Women strength training... for real

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Replies

  • iamladibeast
    iamladibeast Posts: 451 Member
    bump..for reading later
  • TrophyWifeSass
    TrophyWifeSass Posts: 490 Member
    Gosh darnit, more great reading to be done! I am a sponge and only on page 8!!!! Thanks Steve :smile:
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Gosh darnit, more great reading to be done! I am a sponge and only on page 8!!!! Thanks Steve :smile:

    You're welcome :)
  • kabakken
    kabakken Posts: 22 Member
    Bump for later! I'm just starting to add lifting to my routine regularly and this is exactly what I needed to read. Thanks!
  • jennieodwyer
    jennieodwyer Posts: 1,036 Member
    Thank you so much Steve and Cris for answering everyone's questions so well! I am hoping I can get your opinions on my situation.

    Stats:
    29 years old
    5'7"
    currently 131lbs
    very small frame
    currently 21% BF (according to digital body fat analyzer so I realize it might not be accurate)

    I have done a mix of cardio and resistance training for most of my 11 month weight loss journey (down from 180lb after having my baby) but about 6 weeks ago I started doing mostly weight lifting 4x a week with a split routine. I love it! I lift as heavy as I can for 8-12 reps and have been very pleased with the results am seeing. When I strength train I keep my heart rate pretty high and more quickly between sets so I get a nice burn with a 45 minute workout. I currently do at least one additional day a week of cardio (either HIIT if I feel up to it or more traditional cardio) I sometimes do 2 days if I feel up to working out 6 days a week.

    I I am eating a 40carbs/ 30protein/ 30 fat ratio but often my protein is often closer to 35-40% and my carbs are 35-30%. I eat between 1600-1900 calories a day depending on my workouts.

    I want to lose more bodyfat (aren't we all:laugh: ) and am not that concerned about the scale but I do feel like to get to a BF% I am happy with I will need to see some drop on the scale at least initially (feel free to correct me if I am wrong). I have sort of stalled a bit lately and I hear conflicting advice about cardio at this point. Some people tell me to add in more cardio (like make sure I get in that extra 1 day) to lose that last bit of excess fat while others tell me to just stick with the lifting since I want to maintain as much muscle mass as possible when eating on a deficit, have decent recovery, etc. I really prefer the lifting over almost any type of cardio so I would love to hear to just to lift but I am not sure if that is the best method.

    What are your thoughts? Thank you again for taking time out of your day to help us!!
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Nothing revolutionary here but good article on bang for buck exercise choice from Nia Shanks.

    http://www.niashanks.com/blog/beautiful-badass-strength-training-principles

    Brilliant summary.


    "Have a positive reason for going to the gym; it's was truly helped me get through my disordered eating and negative self image. Get in there and get strong, and then after that get even stronger. Make the goal of improving your performance the only focus of your training sessions. Yes, it may be intimidating at first knowing you’re only going to spend about 45 minutes in the gym three to four days per week, but that’s all it takes as long as you work hard.

    Forget about the number on the weight scale, burning calories, or working yourself into a puddle of sweat. Pick up some heavy *kitten* weight via loaded barbells and dumbbells. Work your way to a double bodyweight squat and/or deadlift. Work your way up to dominating your bodyweight and bust out sets of parallel bar dips, chin-ups, inverted rows, and push-ups. Don’t be afraid of pressing a loaded barbell over your head either.

    If you are used to marathon workouts or being fueled by negative motivation to train, it could take a lot of work at first to focus only on your performance in the gym and finishing a training session feeling energized. Stick with it for at least eight weeks; you’ll find training more rewarding and motivating."
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
    Bump
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Thank you so much Steve and Cris for answering everyone's questions so well! I am hoping I can get your opinions on my situation.

    Stats:
    29 years old
    5'7"
    currently 131lbs
    very small frame
    currently 21% BF (according to digital body fat analyzer so I realize it might not be accurate)

    I have done a mix of cardio and resistance training for most of my 11 month weight loss journey (down from 180lb after having my baby) but about 6 weeks ago I started doing mostly weight lifting 4x a week with a split routine. I love it! I lift as heavy as I can for 8-12 reps and have been very pleased with the results am seeing. When I strength train I keep my heart rate pretty high and more quickly between sets so I get a nice burn with a 45 minute workout. I currently do at least one additional day a week of cardio (either HIIT if I feel up to it or more traditional cardio) I sometimes do 2 days if I feel up to working out 6 days a week.

