women powerlifters....questions
lindz4ever
Posts: 593 Member
my husband is wanting me to start powerlifting with him. he thinks i would be really good at it. im currently a stay at home mom with only one car and two todlers and help my grandparents out alot, and also have a tight grocery budget and i would love to lose about 50 pounds and have a firm stomach to fit in to clothes that make me feel and look good. i have a few questions since im actually considering doing this. one how do you ladies balance training/lifting and being a mom that has other responsibilities such as cooking cleaning and other obligations to help family? 2, what is your diet like? having a hubby who eats alot of stake and high protien foods then trying to buy food for the toddlers to eat, i would like to have an idea of what i would need to eat and be taking in to powerlift. and 3 where would i begin? what kind of work outs and how often? i would have no clue where to start. i know he would help me but hes the kind that goes balls to the walls and would push and start me off hard, and i just dont know that i want him training me at first if i do this.
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StrongLifts 5x5 is a beginner strength training program that focuses on five compound lifts three times a week. This is Olympic barbell weightlifting. It can help you lean out.
I would try to organize or schedule your day and prioritize your health first (because if you are not there, you can't be there for others).
For exercise---> I like to think, "get it done and out of the way".
For meals---> One thing I like to do is prep meals in advance. I grill bulk chicken breasts and veggies then put them in containers for the week. One or two days we may have fish or other. I also have bulk cartons of egg-whites for quick omelets or crepes. I'm not a mommy but I'm sure you know ways (sauces?) you can entice the toddlers' tastebuds so that they will eat the same foods.
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Powerlifting is specific sport. Look it up and see exactly what it is, go to a couple competitions if you have any in your area. I love powerlifting. I got into it slowly with about a year of general fitness, getting into shape, learning form and function, getting my heart strong. And then i found a trainer, who is also a competitor. P There are 3 main lifts Bench, Squat and deadlift, thats what its all about, those three lifts, a single rep as heavy as you can. Thats what we train for. Power lifters eat a lot, this isn't like the fitness girls on stage that watch every calorie they eat. We eat for power and strength, high protein, we don't skimp on calories. Lots of PL girls have thin beautiful bodies and watch their weight, but some are big heavy girls and carry extra fat to go with their extra muscle. I love powerlifting, i'm not concerned about my weight or appearance, i'm only concerned about my next PR. I train with a specific program, 4 days a week and that program changes up often based on the next competition date and what part of the training cycle i'm in0
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I eat the same as my OH only more veggies and less starchy carbs. My steak portions are about half his.
I'm sure your husband's heart is in the right place, but I share your concern about him training you. Every time I took advice from a SO it didn't end well.
Maybe see if your library has a copy of "New Rules of Lifting for Women" or "Strong" (which is the latest version of NROLFW.) This is not to say that women in general need to lift differently than men, in fact, the gist is they need to lift MORE like men, but this is a structured plan for beginners where your husband's plan will likely not be.0 -
I'm a lifter but not a power lifter. I'm also a mom to a 4 yr old. I am doing a 16:8 fast schedule. So I do my lifting workouts in the morning after coffee, no breakfast. I eat after my workout. I'm not on any specific diet, omnivore here. That said, I hit my protein goal to minimize muscle loss since I'm on a deficit. We eat chicken breast or thighs for dinner. We make ground turkey tacos that the kid will eat. Often she eats something different, though (picky). Meal prep is helpful but eating the same meals gets dull for my husband. Crock pot cooking is great for making large batches of food & I freeze leftovers. I eat lots of vegetables -those Steamfresh bags are handy and often on sale. My carbs I try to keep under 200g/day. I buy and use dry and canned beans, canned tomatoes for soups and stews. I don't eat as much red meat because it's expensive. I grab canned tuna on sale whenever I see it. I do use whey protein shakes to get me up to 100g of Protein daily.
I clean my house as I go. I'm not too concerned with perfection. Clean the kitchen daily, do floors and bathrooms weekly or as needed. I refuse to be a slave to my house, lol. It looks fairly neat so I don't sweat it. I also am an artist and work from home.
I started lifting with Stronglifts 5x5 & now I'm doing PHUL.0 -
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@lindz4ever did you specifically mean powerlifting or did you actually mean regular weight lifting?0
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You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.0
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I'm a SAHM with 2 kids (1 in school full day and 1 in pre-k). I'm on a powerlifting program (5/3/1 for PL).
