Why is Heavy Lifting the only option?

Koshkaxo
Koshkaxo Posts: 332 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Morning MFP, I have a question regarding weight lifting.I know the majority of people on this site are advocates of lifting heavy and have had great success. I also know that women cant bulk like men and that your muscles need a challenge etc.

Just wondering though,that if I chose to stay at a certain low amount, lets say 20lb on a long bar, why its such a bad thing? I had to work my way up to that (Im not very strong haha) and I notice results.

Wouldnt I be able to achieve certain results and then keeping that same weight would let me maintain the results? Are my muscles going to decrease in size once they become accustomed to it?

I mean absolutely no offence to those with buff arms/shoulders, but for myself I would like a less defined look. Its not being scared of having man arms but some heavy lifting women have upper body muscles that are too big for my own preference. But at the same time, I dont want to lose my own results by being stubborn and not going higher weights.

Also, people who do body weight reps arent increasing their weight (well only slightly if they increase muscles mass) Do you heavy lifting advocaters think they are ultimately wasting their time?

There has been so much backlash against anyone offering non heavy lifting advice on this forums, its intimidating to think a different way haha

Thanks in advance for helping meunderstand :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • Jugie12
    Jugie12 Posts: 282 Member
    No matter what someone says here, don't feel pressured to lift more than you're comfortable with. This is all about trial and error - lift what you think will work for you. Eventually, you may stop seeing results and you may choose to add another 10 lbs. Maybe you won't! Watch and listen to your body - do what gives you the physique that YOU want. When you find what works, keep at it.

    The only rule: Never stop improving. If at some point you realize you are making no improvements in your health or fitness, then yes, you are wasting your workout. Stagnation is not the same as maintenance!

    Have fun and good luck, my friend!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Great question! Reading your post, it looks like you've mostly answered it for yourself.

    Like you stated, muscles need a challenge. So if you're doing 20 pounds on the bar now, doing that same 20 pounds (65 pounds total if we're talking about an Olympic bar) will not be a challenge a month or two from now, will it? What about 3 years from now? So if you gradually increase the weights, one day you will be lifting heavy (heavy is a very, very relative term)

    You're right, women can't bulk like men. Heck, men can't even bulk like men. Adding muscle is one of the hardest things to do for the human body. In my experience it's easier to adapt to running a marathon than getting huge. So lifting heavy is not going to make anybody sprout Popeye arms overnight. Especially not a woman. You'd have to train like a maniac, eat like a horse, AND take a ton of illegal (and expensive!) drugs. In other words, don't worry about it, cuz it ain't happenin'.

    Lastly, bodyweight exercises actually do count as heavy for most people. 20 pounds on a standard bar is 65 total pounds. But if you weight just 130, then bodyweight exercises are double that amount. That doesn't even account for the additional support work your body will have to do. A standard pushup for a 130 lb woman would be the equivalent of benching 85 pounds, plus the ab work of doing planks at the same time.

    And people that strictly do bodyweight exercises tend to increase the reps or make them more difficult with time. Whereas I could do 30 total pushups, now I can do 100 easily. Unless I want to an hour doing 200 pushups, I can just do a heavier bench press for 15 minutes and move on.
  • SilkyHotspur
    SilkyHotspur Posts: 233 Member
    So while I am an advocate of lifting heavier weights, it is not the only way. If you lift heavy weights, you ask your muscles to do work that they cannot do..in turn they grow to accommodate the new workload...you increase the weight...they grow again. As muscle grow, they use fatty acids, proteins, etc..etc.. and once you have more muscle, the more fat you'll burn, as muscle is active and requires calories just to exist.

    On the flip side of that...suppose, as you say, you've worked up to a 20lb bar. So long as you're happy with that weight, and you continue to see weight loss, or even want to stay at the weight you are, there is no real reason to go higher. Look at it as strength training, and not body building or muscle building. If you quit the weights completely, the muscle will atrophy from lack of work, and shrink, and as we get older, we want to hold on to as much muscle as we can to keep us able to be active in our later years.

    Bodyweight activities are highly effective....ever tried speed squats or plain push-ups...both good examples of no external weight exercises.

    So as a rule, the bigger the weight, the faster the muscle will grow, the faster you body fat/weight loss...again, just a general rule.

    My wife hates weights...won't touch em' except the 8lb ones, she lost 12lbs through Zumba, and Brazilian Butt Lift DVD's....lower body concentration, with little or no weights....

    Good Luck!!
  • sarrah_n
    sarrah_n Posts: 192 Member
    Great topic and great feedback! Very helpful, THANKS!
  • azurewitch
    azurewitch Posts: 21
    I personally enjoy weight lifting, I think it feels good. But if everyone looks around them there are a lot of people in excellent shape who do not lift weights. People who do Yoga all the time as a form of fitness are in great shape and they don't lift weights, although they lift their own weight sometimes.

