If you are a fairly small woman, what does "lift heavy" mean to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, heavy lifting is defined by my reps. I usually do 3 sets. Set 1 I aim for 8-10. Set 2, 6-8. Set 3, 4-6. By the last rep, I am struggling to keep my form in place.

Interesting (OP again). Someone on Reddit told me that the key to lifting heavy was to go for the amount of weight that limited your reps, so that you could "work to failure." So basically if I can comfortably do 20 reps with 8lb weights, go to 10 and see how far I can go with those, then go to 12 and see how far I can go with those.

I think one issue with dumbbells is that you are dealing with stability (much easier to create stability pressing a 30 lb barbell, than two 15 lb dumbbells) but I wonder if there is benefit to this? I feel like there must be benefit to forcing my body to stabilize dumbbells through an overhead press and keep the motion smooth and even, since that would be easier with a barbell that is naturally more stable as it distributes the weight and holds it together at the same time?

Stability comes from your core not from the the body part that is lifting.

NP. But that's not what the PP means by stability. They don't mean stabilizing the body; they mean keeping the weight stable. A DB press is slightly harder than a BB press because each arm must guide (ie stablize) the weight independently. That's easier on a barbell.

It's why squatting on the Smith machine is easier than squatting in the rack; the machine guides the bar which means the body isn't required to do the work to keep the correct bar path

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ I'm not being a d!ck. I'm just trying to be informative. The topic is lifting weights and lifting heavy. Not what you can lift at home only. Although I do weightlift mainly at home. I never go to a gym

But squatting 40% of your weight isn't even really a starter weight. You should be able to squat more than half your weight as a beginner and then your weight intermediate and then advanced is more than your weight.

That is what lifting heavy means. If it makes me a d!ck to point this out then I'm sorry.

I'm not saying there isn't any benefit to squatting 40% of your weight. But it is not lifting heavy and that is what the post is about.

Also no professional agrees with this definition of lifting heavy. The idea that any person, regardless of size, fitness level, and experience, "should" be able to squat greater that 50% of their weight is silly. People have different bodies. That attitude, and giving that advice, is a good way for people to injure themselves.

Lifting heavy means finding the max weight at which you can perform a lift with good form for a limited number if reps, usually less than 10. That will vary by person. Telling someone "oh you need to be able to squat xxx lbs or it doesn't count as lifting heavy" is a good way to discourage someone starting out, and also is the kind of attitude that makes people sacrifice form for weight in dangerous ways.

+1
Squatting 1/2 your body weight as a beginner? That PP is completely out their a$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TBH, for most, lifting heavy will mean using a barbell, not a DB.

Deadlift. Find a 12 or 16 week program to deadlift. See if you can work your way up to 185 or 225 over the next year (the good news is that you'll still be getting "newbie gains" despite the fact that you're already fit.

Back squat. You'll probably start off light. 65lbs (thats the barbell + a 10lb plate on each side). week 1 5x5. week 2 5x3. week 3 5x1 then go up in weight. Do this on leg day.

Same for hip thrusts.

Then bench press (or DB press here, I suppose), OH press. Then mix in upper body accessory pushing work. Also, be sure to mix in pulling work.

In short, those DBs you have won't do much. You'll need a lot heavier ones, if you want to stick to DB. But generally, "lifting heavy" means you need a barbell

The advantage of dumbbells for someone new is they are cheap and easy to store at home, which increases the likelihood they will actually pick them up.

Go ahead and buy some heavier dumbbells and keep working to max. If you mac out on those, you might be motivated to find a gym and shift to these higher weights. But if right now you are motivated at home and like DBs, just get heavier DBs and see where it goes. You do not need to jump from 10lb DBs to 100+ lb deadlifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For me, heavy lifting is defined by my reps. I usually do 3 sets. Set 1 I aim for 8-10. Set 2, 6-8. Set 3, 4-6. By the last rep, I am struggling to keep my form in place.

Interesting (OP again). Someone on Reddit told me that the key to lifting heavy was to go for the amount of weight that limited your reps, so that you could "work to failure." So basically if I can comfortably do 20 reps with 8lb weights, go to 10 and see how far I can go with those, then go to 12 and see how far I can go with those.

I think one issue with dumbbells is that you are dealing with stability (much easier to create stability pressing a 30 lb barbell, than two 15 lb dumbbells) but I wonder if there is benefit to this? I feel like there must be benefit to forcing my body to stabilize dumbbells through an overhead press and keep the motion smooth and even, since that would be easier with a barbell that is naturally more stable as it distributes the weight and holds it together at the same time?

Stability comes from your core not from the the body part that is lifting.

NP. But that's not what the PP means by stability. They don't mean stabilizing the body; they mean keeping the weight stable. A DB press is slightly harder than a BB press because each arm must guide (ie stablize) the weight independently. That's easier on a barbell.

It's why squatting on the Smith machine is easier than squatting in the rack; the machine guides the bar which means the body isn't required to do the work to keep the correct bar path

+1, I can lift a 50lb barbell overhead and lower it without having to work particularly hard, even if fatigued. But pressing two 25lb DBs overhead will require more concentration and effort, and not just in my arms but in my back as well. Especially if I'm already fatigued.

