Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below Do any of you see this? I totally don't get it. The other day I was doing barbell curls and was looking for a pair of 2.5's and I see that they are on the squat bar and a woman is squatting with them. C'mon, 50 lbs? It was pretty easy for her, I don't know why couldn't have used 10's at least. I was curling about 175 percent of what she was squatting, thats ridiculous. You always see women using those 5 lb dumbells for 100's of reps at a time. I guess they are afraid of "getting too manly" or something. If they can't use heavier weight thats fine but I think they could work a little harder. Maybe its just the girls at my gym.
Women and VERY light weights
- Thread starter Garza
- Start date
My best friend, female, squats hard and laughs at the weenie women in the gym. She isn't greatly strong, but she greatly wants to be and works hard to get there. She learned well from me
B True
B True
Phemomena: Impressive....very impressive.
B True
B True
yeah phem that is impressive! way to go hard! I have to catch up! 
I also laugh at those girls.
You know what makes me confused is that ever since I started working out, I never did that. I was trying to go as heavy as possible from the start. A little too heavy sometimes and my technique suckes. I guess that's my competitive and aggressive side.
I also laugh at those girls.
You know what makes me confused is that ever since I started working out, I never did that. I was trying to go as heavy as possible from the start. A little too heavy sometimes and my technique suckes. I guess that's my competitive and aggressive side.
I'll catch up with you ladies sometime...just give me a few years
B True
B True
Phemomena
New member
Garza said:
I don't sweat.... i glisten
(okay i glisten like a pig hehe)tv - you'll get there... i've got a lot of squatting under my belt... used to squat around 250 once upon a time... that was with a belt... now no belt... and coming off of my ab injury, i'm really babying these puppies... just starting to get some weight on that bar...
bfold - yeah, and some day i'll be able to flip over cars and stuff... i've seen those pics... i think you could probably squat me squatting 225 and then some.... hehe
they be toning
actually a lot of women think a few weeks in the gym intensly working out translates to chyna ala WWF size....a fair amount of men folk over here do too (i used too)
a friend of mine said she wants to be careful as she doesnt want to get too muscular, but wants to get a little bigger, or fatter....she then asked why i was laughing so hard (and inwardly reminded of the fact that im stil not growing fast enough
)..
women that lift heavy weights command muchos respect from me as they did it with their hormones as opposed to ours...no mean feat. so little is known over here about working out.... find that quite odd really
actually a lot of women think a few weeks in the gym intensly working out translates to chyna ala WWF size....a fair amount of men folk over here do too (i used too)
a friend of mine said she wants to be careful as she doesnt want to get too muscular, but wants to get a little bigger, or fatter....she then asked why i was laughing so hard (and inwardly reminded of the fact that im stil not growing fast enough
)..women that lift heavy weights command muchos respect from me as they did it with their hormones as opposed to ours...no mean feat. so little is known over here about working out.... find that quite odd really
Hannibal has seen me squat..trying to learn to box squat. Guess that I am just lucky that I am a strong boy because he says that my box squat form sucks!!! Have always been used to a bodybuilding squat with the feet close, toes straight ahead, and to the floor. Going to a powerlifting squat is so much different...just hard to adapt to in my little power rack.
Ohhh...my point. Hannibal, after watching me squat, said for me to practice with a broom stick. Maybe this woman was a 600lb squatter too and she was just working on form?
B True
Ohhh...my point. Hannibal, after watching me squat, said for me to practice with a broom stick. Maybe this woman was a 600lb squatter too and she was just working on form?
B True
Garza,
The '5 lb dumbbell syndrome' women practice is way too common... seen it for years, way too many years. And all the gals on the women's board would agree, I'm sure.
They say, "I don't want to get big... just tone." I say, "Tone what?" They say, "My muscles." I say, "What muscles? You must have something THERE before you can tone it."
Some women think a shapely, strong physique happens overnite... few weeks.. few months...HA!
The '5 lb dumbbell syndrome' women practice is way too common... seen it for years, way too many years. And all the gals on the women's board would agree, I'm sure.
They say, "I don't want to get big... just tone." I say, "Tone what?" They say, "My muscles." I say, "What muscles? You must have something THERE before you can tone it."
