Wanting to "lift heavy"... but too weak to start!
Replies
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I am also on phase 1 of NROLFW. I can't really lift heavy, but my goal is to continue improving with slightly heavier weights each time I lift, even if the weights I use aren't as heavy as what other people use. It's in our nature to compare ourselves, but it can drive you crazy.
As far as the advice of using machines, NROLFW doesn't really encourage using machines, and they didnt' set their program to use them. If you're not going to follow it, then ignore me.
But if you're following it, have faith in the program they set up and follow it, and you should get results if you have patience and give it time. That's the hardest part for me, but I've seen other people have tremendous success with it, which is why I'm sticking with it.
Good luck :bigsmile:0 -
Heavy is subjective. Start with a weight you can lift 5 times tops, nom proteins, repeat. Your strength WILL increase if you really are putting in effort in the last 1 or 2 lifts. 65lbs is half your bodyweight - it's not bad, honestly.
As per squats... your legs are your strongest muscles so if you can bench 65lbs, I'm pretty sure you can squat more than that.
5-6 reps for strength which seems to be your aim.
8-12 for hypertrophy.
12+ for muscular endurance.
Go kick *kitten*.
THIS ^^^^^
When people say "Lift Heavy" they mean what is heavy to YOU. i.e., he most you can lift safely for the specified reps so your muscles will be challenged and grow stronger and bigger. It's all relative, and everybody's level of strength is different. Don't worry about how much you can lift vs. someone else (human nature, I know). Just do what you can. You will get stronger faster than you think. :happy:0 -
Heavy is subjective. Start with a weight you can lift 5 times tops, nom proteins, repeat. Your strength WILL increase if you really are putting in effort in the last 1 or 2 lifts. 65lbs is half your bodyweight - it's not bad, honestly.
As per squats... your legs are your strongest muscles so if you can bench 65lbs, I'm pretty sure you can squat more than that.
5-6 reps for strength which seems to be your aim.
8-12 for hypertrophy.
12+ for muscular endurance.
Go kick *kitten*.
You took the words right out of my mouth. My biggest problem isn't that I'm "not strong enough". My problem is that I tend to push myself beyond my limits, so I don't like to do it (especially bench presses) without a partner to spot me. I'm stuck using the machines for now. :sad: I'm hoping I can find someone who is willing to meet me three times a week at the gym to do strength training.0 -
I can put 225 on the bar and struggle with a few reps and some other guy will sit down and do it 10 times like he's just warming up. It's subjective for everyone. Just do what's hard for YOU.Yesterday I attempted a bench press for the first time and I could only do 2 sets of 8 reps at 65lbs. I felt so pathetic!
I'm struggling to do 10 chin-ups in a row and I'm just up to 8 but progress is progress. It means you're doing things correctly and you're awesome. Keep it up and remember it's all subjective. Hard for you is hard for you.Don't get me wrong, I've gotten stronger... a copule of months ago I couldn't even do two push-ups and now I can do ten, though it's a struggle0 -
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There is no such thing as too weak to lift heavy, because heavy is relative to what you're capable of. The idea is to find a weight that you can lift with clean form for more than 5 reps but run out of steam by the time you hit 10 and need to take a break. Finding a weight that makes you hit failure (the point at which you cannot continue to maintain good form without taking a 30 second break or so) in the 6-10 rep range, and then increasing the weight steadily so that you stay within that range as you grow stronger, is EXACTLY what lifting heavy is. It doesn't matter whether it's 2 lbs, 20 lbs, or 200 lbs. Find a weight where you hit that magic "failure" point in the 6-10 rep range, do 3-4 sets of that, and you WILL grow stronger.0
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^Just disregard that entire post, too much misinformation. Don't need to bother with nitric oxide. And soreness doesn't matter. And going to failure isn't mandatory.A few things that will help you...
Eat protein every three hours, lots of it. You need protein to rebuild your muscles so that they can get stronger. If you don't eat protein, your body will eat your muscles and it makes it almost impossible to build strength.
Eat carbs prior to weight training-simple carbs are technically worse for you but will help because your body can access the energy faster. Your body needs energy to flex your muscles and lift weights. In particular you need Carbs/ATP/Creatine/oxygen.
