OK..so my BF is a weight lifter...and has to stay in shape for his job. I recently started adding in weight lifting with my cardio and he has shown me how to work the machines, and how much. etc. He seems to push himself to the weight limit...which is what guys seem to do...and does this for me too. I was wondering if its bad that im lifting so much weight that I can barely stand to finish the set? He has to help me finish up. My arms (or legs) begin to shake. Is this bad for a woman who only wants to tone up..not bulk up? He said its hard for a woman to get bulky (without supplements) because of their hormones...something like that. I weight lifted yesterday and this morning I feel like an wiggly octopus! Obviously, being a guy...he doesnt know how to workout like a woman....so I need any advice...please .....Any help is appreciated. Thank you. PS: I congradulate anyone read this 'till the end.lol.as it was super long.
My rule of thumb has always been, i want to be able to do 10 or 15 reps and keep good form. If i start to lose form before i hit 10 then i definately have the weight too high. How many are you doing before he has to help you?
I try to get to a weight that allows 8-12 reps of good form. If I can only get out 6 reps, the weight is too high and I lower it. If I can get out 15-20, the weight is too low and I raise it.
He is correct that it is very hard for a woman to be bulky muscle-wise without some sort of hormonal change. A standard female body just doesn't put on bulky muscle that easily, because adding muscle bulk is much easier in the presence of testosterone, and women have less than men.
One we were doing yesterday was free weights bicep curls. He had me do 3 sets of 12 with 8lbs per hand. By the second set he was helping me on the 6'th rep. My hands were shaking so much that I thought I wouldnt be able to lift it. He did spot me from there on though. The rest of the weights we did were basically for upper body...where he had to help me with everything. Is it normal to struggle during the rep? Ive always done weights without struggling...but I still feel the burn....now it seems im at a whole new level.
If you can barely finish the set and are shaking that much I would definately lower the weight. It isn't necessary to do the absolute most you can possibly stand. Having consistancy is more important. Plus you can get injured trying to do more then you can handle.
You are so fortunate to have someone who will help you as you train! You are going to see so many wonderful changes take place as you continue to add weight training to your exercise routine. It will not only affect the shape of your body but also how you move. It is much more effective in weightloss than just cardio alone. So just keep going and have fun!
There is no way you are going to bulk up by lifting heavy and to near failure. It just isn't going to happen. Mandalinn's suggestion of 8-12 reps per set is a good number to work toward.
Just so you know I often feel like noodle woman when I leave the gym and sometimes the next day is even worse. You will need to rest the muscles you worked 48 hours before taxing them again. Also be certain to take in some good quality protein such as chicken breasts, egg whites, cottage cheese, etc to help repair the microscopic tears that were created during your workout.
I just saw your most recent post about the bicep curls. Something to keep in mind is that the last two to three reps should be very challenging. You will need to play with the amount of weight you can use that will take you there while maintaining proper form. As you become stronger you will then be able to hit the 8-10 reps or even the 10-12 reps per set as your goal. Just make of note of how many you were able to do during each workout and then try to make it your goal to increase the number of reps by at least one each week or every other week. Also, while you are resting between sets, do some bicep stretches before beginning again.
In my opinion, he is overworking you. You said you are just starting to lift weights. It is not him not knowing how to train like a woman as there is no reason why a woman can't train the same way as a man. He is right about the difficulty you would have bulking up. I do think, however, that he doesn't know or forgot how to train you like a beginner. It's one thing to go to failure or near failure on a final set, but it's another thing entirely to train beyond failure which is what he is having you do with assisted reps. This is too intense and too soon in my opinion and is muscle and/or tendon injuries just waiting to happen,.
This is just my opinion, but I'd like to see if the PT's on this forum like Meg and Mel would have their beginner clients doing assisted reps at this stage of their development.
Thanks for all the GREAT comments. Today I did a little lower body work w/ my cardio, and he was not there...and I did not push myself to what I should/could have done. However, by the end of my 45min cardio....I thought I was going to croak.lol. I came home feeling like I had the flu...extremely overworked. I think I may HAVE did it the other day. Im rubbing some tiger balm on my arms as my BF is calling me a wussy jokingly. He's one of those "macho macho man" kinda guys.lol. Since ive been increasing my cardio and adding weights to my exercise routine, I dont seem half as hungry as before...which is a big surprise. But on the downside, I dont eat much protein often. Would it be neccessary to add a supplement like a protein drink or such? or should I just sneak pieces of chicken here and there...lol...
As someone who injured herself doing too much, CUT DOWN. If you're shaking and not able to do something without assistance you're lifting too much. You should be at the point where the last one or two are almost impossible, but not halfway through!
Part of my physio is the 1RM methord. For me, if I do one rep and feel pain, I should half it. He also told me that if its just weakness that is stopping me from doing one rep I should than do 60-70% of that weight.
Men and women can and should train the same with weights. However, beginners and the advanced should not!. Form and exercises are the same, the amount of weight seems to be the issue here. That is where the injuries will result (along with poor form). You need to eat more protein. You can get it in several ways, including lean meats such as chicken breast, cottage cheese, protein shakes, and or even vegetables such as corn. If you don't like the taste of protein shakes, you can mix chocolate protein powder and skim milk, it tastes like chocolate milk!
I absolutely agree with Depalma. Men and women can train the same way. There's no reason in the world for a woman to lift weights any differently. What he has forgotten is how to train a beginner.
I don't take beginners to failure. What is most likely to fail are tendons and ligaments or the desire to ever go back into the gym. It takes about 4 weeks for connective tissue to catch up to muscle strength. I'd lower those weights to the amount that you can lift on your own for 10-12 repetitions. It's OK to struggle a bit on the last rep or two of the second set, but not failure. You'll still be sore and still be getting stronger. I wouldn't train a man any differently if he was a beginner or out of shape!
BF overworking me??
.....Any help is appreciated. Thank you. PS: I congradulate anyone read this 'till the end.lol.as it was super long.
So just keep going and have fun!
I just saw your most recent post about the bicep curls. Something to keep in mind is that the last two to three reps should be very challenging. You will need to play with the amount of weight you can use that will take you there while maintaining proper form. As you become stronger you will then be able to hit the 8-10 reps or even the 10-12 reps per set as your goal. Just make of note of how many you were able to do during each workout and then try to make it your goal to increase the number of reps by at least one each week or every other week. Also, while you are resting between sets, do some bicep stretches before beginning again.