    Resistance bands are also good to use. There is a video called chalean xtreme out there and one of the ladies in the video uses resistance bands instead of weights and she looks amazing and not overly defined at all. (She is also in her 60s and looks like she is, at the most, in her 40s...)

    I think everyone should work out and get exercise, but I think as long as people get it that it doesn't matter what it is. I only think it matters if you are going for a particular look or have a particular goal. Some athletes get bulky or defined as a result of working areas of their body for an event or their sport and it just happens.

    So, in conclusion to my rambling, I do think its important to work the muscles, but not important how, unless you have a specific end in mind.
  • Koshkaxo
    Koshkaxo Posts: 332 Member
    Like you stated, muscles need a challenge. So if you're doing 20 pounds on the bar now, doing that same 20 pounds (65 pounds total if we're talking about an Olympic bar) will not be a challenge a month or two from now, will it? What about 3 years from now? So if you gradually increase the weights, one day you will be lifting heavy (heavy is a very, very relative term)
    On the flip side of that...suppose, as you say, you've worked up to a 20lb bar. So long as you're happy with that weight, and you continue to see weight loss, or even want to stay at the weight you are, there is no real reason to go higher. Look at it as strength training, and not body building or muscle building. If you quit the weights completely, the muscle will atrophy from lack of work, and shrink, and as we get older, we want to hold on to as much muscle as we can to keep us able to be active in our later years.

    I like the wording of strength training not body building. If I stay at my current lifting weight, will I be able to maintain a certain muscle size? Even if it doesnt challenge my muscles like it once did? I dont want to stop lifting, and have it decrease, but I dont want to add weights and get bigger.


    Thank you everyone for the insight :happy: Thats why I love these forums!
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    There is a lot of good feedback here, but let me put in my $.02 as a lady.

    I started out small too, and found that over the years (2+ years of heavy lifting) the weight becomes so light you get bored and need a challenge. You'll know when that is. I also find lifting 6-8 reps a lot more fun than lifting 15 reps and I get a good workout done in less time. It has come in handy, being stronger. I am able to do a lot more without asking.

    I'm also a small, petite framed girl, 110 pounds on 5'3", and wear a size 1-2. I'm in no means bulky or even have bigger arms or shoulders than the next girl, but they are defined (when being flexed). When I am just in regular clothes I look completely "normal". LOL I truly looked flabby when I weighed even less and did only cardio and ate like a rabbit. Lifting weights helped me achieve the exact look I wanted...feminine, slim, and no cellulite.

    So, keep on lifting and keep on progressing! Progression doesn't happen overnight, and you will eventually max out. :wink:
  • Koshkaxo
    Koshkaxo Posts: 332 Member
    There is a lot of good feedback here, but let me put in my $.02 as a lady.

    I started out small too, and found that over the years (2+ years of heavy lifting) the weight becomes so light you get bored and need a challenge. You'll know when that is. I also find lifting 6-8 reps a lot more fun than lifting 15 reps and I get a good workout done in less time. It has come in handy, being stronger. I am able to do a lot more without asking.

    I'm also a small, petite framed girl, 110 pounds on 5'3", and wear a size 1-2. I'm in no means bulky or even have bigger arms or shoulders than the next girl, but they are defined (when being flexed). When I am just in regular clothes I look completely "normal". LOL I truly looked flabby when I weighed even less and did only cardio and ate like a rabbit. Lifting weights helped me achieve the exact look I wanted...feminine, slim, and no cellulite.

    So, keep on lifting and keep on progressing! Progression doesn't happen overnight, and you will eventually max out. :wink:

    I checked out your profile pictures and you do look great! Kudos to you! I definitely dont want to rely only on cardio, although that has been the bulk of my exercising so far. Im surprised by the results I have seen from the little strength training I have done and I guess thats why Im worried about becoming "too big." Thank you for your $0.02 haha
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Lifting heavy is suggested most because it gives the fastest results.

    Most people want to maximize their return on investment. When you lift heavy, especially as a beginner, you rapidly get stronger. The return on invesment is huge. You can bump the weight every time you go to the gym for a while. In not too long you are putting an envious number of plates on the bar. Granted this will taper off over time and you'll probably have to switch to a periodized plan w/accompanied eating to continue strength gains.

    Lifting light weights for high reps has much less return on invested effort. Gains are slower and the effort per session might actually be higher (you have to work 100% for heavy reps, but you don't do a whole lot of them).

    Like was said, you can lift heavy with bodyweight too. In fact you have to if you do it in a progressive manner. Since the steps are different it is akin to lifting with no little plates, you have to ride each exercise up to a higher number of reps and then do negatives and heavy singles of the next hardest exercise to continue to get stronger.
  • up2me2lose20
    up2me2lose20 Posts: 360 Member
    Yes, you could just maintain by lifting the same and keeping your diet in check. :) You won't go backwards or lose muscle this way.
    That's not bad! That's good! Some people have different goals than others.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member

    I like the wording of strength training not body building. If I stay at my current lifting weight, will I be able to maintain a certain muscle size? Even if it doesnt challenge my muscles like it once did? I dont want to stop lifting, and have it decrease, but I dont want to add weights and get bigger.

