Women and Weightlifting: What positive effects have you noticed?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been doing Orange Theory for the last few years and am starting to get a little bored with it. Some friends suggested lifting heavy (like weights where I can’t do more than 8-12 reps) a few times a week. They mentioned that its had a surprising effect on their energy levels and libido. Has anyone noticed similar effects?

[Anonymous]

Oh my gosh yes, it helps with all that. And confidence and general body image - you just feel like a badass. It made me stop caring about my size and weight. All I know is I look good to ME.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been working out with a trainer the past year and I’m finally happy with how i look. I can’t push myself hard enough to get there (too lazy) but she’s pushed me from where I’d be on my own, curling 15s, to doing using 25s and it’s definitely helping me firm up without any weight loss.

[Anonymous]

I love weight lifting! The best benefit has been the increase resting metabolic rate.

[Anonymous]

Yes a million times. I lose fat, I look fit, I feel powerful, and everything fits better. It’s the fountain of youth IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been doing Orange Theory for the last few years and am starting to get a little bored with it. Some friends suggested lifting heavy (like weights where I can’t do more than 8-12 reps) a few times a week. They mentioned that its had a surprising effect on their energy levels and libido. Has anyone noticed similar effects?

Yes, 1000%

50-yr-old here. In peri menopause and recently started lifting heavy again. I actually have a libido again! Thought that was never going to come back. And more energy overall — even just walking down the street I feel more of a spring to my step. Mood is also lifted.

[Anonymous]

57 yr old female: Nothing compares to weightlifting when it comes to reshaping your body and increasing your metabolism. There are only positives, no negatives when it comes to lifting, if done correctly and carefully.

I lift 3 times a week for about an hour - I don't have the time or desire to do a split routine where I work upper body one day and lower another, so I do a full body workout each time I go. Also, even though I know my way around the weight room I hired a trainer that I meet with once a week - he pushes me hard and gives me ideas for different exercises to do. Then on the other two days of the week I just replicate what we did together, but on my own.

[Anonymous]

I started lifting heavy during quarantine. Before that, I was primarily doing pilates, yoga, HIIT (Barry's) and spin. I enjoy some aspects of it, and I think it's much easier than my HIIT routine so it's easier to convince myself to actually get up and do it. The negative is that I started bulking up much more than I wanted to, so I've abandoned it and gone back to pilates. My shoulders got broader and my thighs and rear got bigger, which I wasn't a fan of. My stomach stayed flat, but building up core muscles also made me somewhat thick in the waist. I started quarantine as a size 0/2 and over the course of about 2.5 years got up to a size 6, so I decided to quit weights and go back to my old routine.

[Anonymous]

I look better now weighing 20lbs more than I did when I was just doing intense cardio. Plus I enjoy the workouts.

[Anonymous]

Can someone suggest a site with a workout for newbies to weight lifting? I occasionally do the circuit machines at my gym and I do pilates but nothing heavy. I think I need to step it up a notch. I could go twice a week, maybe three times....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started lifting heavy during quarantine. Before that, I was primarily doing pilates, yoga, HIIT (Barry's) and spin. I enjoy some aspects of it, and I think it's much easier than my HIIT routine so it's easier to convince myself to actually get up and do it. The negative is that I started bulking up much more than I wanted to, so I've abandoned it and gone back to pilates. My shoulders got broader and my thighs and rear got bigger, which I wasn't a fan of. My stomach stayed flat, but building up core muscles also made me somewhat thick in the waist. I started quarantine as a size 0/2 and over the course of about 2.5 years got up to a size 6, so I decided to quit weights and go back to my old routine.

I'm another woman who gets bulkier from lifting heavy than she would like, though I know I'm in the minority with how it impacts my body composition. There are so many benefits to weightlifting that I think most women should give it a try, if nothing else. I still strength train, just not barbell lifts right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone suggest a site with a workout for newbies to weight lifting? I occasionally do the circuit machines at my gym and I do pilates but nothing heavy. I think I need to step it up a notch. I could go twice a week, maybe three times....

I like Strong Lifts 5x5. It’s a nice minimalist whole body workout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone suggest a site with a workout for newbies to weight lifting? I occasionally do the circuit machines at my gym and I do pilates but nothing heavy. I think I need to step it up a notch. I could go twice a week, maybe three times....

I like Strong Lifts 5x5. It’s a nice minimalist whole body workout.

I'll second this.

And the the 57 yo PP, thank you for posting! I'm younger, but inspired and intend to keep at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone suggest a site with a workout for newbies to weight lifting? I occasionally do the circuit machines at my gym and I do pilates but nothing heavy. I think I need to step it up a notch. I could go twice a week, maybe three times....

I like Strong Lifts 5x5. It’s a nice minimalist whole body workout.

Eta: they have a great app with video demonstrations on how to do the lifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started lifting heavy during quarantine. Before that, I was primarily doing pilates, yoga, HIIT (Barry's) and spin. I enjoy some aspects of it, and I think it's much easier than my HIIT routine so it's easier to convince myself to actually get up and do it. The negative is that I started bulking up much more than I wanted to, so I've abandoned it and gone back to pilates. My shoulders got broader and my thighs and rear got bigger, which I wasn't a fan of. My stomach stayed flat, but building up core muscles also made me somewhat thick in the waist. I started quarantine as a size 0/2 and over the course of about 2.5 years got up to a size 6, so I decided to quit weights and go back to my old routine.

Have you considered that you got bigger because of added weight as opposed to the weightlifting? If you're replacing HIIT workouts with just weights then you're doing less cardio. I'm assuming you didn't give up spin or any of the other non-weights workouts?

I've lifted heavy since my late 20s (mid-40s now) and I do tend to show muscle really fast and can bulk up, but even when I've lived way heavier than I do now, my weight stayed the same. I'm also a size 0 and at most, I'll go up to sz 2 for example if my shoulders/arms were broader or my thighs/butt got bigger from muscle. But any size bigger than that would be from weight gain.