For the ladies who are afraid to lift weights...
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yep, there are some women on here that show how strength training is doing wonders, as I said my wife just started, hopefully I can post her results in the future0
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I'll chime in. I am not afraid of bulk. I know that it takes some serious hormones and protein shakes to look like a meathead. I work with some guys that look like that, so that is how I know. My husband lifts all the rods on the bowflex, and while he looks quite manly, he does not look like a bodybuilder. (He is pretty hot though.)
Anyway, here's why I am afraid of the weights:
1. I don't feel welcome. When I had a gym membership, if I were to walk into the free weight area, I would have been a token for sure. There were no other women there. Not only that, but the dudes were dropping the weights, and making the floor shake. They also were making lots of grunty noises, and it was just plain uncomfortable. It felt like they were there to make a show more than they were there to work out.
2. Again, I don't feel comfortable. When I asked my husband to show me how to use the bowflex, I set the weight at an amount I felt comfortable with, and he literally laughed at me. He compared my abilities to his, and I haven't tried to use it since.
3. I am afraid of getting hurt. Sure, if you use proper form, you'll be fine, but I don't know what proper form looks like on my flabby, womanly body. I also have certain injuries and surgeries that I'm not sure how to deal with, and to be honest, neither the trainer nor the doctor seemed prepared to answer my questions about it.
So, there you go. If it was just me and the weights, I'd be fine. However, I am never alone, except in the car and in the bathroom. Someone is always looking and making fun of me, even when I'm at home. My husband has gotten a lot better about his doofus comments, but I still have confidence issues.
If all the guys were cool like you guys seem to be, I'd give it another shot. However, that's not the case. It would also be easier if I knew other women who were into it, but alas, other than my internet friends, I don't know a soul who has ovaries AND a set of weights.
I will probably pick up some 10lb dumbbells this weekend, but when it comes to heavy lifting, I'm just not there yet. Maybe someday I will be, but until then, I'm just too intimidated.
I hear what you are saying! My hubby has some weights in the loft and i asked him to get them down for me and he literally laughed at me too! I think he has 20-30lbs which i was going to start with. Maybe i'll convince him to get them down for me.
At the moment i get on with circuit training with 6lbs and have started to see some definition in my arms and shoulders which im pleased with. I will get there one day! just have to do my research and try.
I hear you about personal trainers and the gym as well! i find it far too intimidating. Its almost a 'holier than thou' attitude which i find extremely annoying. I think personal trainers need to be more approachable as how in the world are you going to make women feel comfortable by pretending to be a know it all?! That is my general consensus of people who lift- if you want to try and inspire people stop intimidating and be helpful rather than patronising0 -
As one of the ladies who WANTS to get buff, THANK YOU for this link!0
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I just started using weights.I did 30 Day shred and now I am doing Ripped in 30.I am only using 5 pound weights but I REALLY enjoy using weights.I have been a cardio queen for a long time,thinking that losing weight would make me get to my goal and I would be happy...well I am addicted to using weights now! I have been reading ALOT about the good in weights and I have to say that I was wrong! weights will get me to the body I want faster that just doing cardio.I am trying to learn EVERYTHING there is about weight lifting.I am a stay at home mom and just want to know if I don't go to the gym will or can I still get the cut/lean look?I really don't have the time and our baby is stuck to me like glue,so I can't get to the gym to use the equipment there.Any suggestions what DVDs are good using weight?I am not a fan of P90X!!
Try the ChaLean Extreme DVD - it's a 12 week programme that recommends you lift heavy
What's great about it, is that you there are people lifting lighter & heavier weights and using restance bands.
Plus, she gives very good tips on form - because of those tips, I can now dip all the way down when doing lunges.
I'm currently on my 9th week, and am now lifting 40 lbs for my lower body (squats / lunges) and 15 lbs+ for upper body (triceps / biceps / deltoids). I could probably go a lot heavier as my legs are quite strong.
I've lost 9 lbs so far and 9 inches - 2 of them from my waist. Also, I wear a KiFit (UK BodyMedia Fit) and since I started lifting, I have noticed that my TDEE has increased by 400-500 calories.
