pardon me, but...

[spiderwoman]

PLEASE PLEASE don't flame me for asking this but I am wondering why contributors to the women's board don't post what they can lift... is it because there's such a mix here of differing goals?? I think we all agree that lifting anything less than 10lbs. is ridiculous... or...? Do we simply not want to get competitive?? What about personal records, which could be one-oofs...

 

[Ceebs]

I think it's because those numbers keep increasing.

To post a finite number that would be obsolete by possibly as soon as the next workout would be pointless.

 

[vinylgroover]

How would knowing what someone else lifts be of any benefit to someone?

 

[Tenacious Tess]

220 SQUATS FOR REPS TODAY

THAT WAS TODAY, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING UP.

I ALSO DID 160 LEG EXTENTIONS AND I' JUST A LITLE BITY THING..LOL

 

[BronzedGoddess]

How would knowing what someone else lifts be of any benefit to someone?

I think in some cases it can be motivating. Spatts posts her lifts and I know it motivates a lot of the women here on the board.

 

[vinylgroover]

I think in some cases it can be motivating. Spatts posts her lifts and I know it motivates a lot of the women here on the board.

Fair enough......i always draw motivation from within, but if that works for someone, go with it.

 

[makedah]

I see numbers in some folks' posts. Maybe some people are a bit shy - thinking they're weaker than the rest. I know I can't lift as heavy as most of you... yet.

But yes, I do enjoy seeing what other women can do. That's why I started the "can you do pullups" thread.

 

[spiderwoman]

MoTiVATIoN is the reason I ask. Hey!! Tess!! I have the same numbers as you for my legs! [OOOOOOOOOh how I wish I could do that with my upperlimbs.... ]
And, I find spatts' numbers to be motivating... [my gym is just NOT motivating]

 

[Temple]

I used to post my numbers, and I felt like it was being taken as more of a "tooting of the horn" than a tracking of my progress.

I don't want anyone to feel apprehensive about posting their progress....ever.

I never took it as "tooting your horn". I wish you would post them. I can only speak for myself but I found it motivating to see what a woman could do if she put her mind to it.

 

[b fold the truth]

Spatts...seeing other's progress really motivates me. I use your progress to motivate Cheese...hehehehe...

B True

 

[makedah]

SO, temple.... Since you brought it up, what are you lifting these days?

I think you, circusgirl and I started WSB around the same time (am I right?) I'd love to hear how you ladies are progressing. I'm happy with how I'm progressing. I've changed up my goals somewhat and I'm working on my weakest links (shoulders, upper back, wrists) to help boost my numbers.

I'll go first!

first max efforts
bench (10/02)
65 1rm (50 3rm)
box squat (10/14)
90 1rm (65 3rm)
deadlift (10/28)
135 3rm (too tuckered out for 1 rm)

most recent max efforts
bench (12/04)
80 1rm (70 3rm)
box squat (12/30)
135 1rm (115 3rm) (new 3rm today - 125)
deadlift (12/14)
165 1rm (135 3rm)

If you want, you can check out what I was lifting when I first visited this site! http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=143488

 

[b fold the truth]

LMFAO !!!!

Funny that you laugh at me being serious...I really do use your progress for motivation both for myself and for Cheese. MANY others do too!!!!!

B True

 

[cheeta]

Hey everyone,
Just give yourself props for living this type of Lifestyle, and give yourself props for having the power to let yourself live this type pf lifestyle. Have you ever took a long break from working out???? It feels so good to not have to go to the gym eveyrmoning at 545, or for that fact go period ya know??? so just being motivated enough to go to the gym deserves credit!

 

[Nonerz]

I've learned so much here on the boards...I've been consistently training with weights & cardio since the end of this past summer. I hired a personal trainer for 12 1-hour sessions and I have made reasonably good gains (and losses in BF ).

I've recently started to implement various PL type exercises into my training sessions. I train with coaching from bignate whenever I can so I can absorb as much knowledge of proper form/technique as possible. He's helped me to hit some pretty decent numbers...although compared to most of you chicks here, my numbers are very modest.

On a suggestion from another thread on the Training Board, I've been keeping a log of my workouts. Sorry for the loooong post.

