Women lifting ....

nz_deevaa
nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I saw my physio today (follow-up for my knee which I had surgery on a month ago) she asked if I was back at the gym yet.

I said I'd done a few cardio sessions and two (upper body) strength sessions, I mentioned that I'd been really sore after my first lifting session.

She said "oh that's not good, you must have been lifting very heavy. You shouldn't lift more than 3kgs, a women's frame just isn't designed for it"

I was shocked. SHOCKED.

I didn't dare tell her I'd been bench pressing 60kg.

...discuss.
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Replies

  • sirihermine
    sirihermine Posts: 123 Member
    stupid physio!

    end of discussion :)
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    I've never heard anything like it.

    Also 3kg? Seems like a really random number.

    "Put that 2yr old down. A women's body isn't meant to carry that kind of weight!"
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard (your physio not you :tongue: ).

    Don't worry about feeling sore, especially after your first couple of lifting sessions - when I got back to lifting after a long period of not doing any, I had problems lifting my arms up to wash my hair in the shower after - I ended up having to move my head up and down and keep my hands low.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard (your physio not you :tongue: ).

    Don't worry about feeling sore, especially after your first couple of lifting sessions - when I got back to lifting after a long period of not doing any, I had problems lifting my arms up to wash my hair in the shower after - I ended up having to move my head up and down and keep my hands low.

    That's exactly what I had to do! For like 3 days! Hehe.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    :huh:
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    3kgs is 6.6lbs.

    Suggesting a women's body isn't 'designed' to carry a weight that's less than the average 6mth old is crazy talk.

    I'd bet your handbag weighs more.
  • FlynnMacCallister
    FlynnMacCallister Posts: 172 Member
    What the **** sort of physio did you see? The current wisdom that's floating around is that women should lift as heavy as is comfortable for them because it gives you serious benefits in terms of improved bone density!
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    Bad, generalized advice is always a good reason to switch doctors/therapists, I say!
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Seriously. Thats not true at all. There have been resistance training studies done with elderly patients in care homes that proved that resistance training improved the bone density and muscular health of the ELDERLY women and men! How can she seriously say that our "frame" isn't meant to handle more than 7lbs? So what.... that means double what my frame should handle is only 14lbs. A fifteen pound box (if we weren't meant to handle it) should snap me in half! Bogus.

    Sounds like another person in the medical field needs to check her books. Maybe she meant 60kg? That at least is more realistic!
  • roguex_1979
    roguex_1979 Posts: 247 Member
    Wow...just...wow. But, unfortunately, this is how most women see lifting. I can't lift too much or I will look like a man! Tell that to the millions of men out there TRYING to put muscle on and they will laugh in your face.

    Bet if you had a male therapist, he wouldn't have said anything.

    There are two things you can do, well, three:

    1. Tell the physio that you are concerned by her advice because she may not be giving you correct information to help heal you knee.
    2. Ignore what she says and just carry on (about the weight lifting, not about your knee).
    3. Get a new therapist.

    3kgs...poor me, I think my boobs weigh about that!!
  • SmashleeWpg
    SmashleeWpg Posts: 567 Member
    Haha. Wow. I guess every woman with a child over 6 months should probably let their man do the heavy lifting from now on then, huh? :) I know for a fact my purse/handbag weighs at least 10 pounds, so I guess I need to lighten my load!
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    *lifts handbag full of daily crap* Darn I need a man to carry this as it if FAR too heavy for my weak lady frame to manage it........ A little help?

    *head:desk*
  • tkb1985
    tkb1985 Posts: 146 Member
    3kgs...poor me, I think my boobs weigh about that!!

    Lol, that's exactly the thought that came to my mind! What a load of bull!

    Most pregnant women are carrying more that 6.6lbs around by the end! I've yet to notice one snap! :laugh:
  • manda1002
    manda1002 Posts: 178 Member
    I gained 30 when I was pregnant, both times. Sounds like that was too much for my itty bitty little frame too, huh?

    And neither of my kids weighed less than 7.2lbs at birth haha. If I had known this, I'd have given them back!!

    Just lift what you're comfortable lifting, get super strong, then go throw her around one day.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    No, I'm sure she didn't mean 60kg. She talked about "big buff men making women lift way more than their body can handle"

    I only have one more follow-up with her re: my knee, I won't see her again after that.
  • hazelnut861
    hazelnut861 Posts: 390 Member
    Well that explains why we're so miserable carrying around those heavy bellies during pregnancy..... we just weren't designed to carry that much. I'd find a new physiologist. The current one missed a few classes about muscle fibers.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    I think a lot of doctors don't know much about diet and nutrition. They're pretty much taught to only prescribe medicine for the most part. I'm not saying people in the medical field aren't useful, but if i need exercise advice I'd seek a trainer. Same if I need nutrition advice, I'd ask a dietician or nutritionist.
  • LemonSnap
    LemonSnap Posts: 186 Member
    Do you think you may have not heard her correctly. Or that she made an honest mistake. 3 kg is less than many newborns weigh.