Some women think a shapely, strong physique happens overnite... few weeks.. few months...HA!
B
buksoon
Guest
I lift as heavy as possible. Often I feel like I'm gonna hurl; once I fainted and the staff called the paramedics! I was just wrestling with 3x my body weight on the leg press, and then passed out from my heart spiking too much.
And still, I am not even close to being "Chyna-like." It's called: not having testosterone!!
But you know what? The results (the good physique, all that) are sooo not the reason. I think all the women who really kill themselves like that do it more for the challenge. Seeing how much we can endure from week to week. The pride that comes from self-mastery.
Because the fact is: For most of us (a lucky few exceptions), the results will NEVER , EVER match the effort (again: no testosterone). We keep coming back and lowering the peg on the machines and grabbing the heavier weights for other reasons.
I even think all the vein action on my small body is kind of ugly. But I won't stop causing them!
And still, I am not even close to being "Chyna-like." It's called: not having testosterone!!
But you know what? The results (the good physique, all that) are sooo not the reason. I think all the women who really kill themselves like that do it more for the challenge. Seeing how much we can endure from week to week. The pride that comes from self-mastery.
Because the fact is: For most of us (a lucky few exceptions), the results will NEVER , EVER match the effort (again: no testosterone). We keep coming back and lowering the peg on the machines and grabbing the heavier weights for other reasons.
I even think all the vein action on my small body is kind of ugly. But I won't stop causing them!
You just fired me up girl!!!!! Heck yeah!!!! I'd been yelling for you right before you passed out.
I remember when I was all about doing 6 sets of 10 reps, closer stance, toes ahead, to the floor with 60 sec rest between sets. I remember doing 300lbs and finishing my 5th set. Then I ran out to the bushes, took my shirt off, laid in the snow...and puked. I then went back inside and finished my 6th set with a pale white face
I remember my mother doing sets of 10 with 6 plates on either side of the leg press...she'd go over to the guys and ask them to please leave the weights on the press because she wanted to warm up with it later
B True
I remember when I was all about doing 6 sets of 10 reps, closer stance, toes ahead, to the floor with 60 sec rest between sets. I remember doing 300lbs and finishing my 5th set. Then I ran out to the bushes, took my shirt off, laid in the snow...and puked. I then went back inside and finished my 6th set with a pale white face
I remember my mother doing sets of 10 with 6 plates on either side of the leg press...she'd go over to the guys and ask them to please leave the weights on the press because she wanted to warm up with it later
B True
MuSuLPhReAk
New member
Maybe she was recovering from an injury and is not ready to go heavier even though she is strong enough to. Gotta stop judging people guys until u know the facts.
I highly recommend squats and stiff legged deadlifts for the ladies. The girls that actually do this at my gym (i kind of promoted it) have build way better butts and nice curved legs than the girls that do endless sets of lunges with the 10 lbs dumbells
Have these girls become overmuscular and gnarly?
NOPE
Besides the girls using 5 lbs syndrome you also have the girls doing low impact cardio 1.5 hours 4-5 times a week at 40 % VO2 max (postulated as best fatburning level) syndrome with little or no results!!!
Read some good posts on this board about why short bouts of intensive interval sprint training delivers more results (less fat and more tone) in less time!
For a female that wants a hot body i would think of the following routine:
MO: high impact cardio/abs/butt
- 5 minutes warmup
- 20 minutes sprint training short intervals (30 sec) at 80-90% Vo2 MAX on stairclimber or stepmachine (next interval when hartbeat is back at 130 )
- abs training
- butt exercises (like leg lifts etc)
3 * 12 outer thigh machine
3 * 12 inner thigh machine
TU: weights, pec & back
pec:
- 3 * 8 barbell benchpress (increase weight, last set max out)
- 3 * 8 weighted dips
- 3 * 8 incline benchpress or incline dumbell press
- 3 * 8 flat dumbell press
back:
- 3 * 10 chins
(start with chinup station but goal is free chins)
- 3 * 10 t-bar row
- 3 * 10 dumbell row
- 3 * 10 close reverse grip pulldown
- 6 * 12 hyperextensions with weight
WE: high impact cardio/abs/butt
- 5 minutes warmup
- 20 minutes sprint training LONG intervals (60 sec) at 80-90% Vo2 MAX on bike or stepmachine (next interval when hartbeat is back at 130 )
- abs training
- butt exercises (like leg lifts etc)
3 * 12 outer thigh machine
3 * 12 inner thigh machine
TH: weights, legs, calves, forearms, especially hamstraings, inner thighs and lower butt (from a girls perspective)
9 * 15-12 reps squats (you will become a squat expert!)