    I I am eating a 40carbs/ 30protein/ 30 fat ratio but often my protein is often closer to 35-40% and my carbs are 35-30%. I eat between 1600-1900 calories a day depending on my workouts.

    I want to lose more bodyfat (aren't we all:laugh: ) and am not that concerned about the scale but I do feel like to get to a BF% I am happy with I will need to see some drop on the scale at least initially (feel free to correct me if I am wrong). I have sort of stalled a bit lately and I hear conflicting advice about cardio at this point. Some people tell me to add in more cardio (like make sure I get in that extra 1 day) to lose that last bit of excess fat while others tell me to just stick with the lifting since I want to maintain as much muscle mass as possible when eating on a deficit, have decent recovery, etc. I really prefer the lifting over almost any type of cardio so I would love to hear to just to lift but I am not sure if that is the best method.

    What are your thoughts? Thank you again for taking time out of your day to help us!!

    People who are screaming about needing more cardio don't know what they're talking about. Could it help? Sure. Is it necessary? Absolutely not.

    The fact that you're monitoring HR during your strength works tells me that you're not really doing "traditional" strength training. Traditional strength training in my book avoids metabolic/cardiorespiratory fatigue, as you don't want these variables interfering with strength. You're sort of doing a blend between strength and cardio with an emphasis toward strength, if I'm reading you correctly.

    So those strength sessions are cardio-esque, really.

    If I had to pinpoint one variable to tweak that would likely give you the most mileage toward losing more body fat, I'd say it's your calorie intake. At your stats, if you were under my guidance, and factoring in your goals and history, I'd have you aiming for approximately 1300 - 1600 calories per day.

    I mean, if I'm being honest, most women who train with me with your goals are placed on:

    1. high protein diets
    2. cal targets of approx. 10 cals/lb
    3. 2-4 days of basic strength training (usually 2-3)
    4. 2-4 days of moderate cardio (not high intensity stuff)

    Take from that what you will.
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
    The video in the OP is my goal. I've always been active and willing to take on fitness challenges, but since having my son and a high risk pregnancy I want to be strong again. I feel weak and hate it. I'm ready to change my body completely and keep it there forever. I just re-joined the gym, but my next thing to do will be Crossfit.
  • jennieodwyer
    jennieodwyer Posts: 1,036 Member
    Thanks Steve! I actually went back through my food diary after I posted that and realized that I was eating more like 1500-1800 calories on average but that is still quite a bit of difference so that might be the key from your suggestion. While I have your ear, what do you recommend intake wise for once I do start maintaining? Thanks again!
  • liezelcha
    liezelcha Posts: 150 Member
    bump-for later
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    The video in the OP is my goal. I've always been active and willing to take on fitness challenges, but since having my son and a high risk pregnancy I want to be strong again. I feel weak and hate it. I'm ready to change my body completely and keep it there forever. I just re-joined the gym, but my next thing to do will be Crossfit.

    Be careful with crossfit. There's a lot of hype fueling its popularity and finding a qualified "box" is like finding a "qualified" trainer. Very very difficult. Based on my experience though, it's just that an unqualified crossfit 'professional' is more likely to hurt you than an unqualified trainer.
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Thanks Steve! I actually went back through my food diary after I posted that and realized that I was eating more like 1500-1800 calories on average but that is still quite a bit of difference so that might be the key from your suggestion. While I have your ear, what do you recommend intake wise for once I do start maintaining? Thanks again!

    Maintenance for most active folks who aren't coming off of significant weight loss is generally around 14-16 cals/lb.

    Maintenance fore most active folks who are coming off of significant weight loss is generally around 12-14 cals/lb.

    Gotta love adaptive thermogenesis.

    Here's the kicker though... I wouldn't worry about guessing when it comes to figuring out maintenance. What I suggest is eating a deficit until you're ready to change it up and then work your way up 10% or so every week or two until your weight begins to stabilize. In other words, find your true maintenance rather than working off of some ballparked estimate.
  • jennieodwyer
    jennieodwyer Posts: 1,036 Member
    Thanks Steve! I actually went back through my food diary after I posted that and realized that I was eating more like 1500-1800 calories on average but that is still quite a bit of difference so that might be the key from your suggestion. While I have your ear, what do you recommend intake wise for once I do start maintaining? Thanks again!

