How many women actually workout with weights

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  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 406 Member
    Loco_Beast wrote: »
    Not claiming to be a guru or anything, but I have done my research. I have females in my gym ask me for advice a lot, and I think that's only because they see me in the gym and I actually workout the whole time I'm there, I'm not sitting on a piece of equipment texting or whatever. General opinion I hear is that they are afraid if they workout they will start to look "bulky" or "manly". This is so far from true, guess I'm just curious to how many women on here actually train with weights. Thanks, and good luck to all on your goals.

    I do, and I know that misconception is out there. Even my own family, when I got excited about how much I could lift once, started in with "Don't get all bulky, now" or "you don't want to look like those women who look like men" - to which my response was "Do you realize how many hours per day those women lift, and how fine-tuned their diets are? If I wanted to look like that I would have to TRY to look like that"
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    I'm a powerlifter, lift 5x week. Not bulky, but extra curvy. This is a huge movement. Check out girlswhopowerlift on instagram or facebook.
  • vyanez0986
    vyanez0986 Posts: 5 Member
    I use weights about 3/4 times a week. My arms are looking more toned. I mean if you go really extreme you can start looking bulky, but there is nothing wrong with looking toned.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    There are certainly a lot of myths about women and lifting. Those of us who get past that have found the fountain of youth, a bone density scan will prove that. What I find is that it's empowering for women when they finally do it. I'm not sure what texting has to do with any of that ;) our smart phones are part of our life now though, no judgement there.
  • Rossergirl
    Rossergirl Posts: 105 Member
    I have always used weights, but not heavy and not often. I am getting ready to getting ready to start with a little bit heavier and and whole lot more often. I have done my research and I KNOW I will NOT bulk! I am super excited to get started.
  • mariaroman722
    mariaroman722 Posts: 4 Member
    I do weights 3 to 4 days a week, and I dont see any difference. I do want my arms to get firm. Is there something safe out there I could also add to my diet to gain muscle?
  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
    mariaroman722 wrote: »
    I do weights 3 to 4 days a week, and I dont see any difference. I do want my arms to get firm. Is there something safe out there I could also add to my diet to gain muscle?

    How long have you been lifting?
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
    mariaroman722 wrote: »
    I do weights 3 to 4 days a week, and I dont see any difference. I do want my arms to get firm. Is there something safe out there I could also add to my diet to gain muscle?

    Are you progressively increasing your weight that you lift? I increase my weight about every week and pretty quickly developed harder, more defined muscles.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    edited May 2016
    Prior to having abdominal surgery 3 and a half weeks ago, I power lifted at the gym 3 days a weeks. As soon as my doctor clears me to do so, I'll be back at it again. :)
  • 737jac737
    737jac737 Posts: 54 Member
    I don't carry my phone when I do weights. I count, concentrate and breath. :)
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    I lift heavy 5-6 days a week. Look how bulky and huge I got!! :p

    20160523_140710_zps2zqj8mkr.jpg

    Let me preface this by saying you look totally awesome and strong and as you can tell from my profile I have a lot of definition as well. And I don't want to derail this thread from the wonderful topic of getting more women lifting. But I'm going to play devil's advocate for a second. When people (mostly men when their ladies start lifting) say they don't want them to get too bulky, they are usually talking about visible definition of musculature. A lot of women (and men want their women) to be thin and toned without visible muscle definition, which they associate with being 'manly'. See the below comparison for example. I think there are plenty of people who would say that you (and I) are bulky and I wouldn't necessarily disagree to an extent.

    1v11e3l54zkq.jpg
  • Loco_Beast
    Loco_Beast Posts: 35 Member
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Loco_Beast wrote: »
    Not claiming to be a guru or anything, but I have done my research. I have females in my gym ask me for advice a lot, and I think that's only because they see me in the gym and I actually workout the whole time I'm there, I'm not sitting on a piece of equipment texting or whatever. General opinion I hear is that they are afraid if they workout they will start to look "bulky" or "manly". This is so far from true, guess I'm just curious to how many women on here actually train with weights. Thanks, and good luck to all on your goals.

    I do want to talk about this for a second. Sometimes my rest periods are 3-5 minutes. I will sit there taking up the bench or rack while on my phone the entire time since my phone is my rest timer. If a guy wanted to work in on my rest periods he's welcome to ask, but he's going to have to unload/load for himself. I can't cut the rest periods down any more because it's very specific programming.