When doing cardio try not to hit your body's O2 cycle (aerobic exercise). Aerobic exercise is counterproductive to building muscle. Your body burns protein and carbs during the O2 cycle and fat during the anaerobic cycle. Instead of running try walking on maximum incline and keeping your heart rate in the fat burning zone rather than in the aerobic exercise zone. Doing this will help build muscle rather than eat it away.
Use machines in conjunction with free weights. You will be able to lift more weight on the machines because you can focus your efforts on the large muscle groups without your smaller muscles holding you back (stabilizing muscles). Continue to use free weights as well to work on your stability, however, you will notice larger strength gains using machines.
There are two products that you can buy at GNC that will considerably help with strength training. One should be obvious, it's Creatine. Your body will love you for feeding it Creatine daily during strength training. Alternatively your body can get Creatine from meats and proteins, but if you take the supplement your muscles will surely have the supply they need for the energy they consume during weight training. The second product increases blood flow to the muscles, is an immediate precursor to the synthesis of Nitric Oxide, and is necessary for your body's synthesis of Creatine. It's called L-Arginine, and probably the best product on the market right now to deliver the supplement is branded "NO3", however GNC has their own generic brand that is probably just as good. Follow the directions on the box for how to take NO3. These products have been on the market for many years and are widely considered safe.
Trust me- by using machines, eating protein every three hours, creatine daily, and carbs and NO3 pre-workout, you will see exponential strength gains. Also make sure that you are doing multiple sets. I noticed some people mentioned doing 6-8 repetitions, but make sure if you are doing so few repetitions that you are doing 5-7 sets for each exercise. Your muscles should be sore the next day, if not, you're doing something wrong. The soreness comes from the lactic acid that is released by your body when you reach muscle fatigue and then do that one extra set. That last set is where ALL of the strength gains come from, and if you aren't doing that last set after you feel like you're muscles can't take any more, then you're not going to see the gains in strength. You need to shred those muscle fibers so that your body can rebuild them stronger overnight.
I hope this advice is helpful. I'm a certified trainer and combat instructor. Let me know if any of this works for you, I'm curious to see your results!
I went from being able to do only 20-30 pushups to over 300 on the bench with that routine in under a year so disregard if you like but it works. True you don't need nitric oxide, or creatine for that matter, but they will help, especially if fatigue is holding you back. Going to failure isn't mandatory but were not talking about what the least effective way to build strength is here... I'm just letting you know what the most effective way that I found is. Sure you can do one set per day and maybe you can upgrade from 5 pounds to 6 pounds after a few months. Soreness doesn't matter? lol
It doesn't take any of this to achieve what you're trying to do. You are a beginner. Take it easy, lift heavy, and keep it simple. This is especially true if you're just starting. Spend at least a month ensuring that your form is right. Then we can move into more advanced topics as you move forward. No need to get all technical with it. So I agree, disregard it, lol! Seriously!0 -
As a beginner, you have a lot of potential to get stronger. If you are feeding your body so it can develop and nourish those muscles, and you don't over train and get adequate rest, you can experience gains from 40%-80% within 2 months. You'll continue to see such progress until eventually it will not be so noticeable. Just keep documenting how much you are lifting and challenge yourself very 4-5 weeks. Larger muscle groups can get challenged more than smaller muscles in terms of weight progression in x amount of time. For instance, with legs you can go up in weight slightly every 4 weeks whereas certain shoulder exercises - like front lat raises - you will want to be very patient with that.0
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Oral arginine isn't really going to impact NO much anyhow. The fact is that it's not going to matter much and is probably a waste of money. Creatine on the other hand, will be of benefit, so I agree with you there.
^Just disregard that entire post, too much misinformation. Don't need to bother with nitric oxide. And soreness doesn't matter. And going to failure isn't mandatory.A few things that will help you...
Eat protein every three hours, lots of it. You need protein to rebuild your muscles so that they can get stronger. If you don't eat protein, your body will eat your muscles and it makes it almost impossible to build strength.