3 * 8 leg curl
3 * 8 stiff legged deadlift
3 * 12 heavy lunges (gives seperation and build lower glutes)
3 * 12 outer thigh machine
3 * 12 inner thigh machine
3 * 8 seated calve raises
3 * 8 standing calve raises
3 * 20 seted calve raises
3 * 20 standing calve raises
3 * 8 dumbell hammer curl
3 * 8 reverse barbell curl
3 * 12 reverse cable curl
FR: OFF DAY (serious leg training demands for a recovery day, avoid cardio at all cost next day!)
SA:
get out of bed, take ECA stack and do some moderate pre-breakfast cardio (40-60 minutes)
later that day:
weights, delts, bi, tri
(pre-exhaust side delts)
3 * 10 dumbell side laterals
3 * 10 cable laterals
3 * 10 1 arm side laterals on incline bench
3 * 10 front barbell press
3 * 10 arnold press
3 * 10 barbell or dumbell front raises
3 * 10 upright row
9 * 10 rear delt machine
3 * 10 alternate db curl
3 * 10 db concentration curl
3 * 10 larry scott curl wit straight bar
3 * 15 (choose)
- seated dumbell curl
- cable curl to head
- straight barbell curl
- 1 arm scott db curl or scott cable curl
3 * 10 weighted dips
(start with dip station or between benches, work towards free dips with bodyweightm than add weight)
3 * 10 california presses or close grip benchpresses
3 * 10 1-arm overhead dumbell extension
3 * 10 cable pushdown with short bar
3 * 15 (choose)
- rope pushdown
- 1 or 2 arm reverse grip pushdown
- dumbell kickback
- 2 arm overhead dumbell or cable extension
SU: do the workout you started with Monday
(high impact cardio short invals that is)
next time the weekroutine will end one day earlier etc...
Have these girls become overmuscular and gnarly?
NOPE
Besides the girls using 5 lbs syndrome you also have the girls doing low impact cardio 1.5 hours 4-5 times a week at 40 % VO2 max (postulated as best fatburning level) syndrome with little or no results!!!
Read some good posts on this board about why short bouts of intensive interval sprint training delivers more results (less fat and more tone) in less time!
For a female that wants a hot body i would think of the following routine:
MO: high impact cardio/abs/butt
- 5 minutes warmup
- 20 minutes sprint training short intervals (30 sec) at 80-90% Vo2 MAX on stairclimber or stepmachine (next interval when hartbeat is back at 130 )
- abs training
- butt exercises (like leg lifts etc)
3 * 12 outer thigh machine
3 * 12 inner thigh machine
TU: weights, pec & back
pec:
- 3 * 8 barbell benchpress (increase weight, last set max out)
- 3 * 8 weighted dips
- 3 * 8 incline benchpress or incline dumbell press
- 3 * 8 flat dumbell press
back:
- 3 * 10 chins
(start with chinup station but goal is free chins)
- 3 * 10 t-bar row
- 3 * 10 dumbell row
- 3 * 10 close reverse grip pulldown
- 6 * 12 hyperextensions with weight
WE: high impact cardio/abs/butt
- 5 minutes warmup
- 20 minutes sprint training LONG intervals (60 sec) at 80-90% Vo2 MAX on bike or stepmachine (next interval when hartbeat is back at 130 )
- abs training
- butt exercises (like leg lifts etc)
3 * 12 outer thigh machine
3 * 12 inner thigh machine
TH: weights, legs, calves, forearms, especially hamstraings, inner thighs and lower butt (from a girls perspective)
9 * 15-12 reps squats (you will become a squat expert!)