I'm not sure there are any real "special" insights I can give you. I didn't start off with The Big 3 (squat, bench, deadlift). I started with SL 5x5. I had to build up the strength to lift the bar (which usual weigh 45lbs). A beginner program like New Rules or SL would be the best place to start.
I belong to a gym with a daycare, which is really essentially if you want to be consistent. You can't use your kids/not having daycare as an excuse to skip the gym. If your husband annoys you at the gym with his "balls to the wall" attitude, see if you can schedule a few training sessions with trainer to have a quick overview of exercises and form.
My husband is actually now on the same program that I'm on. We eat a lot of food, but our food budget has gone through the roof. We generally don't eat foods from a box (which can be super expensive for what they are). We eat a lot of eggs, veggies, and lean meat. I roast a chicken or turkey once or twice a week (much cheaper to use the whole bird). The kids eat what we eat and always have (even as toddlers); they just eat smaller portions. We belong to BJs (a wholesale club); BJs has decent prices on organic meat/veggies.
As for time and other responsibilities (like taking care of the house, etc.), you have to make time. You have to make lifting a priority and a routine. It's not hard to do; you just have to figure out how to schedule your life as efficiently as you can.0 -
I feel you-- I gained a ton of weight with my pregnancy (son is 3 now), and was overweight to begin with, so I wanted to (and did) lose about 50 lbs starting when he was 6 months old. It took me about a year to lose that (and have, more or less, consistently kept it off).
Biggest thing: lifting/working out IS going to help you gain more lean muscle and appear more "toned," and, to some extent, help burn excess fat. However, for fat/weight loss, and to reveal the muscle mass you're looking to achieve with powerlifting, you'll need to eat at a deficit, in a reasonable way that works for you. I did WeightWatchers for most of my weight loss, but really, any way of eating that keeps you accountable is a great way to start. Tons of calculators floating around to help you figure out what a safe, healthy deficit would be for you.
Food-wise: I'm a strong believer in my kid eats what I eat (single mom now, so I don't have a lot of time to prep special meals for him), but I know that's not for everyone. I agree that sauces/dips are like crack for kids. My kid dips fruit in ketchup, and that's freaking gross, but he's eating fresh fruit so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯... Chicken breast, tuna, fish, shrimp, lean cuts of beef, are all lean sources of protein, most of which can be found relatively inexpensive and can be presented with magical dip to make your kid(s) want to eat them. Worst-case scenario, I'm not too proud to throw my kid some dino nuggets or an uncrustable every once in a while. Balance.
I eat a lot of pulled chicken breast. I throw a 5lb bag of frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot with like a cup or so of Frank's buffalo sauce and a package of ranch seasoning, throw that crap on low for 6-8 hours, shred in the crockpot and serve it on EVERYTHING. Heated up in a low card wrap with some thin sliced cheese, with quinoa, over zucchini noodles, cold on salads, etc etc. For breakfast nearly every morning before work, I eat a light English muffin with a turkey sausage patty, thin slice of cheddar, and a beautiful runny over-easy egg.
I do supplement with protein shakes sometimes when it's hard to sit down and make a full meal, and I snack on protein bars (quest and victory bars) usually once a day at work. Protein is important, but I personally don't stress out too too much about eating extra protein just because I lift.
Lifting: I do a lot of powerlifting, mostly squats and deads. I find time almost exclusively because I work full-time at a gym and do it on my break. So I'm no help there. I do like incorporating a lot of compound movements like thrusters/wall balls, a lot of kettlebell swings and KB work in general, and tons of bodyweight moves. Two pieces of advice I'll leave you with on lifting: get comfortable with good form before you start loading on weight, and don't be intimidated. Start by finding your own groove, then just grow with it.
Holy long first post. Sorry. Hope it helps.0 -
I've run a couple different powerlifting programs for the last 2 years. I don't compete and don't plan to. I started with Stronglifts.
Diet is IIFYM and intermittent fasting. My husband, also following a PL program, eats the same things I do, just more of it.