Eat carbs prior to weight training-simple carbs are technically worse for you but will help because your body can access the energy faster. Your body needs energy to flex your muscles and lift weights. In particular you need Carbs/ATP/Creatine/oxygen.
When doing cardio try not to hit your body's O2 cycle (aerobic exercise). Aerobic exercise is counterproductive to building muscle. Your body burns protein and carbs during the O2 cycle and fat during the anaerobic cycle. Instead of running try walking on maximum incline and keeping your heart rate in the fat burning zone rather than in the aerobic exercise zone. Doing this will help build muscle rather than eat it away.
Use machines in conjunction with free weights. You will be able to lift more weight on the machines because you can focus your efforts on the large muscle groups without your smaller muscles holding you back (stabilizing muscles). Continue to use free weights as well to work on your stability, however, you will notice larger strength gains using machines.
There are two products that you can buy at GNC that will considerably help with strength training. One should be obvious, it's Creatine. Your body will love you for feeding it Creatine daily during strength training. Alternatively your body can get Creatine from meats and proteins, but if you take the supplement your muscles will surely have the supply they need for the energy they consume during weight training. The second product increases blood flow to the muscles, is an immediate precursor to the synthesis of Nitric Oxide, and is necessary for your body's synthesis of Creatine. It's called L-Arginine, and probably the best product on the market right now to deliver the supplement is branded "NO3", however GNC has their own generic brand that is probably just as good. Follow the directions on the box for how to take NO3. These products have been on the market for many years and are widely considered safe.
Trust me- by using machines, eating protein every three hours, creatine daily, and carbs and NO3 pre-workout, you will see exponential strength gains. Also make sure that you are doing multiple sets. I noticed some people mentioned doing 6-8 repetitions, but make sure if you are doing so few repetitions that you are doing 5-7 sets for each exercise. Your muscles should be sore the next day, if not, you're doing something wrong. The soreness comes from the lactic acid that is released by your body when you reach muscle fatigue and then do that one extra set. That last set is where ALL of the strength gains come from, and if you aren't doing that last set after you feel like you're muscles can't take any more, then you're not going to see the gains in strength. You need to shred those muscle fibers so that your body can rebuild them stronger overnight.
I hope this advice is helpful. I'm a certified trainer and combat instructor. Let me know if any of this works for you, I'm curious to see your results!
I went from being able to do only 20-30 pushups to over 300 on the bench with that routine in under a year so disregard if you like but it works. True you don't need nitric oxide, or creatine for that matter, but they will help, especially if fatigue is holding you back. Going to failure isn't mandatory but were not talking about what the least effective way to build strength is here... I'm just letting you know what the most effective way that I found is. Sure you can do one set per day and maybe you can upgrade from 5 pounds to 6 pounds after a few months. Soreness doesn't matter? lol
And without getting too much into why going to failure isn't always a good idea, the fact is that she's clearly new. Her main focus should be on learning form right now. She'll increase strength at a quick rate without going too heavy too fast. At this point, going to failure will cause more problems than it solves IMO. Not to mention that some folks get burned out by going to failure, and it affects the rest of their workout (but this is highly variable). And yes, soreness is irrelevant0 -
^Just disregard that entire post, too much misinformation. Don't need to bother with nitric oxide. And soreness doesn't matter. And going to failure isn't mandatory.A few things that will help you...
Eat protein every three hours, lots of it. You need protein to rebuild your muscles so that they can get stronger. If you don't eat protein, your body will eat your muscles and it makes it almost impossible to build strength.
Eat carbs prior to weight training-simple carbs are technically worse for you but will help because your body can access the energy faster. Your body needs energy to flex your muscles and lift weights. In particular you need Carbs/ATP/Creatine/oxygen.
When doing cardio try not to hit your body's O2 cycle (aerobic exercise). Aerobic exercise is counterproductive to building muscle. Your body burns protein and carbs during the O2 cycle and fat during the anaerobic cycle. Instead of running try walking on maximum incline and keeping your heart rate in the fat burning zone rather than in the aerobic exercise zone. Doing this will help build muscle rather than eat it away.