Here's some excerpts:

Flat Bench - 12.16.02
105 x 4
(max was 115 about a couple weeks prior)

Squat - 12.17.02
135 x 12
135 x 8

ATF Squats - 12.27.02
95 x 10
105 x 10
115 x 8
125 x 6
135 x 6
145 x 4

Squat - 01.06.03
145 x 6

SLDL - 12.17.02
105 x 12

SLDL - 12.27.02
85 x 12
105 x 12
115 x 10
115 x 10
125 x 10
135 x 8

SLDL - 01.06.03
95 x 12
105 x 12
115 x 12
125 x 10
135 x 10
145 x 10
155 x 8
165 x 6

DL - 12.17.02
205 x 1

DL (Sumo) - 12.26.02
95 x 8
135 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

DL (Sumo) superset to pull throughs (x 12) - 01.01.03
95 x 12
135 x 12
155 x 12
165 x 12
165 x 12

 

[spiderwoman]

frustrated

I have a question about my back workout [done once a week]..
My lat pulldown is NOT going up... I wanna be able to do my weight so I can do pullups. I can do 115/6x3 and that's IT.
How can I bring it up?

I can do standing straight leg deads with dumbells @ 6/150lbs. for 3 sets. I know that the same muscles are not involved as in lats..... I do low rows at 110/6 and 120/4, pull-ups @120, and shrugs

tnx

 

[newgirl-chargeback]

MAN DO I FEEL WEAK! However that does NOT mean that I give up NOR does it mean that I am reluctant to know what others are doing, lifiting, pushing!

I love hearing what women can do ..... I never consider it bragging (there is way to tell what you do -- and there is a way to boast what you do). Spirit and sentiment in a message is just as important as content.

I guess if I were stronger I would post those numbers.....but I do not train to be a bodybuilder nor a PLer -- I literally STARE at those people in my gym. They are INCREDIBLE. I do not miss a bbing contest nor PL meet when held there -- and I make it my business to go root them on when members compete. I find it just incredible.

But I am a weakling! But being low on the totem pole here does not mean that I cannot appreciate the successes of others NOR does it mean that I feel badly about my puny-ness!

 

[JJFigure]

I never do 1 RMs, so I don't know what my max's are to be able to post. Plus, as mentioned previously, my lifts are continiously increasing, so posting my numbers this week doesn't mean they won't be different next week.

As far as doing pullups, the only way to achieve a pullup using your bodyweight is practice. I never felt pulldowns helped me with pullups - pullups helped me with pullups. And use a spotter - don't use those counterbalanced contraptions. I just suck it up and kept working on getting one rep on my own. After you get that first rep, you find you'll be able to do more than one rep within the next couple pullup sessions.

Here's what I'm planning to use for weight today:

DB rows - 4x4 @ 70 lbs.
Pulldowns - 4x4 @ 130 lbs.
DB Incline Press - 4x5 @ 45 lbs.
BB Military Press - 5x3 @ 70 lbs.
DB Tricep Rollouts - 4x5 @ 15 lbs.
Seated Side Laterals - 3x6 @ 15 lbs.

I'll probably superset the triceps rollouts and side laterals.

Tomorrow is hams/quads/biceps/low abs:

BB Front Squats - 4x5 @ 145 lbs.
RDLs - 4x5 @ 205 lbs.
Cable Drag Curls - 4x5 @ 45 lbs.
DB Leg Curls - 3x6 @ 35 lbs.
Leg Extensions - 3x8 @ 80 lbs.
Straight Leg Raises - 3x10

I'll superset the leg curls and leg extensions. Rest intervals are 40 seconds - 1 minute. More reps = shorter rest interval. The lifts I'm doing 5 reps with this week will increase in weight next week.

 

[2Shy]

Newgirl, we could always be competitive over who is puny-est! I love seeing what other women do since that gives me something to shoot for.

Anyway, I am really puny. I can't even squat with just the bar (but I will--give me two or three weeks!).

I've had an incredible amount of success the last several weeks adding 5 pounds every week to all my lifts (well, except curls--my arms have pretty much told me that's it! lol). I didn't think this would be possible, but it has been. Just goes to show how long I'd been coasting at the gym when I thought I'd been working. I do 3x8s.

I was looking at my log yesterday at the gym. I started doing deadlifts at 50 lbs. and just went up to 85. I am feeling more power in the lift since I began treating every rep as the first. I'm pretty certain I could have been doing more, but slow and steady wins the race. I love deads!

Lat Pulldown has gone from 40 to 85.
Cable Row from 40 to 95 (thinking about switching to bent-over rows here) I probably started too light with those two to begin with.

Bench from 40 to 70 (I do these in the Smith machine so the bar doesn't count as anything).

Seated military press from 25 to 55.

Hack squats from 75 to 100.

