What does ‘lifting heavy’ mean?

[Anonymous]

If you want to get a sense of strength standards at different training levels, weight category and age, look at exrx.

Here is the link for deadlift standards for people of 40-49 years of age.

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards40LB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love to know what this means in terms of different exercises: what should people in middle age work towards when doing lunges or squats versus curls or presses? TIA

I'm 5'4", 128 pounds and use 20 pound dumbbells for lunges squats and chest presses. That's heavy for me

In terms of your muscles’ capacity to do work,

Lunges =\= squats =\= chest presses.

If that works for you, great. But if you wanted to, you could probably be barbell squatting 135 within 1.5-3 years.

I really don’t want to do that. Ever.

Sure, and what you’re doing is working for you, so that’s great. But the point is that for most people who talk/write about “lifting heavy”, that’s what they mean. For example, not using the same dumbbells for muscle groups with wildly different capacities for doing work, but rather full-body lifts with weights that are targeted to challenge the muscle group with a relatively low number of reps. For large muscle groups, that can end up being a lot of weight, often measured in percentages or multiples of bodyweight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to get a sense of strength standards at different training levels, weight category and age, look at exrx.

Here is the link for deadlift standards for people of 40-49 years of age.

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards40LB

You should check out strengthlevel.com. It has standards based on millions of user submissions by gender, age, and body weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to get a sense of strength standards at different training levels, weight category and age, look at exrx.

Here is the link for deadlift standards for people of 40-49 years of age.

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards40LB

You should check out strengthlevel.com. It has standards based on millions of user submissions by gender, age, and body weight.

It is based on self-reported data which I do not trust. Anyone can submit anything and you do not know whether the movement was actually executed to an accepted standard. The numbers there are substantially inflated compared to what you see in an average gym. I find data based on the experience of reputable strength coaches much more trustworthy. I have been lifting for over a decade and the exrx standards pretty closely match what you will see in real life depending on age, weight and experience level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to get a sense of strength standards at different training levels, weight category and age, look at exrx.

Here is the link for deadlift standards for people of 40-49 years of age.

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards40LB

You should check out strengthlevel.com. It has standards based on millions of user submissions by gender, age, and body weight.

It is based on self-reported data which I do not trust. Anyone can submit anything and you do not know whether the movement was actually executed to an accepted standard. The numbers there are substantially inflated compared to what you see in an average gym. I find data based on the experience of reputable strength coaches much more trustworthy. I have been lifting for over a decade and the exrx standards pretty closely match what you will see in real life depending on age, weight and experience level.

Interesting. I’ve been lifting since the early 80s and find strength level.com to be pretty accurate. If anything, I’m sometime surprised that it lists my lifts as “advanced” or “elite” when I’m pretty sure they are not all that. But I guess I get a premium for being so old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to get a sense of strength standards at different training levels, weight category and age, look at exrx.

Here is the link for deadlift standards for people of 40-49 years of age.

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards40LB

You should check out strengthlevel.com. It has standards based on millions of user submissions by gender, age, and body weight.

It is based on self-reported data which I do not trust. Anyone can submit anything and you do not know whether the movement was actually executed to an accepted standard. The numbers there are substantially inflated compared to what you see in an average gym. I find data based on the experience of reputable strength coaches much more trustworthy. I have been lifting for over a decade and the exrx standards pretty closely match what you will see in real life depending on age, weight and experience level.

Huh, according to exrx standards I am have an elite deadlift!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to get a sense of strength standards at different training levels, weight category and age, look at exrx.

Here is the link for deadlift standards for people of 40-49 years of age.

https://exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards40LB

You should check out strengthlevel.com. It has standards based on millions of user submissions by gender, age, and body weight.

It is based on self-reported data which I do not trust. Anyone can submit anything and you do not know whether the movement was actually executed to an accepted standard. The numbers there are substantially inflated compared to what you see in an average gym. I find data based on the experience of reputable strength coaches much more trustworthy. I have been lifting for over a decade and the exrx standards pretty closely match what you will see in real life depending on age, weight and experience level.

Huh, according to exrx standards I am have an elite deadlift!

Me too, but elite over there is more related to experience level. With those numbers you might stand out at an average Gold's gym, but might likely still come last even in a local level powerlifting competition. The elite category is a solid achievement though for an average gym goer not interested in competing in strength sports.

[Anonymous]

You are lifting heavy FOR YOU if the last 2 reps are challenging to the point you have to make an ugly face to complete them, while not compromising form. This can be for any rep range.

So if you are aiming for 10-12 reps, do 12 reps and could still do a few more than you are not lifting heavy enough. If you only get to 10 reps then great you are lifting heavy. If you only hit 6 reps then weight is too heavy for the rep range you are aiming to hit.

Most programs do not have the same rep range for all exercises. Some may have a range of 4-6, 8-10 or 10-12. But the last few reps should always be hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are lifting heavy FOR YOU if the last 2 reps are challenging to the point you have to make an ugly face to complete them, while not compromising form. This can be for any rep range.

So if you are aiming for 10-12 reps, do 12 reps and could still do a few more than you are not lifting heavy enough. If you only get to 10 reps then great you are lifting heavy. If you only hit 6 reps then weight is too heavy for the rep range you are aiming to hit.

Most programs do not have the same rep range for all exercises. Some may have a range of 4-6, 8-10 or 10-12. But the last few reps should always be hard.

This is not what most people I know mean when they say “lifting heavy.” What PP described is really just “lifting.” When people make the distinction of “lifting HEAVY”, they are using that term to distinguish a kind of programming that tends to be more powerlifting-focused. I.e. full body, barbell movements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are lifting heavy FOR YOU if the last 2 reps are challenging to the point you have to make an ugly face to complete them, while not compromising form. This can be for any rep range.

So if you are aiming for 10-12 reps, do 12 reps and could still do a few more than you are not lifting heavy enough. If you only get to 10 reps then great you are lifting heavy. If you only hit 6 reps then weight is too heavy for the rep range you are aiming to hit.

Most programs do not have the same rep range for all exercises. Some may have a range of 4-6, 8-10 or 10-12. But the last few reps should always be hard.

This is not what most people I know mean when they say “lifting heavy.” What PP described is really just “lifting.” When people make the distinction of “lifting HEAVY”, they are using that term to distinguish a kind of programming that tends to be more powerlifting-focused. I.e. full body, barbell movements.

DP - agreed; for me, it also means no more than five, maaaybe six reps per set. 10-12 is not lifting heavy. Range of 4-6, or a 5/3/1 program, etc., is lifting heavy.

[Anonymous]

"Lifting heavy" is lifting 85-90% of your one rep max for that exercise, whatever it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Deadlifts and suitcase squats are good to start with

Please don't start with deadlifts unless you want back surgery

[Anonymous]

Heavy lifting is lifting less than 12 reps.

First set = 10 reps
second set = 8
third = 6

You should increase your weights per set to make the last 1 or 2 reps VERY heavy for you to complete !

Heaving Lifting !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deadlifts and suitcase squats are good to start with

Please don't start with ego deadlifts with bad form unless you want back surgery

FTFY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deadlifts and suitcase squats are good to start with

Please don't start with ego deadlifts with bad form unless you want back surgery

FTFY.

Agree. I have had back problems all my life. A lifter I knew at work taught me correct form and I have never had a problem hurting myself on a deadlift.