Women lifting weight??

[chiky]

Hi, I just wanted a confirmation or rather, to be reassured on something.

I go to the gym once a week. At the gym I usually lift weights but considering that I don't want to go into the body building as such but simply body toning, you might guess that I don't lift real heavy weights, just the basic pounds.

But while having a conversation with some acquaintances, I was kind of warned by one of these guys that lifting real heavy weights for women can be a real bad thing because it might affect their body condition…

Is it true or not???

[2frustrated]

Affect your body condition in a good way

You will build muscle and firm up and it's fabby! It also prevents muscle wastage and osteoperosis that can occur in later years.

So I think your guy acquaintance is talking out of his glutes CARRY ON LIFTING GIRL!

[silverbirch]

Hej chiky!

2frustrated is right. Lifting weights is a good thing to do. It will help you now and is a good investment for the future.

Regrettably, unfortunately, sadly, the guy does not know what he's talking about.

Keep on lifting! And keep talking to us!

[Heather]

It would be very difficult for a woman to build the sort of muscles guys build by lifting heavy weights -- we just don't have the testosterone.

I don't know what you mean by "basic pounds" but if you aren't advancing and lifting heavier weight over time you probably aren't building muscle. There are lots of great resources here -- check out some of the stickies at the top of the forum to learn more about women and weight lifting!

You can get so many benefits from lifting, as 2Frustrated mentioned! Check it out!

[Mel]

He's sadly misinformed. Unless you have an abundance of testosterone, natural or otherwise, you really can't bulk up to what you'd consider bodybuilder size no matter how heavy you lift. I lift as heavy as I possibly can- and that's darn heavy for a woman. I wear a size 2 on the bottom and a 4-6 on the top. I lift a 4 day split, and have rarely seen women lift heavier than I do.

Your body will change- to smaller, stronger and healthier!

Mel

[canadian mom]

Maybe he is scared you can lift more than him....lol

[Meg]

Originally Posted by Mel

He's sadly misinformed. Unless you have an abundance of testosterone, natural or otherwise, you really can't bulk up to what you'd consider bodybuilder size no matter how heavy you lift. I lift as heavy as I possibly can- and that's darn heavy for a woman. I wear a size 2 on the bottom and a 4-6 on the top. I lift a 4 day split, and have rarely seen women lift heavier than I do.

Your body will change- to smaller, stronger and healthier!

Mel

Just to back up what Mel said ...

Mel lifts heavier than many men, but she's the tiniest little thing in person (I've met her). You would never, ever guess how strong and muscular she is. Lifting heavy weights will make you smaller, not bigger. Really!

[baffled111]

Originally Posted by chiky

I was kind of warned by one of these guys that lifting real heavy weights for women can be a real bad thing because it might affect their body condition…

I wonder what "condition" he thought he was referring to...Perhaps he thinks our ovaries shrivel up if we become able to lift anything heavier than a baby :P

[nelie]

Women lifting weights? That is crazy talk... women are supposed to be cooking or something like that...

Personally, I think men can be intimidated by women lifting for some reason. Men that really care about general health would encourage women to lift. Men that think they are super manly and only they can lift weights, probably don't think women should lift.

Lifting weights is great for women. I don't lift as heavy as I have in the past but that is mostly because I don't workout as much as I used to with weights. I mostly workout at home with my dumbbells and I also try to do a lot of body weight exercises. All throughout my weight loss, I've gotten smaller and my muscles have certainly helped me feel a lot firmer and I think they have also helped me look a lot better. I still have a lot of fat covering my muscles so you can't really see them but I know they are there and I know they are busy burning fat for me

[lola06]

Originally Posted by nelie

Women lifting weights? That is crazy talk... women are supposed to be cooking or something like that...

Personally, I think men can be intimidated by women lifting for some reason. Men that really care about general health would encourage women to lift. Men that think they are super manly and only they can lift weights, probably don't think women should lift.

Lifting weights is great for women. I don't lift as heavy as I have in the past but that is mostly because I don't workout as much as I used to with weights. I mostly workout at home with my dumbbells and I also try to do a lot of body weight exercises. All throughout my weight loss, I've gotten smaller and my muscles have certainly helped me feel a lot firmer and I think they have also helped me look a lot better. I still have a lot of fat covering my muscles so you can't really see them but I know they are there and I know they are busy burning fat for me

Nellie, I've been lifitng weights at home as well. What's your regimen look like? How heavy and how often are you lifting?

[nelie]

Lola,

I actually do BFL style sets with a different split. I'll do Chest, triceps and shoulders one day, Back, bicep, abs another day and legs yet another day.

I start with a fairly light weight and do however many reps I can do (usually 15), then I increase the weight and decrease the reps for 4 sets. The last set usually has me at 6 reps. On the 5th set, I'll decrease the weight enough to do 12 reps, then immediately switch to a different exercise for the same muscle group and do 12 reps.

I'll also sometimes mix supplementary exercises in there such as supermans for the lower back. I also will do various difficulties of pushups on a ball and tricep dips on a step as part of the increasing weight/decreasing rep. For the legs, I tend to do lunges, squats, dead lifts as well as various versions such as lunges or squats on a step as opposed to just the floor. Or some days I'll do walking lunges.

[LisaMarie71]

Originally Posted by baffled111

I wonder what "condition" he thought he was referring to...Perhaps he thinks our ovaries shrivel up if we become able to lift anything heavier than a baby :P

Thanks for the laugh!

[Lydia227]

Man, I'm really enjoying this thread. ...affect their body condition....
I'll say, it certainly did affect my body condition. It gave me "back" a body to condition. Not to mention it added years to my lifespan.

Chiky, not only has the weight training improved my physical health but it has also given me so much more self confidence in my abilities to do other things in my life. This was such an added bonus that I didn't even realize would happen. Embrace the power of the weights!

[Heather]

Originally Posted by Lydia227

Chiky, not only has the weight training improved my physical health but it has also given me so much more self confidence in my abilities to do other things in my life. This was such an added bonus that I didn't even realize would happen. Embrace the power of the weights!

Oh, you're not kidding! I can't believe the DAILY things I can do that used to be a struggle. I remember not being able to carry out the recycling when it was really heavy, or shovel heavy snow, or easily carry big bags of dog food, or birdseed... I no longer have to worry about any of that! Not to mention being able to open jars or carry heavy things up and down stairs...

My trainer talks about "functional fitness" -- doing things IN the gym so that I can do things OUTSIDE the gym...

[WaterRat]

I can't believe the DAILY things I can do that used to be a struggle

Ain't it amazing? It makes getting old a little easier to deal with.

Love your comparison photos - you look terrific!