    Thanks for bringing this up, as I replied to a different post, I apologize for the misleading way i wrote that. I was referring to the guys (usually young) who sit there for all over 15-30 minutes talking to buddies, texting, what ever. I was not implying it was women. I do appreciate your post, I haven't been on this community long, and I learned quick that I have to be very specific with my post, so I don't offend. Thanks again, and good luck on your goals.
  • Loco_Beast
    Loco_Beast Posts: 35 Member
    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    I lift heavy 5-6 days a week. Look how bulky and huge I got!! :p

    20160523_140710_zps2zqj8mkr.jpg

    You look great, keep up the good work.
  • Loco_Beast
    Loco_Beast Posts: 35 Member
    mariaroman722 wrote: »
    I do weights 3 to 4 days a week, and I dont see any difference. I do want my arms to get firm. Is there something safe out there I could also add to my diet to gain muscle?

    From my experience as far as a workout goes, everyone is different, you have to learn what YOUR body responds to best. Some people respond to lower reps high weight, others lower weight higher reps. It's all about your goals. But from what I have seen here there are plenty of women who know what's up, maybe they will pitch in and give you some advice about what worked well for them, try some it all and see how your body responds. Good luck on your journey
  • Pinkvela
    Pinkvela Posts: 21 Member
    Moi! and if I hear one more lady say "I don't want to look bulky", I don't know... -I don't go as much as I used to though, I do what I call "greasing the joints", just enough to keep me in the swing of things. But I love how it can transform a body when it is done with a plan in mind.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    oh_happy_day wrote: »
    I do - 5 days a week and have done for years. Still not bulky...shock! ;) Weights have done more for my figure than any other exercise. All of my female friends who are into exercise/gym train with weights and my gym is packed with women training with weights regularly.

    +1. You must be lifting at my gym :)
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    Loco_Beast wrote: »
    Not claiming to be a guru or anything, but I have done my research. I have females in my gym ask me for advice a lot, and I think that's only because they see me in the gym and I actually workout the whole time I'm there, I'm not sitting on a piece of equipment texting or whatever. General opinion I hear is that they are afraid if they workout they will start to look "bulky" or "manly". This is so far from true, guess I'm just curious to how many women on here actually train with weights. Thanks, and good luck to all on your goals.

    This is extraordinarily offensive.

    1. Nobody is looking at you in the gym and changing their workout because of it. We don't actually give a fig about what you are doing. Unless you are extraordinarily smelly or in my way, I won't give you a second thought.
    2. Research...that word does not mean what you think it means.
    3. You don't have females at your gym, you have WOMEN. We are not animals.
    4. I would never, EVER sit on a piece of equipment and tie it up if I was not actually using it to work out. The implication that this is the role that women play at the gym is horrid.
    5. I am a woman. I learned to lift in my teens. Yes, I know what I am doing. Yes, I lift heavier than a lot of men, even ones half my age.
    6. Lots of women train with weights. Anybody who is not an idiot knows that it will not make us look manly or bulky.

    It's not that serious.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    Loco_Beast wrote: »
    Not claiming to be a guru or anything, but I have done my research. I have females in my gym ask me for advice a lot, and I think that's only because they see me in the gym and I actually workout the whole time I'm there, I'm not sitting on a piece of equipment texting or whatever. General opinion I hear is that they are afraid if they workout they will start to look "bulky" or "manly". This is so far from true, guess I'm just curious to how many women on here actually train with weights. Thanks, and good luck to all on your goals.

    This is extraordinarily offensive.

    1. Nobody is looking at you in the gym and changing their workout because of it. We don't actually give a fig about what you are doing. Unless you are extraordinarily smelly or in my way, I won't give you a second thought.
    2. Research...that word does not mean what you think it means.
    3. You don't have females at your gym, you have WOMEN. We are not animals.
    4. I would never, EVER sit on a piece of equipment and tie it up if I was not actually using it to work out. The implication that this is the role that women play at the gym is horrid.
    5. I am a woman. I learned to lift in my teens. Yes, I know what I am doing. Yes, I lift heavier than a lot of men, even ones half my age.
    6. Lots of women train with weights. Anybody who is not an idiot knows that it will not make us look manly or bulky.

    The OP was a little eyeroll inducing but hardly that offensive.

    I know plenty of otherwise intelligent women who do believe that heavy lifting makes you bulky. Just this afternoon I had a conversation with my massage therapist about it. She only recently came to learn that this was a myth.
    I'd consider your plast point more offensive than the OP.

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