what are "reasonable" weights for a female to be pushing?

[threenorns]

i'm getting some rather odd looks at the gym, now, because of the weights i'm using. i've already maxed the leg extension (it's only a 250lb stack), my incline press is a comfortable 360 for six reps, my tricep pressdown is at 90lbs (i can go heavier, but not without gripping the handle), and my cable row is 250 - another two plates and i'll have maxed that out, as well.

now ppl are starting to mutter that i'm "on something" - the ONLY things i take are creatine, post workout protein shake (cause it's easier than trying to eat), and a multivitamin.

what is a reasonable weight range for females to be doing for bench press, tricep pressdown, cable row, deadlift, and squat? i'd like to have facts and figures at my disposal when the inevitable showdown comes but they're hard to find online. there's one woman in particular who really seems to have it in for me, judging by the nasty glares and the twist to her mouth when she talks to someone while staring right at me - i have a feeling it's a matter of time before she starts making accusations to the gym management that i'm using stuff (which can get me barred).

it's a shame, because on the whole, the ppl at the gym are not too bad. just some ppl can't just let others get on with their lives, i guess.

[Cort]

If you look up laura's journal, she was doing 405 for 5 reps on the leg press, weighing in at somewhere around 112 lbs, and she was looking pretty damn hot.

Since they can't force you into a drug test I don't see how they could ban you. I'm pretty sure that would be illegal.

[threenorns]

that'd be nice, except the gym's run by the town and is therefore municipal property. in the contract they have you sign, you have to promise you won't do anything or act in a way that is "injurious to the common good" - that covers everything: dropping the stack, not picking up after yourself, making too much noise, using foul language, drugs, whatever.

i'm just going to go with it and if she does go to the management, i'll tell them to go right ahead and drug test me and then we'll see what happens. i think slander is injurious to the common good.....

sometimes i think the mental workout is worse than the physical.

[Lift2Live]

That's just silly when people feel the need to cause others hassle without first seeing what the horse himself has to say... I'd hope she says something so that she can be embarrassed during your vindication. She will crawl back into her judgmental hole and hide. There's just no need for people to make looks at another member just because they can. In fact, lemme know when a good time is so I can come and show her the finer points of communication!

Errm, this one got away from me somehow. lmao :P

[fitlett]

I'm new here, but I've been lifting for about three years and am considered to be on the strong side for a female and also get the "looks" while I lift. I'm 5'6", 165 lbs (135 LBM), 43 years old... My squat is 185 lbs, Smith machine squat is 245 lbs (yeah, I know these don't count), leg press is 430 lbs. My bench press is 115 lbs, deadlift is 155 lbs (can't grip the bar for more weight at this time), tricep pressdowns are 80 lbs, cable rows are 110 lbs. I do everything for 15 reps.

I'm not sure what is considered to be "reasonable" weights, but most women I've observed in my gym (if they are wandering into the weight area at all) would do about 150 lbs on leg press, about 60 lbs on chest press machine, maybe about 75 lbs on the Smith machine squats, tricep pressdowns around 30 lbs, cable rows around 50 lbs. My definition of "reasonable" for either gender is what you can do with good form for your specified number of reps and be exhausting the muscle towards the end of your set.

One suggestion if you're maxing out on the weight stack is to start doing one leg at a time on your extensions...

Thankfully, no one has ever accused me of being on anything (which I am not), but I do get some women following me in the gym and checking out what weight I'm using...

[CF-OC_gal]

Reasonable weight is what is safe for you as an individual. Because of the variations in people conditioning and genetic potential that means there is no "reasonable" range.

I am not strong but I look great and am perfectly healthy with the results I get pushing my tiny pounds in comparison to the ones listed often by women here.

It's not a contest unless you are powerlifting. In that case there are stats and records available on the internet. Here is one you might use: http://www.chiropower.com/women01res.html

[threenorns]

that chart is very useful!

as for the beeyotch, maybe i'll add three sets of tongue extensions, as in na-na-nana-nahhh

[CF-OC_gal]

If the people running your gym can't tell the difference between a cat fight and a drug user then I'd say they are living up to the Northern Ontario stereotype. Do you really need that?

Save yourself while you are still sane !

[arbit]

Thats ridiculos, some poeple are stronger than others, screw the average.
Lift the best u can, if u leave the average 5lb curling woman behind, more power to u

[midgetcop]

Woman! Be proud of the weight you're lifting! I don't think there really is a "reasonable" amount of weight that women should be lifting, because that depends on so many variables i.e. age, size, experience, genetics, etc.

If anything you're just shocking the heck out of people. The "on something" comments may just be a joke...and if not, could anyone honestly force you into a drug test?

[threenorns]

ya know what? that's what i like the most about this site: a nice slap upside the head to restore my sanity!

[Chain]

When you say incline press, you aren't referring to incline bench press are you? 360 for six reps on the incline bench press would be insane.

As far what women are lifting...when I was a personal trainer the naturally strongest girl I ever trained came in and bench pressed 140 and squatted 225 for 5 reps at a bodyweight of 180 lbs. She did get some exercise from being a firefighter, and she did lift in high school but over 10 years had passed in the mean time. Pound for pound the strongest girl I ever trained was a track athlete who weighed 145 at 14% bodyfat with a bench press of 170 lbs and a squat of 225 for 3 reps. She could do 10 neutral grip pullups as well. She was lean and muscular but wouldn't be considered huge or manly except maybe by someone with anorexia. There were a few others I trained with bench presses over 135 lbs and squats over 225 lbs. I helped one 60 year old woman go from bench pressing 70 lbs to 115 lbs. But I've found that strength ranges widely in females and many women don't realize the potential for strength their bodies really have. And they can still be feminine and beautiful while they achieve it. Of course, there are the extremes like the Chinese weightlifter who clean & jerked over 400 lbs in the last Olympics. lol

[threenorns]

no, sorry - inclined leg press. the way things are going, it'll probly be 400 by the middle of next month....

[gym_girl]

Kudos to you. It is frustrating and more than a little annoying that people would be so judgemental to whisper about what you're lifting. With the obvious lack of movement and high rates of obesity in the world, you would think those that are making a conscious effort to live a healthier life would support another person doing the same rather than try and cause trouble.

Possibly the green eyed monster is rearing its ugly head?

~Tammy

[threenorns]

yup, s'what it is. my partner's fault, apparently: she was hitting on him a couple weeks ago and he ended up having to blow her off quite rudely before she got the hint. he didn't mention it before but he told me last night after i told him about the snarky comments at step aerobics because i wasn't doing the upper body work (and WHO, i'd like to know, wants to do tai bo punches the day after chest and biceps?).

he thought it was all a big macho joke until i told him what she'd been saying. next weight session (friday - we're taking a few days off before starting a particularly strenuous new cycle that i'm hoping will bring my bench up to maybe 150 - well, okay, 140, at least - in 10 weeks) should be very interesting....

<note to self: next time, pick a less attractive gym partner>