Use machines in conjunction with free weights. You will be able to lift more weight on the machines because you can focus your efforts on the large muscle groups without your smaller muscles holding you back (stabilizing muscles). Continue to use free weights as well to work on your stability, however, you will notice larger strength gains using machines.
There are two products that you can buy at GNC that will considerably help with strength training. One should be obvious, it's Creatine. Your body will love you for feeding it Creatine daily during strength training. Alternatively your body can get Creatine from meats and proteins, but if you take the supplement your muscles will surely have the supply they need for the energy they consume during weight training. The second product increases blood flow to the muscles, is an immediate precursor to the synthesis of Nitric Oxide, and is necessary for your body's synthesis of Creatine. It's called L-Arginine, and probably the best product on the market right now to deliver the supplement is branded "NO3", however GNC has their own generic brand that is probably just as good. Follow the directions on the box for how to take NO3. These products have been on the market for many years and are widely considered safe.
Trust me- by using machines, eating protein every three hours, creatine daily, and carbs and NO3 pre-workout, you will see exponential strength gains. Also make sure that you are doing multiple sets. I noticed some people mentioned doing 6-8 repetitions, but make sure if you are doing so few repetitions that you are doing 5-7 sets for each exercise. Your muscles should be sore the next day, if not, you're doing something wrong. The soreness comes from the lactic acid that is released by your body when you reach muscle fatigue and then do that one extra set. That last set is where ALL of the strength gains come from, and if you aren't doing that last set after you feel like you're muscles can't take any more, then you're not going to see the gains in strength. You need to shred those muscle fibers so that your body can rebuild them stronger overnight.
I hope this advice is helpful. I'm a certified trainer and combat instructor. Let me know if any of this works for you, I'm curious to see your results!
I went from being able to do only 20-30 pushups to over 300 on the bench with that routine in under a year so disregard if you like but it works. True you don't need nitric oxide, or creatine for that matter, but they will help, especially if fatigue is holding you back. Going to failure isn't mandatory but were not talking about what the least effective way to build strength is here... I'm just letting you know what the most effective way that I found is. Sure you can do one set per day and maybe you can upgrade from 5 pounds to 6 pounds after a few months. Soreness doesn't matter? lol
It doesn't take any of this to achieve what you're trying to do. You are a beginner. Take it easy, lift heavy, and keep it simple. This is especially true if you're just starting. Spend at least a month ensuring that your form is right. Then we can move into more advanced topics as you move forward. No need to get all technical with it. So I agree, disregard it, lol! Seriously!
This is actually very basic information and not really that technical. Why would you disregard everything? Pick and choose what you like but whatever you do, getting started is the most important thing! Lift heavy, keep it simple? Not sure what kind of advice that is... but I digress. Totally agree with contingencypl's comment. Also, I think we might not be on the same page when discussing failure. I'm not suggesting total muscle exhaustion type failure that is typically used by body builders to break through a plateau... rather just that point at which you have difficulty doing that last repetition in that particular set and can't do another rep without rest. I would agree, total failure would not be recommended for a beginner.0 -
Don't sweat it. There is no one thing that can be described as "heavy." What's heavy to me might be super light to somebody else. The point is to challenge yourself.
I'm about to start Stage 4 of NROWL and I know lots of women who can use higher weight than I can on the same exercises, but I know I'm working hard and lifting as heavy as I can, while being able to complete the workouts, and that's all that matters!
I've never been athletic or into sports either, was always a dancer and never touched a dumbbell in my entire life until probably a couple years ago. The weights area at the gym can be REALLY intimidating when you start out, but trust me, it gets less daunting.0 -
Thanks for all the encouragement! I guess "heavy" is a totally subjective term... it's just hard not to compare myself to others.
The reason I'm doing 10 reps instead of 6-8 is because I'm following NROLFW after hearing so much praise for it, and it has me doing 10 reps. Maybe I should try less reps? I don't know if altering the program is a good idea.
Interesting thought that if I can bench 65 I can squat that much... I swear by the 10th rep at 25lbs I feel like my legs are going to fall off! Maybe using a barbell instead of dumbbells would make a difference... too bad I'm just using my apartment complex's gym which doesn't have barbells. I can't afford a real gym membership right now.