3 * 8 leg curl
3 * 8 stiff legged deadlift
3 * 12 heavy lunges (gives seperation and build lower glutes)
3 * 12 outer thigh machine
3 * 12 inner thigh machine
3 * 8 seated calve raises
3 * 8 standing calve raises
3 * 20 seted calve raises
3 * 20 standing calve raises
3 * 8 dumbell hammer curl
3 * 8 reverse barbell curl
3 * 12 reverse cable curl
FR: OFF DAY (serious leg training demands for a recovery day, avoid cardio at all cost next day!)
SA:
get out of bed, take ECA stack and do some moderate pre-breakfast cardio (40-60 minutes)
later that day:
weights, delts, bi, tri
(pre-exhaust side delts)
3 * 10 dumbell side laterals
3 * 10 cable laterals
3 * 10 1 arm side laterals on incline bench
3 * 10 front barbell press
3 * 10 arnold press
3 * 10 barbell or dumbell front raises
3 * 10 upright row
9 * 10 rear delt machine
3 * 10 alternate db curl
3 * 10 db concentration curl
3 * 10 larry scott curl wit straight bar
3 * 15 (choose)
- seated dumbell curl
- cable curl to head
- straight barbell curl
- 1 arm scott db curl or scott cable curl
3 * 10 weighted dips
(start with dip station or between benches, work towards free dips with bodyweightm than add weight)
3 * 10 california presses or close grip benchpresses
3 * 10 1-arm overhead dumbell extension
3 * 10 cable pushdown with short bar
3 * 15 (choose)
- rope pushdown
- 1 or 2 arm reverse grip pushdown
- dumbell kickback
- 2 arm overhead dumbell or cable extension
SU: do the workout you started with Monday
(high impact cardio short invals that is)
next time the weekroutine will end one day earlier etc...
Phemomena
New member
MuSuLPhReAk said:Maybe she was recovering from an injury and is not ready to go heavier even though she is strong enough to. Gotta stop judging people guys until u know the facts.
not sure who that is directed at, if it's at garza et al, then i'll just say that i did commend his lady for trying, but i can see his point about adding 5 lbs to a 45lb bar... hell, there's likely to be a 5 lb fluctuation between bar to bar alone... 5 lbs to legs really isn't worth it... she probably should either be doing the bar alone or add about 5-10 lbs to each side... its her body, her workout, she can do what she wants, but dang, that sounds like a waste of a couple of cuffs to me
as for the other 70% or so of women who squat with weights those pink weights... they're all injured?? we're really talking about a mentality and not singling out one particualar girl...
and if this is directed at me and my comment to buk... well 1) that was meant as a joke, she's got a great attitude and i'm proud of her... and 2) it was in reference to another thread...
buk - seriously though, great attitude and outlook on this... but if you are passing out with about 300lbs on the sled (that's about right if i remember correctly), you might want to get to the doc and make sure everything's kosher (it's a great accomplishment, and granted i'm not sure about your training background, medical history, workout that day, diet ect there's probably other factors involved... but that sounds a little scary to me personally....)
i've gone super heavy on legs, to the point where i was dizzy, nauseated, and almost crapping my pants, i've never passed out... there may be an underlying condition, and if that was the case, you'd probably want to know about it sooner rather than later, right? if you did get checked out at that time (and not just by the paramedics, but by specialists), and all was well, then great job.. keep up the good work... and be careful with yourself....
5 lb syndrome... hehe.. hopefully its not contagious... eeeek...
Phemomena
New member
goahead....
my opinions on this routine
1) butt exercises... wtf, jane fonda style?? NOPE won't see me on the ground like a dog... squats, deads and some back hypers are my butt exercises...
2) probably wouldn't do so much pushes on chest day... need some sort of flys...
3) back needs it's own day. peroid. screw a 'butt/abs' day, i'll do back in a minute...
4) where's the pullups?? ditch the chins and do some pullups... got them doing t-bar rows, i like that... a lot of girls are afraid of those...