We have three kids. They eat what we eat (usually), but they're older and not toddlers so I can't help you there. They're also old enough to stay home with my oldest while we go to the gym. When my husband was away from home working (military), I brought the gym to me; I put a squat rack, bench, barbell and plates in my basement. It really cut down on the mom guilt of having to leave the house for the gym.0 -
Hi Ladies, just wanted to say hi. Starting to train for my first ever competition in April! I have a coach (with 15 world records!) that is training me once a week, and I'm psyched. He has ripped apart my squat and deadlift so far, this week is bench. My current numbers (which are not PRs, I'm building back up to where I once was) are:
Squat: 175x5
DL: 235x6
Bench:95x5
None of my coach's tweaks to my form have been major, all my lifts would qualify and be good (actually my squat is too deep if you believe it and he's making me box squat so i DON't go so far!) but with DLs I was wasting energy setting up and with squats my core needs some strengthening.
Anyway just wanted to say hi and that I'll be popping in. I'm still in the phase of coming back where my numbers are climbing quickly so that's fun.0 -
MoreBean13 wrote: »Hi Ladies, just wanted to say hi. Starting to train for my first ever competition in April! I have a coach (with 15 world records!) that is training me once a week, and I'm psyched. He has ripped apart my squat and deadlift so far, this week is bench. My current numbers (which are not PRs, I'm building back up to where I once was) are:
Squat: 175x5
DL: 235x6
Bench:95x5
None of my coach's tweaks to my form have been major, all my lifts would qualify and be good (actually my squat is too deep if you believe it and he's making me box squat so i DON't go so far!) but with DLs I was wasting energy setting up and with squats my core needs some strengthening.
Anyway just wanted to say hi and that I'll be popping in. I'm still in the phase of coming back where my numbers are climbing quickly so that's fun.
She lives! Congrats on your comeback0 -
I'll weigh in on the programs, I think stronglifts is my favorite beginner program. Starting strength is also technically good, but it's too complicated for my taste- to me, between the two, it's a personality thing. With stronglifts, your workouts are more routine, with starting strength, you get more variety. They're both good and IMHO accomplish the same goal. I prefer to do the same workout over and over and keep trying to up my game, other people prefer a little more variety.
I should also say I've never followed either program explicitly, I've always written my own program (which I don't recommend unless you know what youre doing), but I have studied both programs. For a long time I did a modified SL5x5, I have read and tried SS, but I did eventually plateau on SL5x5 and had to modify to a 5x5Push/Pull/Legs with more accessory work for different reasons.....and now this coach is making me do abs. ABS. It's against my moral fiber to do ab workouts!
No matter what....do lunges and good mornings somewhere in your program. You will hate/love/hate them.0 -
_dracarys_ wrote: »MoreBean13 wrote: »Hi Ladies, just wanted to say hi. Starting to train for my first ever competition in April! I have a coach (with 15 world records!) that is training me once a week, and I'm psyched. He has ripped apart my squat and deadlift so far, this week is bench. My current numbers (which are not PRs, I'm building back up to where I once was) are:
Squat: 175x5
DL: 235x6
Bench:95x5
None of my coach's tweaks to my form have been major, all my lifts would qualify and be good (actually my squat is too deep if you believe it and he's making me box squat so i DON't go so far!) but with DLs I was wasting energy setting up and with squats my core needs some strengthening.
Anyway just wanted to say hi and that I'll be popping in. I'm still in the phase of coming back where my numbers are climbing quickly so that's fun.
She lives! Congrats on your comeback
Thanks! I've gained about 15lbs from my picture, and a lot of doughiness, but I'm coming back strong.
Literally. You wouldn't believe how fast I went from nothing to 205lbs DL after a long time off. I started right off the bat at 135 squats and kept adding. Muscle memory is unbelievable- it's almost like I was on an intentional bulk. I think my fat self is going to break my trained PRs in a few months!0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »@lindz4ever did you specifically mean powerlifting or did you actually mean regular weight lifting?0
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You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training0 -
lindz4ever wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »@lindz4ever did you specifically mean powerlifting or did you actually mean regular weight lifting?
In that case, I will answer your questions.
I usually do some variation of 5/3/1, which includes the usual big lifts (deadlift, ohp, bench, squat. ) Right now I'm doing it on a 2 day plan with another 2 days of circuit training but usually I'm on 3-4 days.
