Ok! Someone talk to me about weight lifting!

[is thin possible?]

I need some advice on my weight lifting! I think I have been going about my lifting all wrong. Someone please let me know.


Ok! Here is my scenario. I am a very muscular woman (current weight 207.5 down from 295.5 with a LBM of 140 lbs.) and am not in the business to add muscle but rather tone and hold onto what I have.

Sooo, am I better off lifting a comfortable amount of weight that allows me to get through 3 sets of 15 reps. before I am fatigued? Or...lift a heavier weight and fatigue more quickly and only do 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps?

Please advise! :wave

Thanks!

[Richt]

To tone up you should be doing lower weights with more reps.

Rich

[Peterlock]

Hi IsThin, :wave

I'm not an expert by any means and in fact have recently just started lifting myself - and love it.

According to my book "The Home Fitness Bible" here's the skinny:

For Body Building - To build muscle you use more weight, fewer reps and work the muscle to failure. It's during the time of rest that the muscle actually gets larger and denser

For toning - it's all about using lighter weights but more reps

Betty, one of our resident fitness gurus recommended the above mentioned book to me and I have to tell you it's excellent. Written in a fun easy to read style, explicit instructions, hundreds of exercises and suggested work outs.

Any advice you receive from Betty or Jake you can bank on being in you're absolute best interest.

Peter ha

[snorkelman]

Sounds like you don't really want to add much muscle, so i would also agree on higher reps.

Consider doing exercises that can be considered both weight training as well as cardio. For example, circuit training would fall within this category.

Also, if you do some of the rowing machine, it would probably be good.

[2big4mysize]

as the folk already said it is about a couple of things one do you want to build more muscles, increase the streght of the ones you have, and or burn more fat?

There are several different ways you can weight train. Muscles actually grow by repairing the small micro tears we make in them when we use them harder then they are accustom too. that is the next day soreness you feel when you start any exercise program. If you are just going for the resistance training like Dr Atkins mentions in the exercise chapter of DANDR to preserve your muscle tissue, increase your metabolic rate and burn fat then you want to do reps with enough weight that at the end of your workout you feel like you have used those muscles but not enough to be sore the next day and the amount you lift will be dependant on your strength already.

Barbra Walters and Diane Sawyers swear by the slow burn once a week workouts with very heavy weights and very very slowly done lifts and lowering. Since Diane can leg press 500 pounds and both use it to maintain their shape it seems to work for them. there are a few ADBBers who use the slow burn technique.

Several of us use the BFL program of different numbers of lifts with higher intensities on successive lifts but we are using it to grow muscle and increase strenght.

If you are lifting at a gym you should get a fitness consulting tossed in with your membership. Ask them at the desk if you get one and let them set you up a program cause they can stand there and see how much effort you are putting in as a 30 pound bench press which might be too much too little or just right for you. The will show youhow to do each lift and how much weight to use and how many reps to do for what you want to acheive. They should be certified fitness trainers and not the salesperson for the gym memeberships ifthey aren't certified.

Happy low carbing.

[Jake]

I agree with everything that has been said so i'll just say they are right lower weight higher reps and if you notice that you are adding too much bulk still cut the weight a little and add some cardio. You just need to find your comfortable balance.

[is thin possible?]

Hey thanks everyone...Peterlock, Richt, Snoreklman, 2 Big and 64 oz.! I can always count on you guys/gals! :yes

Peterlock-I will be checking out the book you mentioned! Thanks for the info.

Blessings, :wave

[segdoh]

Re: Ok! Someone talk to me about weight lifting!

I need some advice on my weight lifting! I think I have been going about my lifting all wrong. Someone please let me know.


Ok! Here is my scenario. I am a very muscular woman (current weight 207.5 down from 295.5 with a LBM of 140 lbs.) and am not in the business to add muscle but rather tone and hold onto what I have.

Sooo, am I better off lifting a comfortable amount of weight that allows me to get through 3 sets of 15 reps. before I am fatigued? Or...lift a heavier weight and fatigue more quickly and only do 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps?

Please advise! :wave

Thanks!

I recommend you read the following article:

http://www.ageless-athletes.com/women_and_weight_training.shtml

I think it is important for women to understand that there is no such thing as "toning". I have over 20 female clients varying in age from 18 to 50 and from BF% levels of 12% to 30%. They all make their greatest strides in fitness and physique transformation by training with intensity (as this article also suggests). Light weight + high reps really is a myth.

[Piasabird]

Re: Ok! Someone talk to me about weight lifting!

Light weight + high reps really is a myth.

That is what I've heard, but since I didn't know for sure I didn't want to chime in. I don't have alot of time to spend working out and it doesn't seem like fun to me. So I would want to get the most bang for my buck.

I've seen pics on another lc website of a woman who trains using heavier weight and less reps. She looks very trim and toned. Her muscles look defined but are in no way huge and bulky.

So, I think I'll go with heavier weight and less reps and get it over with!

[kellygirl2]

Re: Ok! Someone talk to me about weight lifting!

bumping this thread. The article in segdoh's response was very interesting. Maybe some other new weight trainers might like to read it, too.

[iyamamaschke]

Re: Ok! Someone talk to me about weight lifting!

I agree with Lifting with Intensity. I got hit up time and time again By women at the Gym wanting what I had. They were all lifting light weight high reps and weren't getting the definition and toning they want. By changing to a Low rep high intesity weight training these women began seeing more fat loss along with more toning.

I like very Heavy and I like the way My body is shaping. I am 130 lbs of LBM which is great for a WOMAN I had my Body fat measure by a professional. The web sight where you measure gave me a high reading of 140lbs as well. I am glad I got it tested at least I know where I am at.

I love my Muscles

Sarah