To all you weight liftin' ladies

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  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    It takes time to increase! Don't expect to increase every time. More like every 4-5th time.

    I do all kinds of stuff, mainly I work on increasing my squats, deadlifts and Olympic lifts. I do Crossfit which is a combo of weight lifting, calesthetics, running, sprinting, etc.. I really only do combo lifts, I don't do isolation lifts, like bicep curls, etc.. I've been lifting heavy for about 1 year.

    Squat: started at 45lbs now at 105lbs
    Front squat: started at 45lbs now at 80lbs
    Overhead squat: started at 25lbs now at 50lbs (<those are the hardest by far)
    Deadlift: Started at 50lbs now at 135lbs
    Shoulder press: started at 20lbs now at 50lbs
    Clean and jerk: started at 30lbs now at 65lbs
    Power clean: started at 30lbs now at 80lbs

    I don't bench but I work on increasing my push ups, I can do 50 real ones now in a row with short breaks between each 10. I am also working on pullups.

    CrossFit is really popular where I live, but I was already really into my Power Sculpt class which is similar, so I didn't get into CrossFit. Your stats are great, especially your push-ups. Is there a reason you don't bench press?

    It has a weird effect on my implants...I don't like the feeling.
  • elvisneedsboats
    elvisneedsboats Posts: 15 Member
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    It has a weird effect on my implants...I don't like the feeling.

    Out of curiosity...how long has it been since your surgery? I'm about 3.5 years out from my last surgery (bilateral mastectomy + reconstruction with implants). The first couple of years I couldn't STAND doing any sort of exercise that pulled on my chest muscles. I only *just* started strength training again (since before cancer in 2007), but I find that as long as I keep the weight very low I can handle doing bench presses now. (Note: this is on a Smith machine, so I'm getting some help at keeping the weight very, very low.) It felt fine during, and only a little stressed afterward. I'm encouraged, and hopeful that I'll be able to get the strength I had pre-cancer back again.

    Michelle
  • patssarah
    patssarah Posts: 146 Member
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    LOVE this thread!! of course now I feel like a wimp
    Im fairly new to lifting-started a couple months ago.

    Squats- started at 65 now at 95 3x8
    bench press- started with the bar now at 70 5x5
  • TLC1975
    TLC1975 Posts: 146 Member
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    Recent Progress:

    Leg Press @330lbs
    Chest Press @100lbs
    Shoulder Press @50lbs
    Leg Curl @65lbs
    Calves @180lbs
    Triceps and Biceps @60lbs
    Abs: I do hanging leg curls and planks (3 sets @ 45sec)

    BTW on my new program I have been increasing EACH week!
  • OneFitMom_
    OneFitMom_ Posts: 151 Member
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    bump
  • DizzyLinds
    DizzyLinds Posts: 856 Member
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    Recent Progress:

    Leg Press @330lbs
    Chest Press @100lbs
    Shoulder Press @50lbs
    Leg Curl @65lbs
    Calves @180lbs
    Triceps and Biceps @60lbs
    Abs: I do hanging leg curls and planks (3 sets @ 45sec)

    BTW on my new program I have been increasing EACH week!

    Fantastic weights! I work in kgs and after converting these values are brilliant! How have you trained to be able to do pull ups...i really struggle with these?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,634 Member
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    What are you lifting? How long have you been lifting?

    I want to know poundage, number of reps and sets.

    I've been lifting for about 5 weeks now (and loving it).

    Right now I'm doing:
    Bench Press - 90 lbs, 8 reps, 3 sets
    Squat Press - 115 lbs, 8 reps, 3 sets

    Obviously, I do other stuff, but these are the main ones I really want to improve on.