5) 12 sets of calves... won't be happenin here.... calves are mainly genetic and i've always said you rarely find 'em in the gym... get out and play some hoops or something... anyone who jumps a lot has the best calves... 9 sets of squats SOUNDS like overkill, mind you when i finish my squat routine (normal stance, wide stance, front squats and sumo) i've probably done more like 10-12 on a good day... so i probably shoudl keep my mouth shut
6) leave leggies by themselves... why add the curls (and if it is forearms, i'd have behind the back wrist curls and not the hammer curls)(especially when you have an arm day later that week...)
(i guess i should mention that personally i hit the gym twice a day on most days.. once in the morning for 30-45 min cardio and some small muscle group (forearms, calves, abs whatever) 3-4 days a week and then in the evenings for weights... i guess that clouds my perspective on where things fit in)
7) EEEEEK!!!! any girl who does that delt routine (especially with arms following) is liable to end with a wicked rc injury... you've already hit shoulders once with chest and once with back (oh yeah, that's only once here, sorry).. sooo... that's WAY too much on shoulders (IMHO ) 30 sets!!!! pre-exhaust or not, its too much...
i personally recommend a couple good warm up sets (i use the lateral machine) then go heavy on the standard overhead press (db or bb), medium weight on some laterals (i superset db laterals with single arm leaning laterals (with db hopefully that makes sense), then some front raises then some bent over laterals (or rear delt machine)... and a lot of people will tell me that's A LOT... and combine that with bis and tris... owwwwch...
sorry.. i guess my major point is that, while needing adjustment slightly, why is it that males feel that routines have to be completely reworked for females??? would you do this routine yourself? hehe
females who want a hot bod... do the routine the big boys do... maybe not so much pecs, maybe do sldls or rdls rather than standard... maybe don't be so obsesed on bis... but as beneficial as those abductor/adductor machines are, would you see a guy sitting at one 3 times a week??? (they should at least be using them every other leg workout or something though...
oh, and even us 'superwomen' need rest too... throw in another rest day, double up the cardio/weights am/pm one day and you don't need to loose anything... even when splitting out back...
well, that's just my two cents on this...
my opinions on this routine
1) butt exercises... wtf, jane fonda style?? NOPE won't see me on the ground like a dog... squats, deads and some back hypers are my butt exercises...
2) probably wouldn't do so much pushes on chest day... need some sort of flys...
3) back needs it's own day. peroid. screw a 'butt/abs' day, i'll do back in a minute...
4) where's the pullups?? ditch the chins and do some pullups... got them doing t-bar rows, i like that... a lot of girls are afraid of those...
5) 12 sets of calves... won't be happenin here.... calves are mainly genetic and i've always said you rarely find 'em in the gym... get out and play some hoops or something... anyone who jumps a lot has the best calves... 9 sets of squats SOUNDS like overkill, mind you when i finish my squat routine (normal stance, wide stance, front squats and sumo) i've probably done more like 10-12 on a good day... so i probably shoudl keep my mouth shut
6) leave leggies by themselves... why add the curls (and if it is forearms, i'd have behind the back wrist curls and not the hammer curls)(especially when you have an arm day later that week...)
(i guess i should mention that personally i hit the gym twice a day on most days.. once in the morning for 30-45 min cardio and some small muscle group (forearms, calves, abs whatever) 3-4 days a week and then in the evenings for weights... i guess that clouds my perspective on where things fit in)
7) EEEEEK!!!! any girl who does that delt routine (especially with arms following) is liable to end with a wicked rc injury... you've already hit shoulders once with chest and once with back (oh yeah, that's only once here, sorry).. sooo... that's WAY too much on shoulders (IMHO
) 30 sets!!!! pre-exhaust or not, its too much... i personally recommend a couple good warm up sets (i use the lateral machine) then go heavy on the standard overhead press (db or bb), medium weight on some laterals (i superset db laterals with single arm leaning laterals (with db hopefully that makes sense), then some front raises then some bent over laterals (or rear delt machine)... and a lot of people will tell me that's A LOT... and combine that with bis and tris... owwwwch...
sorry.. i guess my major point is that, while needing adjustment slightly, why is it that males feel that routines have to be completely reworked for females??? would you do this routine yourself? hehe
females who want a hot bod... do the routine the big boys do... maybe not so much pecs, maybe do sldls or rdls rather than standard... maybe don't be so obsesed on bis... but as beneficial as those abductor/adductor machines are, would you see a guy sitting at one 3 times a week??? (they should at least be using them every other leg workout or something though...
oh, and even us 'superwomen'
need rest too... throw in another rest day, double up the cardio/weights am/pm one day and you don't need to loose anything... even when splitting out back...well, that's just my two cents on this...