And now that I have entirely embarrassed myself, I will admit that I had to begin ATF squats with just body weight, work up to broomsticks, then the bars the aerobics people use and am now using an EZ Bar with plates at a whopping 35 pounds! lol

I try not to look at what other people are doing but at how I've improved against myself. That's one reason why I love lifting so much. Seeing their numbers inspires me because I tell myself that going heavier is achievable with work and perseverance.

 

[Temple]

Well...let's see...it is time to check 1RM again but 8 weeks ago
bench 165#
squat 215#
deadlift 205#

a couple of weeks ago my 3 board press was 215# and my 3rep max on dead was 215#.

2Shy - when you get your form down I want you to find yourself a BIG spotter and start adding weight to that bar and take it to a 1 rep heavy...not necessarily a max but HEAVY. I think you will be surprised at how much you can really squat. Like you, I never put much weight on the bar mostly out of fear, after I did my 1RM it changed the whole way I look at squats.

 

[makedah]

From the most "puny" to the most "studly" you ladies ROCK!

And - thanks, Spatts.

 

[Nonerz]

JJ, are you strength training?

I only have tried 1 RM...that was my 205 DL...it was so fun I can't wait to see what my next heavy pull will be. Don't worry spatts, I'll get that 250. Hopefully Nate can show me how to do GM's so I can DL more, more, more!

I am really having fun in the gym now that I am learning new lifts (with proper form) and getting stronger.

 

[2Shy]

2Shy - when you get your form down I want you to find yourself a BIG spotter and start adding weight to that bar and take it to a 1 rep heavy...not necessarily a max but HEAVY

lol Temple, that spotter had better be bigger than the little hurdler dude that works at the Y now. Nice fellow, but he probably weighs 130 dripping wet. I'd hate to fall over backwards again and squash him!

Seriously, I will take your advice. I want to see how much I can do not just to satisfy my curiousity but for helping me adjust my workouts.

 

[valerie]

Great work everyone. The numbers are cool but remember its how you work the weight that really counts. I'm not very strong either but I work that weight in a way that increases my strength and lbm. Slow and steady with planned layoffs from the gym is the way to go. I have to face the fact that at my age and with my small bone structure I may never lift ultra heavy.

Pull ups are great as are any bodywt lifts. B.O Rows are # 1 for back.

Just keep on lifting and loving it-thats what is important-valerie

 

[JJFigure]

I'm not strength training in the sense I plan to compete as a strength athlete; I just seem to be able to add muscle easier lifting in a "PL" type format. I've basically been taking the PL workout a friend uses and modifying it to include some focus on hypertrophy in addition to strength. Here's the split I'm playing with for this building season:

day 1 chest/back/shoulders/triceps
day 2 biceps/hams/quads
day 3 rest or cardio
day 4 chest/back/shoulders/triceps
day 5 volume work for an upper body part (if chest, wouldn't do chest on day 4) - rotates weekly chest/back/shoulders/arms
day 6 rest or cardio
day 7 chest/back/shoulders/triceps
day 8 biceps/hams/quads

My focus is on filling out my upper body more to better balance my lower body. The volume work is going to be something like 10 sets of 3 with short rest intervals - would probably only do two exercises. It's a little theory my PL friend and I are testing - is 10 sets of 3 better than 3 sets of 10 for hypertrophy...

 

[SteelWeaver]

I seldom post numbers simply because I have the sense that I'm rather weak for my size, and naturally, that's embarrassing! And I've never done a 1RM either, so I don't know those numbers. And although I would very much like to be lifting big numbers, I would much rather have perfect form. Obviously, big numbers WITH perfect form would be ideal, but getting form right first is my priority now. I figure the numbers will come ...

The thing is, though, many women here train primarily as bb'ers ... you'd think numbers wouldn't be all that important, considering that if you're working the muscle sufficiently, and efficiently, THAT'S what the muscle sees - the stress/stimulus on it, and whether or not it's more than last time, not the actual weight. (Heh heh, sounds like rationalising, doesn't it, lol)

Anyway, for what it's worth, this is some of what I've been doing lately, all for about 5-8 reps or so:

deadlift is up to 200lbs for 7 or 8, SLDL same sort of weight, lower reps
atf squat, about 150 or so, depending on if I did DL's that week or not, more if not
bb row, about 100lbs
military press, just over 70
bench, like 100 measly lbs, bleugh, and strangely, very similar for incline bench, and close grip bench
bb curl, 60lbs, about 8 reps

I'm still trying to figure out why my progress seems so slow - perhaps dieting all year has something to do with that, along with problems connecting to my back muscles, but both issues are being resolved now. Somebody said it could be connected to vegetarianism, which troubles me a lot ... but then I think of MS .... I'm also slowly starting to think that mid-back strength is wrecking my squat progress, not lower back, as I used to think.