    It is HARD to increase weight!! I feel like just a 5-10 lb increase feels like 20 more lbs!
    That means you're doing it right then! When someone can add 20lbs to their workout, that means that they were under achieving previously.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,634 Member
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    Not a lady, but key to increasing weight in those areas is making sure you're eating right. If you don't pull in enough protein your muscles will not grow, you don't HAVE to have Ahhhnold's muscles to lift, and believe me if it was THAT easy to put on muscle there would be no bodybuilding competitions..
    I would, if you don't mind the advice, go to 4 sets of 12.
    Doesn't sound like a muscle building thread here. And you can't gain muscle on a calorie deficit anyway. That's why there are bulk up cycles in bodybuilding. And why go to 4 sets of 12 if strength would be the goal? To increase strength, 12 reps is very high.
    --since you're doing more reps you are fatiguing your muscles more. The only caveat I have to that is, on the 4th set.. don't count. Go until you physically can't do any more (called training to failure). Allow less than 1 minute rest between reps. You will see a difference. My wife has upped her game pretty well in 2 weeks of this, even with some health problems.
    This is muscle endurance training then and doesn't increase strength. It's like a long distance runner trying to increase their 40 time, but just running longer durations. If they wanted to increase their 40 time, they would have to run sprints and not run longer distances.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,634 Member
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    Are you trying to build muscle or just get toned? The trainer at the gym suggests I do weight training 3 times a week. I haven't lifted weights in years because I have a tendency to bulk. I have been using yoga as my strength training. He showed me some lifts yesterday with the weights. I only did 2 sets each 15 reps. I just want to tone though, so I am not lifting much weight at all, but by #12 it starts to get difficult, especially if it's slow and controlled. Looks like you are trying to build mass and strength. I trained like that in high school when I was in power lifting. Now I don't care about the amount I can lift.

    Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. I think the amount you're using now is more than enough, in fact, I would probably do less weight and more reps. You can take a look at what the trainer had me do yesterday and see I didn't lift much weight at all and still got a great workout with arms swelling up and everything. It's not in my diary, but the plank pushups were what gave me the most trouble. (plank position on forearms and alternating up and down using left or right arm)

    Oh, also in my powerlifting days we would do a workout like this:
    1x10 of a certain weight
    1x8 of slightly higher weight
    1x5 of higher weight
    1x3 of highest weight

    I would definitely reccommend a spotter though if you try that. This way of lifting would help you increase the amount you can lift if that's your goal.

    I don't want to be a body builder or anything, but I've been reading the New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women and he says that the way to tone IS to lift heavier weight with less reps. My trainer at the gym agrees with this and so far, I have gotten leaner. My shoulders are bigger, but not in a bad way. I guess I don't really bulk up - the author says that no woman will bulk up from heavy lifting because we don't have testosterone, but I have to think this can't be true for every woman.
    I agree here too. There's still a lot of "old" fitness information being passed around and it paralyzes many achieving their actual goals. With the access to research and studies, more trainers need to keep studying and researching rather than just get their cert and just trying to make money.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,634 Member
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    Anyone have any advice on getting better with push-ups? I SUCK at them! I can do about 10 at a time on my feet...then a break and then MAYBE 8 or so more and I'm on my knees. I do a lot of back exercises and core exercises - I just can't figure out why I'm so bad at them. As of now, I just blame it on the fact that I have really long arms. :laugh: My arms span is 6'1"!
    Don't "T" your arms out as much. Try bringing your arms in a little closer to the body. This will hit the triceps a little more, but as you increase the strength in them, then your push ups will get better.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    What are you lifting? How long have you been lifting?

    I want to know poundage, number of reps and sets.

    I've been lifting for about 5 weeks now (and loving it).

    Right now I'm doing:
    Bench Press - 90 lbs, 8 reps, 3 sets
    Squat Press - 115 lbs, 8 reps, 3 sets

    Obviously, I do other stuff, but these are the main ones I really want to improve on.

    It is HARD to increase weight!! I feel like just a 5-10 lb increase feels like 20 more lbs!

    The main ones: 5 sets of as much as I can do, reps decreasing naturally each set. Usually train within the 4-6 rep range though.

    Bench Press: 110lbs.

    Standing Shoulder Press (strict, no use of legs to push): 77lbs.

    Squats: 143lbs.

    Deadlifts: Anywhere 154-198lbs (I change the weight each set)

    I've been lifting consistently since June '10. Didn't start squats & deadlifts at all though until last April/May time, and I had previous experience with bench and shoulder press before I started consistently in 2010.

    5 weeks is good to get 90lb bench press 3 sets of 8!! I took around 5 months to get that for a 1RM!!
  • littlelol
    littlelol Posts: 539
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    im new to lifting xx
  • DaveRCF
    DaveRCF Posts: 266
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    How did I miss this?

    my bench press started at 80 and now 105
    my strict shoulder press started at 78 and now 97
    my split jerk is 125
    my 1RM deadlift is 250
    front squat 150
    back squat 185
    overhead squat 105
    clean and jerk 115
    Max rep KB swing with 24kg is 15

    Just as a side note, I am a thick girl, so I can push and pull a little heavier. Currently nursing a bad knee so I'm afraid my squat is going to suffer as a result.

    Love the avatar! Happy Canada Day!

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