Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Thats a great way to build cheaply. I really like your purchasing strategy! In the end the Gold's made sense for me (although they stick for the first couple of weeks so be careful) because we move so much and I never know how much storage I will have.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

I splurged a couple years ago and bought the Bowflext SelecTec weights. I love them. However, a more practical way to go would be like Lyssie suggests, buy the ones that use plates. That way you don't buy the plate until you need them, you can use the plates on dumbell bars and the bench press bar.

I like www.shapefit.com/training.html for choosing exercises.

The Body For Life program (just the training part--disregard the eating part) has you do upper body one day, then have a day off and then lower body the next day, another day off and then upper body again. This allows 2 full days of "rest" for the body parts. It all depends on what you like to do. Always make sure that you allow your muscles to rest. It is during the rest period that the muscle is built up.

Lou Schueler and Cassandra Forsythe and Alwyn Cosgrove are the authors of "The New Rules of Lifting for Women". I found out about it from the Nutrition and Metabolism Society web page on Low carbohydrate diet and strength training. That entire website is a wealth of information, if you've never seen it. It actually has some power point presentations that Dr. Atkins presented. Alwyn has some interesting writings on his blog about exercise.

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Ladies, Jo says fine to starting a challenge if we want, so how do we want to do it? number of hours? amount of weight we up by the end of the month? numbers of reps?

Joy? Liv? what do you think? Interested?

[Lyssie]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Joy and I just entered the 6WEC for weights to track how many days per week we're lifting.

As a note, I'm not sure that the number of hours thing works - there are folks like me who superset the daylights out of things, and folks who do one bodypart before moving onto the next. There's also that it may be easier for some folks to move up faster than others - if you've been lifting for a while, you won't be increasing as quickly as someone who just started. And the reps thing... well, if you pyramid (I do 4 sets with the 3rd being my max), you can go anywhere from 8-15 reps in each set so it's hard to determine whether that's better or worse.

Just a couple thoughts.

[liv]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Perhaps at least 2 or 3 weightlifting days per week.
At least 10-12 sets?
Maybe people can set their own goals?

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Yes, as much as I would like to see it have its own challenge it looks like it would be hard to set goals that meet everyones needs. Maybe we should just keep a strength training thread alive so it shows up for those who do train and/or those who think they may want to. We could still post workouts or other information to share.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

What has worked in the past was a weekly check in thread where we talked about weight lifting and encouraged each other. I think we could do something like that.

[IrishMom82]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Irishmom, I'm doing Power 90 and after reading a great book by a female body builder from the 70's, (I can't remember the name off hand) here is how I approach my weights. The max reps for most of Tony's exercises is 15 so I got dumbells heavy enough that I could just barely get out 8 reps. (I looked like a dork in the store but you gotta do what you gotta do). Then I used those until I could get the full 15 reps out of them and went back top the store and got the next weight up and started with the 8 min reps and worked my way up to all the reps again. I started with 7 pound weights and am now using 10's and need to buy 15's and 20's next paycheck. I'm probably going to get the ones with an actual bar and plates because after about 4 sets of the cheapo hex dumbells I could have bought the gold gym adjustable.

Great advice! Thanks so much!

[IrishMom82]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Here's another question for all ya'll!

Should I try to lose some more weight (aka fat) before I start lifting weights? Or should I go ahead and start lifting?

I was checking out weights today at Walmart. I did like half a rep with a 10 lb. weight and my arm is really sore...haha. I think I may need to start a little lower...

[Lyssie]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Don't wait!! Start now!! A pound of muscle burns off more calories just to stay alive each day, it looks better on you, and then as you lose the weight, you discover the definition that you've been working on. Besides, why put it off when you can make a habit of it now?

[IrishMom82]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Too true Lyssie! Thanks!! I'm gonna buy some weights this week (probably the ones with the plates) and I'm going to start P90X! Woo hoo! I actually love weightlifting. I quite after a bit cause I was using 3lb. weights and they just don't do anything.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

I did a nice workout tonight.

2 x 15 x 35 deadlifts 35 lbs (kinda light on the weight because it's been so long)
2 x 15 x 10 dumbell shoulder press
1 x 30 x 20 lunges and 1 x 15 x 20 (I realized I should have broken the set up)
1 x 15 x 55 Wide grip Lat pulldown and 1 x 15 x 65
2 x 15 Swiss ball crunches

It took me about 30 minutes to do this workout. That's what I'm shooting for...about 30 minute workouts.

I could totally feel my hamstrings and glutes! Oooh I'll be sore day after tomorrow!

[chinadoll]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Joy, like your idea on keeping a weekly thread. OK, so yesterday was upper body. I did pyramid sets of 12-8-6-12 reps (although I didn't finish some of them)
chest & back
dumbbell press 25-30-35-25 lbs
bent over row 25-30-35-30 lbs
incline db press 15-20-25-20 lbs
db pullover 25-30-35-30 lbs
shoulders
arnold press on stability ball 10-15-20-15 lbs
military db press 10-15-20-15 lbs
flabby arms
supinating bicep curl 15-20-25(failed at 3) 20 lbs
tricep dips 4-5-4-4 (I stink at these; my butt weighs too much) ;(
abs
and 2 sets straight planks 50 secs; 1 set each side planks 30 secs (the bane of my earthly existence)

[ValidRouge]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Jill, great workout!

I'm so out of shape. I want to go gung ho, but that plan is to go slowly and build slowly, plus not spend huge amounts of time in the gym. Get in, get out is the objective.

I have a tendency to go overboard on things anyway. heh

Planks are hard stuff, i'm getting better at them though because of the yoga.

I do yoga on Thursdays, well...this thursday will be my last one because i start a new semester next week with class on Tues & Thurs. So, i'll miss my yoga. I guess I'll have to do it at home with the video.

[IrishMom82]

Re: Strength Training for Women (and Men too)

Not to sound stupid but could you translate (Joy and Jill) your workouts? I don't understand it. Sorry but thanks!