I eat what I think of as normal food. Meat, veggies, fruit, pasta, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. I have an 8 yo and she eats the same foods as my husband and me. We've never made her separate meals. He and I work full time but he gets off work at 3 so he usually makes dinner and does the homework thing with our daughter before I get home at 5:30. Then I do the cleanup work. I've been living the good life with that setup but his schedule is changing soon and he won't get home until 7:30p. Boohoo0 -
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MoreBean13 wrote: »Hi Ladies, just wanted to say hi. Starting to train for my first ever competition in April! I have a coach (with 15 world records!) that is training me once a week, and I'm psyched. He has ripped apart my squat and deadlift so far, this week is bench. My current numbers (which are not PRs, I'm building back up to where I once was) are:
Squat: 175x5
DL: 235x6
Bench:95x5
None of my coach's tweaks to my form have been major, all my lifts would qualify and be good (actually my squat is too deep if you believe it and he's making me box squat so i DON't go so far!) but with DLs I was wasting energy setting up and with squats my core needs some strengthening.
Anyway just wanted to say hi and that I'll be popping in. I'm still in the phase of coming back where my numbers are climbing quickly so that's fun.
I am currently wanting to dedicate more of my time to lifting and achieving the body I have been wanting for a while now. I know my biggest problem would be making the time to properly eat the right foods because I am currently at college and money will play a big factor in that. I can get a lot of nutritional foods in my school cafeteria, but I am not sure about what type of macro units my body needs in order to achieve the goals I want. I also would like know to more about weight lifting techniques and how often you should work out to get max results. I did powerlifting in high school, but I haven't gotten back into the routine of lifting or eating healthy sense then. I am really looking for some advice and guidance as to how I can motivate myself in getting the body I want. I have also thought about doing competitions again, but not sure how to get back into the game.0 -
OP - keep it simple. Don't try and make multiple changess all at once. It's a recipe for frustration and failure.
Like many have shared, start with a beginner program and follow it to a T. Get used to following a program and how your body reacts.
Then a month or two later focus on getting your nutrition better if it even needs to be. We're not all world class athletes so calories overall is what is going to help you.
DONT MAJOR in the minors........
My best "tip" to share is learn to accept failure and grow from it. At the end of the day your experience is what it is and what works best for you isn't the same for me.
Again keep it simple. Lift, eat, rest, repeat!
And learn as you go.
Best of luck to you and your hubby!0 -
GuitarJerry wrote: »lindz4ever wrote: »You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training
This is not a woman or man issue. Men and women train the same. 5/3/1 is ok, but it's not ideal. You'll probably just do whatever your husband is doing, which is fine. But, most people misunderstand 5/3/1 because Wendler is a horrible writer. It wasn't until I started following him on FB and IG where I began to understand.
The problem with 5/3/1 is it lacks volume, IMO. In my training now, I squat every session. And I bench and deadlift twice a week. I see much better results with more frequency on each lift. But, these are details you can work on later.
Men and women do the exact same lifts. There is no difference.
Being a mom has nothing to do with it either. I'm a dad. I lift. No big deal. You're a mom that lifts. Prioritize it in your life and make it happen.
I'm with you on twice a week but you squat every time you go to the gym??? No offense but that's not right. Squat hard once a week, squat lighter once a week, and recover in between. If you're squatting everyday your squats are not where they can be.0 -
MoreBean13 wrote: »GuitarJerry wrote: »lindz4ever wrote: »You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training
This is not a woman or man issue. Men and women train the same. 5/3/1 is ok, but it's not ideal. You'll probably just do whatever your husband is doing, which is fine. But, most people misunderstand 5/3/1 because Wendler is a horrible writer. It wasn't until I started following him on FB and IG where I began to understand.
The problem with 5/3/1 is it lacks volume, IMO. In my training now, I squat every session. And I bench and deadlift twice a week. I see much better results with more frequency on each lift. But, these are details you can work on later.
Men and women do the exact same lifts. There is no difference.
Being a mom has nothing to do with it either. I'm a dad. I lift. No big deal. You're a mom that lifts. Prioritize it in your life and make it happen.
I'm with you on twice a week but you squat every time you go to the gym??? No offense but that's not right. Squat hard once a week, squat lighter once a week, and recover in between. If you're squatting everyday your squats are not where they can be.
Different people, different programs, different goals.0 -
MoreBean13 wrote: »GuitarJerry wrote: »lindz4ever wrote: »You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training
This is not a woman or man issue. Men and women train the same. 5/3/1 is ok, but it's not ideal. You'll probably just do whatever your husband is doing, which is fine. But, most people misunderstand 5/3/1 because Wendler is a horrible writer. It wasn't until I started following him on FB and IG where I began to understand.
The problem with 5/3/1 is it lacks volume, IMO. In my training now, I squat every session. And I bench and deadlift twice a week. I see much better results with more frequency on each lift. But, these are details you can work on later.
