Woman beginning heavy lifting.

Another vote for New Rules of Lifting for Women!!

Don't let the book title fool you - read the sub-title (if that's what it's called) for a more accurate idea of what it's all about - "Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess" It's inexpensive and gives you great info for just starting out - including a program that lasts about 6 months. There is also an MFP group here that's helpful. I checked it out at the library before buying it (cuz I didn't have money to waste either).

I've also heard great things about some other programs too like Starting Strength and StrongLifts although I haven't looked into either of them yet. I'll be looking into them when I finish NROLFW!

Good luck!!

I have posted this write up about Strong Lifts 5x5 a couple times... it's a great program for beginners and worth a look! It's always awesome to see Women getting into heavy lifting!



Ahhhh Strong Lifts... I love this program because I think it's perfect for someone who is new to lifting to really see some good results. I have been lifting for 5 years now and every so often I will do a strength cycle based completely on the 5x5 protocol and always see a gain of some sort.

I just finished a SL cycle at the end of December and I checked my PR's over the last couple weeks.

Stats Before:
HT: 5'8''
WT: 191#

My PR prior to starting:
BS: 175#
SP: 105#
DL: 275#
BP: 130#
PC: 145# (I don't really like barbell rows so I only do them for the first 2 weeks then I switch to Power Cleans, if you are unfamiliar with this exercise, I reccommend sticking with the rows)

Stats After:

HT: 5'8''
WT: 168#

My PR after:
BS: 245#
SP: 140#
DL: 325#
BP: 165#
PC: 180#

Please keep in mind that I have been lifting for a while.

That being said, I think 5x5 is a great way to get into lifting, especially for women as it emphasies form and technique for the basic "big 5" lifts. You will gain strength, you will gain muscle, you will lose fat and you will feel like you are eating like a horse! However you will be using every single calorie that you put in your body and continue burning long after you have left the gym. The best advice I can give you is go on the strong lifts website, check out the videos on form, look up videos by mark rippetoe or mike burgener or louie simmons or Christine Beauchamp (little powerhouse female lifter) and LEARN the proper form first.

Squats- ALWAYS below parallel, best to start with high bar as low bar might be uncomfortable for new lifters and please for the love of cookies DONT USE THE SMITH MACHINE!!! It is one of the most UNNATURAL movements you can do with your body, when I see people using it I just want to cringe at what they are doing to their knees! Also you will create a gross muscle imbalance as the Smith Machine only strengthens (albeit not as much as free barbell) your major muscle groups while ignoring completely the supporting muscles. You will find that your lifts will dramatically decline if you have been Smithing it for a while then switch to loaded barbell.
Press- Please no bend in the knees to help the weight up... it's a shoulder press not a push press.
Deadlift- for the love of your vertebre, make sure you learn how to BREATHE properly before you attempt any big weight, look up valsalva breathing and learn the proper stance.
Bench- Yes there is a right way to Bench, watch videos by the people above, not some random dude on You Tube...chances are they are doing it wrong.
Row- core tight, core tight, core tight, oh and did i mention, core tight!
Power Clean- again I will stress not to attempt this movement unless you are familiar with it, or have exposure to olympic lifting. The goal of the 5x5 is to get stronger not hurt yourself.

The best way to get started is to research first, spend some time lurking on the strong lifts boards, catalyst athletics has great lifting resources and if possible go to a gym that has a coach that is trained to TEACH power/olympic lifts, just because a trainer "does" the lifts doesn't make them qualified to TEACH the lifts to an inexperienced or new lifter.

Start slow, learn the way your body feels when you have correct form and how it feels when you are doing something incorrectly. You will be sore, you need to rest on off days after about week 4 but can still do something like rowing or light calisthenics. You will eat more food than you ever thought possible, yet if you choose the right kinds of food, your body will transform. You will get an *kitten*, thick legs and a strong back...good luck finding jeans ( Can you say GAP)

Most important of all...STICK WITH THE PROGRAM...do it as is, start low...the empty bar might feel to light so you might be tempted to pile on more weight... DONT DO IT! There is an app on the iphone that will track your SL workouts...when I do a cycle I always start with an empty bar because even though I know I can do more, it allows me time to reinforce the correct movements and build to a greater max load.

If anyone has any questions about the program, please ask, I will do what I can to help get you started. I am by no means an expert, but I can try to answer alot of the questions beginners ask ( I was there once too)! Good Luck and get strong!!

bump!!!

I have posted this write up about Strong Lifts 5x5 a couple times... it's a great program for beginners and worth a look! It's always awesome to see Women getting into heavy lifting!

Jessie, thanks sooooooo much for that write up, and the link. I'm 3-4 weeks in NRL4W, and it really helped to read that. And my squats tomorrow will be transformed!

I'm in almost the exact spot as you. Workout 5-7 days a week with 45-60 minutes of cardio, ice skating once or twice every few weeks, 20 years old, 150ish pounds, and I'm interested in lifting. So I'm definitely interested in all your responses!