    Maintenance for most active folks who aren't coming off of significant weight loss is generally around 14-16 cals/lb.

    Maintenance fore most active folks who are coming off of significant weight loss is generally around 12-14 cals/lb.

    Gotta love adaptive thermogenesis.

    Here's the kicker though... I wouldn't worry about guessing when it comes to figuring out maintenance. What I suggest is eating a deficit until you're ready to change it up and then work your way up 10% or so every week or two until your weight begins to stabilize. In other words, find your true maintenance rather than working off of some ballparked estimate.

    Thanks so much! Hopefully I will be there soon :happy:
  • ngolston
    ngolston Posts: 159 Member
    Bumping for later, thanks :)
  • ngolston
    ngolston Posts: 159 Member
    Bumping this response, too ;) I just started strenght training and like to see the "format" other people use, looks like I've been leaving some stuff out, lol.
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCiCgTYax58
  • jennieodwyer
    jennieodwyer Posts: 1,036 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCiCgTYax58

    That single arm pull up was unbelievable! The walking handstands were pretty impressive as well.
  • fjrandol
    fjrandol Posts: 437 Member
    bump!
  • REBEE17
    REBEE17 Posts: 101 Member
    I'm super interested in learning more. I'll have to read all of this later. Thank you Steve for the information!
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Some related material about muscle growth interfering with loss of inches:

    http://body-improvements.com/2011/12/15/question-from-a-client-measurements-going-the-wrong-way/
  • namenumber
    namenumber Posts: 167 Member
    bump
  • Mios3
    Mios3 Posts: 530 Member
    BUMP
  • AJDistel
    AJDistel Posts: 93
    I've been running (more like jogging (: ) since September and I'm ready to add strength training to my routine. I thought about mixing P90X in. The weight training part and running on the cardio days. Not sure if that's a good start or if I should try something different. I'm looking for advice/help with this. I'm no where near my goal weight yet, but I figured if I can get this 235lb frame to run a 5k... I can build some muscle to help my metabolism. I have been more focused on my running so I cut out some of the exercises I was doing. But I'm just not sure where to start, what I should do, or how to do things the correct way.

    If anyone can help me with this or give me advice/tips/or help finding a good routine, please message me or feel free to friend me. Thanks.
  • funkycamper
    funkycamper Posts: 998 Member
    I have been doing a mix of body-weight training, HIIT, and a few of the weight machines but have been planning on moving to free-weights and have been checking out various routines to get me started. I think I'm going to go with Cosgrove's "The Female Body Breakthrough". To be honest, I'm still weak enough, especially in my core, that I will probably start with mostly body-weight for awhile until I get my form perfected and my core strong enough to keep me balanced as I have balance issues. Anyway, what do you think about that particular program?

    And just want to say that this is a most helpful and inspiring thread. Have just read all 16 pages and am now off to read all the various other articles suggested throughout these pages.

    Thanks so much for everybody who has shared.
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    I've been running (more like jogging (: ) since September and I'm ready to add strength training to my routine. I thought about mixing P90X in. The weight training part and running on the cardio days. Not sure if that's a good start or if I should try something different. I'm looking for advice/help with this. I'm no where near my goal weight yet, but I figured if I can get this 235lb frame to run a 5k... I can build some muscle to help my metabolism. I have been more focused on my running so I cut out some of the exercises I was doing. But I'm just not sure where to start, what I should do, or how to do things the correct way.

    If anyone can help me with this or give me advice/tips/or help finding a good routine, please message me or feel free to friend me. Thanks.

    Honestly, at 235 lbs I'd worry less on heavy strength training, like that found in p90x, and more on lighter, more continuous stuff. People might gasp when I say this, but even the traditional DVD programs you see out there that are circuit training based will be suitable.

    When you have an appreciable amount of excess fat, prioritizing calorie expenditure over true strength training makes a lot of sense in my mind. I'm not saying "don't lift weights." I'm just saying lift weights in more of a cardio-esque fashion where the emphasis is on volume rather than intensity.

