weights with women.....less weight and more reps?

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  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    It's funny how people think they know me and my results. Everyone on here is giving their opinion. A lot of people doesn't like the fact that I'm against lifting heavy and I don't have to. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's why so many people go on ignore.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    First of all, there's no such thing as toning. You are either building muscle or you're not. With high reps (15+) and low weight, you are building the muscle fibers that are more specific to muscular endurance. With heavy weight and lower reps (like no more then 6 reps per set), then you are building the muscle fibers that are more specific to strength. Moderate weight and 8-12 reps per set is more for hypertrophy (bulking), but you are actually storing more glycogen and water in the sarcoplasm to cause the initial bulking not really adding extra muscle fibers.

    ETA: Ideally, you should do some of each to get the most well rounded and beneficial workout program.
  • ElementalEscapee
    ElementalEscapee Posts: 552 Member
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    Heavy weights or bust lol. Muscle is key to burning those calories. ^^ Women don't bulk easily...they don't have as much testosterone like men do...you'd have to spend LOTS of hours at the gym every day, do a special routine there, eat certain foods (maybe even use steroids) to achieve a very bulky body, so don't be afraid to lift heavy!!
  • DRetel
    DRetel Posts: 136 Member
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    It's funny how people think they know me and my results. Everyone on here is giving their opinion. A lot of people doesn't like the fact that I'm against lifting heavy and I don't have to. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's why so many people go on ignore.

    People just have to look at your ticker, (which you put there) to see your success thus far....
  • brandalini
    brandalini Posts: 237 Member
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    I have to agree with the majority of the posters. I was also concerned about lifting heavy because of the misconceptions. However, talking about it with my trainer and reading up on it has taught me that since women do not produce testosterone in high amounts it is VERY difficult for us to "bulk up" unless we use supplements.

    On top of that, it takes years of discipline for most MEN to bulk up, so I think that lifting heavy is the way to go. Obviously, start out where you can and work up to heavy.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    I can only speak from my own experience but I had great results lifting light-ish weights doing lots of reps - circuit style workouts as well as body pump. Unfortunately when I then got into heavy lifting, I eventually ended up injured after about a year or so even though I've been told by all of my instructors that my form is flawless. I didn't find the heavy lifting made any difference to the body I had already shaped from light lifting.
  • TrophyWifeSass
    TrophyWifeSass Posts: 490 Member
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    From personal experience, I have seen drastic changes in my body from heavy lifting. LOVE IT!!!! Go for it, you have nothing to lose and an amazing body to gain, not to mention the self confidence that comes from strength training. It's like I have a little secret knowing I can squat 95 pounds, amazing feeling of accomplishment. Can't wait to see how much stronger I will become!
  • sunnyrunner23
    sunnyrunner23 Posts: 182 Member
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    Bump because I saw a beast of a woman at the gym!! And I don't want to turn into that!!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    More weight less reps is meant to be better. Unless you take steroids or testostorone you will NEVER bulk up. Try reading the new rules of lifting for women. I found this book very informative. Good luck.

    ^^ THIS
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    Bump because I saw a beast of a woman at the gym!! And I don't want to turn into that!!

    It takes the right genetics, huge amount of steroids, testosterone pills or injections, years of training & at least 6 hours in the gym everyday lifting heavy weights for you to turn into a female Arnold Schwarzenegger. In short, what you're fearing of is very impossible for ordinary women like us to achieve without some "help". And this is coming from someone who is an intermediate weight lifter but I never even got close to these hulk hogan gals.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
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    I used to not want to lift but now it's my favorite part of going to the gym. I like lifting heavier weights but less reps. Feels like a good workout to me as opposed to a lot of reps but less weight.
  • pirate4hire
    pirate4hire Posts: 55
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    Don't forget to increase your protein intake a bit too. Your muscles need the protein to rebuild themselves after you break them down with the weight lifting.
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    There really isn't such a thing as "toning."

    I agree and disagree.

    While I agree that lifting light for high reps is useless "to get toned" (although it may have other benefits, such as building muscle endurance - if that's what you're after), I disagree that "there is no such thing as toning". That's one of those things that gets repeated so often that it has become "fact."

    Take a few weeks off from training then do several sets of heavy squats. After a couple of sessions of that, your glutes are firm to the touch, they're more rounded and seem to "hang" better. Have you built muscle? After two workouts? No! Nothing appreciable anyway. Have you lost fat? Again, no. But there is a noticeable difference in the feel and shape of the muscle. And THAT is "tone."