[Anonymous]

This description from Reddit is pretty great:

My take on it is, assuming you’re a beginner:

Pick a tried and true program. Let’s take this beginner-friendly workout split from Muscle & Strength for example.
Aim for a weight that is challenging to get you through the lower end of the rep range. On day 1 of legs, the program has you doing a squat for 6-12 range. The weight will vary wildly between people but play around with the dumbbells. Pick up a pair of 10 lbs and do 8 squats. Was it hard? Good, stay there. Was it too easy? Pick up the 15s. Experiment like this (safely) for all exercises and focus on form first over weight.
Run through the program as you feel comfortable for 2-3 weeks. It’s fine if you don’t feel exhausted or burned out after the workout - you should feel good.
After week 2 or 3, go up in weight or rep range. Again, this will vary wildly but generally women can go up in weight faster for lower versus upper body. Say you picked up 10lb dumbbells for week 1 of squats. At week 3, try 15s. Say you used 5lb DBs for DB rows, try 10s. 10s are too heavy? Stay on the 5s but do 2-3 more reps each set. This is progressive overload.
Run through the program by completing it for at least 8 weeks. Take a deload break.
Repeat.
If you’re past the beginner stage, and have good form, then pick a strength training program that is on the 3-5 rep range for compound movements like PHUL. Same rules as before for progressive overload. But this time, the rep range is indicating that you should only be able to complete 5 reps of the exercise, ie higher weight.

IMO Caroline Girvan is also a great starting point but her Epic programs definitely focus more on muscle endurance vs heavy lifting. Iron series might be the one that is closer to heavy lifts.

(top response from this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/PetiteFitness/comments/17ncc7o/what_is_lifting_heavy/)

[Anonymous]

Your size does not matter one bit. It's means lift as heavy as you personally can and consistently progress to heavier weight.

[Anonymous]

Bodyweight is the opposite of lift heavy

[Anonymous]

I was not making fun of people for working vanity muscles--I do tricep work all the time. But it is accepted that they are vanity muscles, better trained when working a bigger muscle, like say, chest.

I am also not talking out my a$$ about squat standards. You carry your body weight around every day on your legs. You should be able to squat a good portion of this. This chart below is the universal standard.

Look, I am not gatekeeping, but the topic was lifting heavy--not getting started bat home. And I am not the only one posting.

There is absolute benefit to using lower eight dumbbells, but it is not gatekeeping to point out that you can't really lift heavy with anything less than 25-30 pound DBs.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally--there is nothing mocking or mean in any of my posts.

Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 40 75 85 110 140
105 45 80 90 120 150
114 45 85 100 130 165
123 50 90 105 140 170
132 50 95 110 145 180
148 55 105 120 160 200
165 60 110 130 170 220
181 65 120 140 185 230
198 70 130 150 200 250
199+ 75 140 160 205 260

[Anonymous]

Like OP, I’d like to build up to heavier lifting at home; I don’t have the goal of “lifting heavy” per se, but I do want to get progressively heavier. I hate going to the gym, so I have to figure out how to do the best I can at home.

My heaviest dumbbells currently are 10 lbs, and I’m ready to buy something heavier. Any recommendations on type of weight and where to buy? I’d like to walk into a store and buy them rather than order online. Should I be looking at kettlebells? Heavier dumbbells? A mix?

If it’s helpful, I’m 50 and similar size to OP. I’m in very good cardiovascular shape but have a long way to go on strength. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was not making fun of people for working vanity muscles--I do tricep work all the time. But it is accepted that they are vanity muscles, better trained when working a bigger muscle, like say, chest.

I am also not talking out my a$$ about squat standards. You carry your body weight around every day on your legs. You should be able to squat a good portion of this. This chart below is the universal standard.

Look, I am not gatekeeping, but the topic was lifting heavy--not getting started bat home. And I am not the only one posting.

There is absolute benefit to using lower eight dumbbells, but it is not gatekeeping to point out that you can't really lift heavy with anything less than 25-30 pound DBs.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally--there is nothing mocking or mean in any of my posts.

Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 40 75 85 110 140
105 45 80 90 120 150
114 45 85 100 130 165
123 50 90 105 140 170
132 50 95 110 145 180
148 55 105 120 160 200
165 60 110 130 170 220
181 65 120 140 185 230
198 70 130 150 200 250
199+ 75 140 160 205 260

If I’m reading that chart correctly, as a beginner (untrained), a 132lb woman should be able to squat 50 lbs., 148 lb woman 55 lbs. That’s not 1/2 their body weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was not making fun of people for working vanity muscles--I do tricep work all the time. But it is accepted that they are vanity muscles, better trained when working a bigger muscle, like say, chest.

I am also not talking out my a$$ about squat standards. You carry your body weight around every day on your legs. You should be able to squat a good portion of this. This chart below is the universal standard.

Look, I am not gatekeeping, but the topic was lifting heavy--not getting started bat home. And I am not the only one posting.

There is absolute benefit to using lower eight dumbbells, but it is not gatekeeping to point out that you can't really lift heavy with anything less than 25-30 pound DBs.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally--there is nothing mocking or mean in any of my posts.

Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 40 75 85 110 140
105 45 80 90 120 150
114 45 85 100 130 165
123 50 90 105 140 170
132 50 95 110 145 180
148 55 105 120 160 200
165 60 110 130 170 220
181 65 120 140 185 230
198 70 130 150 200 250
199+ 75 140 160 205 260

Carrying your body weigh and squatting your body weight are two completely different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was not making fun of people for working vanity muscles--I do tricep work all the time. But it is accepted that they are vanity muscles, better trained when working a bigger muscle, like say, chest.

I am also not talking out my a$$ about squat standards. You carry your body weight around every day on your legs. You should be able to squat a good portion of this. This chart below is the universal standard.

Look, I am not gatekeeping, but the topic was lifting heavy--not getting started bat home. And I am not the only one posting.

There is absolute benefit to using lower eight dumbbells, but it is not gatekeeping to point out that you can't really lift heavy with anything less than 25-30 pound DBs.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally--there is nothing mocking or mean in any of my posts.

Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 40 75 85 110 140
105 45 80 90 120 150
114 45 85 100 130 165
123 50 90 105 140 170
132 50 95 110 145 180
148 55 105 120 160 200
165 60 110 130 170 220
181 65 120 140 185 230
198 70 130 150 200 250
199+ 75 140 160 205 260

If I’m reading that chart correctly, as a beginner (untrained), a 132lb woman should be able to squat 50 lbs., 148 lb woman 55 lbs. That’s not 1/2 their body weight.

Untainted is someone who has never picked up a weight. Novice jumps exponentially to more than half your body weight. The "UNTRAINED" is basically a warm up set. You should not stay there at all if you want to lift heavy.

( I squat way less than half my body weight because I have a permanent injury. There is a lot of benefit to doing that as opposed to skipping. But I am not lifting heavy or even close to approaching).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was not making fun of people for working vanity muscles--I do tricep work all the time. But it is accepted that they are vanity muscles, better trained when working a bigger muscle, like say, chest.

I am also not talking out my a$$ about squat standards. You carry your body weight around every day on your legs. You should be able to squat a good portion of this. This chart below is the universal standard.

Look, I am not gatekeeping, but the topic was lifting heavy--not getting started bat home. And I am not the only one posting.

There is absolute benefit to using lower eight dumbbells, but it is not gatekeeping to point out that you can't really lift heavy with anything less than 25-30 pound DBs.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally--there is nothing mocking or mean in any of my posts.

Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 40 75 85 110 140
105 45 80 90 120 150
114 45 85 100 130 165
123 50 90 105 140 170
132 50 95 110 145 180
148 55 105 120 160 200
165 60 110 130 170 220
181 65 120 140 185 230
198 70 130 150 200 250
199+ 75 140 160 205 260

Carrying your body weigh and squatting your body weight are two completely different things.

This. Several people in the thread have stayed that bodyweight exercises like push ups and pull ups are not lifting heavy. But now PP is arguing that if you can stand up and walk around, you should be able to bench press over half your own weight. Uh, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was not making fun of people for working vanity muscles--I do tricep work all the time. But it is accepted that they are vanity muscles, better trained when working a bigger muscle, like say, chest.

I am also not talking out my a$$ about squat standards. You carry your body weight around every day on your legs. You should be able to squat a good portion of this. This chart below is the universal standard.

Look, I am not gatekeeping, but the topic was lifting heavy--not getting started bat home. And I am not the only one posting.

There is absolute benefit to using lower eight dumbbells, but it is not gatekeeping to point out that you can't really lift heavy with anything less than 25-30 pound DBs.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally--there is nothing mocking or mean in any of my posts.

Pounds
Squat - Adult Women
Body Weight Untrained Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
97 40 75 85 110 140
105 45 80 90 120 150
114 45 85 100 130 165
123 50 90 105 140 170
132 50 95 110 145 180
148 55 105 120 160 200
165 60 110 130 170 220
181 65 120 140 185 230
198 70 130 150 200 250
199+ 75 140 160 205 260

If I’m reading that chart correctly, as a beginner (untrained), a 132lb woman should be able to squat 50 lbs., 148 lb woman 55 lbs. That’s not 1/2 their body weight.

Untainted is someone who has never picked up a weight. Novice jumps exponentially to more than half your body weight. The "UNTRAINED" is basically a warm up set. You should not stay there at all if you want to lift heavy.

( I squat way less than half my body weight because I have a permanent injury. There is a lot of benefit to doing that as opposed to skipping. But I am not lifting heavy or even close to approaching).

No, "untrained" is not a warm up set. Untrained means you have not trained the lift and therefore need to start at a lower weight until you have proper form and have built up enough strength to step it up. Untrained means "untrained."

[Anonymous]

Check out Rebecca Kennedy's 5 day split and her unofficial 4 day split on Peloton. She refers to light, medium, and heavy and when its too easy thats when you know to move up. She focuses on the low rep, high weight and lots of rest. You do the split for 4-6 weeks and really build strength. I have started using 16 lbs and even 20 lbs for my heavies ( one dumbbell) since doing those splits. I am average height and build.