Today I leg-pressed the entire weight stack on the lateral leg-press machine, that's 125 kilos (275 pounds!!!) ... holy CRAP do my legs hurt like a demon ...

I am up to 80 kilos (176 pounds) on the 45 degree leg press (that one's hard)

I now do some of my weights in the "big boys" room and it's actually really cool - some chicks would be really intimidated and I certainly get some strange looks, but I like it.

Though, it was embarrassing the other day ... I was hefting about the 20 kg (44 pound) weights to load up the 45 degree leg press ... and I was holding the weight against my body and this big muscular (and kinda cute) guy came over and helped me! LOL ah well, I'll be strong enough to lift them about without looking like a damsel in distress soon enough ...

Congratulations! That IS a great acheivement.

Oh yeah, the big boy weight room definitely is the playground -- it's where all the fun stuff is. I know what you mean about those big plates -- they're an arm workout in themselves. Just don't do what Mel did and drop one on your foot!

Congratulations. Sometimes I get scared by how much weight I can do. Is the 45 degree leg press, I can actually do 470 lbs (or at least that is what it was last week, I'd like to do 500 lbs this week/today) and that is a lot of hefting 45 lb plates.

Leg presses have always been important to me since I am a horseshoer. I need strong legs! I can do 450 on the lateral and I just started using the 45 degree this week, I think I threw on about 200 pounds and it was too easy.
No one would ever offer to carry my plates, I'm almost 6 feet and taller than a lot of them, hahaha.
Way to go on the accomplishments

Way to go!
The big boy equipment is definitely more fun
The only time anyone has ever been chivalrous with me is when some a$$ left 100 pound plates on the leg press and I had to unrack a few before I could do a workout. I managed to wrestle 1 off, but couldn't put it on the plate hanger. So I put it on the floor They are nearly impossible to get off the floor!!! My boss and trainer begged me not to do that again, and unracked the rest for me.

Meg's right- be careful. I dropped a 45'er on my big toe last year and broke my toe. Ouch.

Mel, the gym klutz

I nearly dropped a 25 lb weight on myself yesterday. When I'm reracking weights, I get lazy and grab multiple weights and the 25 lb one slipped but luckily i caught it. I've never had a guy offer to help me with weights before but the biggest plates we have are 45 lbs, which is quite doable for me.

Actually I did have a girl offer to unrack a 45 lb plate on the 45 degree leg press that she had finished using.

Gen, you aren't a weakling, you just need to build strength up I have strong legs because I have to carry around 300+ lbs all day long and I've always been at least quasi active. Even with that, I have built up my leg strength quite a bit just in the last 3-4 months.

Last night I did shoulder work. On a set of shoulder machines (military press and front military press) , I remember starting with 12.5 lbs on each side and it wasn't easy. Last night, I did 40 lbs on each side and I was kind of amazed. I'm quite happy with my shoulders mostly because those are the only muscles I can currently see through my layer(s) of fat. I can feel other muscles getting firmer and stronger though so that is good.

Yeah, Nelie's right, Gen! You're not a weakling! I started leg pressing (lateral) on 60kg (132 pounds) just over 3 months ago ... my legs are freakishly strong compared to the rest of me, but you'll see results soon too!

I am LOVING the dumbells though ... I only do one exercise with them, but I wanna do moooooooooore. I am also going to do 1 PT session a week so that I can lift the stuff I wouldn't ordinarily lift (i.e. stuff that needs spotting)

I am terrified of dropping the 45 pound weights on my feet, that's why I hold it against my body (at least I will continue to do so until I am a bit stronger)

Way to go!