… lifting weights.
Yeah, this photo cracks me up, too. That is my very own 15-pound dumbell and I do occasionally lift weights at home, but I seldom feel compelled to put on full gym regalia to do so. And even less frequently choose to do so in my dining room. This was taken for a Lucy workout gear giveaway a few months back, and provides photographic proof that I do, in fact, lift. But it’s undeniably humorous. And wow, check out our mint plant going nuts in the background. Anyone need some mint?
Whoa. Tangent.
It’s the dead of winter and that means the Workout Doldrums have settled in. In Februarys past, I’ve slacked off on my weight routine, saying to myself, “Ah, screw it. I’ll worry about tone come spring when my muscles will actually be visible. Why bother right now?” But since I conned Karen into giving me some arm-toning tips, I’ve been much more engaged in my workout and I’ve actually stuck to my weights all winter.
And I’m SO GLAD. I adore biking (when I can do it), I’m loving my great winter walking experiment, and am pretty proud of my planking prowess. But there is something so satisfying about lifting weights. It feels amazing. It feels like I am, quite literally, warehousing personal power for later use. And my little routine involves 12 and 15 pound dumbells, a Bosu ball, and a yoga ball. No bench, no fussing with machines, simple but challenging. I have no fear of the man-populated weight room and can use or figure out any machine in my gym, but it has been really rewarding to cook up a custom weight routine and play with it to such great effect.
I might have mentioned this 900,000 times already, but allow me mention number 900,001: Weight lifting is a fantastic way for women to improve bone density. Even if you are running your little hiney off, adding some weight training to your routine is wise. Even if you’re at your ideal weight, doing a few bicep curls will help you down the line. This article pulls a few annoying tricks, but it’s written by a pro trainer and explains in no uncertain terms why lifting won’t cause you to bulk up like the Hulk. (We’ve got a Strong, Sexy & Stylish podcast on this very topic coming up soon!)
I’ve been lifting weights for more than 10 years, and plan to stop … hopefully never.
Do you lift? What’s your routine like? Ever worked with a trainer? If you’re unsure about weights for your own workout, what are your concerns? Questions? I can try to get Karen over here to answer any technical queries you may have!
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Now may actually be a good time to stay in shape. Over here in Iowa we still have spring weather up to 60 degrees! So inside, skin be showing haha! Lifting weights is awesome. People just need to make sure they do not start with too much weight. Just because you can lift 10lbs does not mean that is what you should use. Start small and work your way up. More weight does not equal a better work out.
I disagree. Of course you shouldn’t use so heavy weights that you hurt yourself, but generally women tend to err more on the side of too dainty lifting. Choose weights that challenge you and make you sweat. For biceps training, 10 lbs is all very good, but if you are heathy etc, you can probably do even better in no time!
I, too, enjoy lifting weights. It makes me feel strong and powerful like no other workout can. I take a group weight-lifting class for women and it’s given me the confidence to use the free weights on my own. I no longer feel intimidated working out among the “meat heads” as I fondly call the hardcore body builders. The trainer has taught me proper form (which is imperative) and she’s been able to help me work around a shoulder injury.
Yay for weights for women! I lift a little too, although I certainly don’t have a very muscular physique. But I like feeling stronger. I am trying to get my mother to do just a tiny bit of arm work, while sitting, to increase her strength.
I lift weights. I don’t belong to a gym, but I have workout DVDs at home, and a set of dumbbells in a full range of weights. I find it much easier to follow along with a DVD than to use a plan I see in a magazine or a book. Some of the DVDs are better at discussing proper form than are others. Tamilee Web’s “I Want That Body” is particularly good if you are just starting out. Hold off on Kathy Smith until you know what you are doing. Jillian Michaels is kick butt and harps on form, but her counting is sloppy (you’ll do more lifts on one side than the other). If we are traveling and I can’t get to weights, I’ll do push ups and planks in the hotel room.
Have you seen that video on YouTube of Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres having a push-up face-off? Go find it now if you haven’t seen it!
A good friend of mine had a bone density scan, she is almost 60. She is a personal trainer and has been doing weight training for years. The doctor showed her the comparison of her bones to that of a 28 year old which is the standard I guess and my friend’s bones were better! She was told even if she stopped lifting weights today, she would have to live to be 100 for it to adversely affect her. The moral of the story…lift weights!
YES! This. Exactly this.
Oh, that’s fabulous! I’ve taken up serious lifting in my late 40s and I hope when my first bone density scan comes along, it’ll be stellar too.