Perhaps all this will change when I try WSB ....

I'm impressed with what some of the women here are lifting though - nice work, ladies! It's fun to compare in a way - what's interesting for me is the different strength ratios of different muscle groups, like, hey, Temple, your squat is higher than your dead! And your bench is much closer to the other two lifts ...

What can one deduce from the various ratios, do you think?

 

[Temple]

Steele... I was wondering if someone would pick up on that LOL. I think this is what the deal is
my bench has always been my strongest lift as it is my favorite and as such I always put more effort into it
I have bad knees and when we did my 1RM I had a pretty severe lower back injury so both my dead and my squat were compromised by those weaknesses. Actually my squat strength is lower because I haven't squatted much in the last year because of my knees. Also I could most likely squat more but that is what I can do with proper PL form, more than that and I start "quad squatting". The pl form also takes the stress completely off of the knees so I will be interested in seeing how the numbers are a year from now.

 

[Sassy69]

I hit some of my best highs this time last year. I changed my training style with a new trainer in the spring, doing less weight but tighter form, slower reps. As a result I didn't really see my weights increase at all, but I got some really neat body changes -- finally saw the hammies pop out. Now, being out of the gym for a while & getting back in, arms suck due to tendonitis but back & legs still rockin!

 

[spatts]

Ok, since I got a new PR tonight, and it's not a comp lift, I'll go ahead and post it. My old PR was 298 on the two board. My shoulder was fatigued after my comp on Nov 22nd, so I didn't bench for a MONTH. Started benching again last week, feeling as good as new, and grateful for giving it a rest. Tonight I put up an easy 2 board press at 300 pounds. I was afraid I wouln't have much of a bench at all in February for the STL comp, but as it turns out, I'm in better condition than before.

 

[newgirl-chargeback]

Sassy -- you mentioned that you are doing slower reps and tigher form. My husband has been preaching that approach with me for a while now, but I am stubborn! I know it is good for me, but since I am a "weakling" by comparison, I often think I need to build and then do that. You kinda drove the point home for me. I guess if he posted here, he would thank you!

 

[grlpwrd]

I don't list my PRs because I don't lift heavy all the time. I'm in my 30s and I have reached a point where I need to rotate my workouts between strength and endurance and I actually do better (and am looking better ) when I am on a higher rep program. I have enough muscle as it is ....so I concentrate more on higher reps/supersetting/ and pyramiding which works better for me. I may not be as strong, but I am happy with my physique. I must sound facetious, but right now my endurance and the way I look and feel is more important because I am a mom of 3.

 

[JJFigure]

That's a great point, grlpwrd. The way each of us is lifting right now is dependent on our goals; if your goal isn't to increase muscle mass, there's less of a need to train heavy.

However, since so many of us seem to not have women in our own gyms to help motivate us, and/or give us an idea of how much women can lift (and break those mental barriers), seeing posts like Spatts (Congrats!) keeps me pushing the envelope. I know when I first started lifting, I had absolutely no idea how much women could lift. I would have never even attempted squatting 135 lbs. if I hadn't seen another woman do it. Now I warmup with 135 lbs. on the squat - it's amazing how your mental limitations disappear when you know what other women have achieved! Knowing a woman has benched 300 lbs. keeps me challenged to increase my bench.

 

[fawnmarie]

Since I switched from machines pre-illness (FMS) to free weights, my "numbers" had dropped dramatically, as I now need to concentrate on form and flexibitly (and - quite honestly - trying to learn NOT to bang myself in the back of the head with a dumbell.) My ligaments are a mess, so lighter free weights are more of a challenge than heavy machine weights.

The amount I can legpress is about 4 times more than what I can squat with, so to me the numbers don't really seem to mean much. With FMS, the numbers vary so widely, it doesn't seem to make any sense. Some days I can curl 20lbs easy, somedays 10lbs wears me out after 4 reps.

I've decided on concentrating more on the changes to my actual body to measure progress, because of this.

Fawn

 

[Temple]

JJ - I remember when I squatted and benched with the bar. I gradually added weight but I also think it was Spatt's numbers that got me to thinking that perhaps I wasn't working nearly as hard as I thought that I was.

 

[2Shy]

Spatts, that is awesome. Congrats!