Ladies who lift page 4

[TheFastCat]

Just a quick hit - if you want a bum I wouldn't focus on deadlifts - I'd focus on high bar back squat. deadlifts will help with your core, biceps and posterior chain (hamstrings), not so much your butt (but it won't hurt!). However f you are looking to get callipygian then you want squats! For sexy quads and anterior front squats. For sexy everything -- overhead squats

and yes I am officially disagreeing with
http://deansomerset.com/2012/05/15/7...t-plain-rocks/
in saying that deadlifts aren't the best lift for those looking to have a bomb bum!

[YogaBare]

Yogabare - another site you might want to take a look at is Gubernatrix — the joy of strength training - weight training, strength, fitness, weights, losing fat, women's weight training, bodyweight, free weights, powerlifting, dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, bodybuilding, olympic weightlifting - lots of good advice there. She also runs a programme called Ladies Who Lift that I would definitely have looked into if I was in the UK - although I have no idea whereabouts in the country she is based!

My experience - did Body Pump for ages, good in terms of getting used to some of the moves and learning form (was lucky enough to start out at a relatively small class where the instructor actually spent time showing us how to squat/deadlift/clean properly) but it is more of an endurance workout than strength/musclebuilding, so switched to Stronglifts 5x5 in October as a way to lift heavier things. DH has been weight training for years and knows his stuff, so now we train together (even this morning - great way to start Valentine's Day). I am loving the results so far - in 12 weeks of 5x5 I dropped 4% bodyfat, I'm getting some definition to my arms and my core is stronger than it's ever been.

Agree with sbhikes and heatseeker that starting with lighter weights and getting form right is the way to go. Good luck and let us know how you get on :-)

Sorry Katie - totally missed your response earlier! Thanks for all the info - and congrads on your success! That's an amazing link you sent - the Ladies who Lift is in London, not far from where I live! Definitely going to check it out.

The gym I joined does those Bodypump classes so I'll check it out tomorrow morning (if I can drag my ass out of bed for 7am...!) I did one of them about 5 years ago when I was totally unfit and the next day I felt like I'd been in a car crash...! Hopefully I'll survive better this time

I have been lifting for over two years now - trying to work mostly with free weights but some machines too, just not the "isolation" exercises. When I started lifting, I used a book "New Rules of Weightlifting for Women" - it was great as a starter. I was also doing it at home, so no trainer possibility. After half a year my home weights had become too light, so I joined a gym and got the best trainer possible - unconventional ("ass to grass" squats, full range of movements, focused on building muscles and strength in women as well as men etc), strict "no-life-outside" and very knowledgeable. Now two years later I still lift (complex free weights, pretty intense programs which I change once a month). Two months ago I started Crossfit and LOVE it! I am not super strong - still cannot squat my own bodyweight or do more than 3-4 strict chin-ups but I certainly feel that I am stronger than I ever was and going the right direction. And my behind indeed looks pretty good - squats&deadlifts are the key
So from my experience I would advise the following:
1) Do mostly complex free weight exercises (squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls, rows), making sure that your technique is spot on. I would use a good program or book, like the ones mentioned, if a good trainer is not available.
2) Rotate programs once in 4-6 weeks, concentrating on very heavy lifts/low reps(4-7)/longer rest one month, heavy lifts/higher reps (8-12)/shorter breaks the other month.
3) Make sure you rest enough (I like split upper-lower body training because I don't always recover well enough from the more intense programs, but it is not essential)

Thanks a mil for the info Inesenite - particularly the bullet points. Hopefully I'll still be rolling with this in 4-6 weeks... long enough to rotate programme

[YogaBare]

Anyway, I find that deadlift, (which always looked so simple I was like huh??), really does work the crap out of you all over your whole entire body.

You thought it looked easy?! Jesus... I'm terrified of those weights. I've seen the Olympics. Sometimes they scream.

Oh, and this: "Women can deliver babies easier by having control of the creation of intraabdominal pressure, a strong pelvic floor, and can survive the rigours of delivery with fewer soft tissue injuries by having a strong deadlift prior to third trimester, and those who are very strong prior to conception will likely deliver a baby that slaps the hell out of the doctor and changes their own diapers. That’s science."

Not that I'm going to have any babies since my hysterectomy, but the pelvic floor thing is nice. It's nice to not be peeing yourself silly when you do your sprints.

Having a strong pelvic floor intensifies orgasms too. Just sayin'

[spuggygirl]

I'm in the 'hire a trainer' camp.

There's a big difference between the 'trainers' in the gym and a properly qualified PT. When I went into my gym, asked the 'trainer' for a program of free weights to progressively build strength and said I didn't want to do steady state cardio, you should have seen the look on her face - you'd think I'd asked her to commit murder. The truth was that she didn't have a clue what to do with me and I ended up with a circuit of bodyweight squats and curls with the lightest VIPR in the place. As someone who was already relatively fit, it was worse than useless.