This a propos of nothing, but I love your hair in this photo, Sally! The slightly longer length showcases your beautiful waves. Your arms look fab too.
I lift weights 2-3 times a week, and one of those times is via a Body Pump class. Not only do I see immediate results (better tone and definition), but you’re absolutely right – it feels like I’m contributing to a 401K that my body will benefit from in later life.
It is constantly my goal to be able to do a pull-up. I’m no where near it, but I will consider myself to be in my ideal shape when I can do it. Not when I’m a size 2, not when my tummy stops jiggling, but when I am officially a pull-up doing badass.
Agree X1000!!!! That is my ultimate fitness benchmark too!
I’ve been lifting on and off for 20+ years and now, in my mid 40s, I feel I am probably stronger than most women my age. (I’m also bigger than the average American woman, too, with wide shoulders, and legs like tree trunks, but that’s genetic, and I’ve had that build since I was a teenager). Since moving to Seoul, I’ve noticed in any of the gyms I’ve gone to that I am usually the only woman to ever be in the weight room. I attract a lot of attention from both men and women because it’s just so unusual here to see a woman in the weight room. I can’t emphasize enough how great weight lifting is for increasing bone density, overall strength and endurance, and improving self-confidence. Because of my size and the length of time I’ve been lifting, I usually lift heavier weights in order to get a good workout, and sometimes that means I’m lifting two or three times the weight of some of the (few) men who are in the weight room with me. I have to admit, I love the looks on their faces while they’re watching me. My favorite piece of equipment is the lat pulldown machine. I normally do about 3 sets of 12 reps using about 90 to 100 kgs (about 200 to 220 lbs). But when I was first starting out, many, many years ago, I started small, with 5 kg (11 lbs) dumbbells, and worked my way up over the years. I, too, love biking, but when the weather is cold I like to move my workout indoors and use the treadmill followed by two or three intense weight routines each week. It’s a great way to let off steam, reduce stress and feel great afterwards.
A few weeks ago a woman came up to me in the gym locker room and said, “you lift a lot of weight! especially with your upper body!”
That made me feel so good, since I’m currently in a job search and need all the positive reinforcement I can get.
I am 5’4″, 135 pounds, and I can bench 85. I really, really, really want to get to 100 by summer. I consider myself a lifelong non-athlete (I’m 46) but my arms have better tone than ever.
Love lifting!
LOVE this especially: “It feels like I am, quite literally, warehousing personal power for later use.”
I started lifting weights again a few years ago. I don’t enjoy the hard and heavy lifts, but I do them anyway because they make my muscles (and yes–my bones) strong. I LOVE the fun and fast lifts–especially if they’re done with kettlebells
(You might really like those, Sally!)
I know it’s an old pic, but that workout gear is still adorable.
I used to seriously lift (I could deadlift 250 pounds at (then) 115 pounds) but then my ex and I split up, and he got the gym equipment. I hate going to actual gyms, and I’ve been having a really hard time enjoying the kind of “lifting” I can do at home without serious plates and bars.
I’ve moved into more dynamic training, mostly kettlebells, and I enjoy it, but sadly I have not gotten consistent with it the way I used to with my lifting.
I love weight training! Though I’m more inclined to use the machines at the gym (I just can’t work out at home, I’ve found– I get way too distracted), I love it. It was the first workout I fell in love with in high school, and it’s always my preferred activity. I love the feeling of shifting to a new weight range, the feeling of your muscles being pushed, and that nice ache the next day.
Can you tell you hit my sweet spot?
Sally,
What would you say to (or where would you send for advice) a total novice who is willing to invest in a dumbbell or two for home use but has no idea what to do with them?
Jackie, for some general info about lifting, definitely check out Stumptuous:
http://www.stumptuous.com/lies-in-the-gym
http://www.stumptuous.com/dont-fear-the-free-weights
In terms of trying out lifting for yourself, it’s always a good idea to get guidance from a pro before starting a routine. Even a seemingly mild routine. If you have any injuries or physical sensitivities at all, a trainer can help you create a customized routine that will accommodate your personal needs. Do you belong to a gym? Most gyms can set you up for a one-on-one session with a trainer for a not-too-horrendous fee.
I’m loathe to send you to a long list of exercises since I REALLY recommend meeting with a trainer, but this tutorial is decent. It covers many basics AND includes some warm-up exercises:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/information/weight-lifting-for-women.htm
Hope that helps!