See if you can find some clips of the DCVD on youtube, so you can check it out.0 -
I just started using weights.I did 30 Day shred and now I am doing Ripped in 30.I am only using 5 pound weights but I REALLY enjoy using weights.I have been a cardio queen for a long time,thinking that losing weight would make me get to my goal and I would be happy...well I am addicted to using weights now! I have been reading ALOT about the good in weights and I have to say that I was wrong! weights will get me to the body I want faster that just doing cardio.I am trying to learn EVERYTHING there is about weight lifting.I am a stay at home mom and just want to know if I don't go to the gym will or can I still get the cut/lean look?I really don't have the time and our baby is stuck to me like glue,so I can't get to the gym to use the equipment there.Any suggestions what DVDs are good using weight?I am not a fan of P90X!!
Try the ChaLean Extreme DVD - it's a 12 week programme that recommends you lift heavy
What's great about it, is that you there are people lifting lighter & heavier weights and using restance bands.
Plus, she gives very good tips on form - because of those tips, I can now dip all the way down when doing lunges.
I'm currently on my 9th week, and am now lifting 40 lbs for my lower body (squats / lunges) and 15 lbs+ for upper body (triceps / biceps / deltoids). I could probably go a lot heavier as my legs are quite strong.
I've lost 9 lbs so far and 9 inches - 2 of them from my waist. Also, I wear a KiFit (UK BodyMedia Fit) and since I started lifting, I have noticed that my TDEE has increased by 400-500 calories.
See if you can find some clips of the DCVD on youtube, so you can check it out.
Thank you I will look into that!0 -
i understand where some of you women are coming from as far as feeling a bit intimidated by the free weight area, but from my perspective i've never once looked at a women lifting weights and thought to myself "what's she doing in this part of the gym"
seeing a women doing core lifts in the free weights area is impressive and even inspiring because you don't see it often enough.
just my 2 cents....0 -
i understand where some of you women are coming from as far as feeling a bit intimidated by the free weight area, but from my perspective i've never once looked at a women lifting weights and thought to myself "what's she doing in this part of the gym"
seeing a women doing core lifts in the free weights area is impressive and even inspiring because you don't see it often enough.
just my 2 cents....
Yeah, I don't think (most) guys really care if women are in the free weights section...when I was in college (many years ago! :sad: ) I actually had a guy in the weight room ask me to spot him on the bench press! lol that was flattering to me! of course I gained weight after college, so I remember being HUGE and thinking everyone is watching me, but now I don't really care what they think!0 -
One of the pleasures of being over 40 is being less concerned about what people think. I only wish I'd been able to reach that state of mind earlier in life! 0
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i understand where some of you women are coming from as far as feeling a bit intimidated by the free weight area, but from my perspective i've never once looked at a women lifting weights and thought to myself "what's she doing in this part of the gym"
seeing a women doing core lifts in the free weights area is impressive and even inspiring because you don't see it often enough.
just my 2 cents....
What he said. I wish more women would use the free weights area myself.
Seems to me that gyms, particularly commercial gyms, think with their wallets. If more women used the free weights area then there would be more investment into that area of the gym floor. Really, if fat loss and looking good are the prime motivators of your average gym user (and let's be honest - it is) then the set up of a commercial gym is the opposite of what it should be. Really they should encompass big free weights areas with lots of free floor space for kettlebells, bodyweight stuff and so on, followed by moderate amounts of machines followed by small amounts of cardio machines.
Come on ladies. Do it for us guys who want nothing more than for you to look sleek, strong and beautiful...0 -
Great post... Am going to join a body pump class when I reach a certain fitness and confidence level... I LONG for nice arms :-)
dont wait! I take a Les Mills body pump class and yeah,I hurt like he&& the next day but a nice toned pair of guns on a woman is SEXY! And a twice weekly date with the iron will send your confidence through the roof! Go for it!0 -
i understand where some of you women are coming from as far as feeling a bit intimidated by the free weight area, but from my perspective i've never once looked at a women lifting weights and thought to myself "what's she doing in this part of the gym"
seeing a women doing core lifts in the free weights area is impressive and even inspiring because you don't see it often enough.
just my 2 cents....