    If you stay at your current levels, your muscle size should stay pretty much the same unless you start doing extreme cardio or calorie cutting. I think the problem you may run into is motivation. Doing the same exercises for the same weights gets old. Fast. That's typically when you see people start to post "Why is going to the gym so boring" topics. Where setting a lifting goal and working steadily over weeks or months to achieve it brings some people a sense of satisfaction.

    But if you won't get bored with it and give up strength training entirely, there's nothing wrong with using the same light(ish) weights. And if that's what you truly enjoy then it's all the better.

    Just never worry about getting too big or too strong. Those women (and the men!) you see in fitness magazine are that way because getting and staying in that type of shape is their full time job. AND they are genetic freaks. Getting too muscular isn't a problem us normal mortals have to face.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Morning MFP, I have a question regarding weight lifting.I know the majority of people on this site are advocates of lifting heavy and have had great success. I also know that women cant bulk like men and that your muscles need a challenge etc.

    Just wondering though,that if I chose to stay at a certain low amount, lets say 20lb on a long bar, why its such a bad thing? I had to work my way up to that (Im not very strong haha) and I notice results.

    Wouldnt I be able to achieve certain results and then keeping that same weight would let me maintain the results? Are my muscles going to decrease in size once they become accustomed to it?

    I mean absolutely no offence to those with buff arms/shoulders, but for myself I would like a less defined look. Its not being scared of having man arms but some heavy lifting women have upper body muscles that are too big for my own preference. But at the same time, I dont want to lose my own results by being stubborn and not going higher weights.

    Also, people who do body weight reps arent increasing their weight (well only slightly if they increase muscles mass) Do you heavy lifting advocaters think they are ultimately wasting their time?

    There has been so much backlash against anyone offering non heavy lifting advice on this forums, its intimidating to think a different way haha

    Thanks in advance for helping meunderstand :flowerforyou:

    One thing to undertstand is that lifting heavy is really misused on MFP. Lifting heavy in reality refers to maximal strength training and it's not a specific weight, it's a specific range of percentages that is relative to your personal strength. The range of reps is anywhere from 1 to 5 reps and the weight is roughly 80% to 100% of your 1-Rep Max. Different methods are structured to help you begin and progress effectively. Things like StrongLifts, Starting Strength, and 5/3/1 all have guidelines for where to begin.

    Why train this way? This really one of the best ways to gain overall strength, it is sometimes referred to as neuro-muscular strength because it forces you to recruit your nervous system more than any other type of lifting. Of course if you're doing nothing now (not picking on you, general statement) then of course any form of weight training will improve your strength, however; look at strength training from this perspective. You only have a certain amount of time to invest each week in the gym. You can either invest it to get the most strength benefit or you can invest your time for lesser benefit. Lastly, if you're into any type of sports at all be it recreational or organized this form of training will help you be more athletic.

    Now does every lift have to use a maximal load? No, not at all and not all muscle groups benefit from this type of training. If you're a beginner you get the most benefit from minimizing the variety of exercise and focusing on a couple core compound movements that are intended to be lifted maximally. As you progress you can vary your routine by using maximal lifts and non-maximal lifts. Starting Strength by Mark Rippletoe would be my recommended starting place for you or StrongLifts 5x5 would be my 2nd.
  • Michelledru
    Michelledru Posts: 11 Member
    bump
  • Matiara
    Matiara Posts: 377 Member
    I've often thought about this as well, but I couldn't really articulate it and I didn't want to start an argument. You voiced my thoughts well.

    I'm satisfied with the size of my muscles (Thank you, genetics!) and I just want to maintain them while losing my excess body fat. Since what I'm doing right now (bodyweight and lightweight resistance) is working, I don't feel the need to lift heavier than I am at the moment. My goal is to go a little heavier, but still not super heavy. It just doesn't take a lot for my muscles to respond. And I don't think I'm a "special snowflake". I know it has to be genetics. My mom literally does no exercise and has legs that look like she goes to the gym and kills it every day.

    Strength is not an issue for me. I pretty much have to do everything around the house because my mom is disabled. I take heavy trash bags out to the dumpster and I carry heavy grocery bags from the store. I have no problem carrying heavy boxes or rearranging furniture and I don't need help carrying the 50 pound box of litter up the stairs to my apartment. I am not a weakling by any means, but I just don't have the desire to be able to bench my bodyweight or what have you. And no, I don't think that I will bulk up, or look masculine, or similar nonsense. It's just not something that I want to do.

    I am *not* against heavy lifting. I think it's cool when people can lift super heavy (for them) and get jazzed about it. I just have other fitness goals.

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