Anyone else have resources to recommend?
I recommend Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe for absolute beginners. It’s a simple and effective program, and a great book. Most people get amazing results from a small amount of time from it. I also really like stumptuous.com and a book called “The New Rules of Weightlifting for Women. Also, body pump classes shouldn’t be written off as they teach high reps which is good for dialing your form in and getting that muscle memory programmed.
I second The New Rules of Weightlifting for Women recommendation. Have been slowly getting into lifting now that I’m 41 and this book is helping me make the leap into real strength training.
Keep in mind that I have been a non-athletic, hated gym, found exercise boring person all of my life. So the fact that I actually like weight lifting is kind of freakish. (But it can still be intensely boring).
I have access to a trainer through my employer, so I will definitely see what he can offer me on this–thanks so much for the other resources too!
I would rather lift weights ANY day than do any sort of cardio or aerobics. I love the feeling I have when I lift weights!
Of course you already know I’m in the gym often. I use the man-populated weight room, but let me point out, just because men are in there doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing! I’ve seen crazy, contra-indicated stuff going on in the weight room.
Women should never be intimidated to work out in the weight room. They bring beauty, strength, and estrogen into that testosterone-overloaded atmosphere.
And you are so right to point out that women won’t look like the Hulk if they toss around a few weights. That’s an old wives’ tale. Women can only bulk up if they load supplements and steroids.
Weight-lifting is a great way for women to gain strength, bone density, confidence, and toned bodies. I’m all for it.
I wholeheartedly second the READ STUMPTUOUS!!!! suggestion. That site got ME hooked on lifting.
I’m 5’0″ and can deadlift about 170 lbs and squat 140 lbs. (For regular workouts I do less – about 70% – for 5 sets of 5 reps) It’s hard to find jeans that fit but that’s why God invented spandex and stretchy stuff, and damn I feel good!
My goals for this year are decent pullups, and being able to fireman-carry my husband to the top floor of our 3-storey townhouse.
Only a week ago, I told my new personal trainer (she had to replace my old one) that I absolutely HATED lifting weights. I found it boring, repetitive and just downright slow. And the fact that I was required to do it for an hour severely demotivated me. Fortunately for me, she listened to me and devised a solution: CIRCUIT TRAINING. Since then, I appreciated weight training and am now willing to do it. I don’t love it, don’t get me wrong (I still love running more), but I’m seeing its benefits and I’m appreciating what it’s doing to my body. With regards to long term effects, really, what’s an hour of maintenance 2 days a week?
A topic true to my heart, I’m a personal trainer (NSCA) /wellness coach as well.
When I’m not training for a specific event, I lift weights 4-6x/week, either full-body or splits. I just ran a 1/2 marathon, so I had to give up squats for a few months. I was truly inconsolable, as nothing makes me feel as strong or powerful as I feel when lifting really heavy weights.
I think every woman should lift weights for the mental, physical, and stress management benefits. Lifting weights is better than any other exercise at changing your physique, not to mention becoming stronger and ultimately more self-sufficient. It’s never too late to start, and it’s nearly impossible for women to “bulk up” due to drastically lower testosterone levels.
Weightlifting has changed my life! I hate running, I love to swim but it makes me too hungry. Barbell training has made me amazingly strong as well as given me the body I never thought I’d have. I always maintain that hotness is made under a barbell – all those hot hollywood women (Jessica Biel et al) lift weights, and heavy ones too. I love seeing a slope of a muscle start to occur where it never occured before, I love having a firm booty. Aside from that, It’s also really fun and tests my mettle every single day. You’re always pushing your limits, and so that translates to life. If I can throw 55kg above my head then what’s so scary about a job interview or trying kite-surfing?
I lift heavy and I lift often. I am training to weightlift competitively (you know, the clean & jerk and the snatch). That is amazing because it’s so much about technique that I never get bored. Seriously, ladies, read stumptuous.com, buy Starting Strength and get under a barbell! You won’t regret it. And you won’t get bulky, you just won’t. You’ll get hot, and you’ll never want to be weak again.
I don’t life weights. But… some older ladies in my life do (mom and former boss), and they love it! And I want to love it, but I always get so intimidated and overwhelmed. Where to begin? How often?
Your advice about meeting with a trainer is great. I belong to a gym at work, which I use primarily for the classes, but I believe I can meet with a trainer once a year for free. I think I’ll look into it, since some days there isn’t a class I want to take and I feel at a loss for what to do.