    Does that make sense?
  • amaczu
    amaczu Posts: 23 Member
    stroutman81, this is an awesome thread! I got through as many pages as I could, and hit upon the post one page ago with the young lady who is at a low weight and bf% and looking to go lower and struggling with the cardio vs. strength conundrum--my situation is similar, but different in that I'm not overweight but I AM overfat.

    I'm 5'2" and last May I was 130 lbs and lost 10 of it in 4 months of 'experimenting with x program until something worked', but with no real change in physique since I didn't have any weights (though I was religiously doing the same bodyweight exercises regardless). Gained some of it back over the holidays, (but I got about 50 lbs worth of adjustable weights for christmas) and am now getting back into it.--My weight 'goal' is 110 lbs as a really vague benchmark (mostly because even at my peak fitness I've never been 110 lbs, but I had significantly more muscle then), but would rather see my measurements go down by about 2 inches all around.

    The conflicting info that I get is that since I'm a 'healthy' weight, I should focus more on strength training...however since I have 'high' fat, I should burn it off with cardio. Assuming my bodyfat % is between 25% and 28% (after staring at many, many images online) am I still wasting my time with running? Since I'm a small person to begin with, I'm torn between maintaining a calorie 'deficit' with the right macronutrients (currently doing 40/40/20 c/p/f on 1300 calories) to fuel my body through low-intensity cardio training, or risk slowing down my progress on the fat front because I need to eat closer to maintenance in the form of protein in order to gain some muscle. When your BMR is 1,200 calories, there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room!

    I would really appreciate your thoughts on the matter, and thanks in advance! Anyone else who has been there, done that feel free to share!
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    stroutman81, this is an awesome thread! I got through as many pages as I could, and hit upon the post one page ago with the young lady who is at a low weight and bf% and looking to go lower and struggling with the cardio vs. strength conundrum--my situation is similar, but different in that I'm not overweight but I AM overfat.

    I'm 5'2" and last May I was 130 lbs and lost 10 of it in 4 months of 'experimenting with x program until something worked', but with no real change in physique since I didn't have any weights (though I was religiously doing the same bodyweight exercises regardless). Gained some of it back over the holidays, (but I got about 50 lbs worth of adjustable weights for christmas) and am now getting back into it.--My weight 'goal' is 110 lbs as a really vague benchmark (mostly because even at my peak fitness I've never been 110 lbs, but I had significantly more muscle then), but would rather see my measurements go down by about 2 inches all around.

    The conflicting info that I get is that since I'm a 'healthy' weight, I should focus more on strength training...however since I have 'high' fat, I should burn it off with cardio. Assuming my bodyfat % is between 25% and 28% (after staring at many, many images online) am I still wasting my time with running? Since I'm a small person to begin with, I'm torn between maintaining a calorie 'deficit' with the right macronutrients (currently doing 40/40/20 c/p/f on 1300 calories) to fuel my body through low-intensity cardio training, or risk slowing down my progress on the fat front because I need to eat closer to maintenance in the form of protein in order to gain some muscle. When your BMR is 1,200 calories, there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room!

    I would really appreciate your thoughts on the matter, and thanks in advance! Anyone else who has been there, done that feel free to share!

    Who says you need to burn the fat off with cardio? Fat loss is a function of being in a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit can come from decreased food intake, increased exercise, or a combination of the two. A deficit is a deficit is a deficit.

    The same can't be said for muscle though. There's only one thing that's going to influence that and it's progressive resistance training.

    In order to achieve leanness, we know we need to minimize fat mass and maximize muscle mass. From above, it should be obvious that progressive resistance training needs to be prioritized over cardio. At least in the context you find yourself in.

    I don't know exactly what your weight is, but let's say it's 135. 1200 seems like a low BMR for someone weighing 135 lbs. How did you come up with that number? BMR is typically around 10 cals/lb assuming a normal functioning metabolism.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    another great thread I must have missed earlier!
  • dutchjacky
    dutchjacky Posts: 46 Member
    I want to do strength training but my trainer is insisting that I do lighter weights and lots of reps, I like the gym as it is small and quiet so I can get on and do my own thing at my own pace. Any recommendations on where I can go to get a training programme to follow and adapt for my needs would be helpful. I love the fact that I am already stronger but have been following the same programme now for 8 weeks and upping my weights and dropping the reps myself but not really feeling the burn now.
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