Hi Lauren,
You are doing great, making progress and have a goal to strive for. Just stick with it and you will get stronger and be able to lift what you want. So what if you can;'t right now-- it'll be an even greater accomplishment when you can.
As for the reps-- as a women you wan to stick to the higher rep sets, our muscles recover faster than men and a higher reps with less rest between sets is recommended. If your legs are jello and mush then you are challenging your body which is excellent! Just make sure you're drinking lots of water and protein to help them recover. Another benefit of the weights is your metabolism will speed up, BONUS!
Keep it up, you are doing great!!
Also Lauren0 -
- Eating protein every 3 hours as pretty much been disproven. Just reference the Leangains research on fasted training and fasting in general, Dr. John Berardi has done research on this as well.
- Why are carbs technically worse? Nothing wrong with some carbs pre & peri workout, several nutritionists recommend this.
- Creatine, NO products, and Arginine are all good and well but unnecessary for a beginner, at most take the Creatine.
- Machines > Free weights? I've know lifters that were basically machine only lifters and that strength does not translate into free-weight strength. You can build strength via free weights and then go kill it on the machine but not the other way around. I know I'm not as strong with dumbbells as I am on a Hammer Strength iso-Bench Press.
- Muscle work to total failue: yes and no, depends on what you're doing.
- Soreness doesn't matter. If you're sore doing the same exercise after every workout, every day, every week you do it, you're doing something wrong.0 -
So, you're annoyed at making 150-500% gains in strength? Have I missed something?0
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So, you're annoyed at making 150-500% gains in strength?
What are you measuring? You're not measuring 20-30 push-ups to the bench press are you?
Of course I'm not against making big gains but let's be realistic here. Your method of reps and sets is pretty non-specific and for a beginner it should be extremely specific.0 -
On my first day of Workout A, I was able to lift the 45lb bar--barely. I lifted it from the squat rack just enough to tuck my head under it. Then I started squatting with it. I've been doing squats without weights for months so my form for that is well-practiced and I can do many of them and go fairly low. I actually didn't feel very challenged. Yet when I went to try to take the bar off my shoulders, I could not lift it above my head! That freaked me out. Then someone on my friend list told me if I was using a rack instead of a power cage, I was gonna have trouble later when the weights got bigger than I could lift above my head. I didn't even know what a power cage was but that simple mention had me googling and it turns out, my gym has one! It indeed was much safer.
Why am I telling you this? Using the dumbbells to replace the squatting bar, is not exactly the same exercise. It's not bad. You just can't even begin comparing what you are doing to what someone with a bar does. Here's why. When you are holding the dumbbells, your arms are doing most of the contraction. Some is in the shoulders. Your legs are doing the work from the squats themselves. With the bar, your legs are doing most of the work, your shoulder second and your arms not very much. Our legs are stronger thus that's why you see the difference. You are placing the emphasis on a different part of the body.
My honest opinion is if you aren't using that gym for free and don't live in a remote location, you may want to think about signing up with another gym. Definitely look for the bars, how high the weights to up to and a power cage. I'm only in Stage 1 so I can't tell you the other requirements later in the game as far as what you need in a gym.
It is true that you can't compare yourself to others but I wanted to point this out because you are also comparing exercises that aren't exactly the same. Kudos for making do with what you have though and not letting it stop you. I think NROLW has a section on what you need for a home gym and some modifications for having less equipment so look to see if you get some advice there.
For what it is worth, I can't do a full push up yet. I started with a wall push up the first week and couldn't complete all the reps. Now I'm doing all the reps at an incline position. Hoping this week I can attempt the floor pushup with success.
Not only can we not compare ourselves to one another, we are also each going to have different areas of strengths and weaknesses AND different backgrounds before we came--like my experience with squats.
The true measure is whether you are able to gain strength each time you go.
I am trying to pay attention to protein and carbs in my diet too. I don't know about creatine vs whey yet but I know how many grams total I need and I'm getting at least close to it each time. It still needs a little work. But I just started and I'm workin to build it.