Men and women do the exact same lifts. There is no difference.
Being a mom has nothing to do with it either. I'm a dad. I lift. No big deal. You're a mom that lifts. Prioritize it in your life and make it happen.
I'm with you on twice a week but you squat every time you go to the gym??? No offense but that's not right. Squat hard once a week, squat lighter once a week, and recover in between. If you're squatting everyday your squats are not where they can be.
Different people, different programs, different goals.
Yes,yes,and yes.0 -
MoreBean13 wrote: »GuitarJerry wrote: »lindz4ever wrote: »You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training
This is not a woman or man issue. Men and women train the same. 5/3/1 is ok, but it's not ideal. You'll probably just do whatever your husband is doing, which is fine. But, most people misunderstand 5/3/1 because Wendler is a horrible writer. It wasn't until I started following him on FB and IG where I began to understand.
The problem with 5/3/1 is it lacks volume, IMO. In my training now, I squat every session. And I bench and deadlift twice a week. I see much better results with more frequency on each lift. But, these are details you can work on later.
Men and women do the exact same lifts. There is no difference.
Being a mom has nothing to do with it either. I'm a dad. I lift. No big deal. You're a mom that lifts. Prioritize it in your life and make it happen.
I'm with you on twice a week but you squat every time you go to the gym??? No offense but that's not right. Squat hard once a week, squat lighter once a week, and recover in between. If you're squatting everyday your squats are not where they can be.
Keep the OP in mind. She should be using a beginner program and that's it. She doesn't need to get confused with frequency, volume, and intensity of sessions.0 -
Thank you all so much for your advice and inputs. You have really helped me out. I really do appreciate it.0
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MoreBean13 wrote: »GuitarJerry wrote: »lindz4ever wrote: »You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training
This is not a woman or man issue. Men and women train the same. 5/3/1 is ok, but it's not ideal. You'll probably just do whatever your husband is doing, which is fine. But, most people misunderstand 5/3/1 because Wendler is a horrible writer. It wasn't until I started following him on FB and IG where I began to understand.
The problem with 5/3/1 is it lacks volume, IMO. In my training now, I squat every session. And I bench and deadlift twice a week. I see much better results with more frequency on each lift. But, these are details you can work on later.
Men and women do the exact same lifts. There is no difference.
Being a mom has nothing to do with it either. I'm a dad. I lift. No big deal. You're a mom that lifts. Prioritize it in your life and make it happen.
I'm with you on twice a week but you squat every time you go to the gym??? No offense but that's not right. Squat hard once a week, squat lighter once a week, and recover in between. If you're squatting everyday your squats are not where they can be.
Not true for everyone, but yes, probably true for beginners. You have to work up to that type of training volume. Competitive olympic lifters generally squat every training session, sometimes twice a day at different times. Different strokes for different folks.0 -
lindz4ever wrote: »You have a husband that's a powerlifter. You want to be a powerlifter. So you come asking strangers on a forum for advice? Better not tell him about this, he's likely to be offended that you didn't go to him.
He just got in to it back in June and is being trained right now and wants to train me after he gets more comfortable. I wanted some insight from parents abd women on how to balance being a mom and training, men's opinion s are always welcomed I'm worried that my husband doesn't know what a womans needs for training
Training needs for men and women aren't any different. If you're training like a power lifter you're going to be doing the same things a guy is going to be doing to train like a power lifter. StrongLifts 5x5 is an excellent introduction to power lifting...
As far as balancing training and life, IDK...you just do. Both my wife and I are into physical fitness...she's primarily a runner and I'm a cyclist and we both lift. We don't lift together because 1) we have different training goals and 2) if we did we would have to have a baby sitter as our gym does not have child care. We alternate days and thus we also alternate days taking care of the house hold stuff, watching the kids, cooking, etc.
I lift Monday and Wednesday evening and Saturday morning. My wife lifts on Sunday morning and Tuesday and Thursday evenings. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, I'm in charge of getting the boys fed and preparing dinner for us when she gets home...getting kids bathed, etc..she does the same on my lifting nights.
We both tend to do our cardio work (running and cycling) during our lunch hours at work...she usually takes a long run on Saturday sometime and I usually do my long rides on Sundays after she gets back from the gym.
IMO, the only way to really balance it all is to work as a team and everyone has to carry their part of the load.0
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