    I agree though that looking to tone is rather pointless as you lose it within a week or two of not working out. Better to lift heavy - get that tone then, over time, build some mass.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
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    I asked my daughter and she thought I was asking the question for me and she In theory it is called hypertrophy . But you have to have enough resistance to breakdown the muscle so it will grow bigger. If you are not doing any type of resistance training will produce results. Your legs will become stronger if you are lifting weights with a bar. My daughter trains about 6 hours a day 6 days a week since 2008. She lifts for strength not definition aka (bodybuilder) My daughter snatches 252 pounds and clean and jerks 330 pounds. Her legs are very strong and across her back is strong but she does not have defined triceps or biceps so you do not need to worry about that.
  • Ral263
    Ral263 Posts: 318 Member
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    It's funny how people think they know me and my results. Everyone on here is giving their opinion. A lot of people doesn't like the fact that I'm against lifting heavy and I don't have to. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's why so many people go on ignore.

    People just have to look at your ticker, (which you put there) to see your success thus far....


    Sorry to hate, but gonna have to agree on this one.....

    I am also proof that lifting heavy does NOT mean you'll bulk up. I'll usually do 25lbs on each arm for upper body exercises like curls or deadlifts, 30 for lower body like squats or lunges. There is no such thing as "toning"-- you either gain muscle or you don't. Muscles look more "toned" when you lose fat and gain muscle, which is only going to happen if you lift heavy enough to do so.

    It drives me insane that women think that lifting is unnecessary or will cause bulk-- lifting is ABSOLUTELY KEY to weight loss and changing the shape to your body. Additionally, it burns more at rest than fat, and is so important for women since it helps decrease the risk of bone density issues later on.
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    It's funny how people think they know me and my results. Everyone on here is giving their opinion. A lot of people doesn't like the fact that I'm against lifting heavy and I don't have to. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's why so many people go on ignore.

    People just have to look at your ticker, (which you put there) to see your success thus far....

    DRetel, you don't know me or why my ticker says what it does. But, since you want to be nosy, because you can't help yourself, I'm going to share with you why my ticker states what it's stating. I'm doing a challenge on here and my goal for the challenge is to lose 8 pounds of fat. Not scale weight, you do know the difference between scale weight loss and fat loss right? I know what I'm about to do, so don't bother trying to reply to me. Have a nice night.
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
    Options
    It's funny how people think they know me and my results. Everyone on here is giving their opinion. A lot of people doesn't like the fact that I'm against lifting heavy and I don't have to. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's why so many people go on ignore.

    People just have to look at your ticker, (which you put there) to see your success thus far....


    Sorry to hate, but gonna have to agree on this one.....

    I am also proof that lifting heavy does NOT mean you'll bulk up. I'll usually do 25lbs on each arm for upper body exercises like curls or deadlifts, 30 for lower body like squats or lunges. There is no such thing as "toning"-- you either gain muscle or you don't. Muscles look more "toned" when you lose fat and gain muscle, which is only going to happen if you lift heavy enough to do so.

    It drives me insane that women think that lifting is unnecessary or will cause bulk-- lifting is ABSOLUTELY KEY to weight loss and changing the shape to your body. Additionally, it burns more at rest than fat, and is so important for women since it helps decrease the risk of bone density issues later on.

    I'm the only woman that can speak for my body. I know what I'm about to do.
  • hoosier_red
    hoosier_red Posts: 57
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    Unless you are taking steroids or testosterone in IV form, there is no way you can bulk up from weightlifting. Seriously -- your body simply isn't built that way. Low weight and high reps do bubkes -- you have to throw that iron around with a vengeance to get lean and toned. A really good website for women who want to lift weights is http://www.stumptuous.com -- it's run by Krista Scott-Dixon, who is funny, brilliant, and knows her stuff when it comes to weightlifting.
  • Shyloh1
    Shyloh1 Posts: 422 Member
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    It's funny how people think they know me and my results. Everyone on here is giving their opinion. A lot of people doesn't like the fact that I'm against lifting heavy and I don't have to. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. That's why so many people go on ignore.

    Ugh...nevermind.

    To each their own. Do what works for you.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
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    Tickers mean nothing I change mine to 0 every 24 pds or quarterly which ever comes first. You can put anything on your ticker. There sure are a lot of snarky people here.Unless you are qualified to give advice with some type of degree, and or license the advice you give is only a opinion.

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