I did have to cut out my other exercises this week because I wasn't able to lift successfully last week. I got fatigued too early. So for now I'm focusing on this, some leisure walking and if summer activities come up--I won't turn them down. Once I get better at this, I may add some back in but for now I am letting the rest days do their magic.0 -
Oops I missed the part where you said you use your apartment gym. I can understand why you put up with the gum's limitations since it is free and conveniently located. One thin I'm gonna throw out there is I have seen people on the boards mention Planet Fitness as being pretty cheap at $10/mo. If this is something you could swing, it might be worth checking into. Again, check the place out to make sure it has the equipment you need. You may need to check all of the stages to see.
You could also ask what exercise would be comparable (via MFP). You may find a different exercise that targets those same muscles. I'm not in any way an expert here but from doing shoulder presses and barbell squats, I feel different muscles contracted. But either way, you are making gains. That's a good thing.
I'm confused by that NROLW book though. Can you tell me if you can do any of the squats on those pages or if they are for different stages?0 -
Why am I telling you this? Using the dumbbells to replace the squatting bar, is not exactly the same exercise. It's not bad. You just can't even begin comparing what you are doing to what someone with a bar does. Here's why. When you are holding the dumbbells, your arms are doing most of the contraction. Some is in the shoulders. Your legs are doing the work from the squats themselves. With the bar, your legs are doing most of the work, your shoulder second and your arms not very much. Our legs are stronger thus that's why you see the difference. You are placing the emphasis on a different part of the body.
This makes a lot of sense, and it's something I've been wondering about. Thanks for your reply!0 -
I'm confused by that NROLW book though. Can you tell me if you can do any of the squats on those pages or if they are for different stages?
I'm actually not sure since I just finished stage 1. I *think* the more advanced ones are for different stages. However, for bodyweight exercises like the push-up, there are modifications in the book so you can do a more difficult variation as you adjust (push-ups are used in several stages, and reps don't always increase).0 -
Super BUMP!0
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Me too...bump for later0
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I am so happy you are doing this..it sounds like you got a lot of great support from people here. I have been lifting for 9 months and the changes have been incredible. Just be patient and do your best. You will be able to add on over time.
Jules:flowerforyou:0 -
*Bump for later reading* Thanks 0
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i haven't read all the responses as there are so many, but don't compare yourself to other people.... lifting heavy means lifting the heaviest amount of weight that you can & feeling like you can physically do no more.... so if you are doing 10-12 reps, you really should be finding it difficult by about rep 9, and the last rep number 12 should be incredibly difficult. then you just increase your weight when you find that its not as difficult as it once was.
i don't lift very heavy at all compared to others, but then have also seen grown men not be able to do some of the weights i lift, but the important thing is, the weights are heavy for me, i am sweating and shaking on my last 3 reps, and when i sit up i have a headspin, lol. over the last 4 weeks i have tripled some of my weights. all you have to do is make a start, and keep going - you can't fail.0 -
I'm a guy over 6 feet tall who's Max bench was 415.....and I had to start at 65 punds bench presses. And don't think it got 8 reps!
And only benching is going to get you stronger at benching, so even tho you're getting stronger with dumbbells it's not a surprise that your bench improves at a slower pace.
Sounds like you're doing awesome to me. Keep it up and never hesitate to ask for a spot.0 -
I went from being able to do only 20-30 pushups to over 300 on the bench with that routine in under a year so disregard if you like but it works. True you don't need nitric oxide, or creatine for that matter, but they will help, especially if fatigue is holding you back. Going to failure isn't mandatory but were not talking about what the least effective way to build strength is here... I'm just letting you know what the most effective way that I found is. Sure you can do one set per day and maybe you can upgrade from 5 pounds to 6 pounds after a few months. Soreness doesn't matter? lol
I have no doubts that this program worked for you. But it's way too much information (some good, some wrong, but all too complicated) and none of it is necessary for a newbie lifter like the OP. Did she even say that fatigue or soreness is holding her back? I don't have a problem with your advice in general, but it's not advice for the OP or anybody in a similar situation that clicks on this thread looking for help.