I love lifting weights! Love it. I started when I was 14 years old & have never loved any other fitness related thing like I love weight lifting. I look & feel my best when I am doing it regularly. There is a lot of osteoporosis in my family so that is always a motivator for me to push it when I don’t want to.
I don’t think women should be intimidated by the weight room either. It is my experience that guys in general think you are a bad ass for coming into the weight area, & I’ve had dudes gladly spot me or strike up conversation & tell me they are really impressed w/how hard I work. It feels really great!
I’ve definitely worked out with trainers at times that I was lacking motivation, or just felt like I wasn’t sure what to do to get myself to the next level of fitness, & I really have had great luck with really excellent trainers too.
Oh, and by the way, the heavier I lift, the smaller (and tighter) I get. So I definitely agree that it is a myth that women will get big & bulky.
I have to confess I find lifting weights THE most BORING activity around. I mean, it’s totally great to lift weights and I wish I didn’t think it was boring, but I do. I think in part it’s because I’ve never had a more compelling reason to do it than that I should, because it’s good for me – if I was training for a specific sport and there was a good reason to do it, maybe I could bring myself to do it and find value in it, but so far, nada. It’s a shame because my body type is pretty muscular, naturally, so my muscles respond quite well. I just find lifting dull, dull, dull – like Katie I find it really slow and repetitive. I prefer cardio, or, for strength training, yoga (I know that’s not quite yoga’s purpose but it sure works my muscles!). Or the kinds of weight-training exercises you do with just your body – like pushups or squats. But even those, I’m not fond of and don’t do unless I’m in a class.
So more space in the weight room for the rest of you!
I do lift free weights on occasion at home, but don’t really have a set plan (just some bicep curls and shoulder presses and stuff). I am only on 5 and 8 pound weights at the moment so I am impressed by your big ones! I do feel like I have less wrist and elbow issues since I started working with the free weights – my anatomy is such that my elbows in particular hyperextend too easily and cause joint pain, so having more muscle strength helps prevent this.
I’ve been lifting weights for almost four years. I love, love, love lifting. I have a personal trainer – I originally thought I’d hire a trainer for a couple of months, and then I’d know what to do myself, but we’re still working together. Part of that is practical – I’m a wheelchair user, and it takes me half again as much time to do the same workout by myself as it does with my trainer (or you could just say I’m lazy, and like having someone else bring me my weights).
I’ve never understood what is apparently a socially pervasive fear of looking muscular. I am lucky enough to gain muscle pretty easily, and I love having visible delts, traps and biceps.
I don’t lift. I’m a dancer and also do yoga and various isometrics, and I run and walk. I had to give up the bike because it over-worked my quads. My muscles are super defined without using anything other than my own bodyweight.
I’m following The New Rules of Lifting for Women program, and I love it. (Well, I love most of it. There are a few exercises that feel like useless filler that would be scoffed at in a lifting routine for men.) And I know what you mean about storing power – as much as I also enjoy running, nothing makes me feel as badass as lifting. Visible arm muscles for the first time in my life is a nice bonus.
I am aware of the health benefits of weight lifting, and I’ve tried to get into it, but I agree with the other commenters who feel that weight-lifting is boring. I love running, I walk two miles to work each day, I love stretching and yoga, but there is something about weights that I can’t stand.
Even when I was lifting weights, it seemed to have no effect on my upper-body strength. When I was working as an acute-care orthopedics and trauma nurse, I found I was too weak to do my job effectively and I started lifting weights. It worked out with weights three-four times a week for months, and while my arms and shoulders looked great, I was STILL too weak to do my job effectively.
Great post! As a runner, I have gotten injured so many times because I don’t strength train or cross train as much as I should. Also, I absolutely hate that weight lifting isn’t considered a feminine activity. It is critical to us women (especially as we age, carry babies, etc.) to strength train.
I never did any type of exercise at all (let alone weight lifting) until I started going to Bar Method classes several months ago. I love it because the classes are fast paced and interesting and there’s someone around to make sure I’m doing things properly. And it seriously kicks my butt. The only weights I use there are really small (1-2 pounds) because my upper body strength is ridiculous but they make us go through many strength training exercises, using your own body weight (push ups, tricep dips, planks, etc). I never thought to be addicted to exercise but I love feeling stronger and seeing some muscle in my stick arms. Without changing my dress size at all, I have family and friends tell me I look great instead of telling me I should eat more. It’s been a very interesting experiment for me overall.