I started doing some research. I looked at Gubernatrix and the other female orientated sites, and I bought the books - but with all of the videos and explanations it still phased me to go and try it out in the gym. Too scared of doing it incorrectly and injuring myself. So the obvious thing was to look for a PT who would show me how to do these things with correct form so as to not injure myself. I did some research and decided to contact a couple - I got an arrogant reply from one guy who said it was 'in my best interest' to hire him, so he instantly got binned. The other offered me a free consultation where we chatted about my goals and what I wanted to do as well as doing a mini workout to gauge my fitness level and any imbalances etc. He really listened and I felt really understood what I was looking for - so I hired him.

To cut a long story a little shorter (well, ok, not that short), it was the best thing I could ever do - he's fantastic. I'm making great progress, and all of my injury issues are a thing of the past. I'm also the only girl at my gym lifting heavy. I see other PTs with their clients, messing about with 1 and 2kg dumbells but none of that for me. I started out thinking I'd just use my trainer to show me good form and write my programmes, but I enjoy it so much that I've kept it up and still have a session every week. In my opinion, if you can find the right trainer, it's money very well spent.

[Ayla2010]

Yogabare pump classes are fine for a beginner, but its lots of reps, lighter weights.
Less reps and higher weights are better. Also pump doesn't do a full squat. I used to do pump a lot, and don't get me wrong it was kinda working, but once I had been to CF and learnt about lifting weights for real, pump just seems silly to me
But it could be a good starting point for you, so at least give it a try

[YogaBare]

Just a quick hit - if you want a bum I wouldn't focus on deadlifts - I'd focus on high bar back squat. deadlifts will help with your core, biceps and posterior chain (hamstrings), not so much your butt (but it won't hurt!). However f you are looking to get callipygian then you want squats! For sexy quads and anterior front squats. For sexy everything -- overhead squats

and yes I am officially disagreeing with
75 Ways Deadlifting Just Plain Rocks | DeanSomerset.com
in saying that deadlifts aren't the best lift for those looking to have a bomb bum!

Ha, disagree away TFC - it's good to get another perspective However - high bar back squat? I am definitely going to die...Audra.preview.jpg

This might be more appropriate for me:
6a010536b8cd27970c0133f2ee8488970b-800wi.jpg

[Ayla2010]

I don't suggest you do no deadlifts, I think they are important, but even once a week would be good

[YogaBare]

I'm in the 'hire a trainer' camp.

There's a big difference between the 'trainers' in the gym and a properly qualified PT. When I went into my gym, asked the 'trainer' for a program of free weights to progressively build strength and said I didn't want to do steady state cardio, you should have seen the look on her face - you'd think I'd asked her to commit murder. The truth was that she didn't have a clue what to do with me and I ended up with a circuit of bodyweight squats and curls with the lightest VIPR in the place. As someone who was already relatively fit, it was worse than useless.

I started doing some research. I looked at Gubernatrix and the other female orientated sites, and I bought the books - but with all of the videos and explanations it still phased me to go and try it out in the gym. Too scared of doing it incorrectly and injuring myself. So the obvious thing was to look for a PT who would show me how to do these things with correct form so as to not injure myself. I did some research and decided to contact a couple - I got an arrogant reply from one guy who said it was 'in my best interest' to hire him, so he instantly got binned. The other offered me a free consultation where we chatted about my goals and what I wanted to do as well as doing a mini workout to gauge my fitness level and any imbalances etc. He really listened and I felt really understood what I was looking for - so I hired him.

To cut a long story a little shorter (well, ok, not that short), it was the best thing I could ever do - he's fantastic. I'm making great progress, and all of my injury issues are a thing of the past. I'm also the only girl at my gym lifting heavy. I see other PTs with their clients, messing about with 1 and 2kg dumbells but none of that for me. I started out thinking I'd just use my trainer to show me good form and write my programmes, but I enjoy it so much that I've kept it up and still have a session every week. In my opinion, if you can find the right trainer, it's money very well spent.

Thanks for the heads up Spug! I totally know what you mean - some people are so crap at answering questions and they make out like they're doing you a favour just talking to you. I think Einstein had it right: "If you can't explain something simply, you don't know enough about it. You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother".

Yogabare pump classes are fine for a beginner, but its lots of reps, lighter weights.
Less reps and higher weights are better. Also pump doesn't do a full squat. I used to do pump a lot, and don't get me wrong it was kinda working, but once I had been to CF and learnt about lifting weights for real, pump just seems silly to me
But it could be a good starting point for you, so at least give it a try

Ha, well I am a beginner It's a free class so I may as well give it a go... will be interesting to see how it affects me compared to the one I did five years ago! I'm (hopefully) a lot more fit now... considering all I did back then was walk (to my car) and dance (at raves).

[YogaBare]

Small update: I used the resistance machines today and seriously (I know this makes me a total pleb) - I loved the leg press! It gave me such a rush of testosterone - woah!

If I can get that off a resistance machine I can only imagine how addictive lifting proper might be...

[Catrin]

I am also in the hire a trainer camp - at least for a couple of times to work on form, an assessment to figure out where you need to start weight wise. It is very easy to hurt yourself with bad form or the wrong weight...

I happen to like leg-presses as well, but only our Pure Strength machine - the others my gym has hurts my knee. Deadlifts is doing much more for me but I won't give up my leg presses - they just feel good! I am in shoulder re-hab right now and can't do anything higher than a clean.