To the OP, of COURSE you can squat that bar. Almost everyone seriously underestimates how much they can handle. Some of it is muscle and training, but a lot of it is mental. A 45 pound bar to squat with is about the same strength you use right now to carry 3 bags of groceries up a flight of stairs. Can you stand on up on one leg? If you weigh 140 then one leg just handled 140 pounds by itself. Jump as high as you can and land on one leg. That's the equivalent of 3 times your bodyweight when you land.
All this is different than actually putting a bar across your back and squatting but not as much as you think. Either way, I hope you're seeing my point. You're doing great, and you're capable of much more than you think you are.
Good luck!0 -
I lift heavy...but started out with 5lb weights.. you have to start somewhere. I have been lifting for 60ish days...and now can deadlift 85lbs...can press 65lbs...curl 50lbs...and so on...all that being said...your body will adjust quickly!0
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Heavy is relative! Just has to feel heavy to *you*. The point is to tax your muscles to the point of failure--the means don't really matter!0
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i was gonna say: don't knock benching 65!!!!
First of all, everyone starst somewhere.
Second of all, if you feel you are hitting a wall, it might be that you aren't eating enough. It takes a lot of calories to build muscle.
third, here's some info on what kinda weights are considered "novice" and what's considered "expert"...note, these are one rep max (ORM):
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html
The same website has a page where you can type in your weights and reps and itll give you your ORM.
Thanks for this info!0 -
I'm wondering if other women have dealt with this!
I've never been very into athletics, except basketball in middle school and dance all through high school. That being said, I've never been very strong at all. Especially after I graduated high school and stopped dancing.
Now I've been wanting to start "lifting heavy" as I've seen such great success stories with it. The problem is, I feel I don't have the physical capacity to lift heavy at all! I completed Stage 1 of NROLFW but the most I could use by the end was 10-15lb dumbbells depending on the exercise (I don't have access to a barbell so I have to use dumbbells. Yeah, no barbell at my little gym, it sucks.) Yesterday I attempted a bench press for the first time and I could only do 2 sets of 8 reps at 65lbs. I felt so pathetic!
I just feel kind of discouraged because I always see posts on here of women being like, "Just started lifting heavy today, squatted with a 75lb barbell and it felt great!" Lol I don't think I could even pick up a standard 45lb barbell of the ground, let alone squat with it. I squat with about 25lbs (two 12.5lb dumbbells) right now and it's often hard for me to finish 10 reps!
Don't get me wrong, I've gotten stronger... a copule of months ago I couldn't even do two push-ups and now I can do ten, though it's a struggle. I did used to use 10lbs to squat and now I'm up to 25lbs so that's something I know... it's just frustrating. I want to be one of those girls who lifts heavy and I'm envious of those who just jump right into it. Any other weak women out there going through the same thing?
To echo what others have said..."lifting 'heavy'" means lifting heavy for YOU! I'm a guy who will start "lifting heavy" in the next few weeks, and I just ordered...a 5kg (that's 11 pounds) "training" barbell to start off. That's right, my wife and I will be squatting and pressing starting at 11 pounds. Eleven. On the squat. Although we'll probably get ten pound bumpers and start the deadlift at 31. (yes, a 31 pound deadlift. Yes, I know that's light).
Point is, you start low, you work your way up steadily. If you're following stronglifts 5x5 or starting strength, you'll likely be adding 5 lbs every workout to each exercise (assuming you can finish all your reps with proper form). do that on the squat, that's 15 lbs/week. If you're already doing 2x8 on the bench at 65...well, that's not chopped liver.
And again, the only person you're competing against is you. Not other people in the weight room (most of whom don't give a rip what you're doing, something I discovered years ago when I first went through a phase of working out regularly), not other posters on here (who are just trying to share info and generally encourage everyone else), not some supermodel or actress or whoever on the TV, but you. The you of a month ago, a week ago, five minutes ago. You're just constantly trying (allowing for sufficient recovery, of course) to always get just a little bit better.
As soon as our bar arrives, I'll be doing 5x5 overhead presses at 11 pounds. Better than not pressing at all.0
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