heavy training

[Musclegirl]

ok this is my first post & im a bit confused...

ive been training for about 2 years but want to start taking things more seriously with the aim of puttin on some good muscle gains and hopefully compete one day.

my question should we train with heavy weights just the same as the guys do? This seemed like the obvious answer to me but a freind of me says we should just do ligther weights for high reps??

my argument is that to build muscle you need to push yourself buy trying to increase your poundages right.

would appreciate your views please

Training and diet should be very similar to what men do to gain mass. Your argument is correct!

And welcome to the board!

[Musclegirl]

great, i was pretty sure that was the way to go. my freind is a fitness personal trainer and is a big advocate of high rep/light weight.

i was kind of lookig for a new diriection in my training anyway as i was gettign bored with the same light exersises week after week!

by the way, thanks for the welcome!

Your friend follows what the "typical" female expects from training. You, on the other hand, appear as if you want something different - and that's a good thing! :

Good luck in your muscle building. It is tough work but well worth the effort. Watch your diet, get plenty of protein. Make sure to take a protein/carb drink after your workouts. You need to work on recovery the same as a male would.

Brat was into bodybuilding a few years ago, I believe. She should be able to give you some great tips.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by IronMan

Brat was into bodybuilding a few years ago, I believe. She should be able to give you some great tips.

LOL "a few years"!

That was..., uh 1984 that I placed 2nd and it was 1993 the last year I sat on a judging panel, but hey humans haven't evolved much over that time.

Muscle girl - yes, bodybuilding training has no gender. You just might find that the weights and the volume required to get results, in general, are not as high as for a guy, in general. That really is all relative though. Most_Muscle and Todd are two guys here who can really tell you about what the current body building scene is like though. They are living the lifestyle!

[Musclegirl]

Hey

Thanks brat, im trying to pick up as much useful infomation as possible

:

[dana82]

I'm so confsed about the whole lifting heavy for females. If you don't want to gain mass should u be doing this?

[midgetcop]

dana -

women don't really have the ability to gain mass or size to the same extent that men do.

Of course, it's possible to add some muscle mass, but rarely enough to make you look like one of those bodybuilders you see on the magazine covers.

My advice to *any* woman who wants to work out to look better is to lift HEAVY. Because when that fat comes off you *want* to have that muscle definition underneath, or else you're just going to look like a smaller version of what you were before. Building muscle is the *only* way you can "sculpt" your body.

I'm going to be blunt: lifting light (i'm talking like, those 2lb pink dumbells) ain't gonna do SQUAT and is a complete waste of time.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by dana82

I'm so confsed about the whole lifting heavy for females. If you don't want to gain mass should u be doing this?

Muscle size, especially for women is a use it or lose it situation. mass is hard to build. Even women who are juiced (steroids) still have to put in the work to look muscular (I've seen a few "messed up" com

Actually those 2 lb pink dumbells do do squat. They make great bookends!

[midgetcop]

I saw that old avatar of yours, Brat. You *do* own a pair of pink dumbells!!!

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by midgetcop

I saw that old avatar of yours, Brat. You *do* own a pair of pink dumbells!!!

They are salmon coloured! The currently are being used as a temporary door stop and bookends!

When I saw them I couldn't resist (being a girl after all) They are great for those high rep warmups I do and when my shoulders hurt. (cuban press etc.)

Originally Posted by Brat

They are great for those high rep warmups I do and when my shoulders hurt. (cuban press etc.)

I use my wife's 2.5 pounders at the start of every shoulder warm up (cuban press). Good thing they are brick red instead of pink. I'd really be embarrassed.

I have no idea why I'm sharing this information, lol.

[CF-OC_gal]

Ah ... Ironman, it is because you are not afraid of anyone!

I get these looks when I do my high rep full body warmups from the non-regulars on the cardio machines (the lighter DBs, BBs and machines are in the cardio room) They've got this pre-judgement all over their faces..."Look at that middle age woman thinking she's getting a workout by doing high reps with 2lb dumbells!" )

Then I disappear into the weigh room and do my workout. So what? They haven't a clue.

[midgetcop]

Originally Posted by Brat

They are salmon coloured! The currently are being used as a temporary door stop and bookends!

When I saw them I couldn't resist (being a girl after all) They are great for those high rep warmups I do and when my shoulders hurt. (cuban press etc.)

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.



I think all the women on df should take some pictures of ourselves with some 2lb dumbells and use them as our avatars....

[CF-OC_gal]

Just for you midget I'll bring it back!