    Perhaps you should have taken it up with her at the time.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    But it was her physiotherapist she saw, you'd THINK she'd have a decent understanding of the body.......
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    Cute pic, much like your avatar.

    Really? Personal Attack?
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member


    But it was her physiotherapist she saw, you'd THINK she'd have a decent understanding of the body.......

    I would think so too but when my dad had his stoke it was basically the same cookie cutter bad workout advice. They pretty told him forever to do a million reps of 2lb weights. I can't possibly see how he can gain any strength doing that.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    Do you think you may have not heard her correctly. Or that she made an honest mistake. 3 kg is less than many newborns weigh.

    Perhaps you should have taken it up with her at the time.

    I was putting my jeans back on at the end of the session, I may have misheard, but I don't think so.

    She really made a big deal about male trainers pushing women to far, miming big/burly muscly arms.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    And So It Begins...

    If you have no useful input, why bother?
    Back to the original topic..

    I think a lot of doctors don't know much about diet and nutrition. They're pretty much taught to only prescribe medicine for the most part. I'm not saying people in the medical field aren't useful, but if i need exercise advice I'd seek a trainer. Same if I need nutrition advice, I'd ask a dietician or nutritionist.
    Because this is a free forum and you can't make me say anything worth while.

    2. No Hi-Jacking Topics

    Please stay on-topic within a forum topic. Off-topic or derogatory remarks are disrespectful. Please either contribute politely and constructively to a topic, or move on without posting. This includes posts that encourage the drama in a topic to escalate.


    It's a free forum as in you don't have to pay, not free as in you can do whatever you please and make everyone else have a bad experience. If your life is that boring you need to annoy people in a forum maybe you need a new hobby.
  • Fridaydalek
    Fridaydalek Posts: 28 Member
    3kgs...poor me, I think my boobs weigh about that!!

    Well.... hello there :bigsmile:
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member


    But it was her physiotherapist she saw, you'd THINK she'd have a decent understanding of the body.......

    I would think so too but when my dad had his stoke it was basically the same cookie cutter bad workout advice. They pretty told him forever to do a million reps of 2lb weights. I can't possibly see how he can gain any strength doing that.

    *shakes head* Such as shame specialising, doesn't make you an actual specialist. TBF my mum has had arthritis since she was 16, she went to see her specialist and her and my dad knew more about her conditions/medications/treatments than he did. Hope your poppa got some better advice!
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member


    But it was her physiotherapist she saw, you'd THINK she'd have a decent understanding of the body.......

    I would think so too but when my dad had his stoke it was basically the same cookie cutter bad workout advice. They pretty told him forever to do a million reps of 2lb weights. I can't possibly see how he can gain any strength doing that.

    *shakes head* Such as shame specialising, doesn't make you an actual specialist. TBF my mum has had arthritis since she was 16, she went to see her specialist and her and my dad knew more about her conditions/medications/treatments than he did. Hope your poppa got some better advice!

    That is so true about a lot of "specialists". As for my dad, he's joined my gym with me since last year and has gotten a little better. Just last week he started doing some free weights with me but I still am trying to convince him to see my trainer. Definitely slow progress, but it's getting there :)
  • 1Timothy4v8
    1Timothy4v8 Posts: 503 Member
    oooooohhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :grumble:
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    I saw my physio today (follow-up for my knee which I had surgery on a month ago) she asked if I was back at the gym yet.

    I said I'd done a few cardio sessions and two (upper body) strength sessions, I mentioned that I'd been really sore after my first lifting session.

    She said "oh that's not good, you must have been lifting very heavy. You shouldn't lift more than 3kgs, a women's frame just isn't designed for it"

    I was shocked. SHOCKED.

    I didn't dare tell her I'd been bench pressing 60kg.

    ...discuss.


    BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Get a new doctor!!! That is SOOOOO wrong! :explode: Doctors are just people too, they don't know everything....Keep lifting your weights, baby!! You SHOULD be sore. The only way to change your body is to challenge it. What a completely random and moronic thing to tell you! Do your thing, girl! Lift lift lift! You will NEVER regret it. :flowerforyou:

    And BTW, congrats on your strength--60kg bench presses--yeah that'll make you sore :happy: It'll also make you strong, fit, and healthy...enjoy!
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
    I've not been able to do much strength training on my legs because of my knee injury, so my upper body has had extra attention. I'm allowed to do squats with no weight on this week, so in the next two- three weeks I should be able to do light weights on my lower body too.

    I wouldn't trust the physio's advice for my knee if it didn't all neatly align with what the surgeon said.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    I've not been able to do much strength training on my legs because of my knee injury, so my upper body has had extra attention. I'm allowed to do squats with no weight on this week, so in the next two- three weeks I should be able to do light weights on my lower body too.

    I wouldn't trust the physio's advice for my knee if it didn't all neatly align with what the surgeon said.

    Yes, I can understand that. It makes sense to trust her in her area of expertise, but I wouldn't let her tell you how to work out...she's obviously clueless about that. Sorry about your knee, I know that must be painful :/ Be careful, but you can still find ways to challenge/change your body while protecting that vulnerable area. Best wishes on your journey hon!

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