Women and very light weights AND too much cardio...
I have to admit, I wasted a lot of time doing that! Then I read an article about a 70 year old woman who took up bodybuilding in her 50's. She looked better than most 20 year olds; her body was HARD and TIGHT. That lit the FIRE in me. I figured if it worked for a 50 y.o., it would work for a 30 y.o.
Once I started training for strength, everthing else fell into place physique-wise. I like having a challenge, plus, being blonde, I like not having to count so high on all my reps.
Plus, I love getting to eat a ton of food all the time!
I've watched as most of these toners and cardio bunnies get older, they might stay "thin" but their bodies get this soft loose-skinned look(because their little bit muscle is converting to fat), and their posture isn't so good. They look a LOT older than their years. Ugh!
Besides looking and feeling good, I know that strong muscles will help keep me independent in my old age. Meanwhile, my fellow toner/cardio-bunnies will be trading in their pink dumbells for a walker.
I have to admit, I wasted a lot of time doing that! Then I read an article about a 70 year old woman who took up bodybuilding in her 50's. She looked better than most 20 year olds; her body was HARD and TIGHT. That lit the FIRE in me. I figured if it worked for a 50 y.o., it would work for a 30 y.o.
Once I started training for strength, everthing else fell into place physique-wise. I like having a challenge, plus, being blonde, I like not having to count so high on all my reps.
Plus, I love getting to eat a ton of food all the time! I've watched as most of these toners and cardio bunnies get older, they might stay "thin" but their bodies get this soft loose-skinned look(because their little bit muscle is converting to fat), and their posture isn't so good. They look a LOT older than their years. Ugh!
Besides looking and feeling good, I know that strong muscles will help keep me independent in my old age. Meanwhile, my fellow toner/cardio-bunnies will be trading in their pink dumbells for a walker.
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My wife is new to the gym. She has those same misconceptions as well. Two days ago was her first "leg routine" I had her do 20mins. on the step'er 4 sets of light leg presses, with like 25lbs on each side. She said that was too heavy so she ended her set with 4X10lbs. plates on the leg press 
But hey what can I do she's new at this. This "Excercise" thing is alien to her. If I push her too hard she will loose focus on the benifits, and be wired into thinking excercise=bad.
After 4 sets of leg presses I had her doing 4 sets of lunges 20 reps w/ 15lbs, 12lbs. then 10lbs. dumbells for the last two sets.
As lame as it seems, its been two days and she is still complaining in a bragging manner that her thighs are sore. I know this gives her a feeling of accomplishment, and a base from wich to build.
But hey what can I do she's new at this. This "Excercise" thing is alien to her. If I push her too hard she will loose focus on the benifits, and be wired into thinking excercise=bad.
After 4 sets of leg presses I had her doing 4 sets of lunges 20 reps w/ 15lbs, 12lbs. then 10lbs. dumbells for the last two sets.
As lame as it seems, its been two days and she is still complaining in a bragging manner that her thighs are sore. I know this gives her a feeling of accomplishment, and a base from wich to build.
B
buksoon
Guest
Phemomena said:
B
buksoon
Guest
Oh yeah....
Phem, I am in complete agreement on the Jane Fonda "butt exercises"!
There is this one that they always do--I think it's called the "donkey kick"--where it looks like they are feebly kicking their own asses. And this is just so wrong.
Phem, I am in complete agreement on the Jane Fonda "butt exercises"!
There is this one that they always do--I think it's called the "donkey kick"--where it looks like they are feebly kicking their own asses. And this is just so wrong.
b fold the truth said:
I remember my mother doing sets of 10 with 6 plates on either side of the leg press...she'd go over to the guys and ask them to please leave the weights on the press because she wanted to warm up with it later
B True
Bwhahahahahaha! that's great! The snow puking thing is hardcore dude!
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