It's not that I don't feel like I'm not supposed to be in the weight area, it's more that I feel like I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to free weights even tho I do. I have a tendency to over analyze things and if everything is not just so, then I go nuts.. and with weight lifting there are so many different lifts, forms etc that when it comes to doing to on my own without my trainer, I feel overwhelmed and fee like I'm not doing this right, so then I second guess myself and then I stop because I'm not sure and then it's just a disaster.
With the weight machines though, I feel like I'm a pro.. so maybe I just gotta get my butt in that area more often.0 -
or a lotof you women who wish to get into weight training, I really advise you to read the books New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove, Also the book NROL for Abs the latest version of the series.
It will give you confidence and routines to follow specifically engineered for women.0 -
Let me encourage you... don't let your fears stand in the way of your progress! EVERYTHING is intimidating the first time. You won't gain the confidence until you just get in there and do it! There are plenty of resources about weight training exercises out there... books, magazines... heck you can even google it and find some great info. Study up about it first if you think it will help.
...or if you are single you could do what I did... cozy up to the hottest guy in the weight room and get him to show you around. It worked out well for me cause I married him a year later!0 -
ok, so my earlier comments about me lifting the 2-5llb weight seems a little pathetic now! but im still a fan, i just havent lifted big weights, does that mean im a total washout, or just a begginner who has broadened her mind to using weights for weightloss? i do love weights and would deffo use bigger ones if i had access to them. keep lifting peeps! x0
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I guess I better browse that book, just to see what it says, I've heard snippets, so far it sounds *ahem* ... sound, but would like to see what they say. As a trainer who trains women as well, it's worthwhile and I can expense it (woo hoo!).0
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ok, so my earlier comments about me lifting the 2-5llb weight seems a little pathetic now! but im still a fan, i just havent lifted big weights, does that mean im a total washout, or just a begginner who has broadened her mind to using weights for weightloss? i do love weights and would deffo use bigger ones if i had access to them. keep lifting peeps! x
so, cowandmonkey
I love and hate training women in weight training. I love it because women, in general, come into it with a "cleaner slate". I.E. they mostly haven't tried much in the past, haven't picked up bad habits and forms, and I have less "pride" issues with learning how to "do it right" because lets face it, we men can be a bit stubborn when it comes to male testosteronie type stuff (yep, I said testosteronie).
Women don't usually have this problem, so they are easy to show the correct form, and take to it quicker because most of you ladies are inherently more flexible and don't need to stretch your muscles as much to have proper technique.
On the other side of that coin, once they achieve correct form, men are usually more aggressive in their progression, gaining strength faster because they are less afraid to lift to failure. Women tend to use less weight than they can handle and thus their strength and definition suffers because of it. So when I train women, I am far more adamant about the weight. The first time I hear "I can't lift that much" I add five pounds. Why? because I'm teaching them that you never say "I can't do it" before you try it. You guys would be surprised at how much you can do.
As to 5 and 10 lb weights, if you're strength training, there are very few adult women who need to go that low for most of their routines. I've trained women who have never picked up a weight before and we started their curls with 15 lb dumbbells and their chest presses with 20 lb dumbbells. They're terrified for some reason to try these, but once I help them over that fear they progress fast. Within a month of 2 times a week, most women have progressed 15 to 25% higher on weight with the same reps and sets (well, slightly different because of the programming but...).0 -
I don't lift too heavy. I don't want muscular arms. I don't like that look.
And yes, women can bulk up just like men bulk up. There's a difference between bulking up and getting muscular arms. A lot of women may say they don't want to bulk up, but what they mean is that they don't want muscular arms.
Example of muscular arms on a woman: Jillian Michaels, Angela Bassett (Her arms has more muscles in them, when she played as Tina Turner),. Tina Turner, etc.
No, none of these women are bulk like the ex female wrestler China, but yet, they still have muscular arms.
It's not easy for a man or woman to bulk up like a bodybuilder. That takes time, supplements and high calorie eating.0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4M6GBHb-4o&feature=related
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