 -
This. Only been doing it for a year (happy anniversary today!!) but I've gone from doing squats against a fitness ball against a wall to squatting 185 pounds (and have dropped from 171 pounds to current 117). Do NOT be afraid of lifting heavy. "Toning" is crap.
I squatted 284 today, x 30 reps, no big deal, my *kitten* is still flat.
like- 30 straight reps? like cardio?
fck me.
If it is, her calculated max is something over 500lbs and she should have been lifting at the Arnolds this last week. Even 10 reps is 386lb calculated - still should be competing as that's RAW American Record standards assuming with a BB and to depth.0 -
I can't do 284 @ 30 reps. Best I've rocked that is 11. Jeebus.0
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MoniqueHoltman wrote: »like others said..as heavy as you can.
are you doing a structured program, or are you doing a homemade one?
Just doing a home made one. I'll tend to do my run first - anything from 30 minutes to an hour. I do one session of HIIT training a week on the treadmill too. Then I'll do an hour of weights focusing on either back and biceps, chest and triceps or legs.
I would suggest a structured program. Do you have access to a gym?
If you are gaining (and outside initial water weight gains from increased activity), then you are at a surplus.
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This. Only been doing it for a year (happy anniversary today!!) but I've gone from doing squats against a fitness ball against a wall to squatting 185 pounds (and have dropped from 171 pounds to current 117). Do NOT be afraid of lifting heavy. "Toning" is crap.
I squatted 284 today, x 30 reps, no big deal, my *kitten* is still flat.
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Capt_Apollo wrote: »
This. Only been doing it for a year (happy anniversary today!!) but I've gone from doing squats against a fitness ball against a wall to squatting 185 pounds (and have dropped from 171 pounds to current 117). Do NOT be afraid of lifting heavy. "Toning" is crap.
I squatted 284 today, x 30 reps, no big deal, my *kitten* is still flat.
yeah I'm still not sure about what to do with this information myself.
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