Doing heavy dead’s until you vomit is what I think about

I am 40 and started doing the main powerlifting lifts when I was 36--squat, deadlift, bench press, and I also add shoulder press.

I do them with barbells and started out following this program: https://www.drworkout.fitness/phraks-gslp-program/
I can't do a chin up and don't think I ever did those as accessories as the program prescribes.

The idea is that you start out LIGHT. Like, you can start out using the empty barbell if you have no idea where to start. For upper body workouts, if the empty barbell is too heavy (it will be 33 or 44 lbs depending on what you have access to), then start out with lighter dumbbells. And then you add weight every session until you can't anymore, and then you reset at a lower weight and start again.

I remember also being concerned about what weight I should use when I first started weight training. If the goal is to keep adding weight, then it doesn't matter how light you start! In fact, the lighter the better. They key is to keep adding weight so that you get stronger.

Strength training/resistance training and weight training are all similar to each other. It is the use of either your bodyweight as "resistance" or the use of external weight as "resistance". External weight can be "dumbbells", kettlebells, barbells, medicines balls, plates etic. It can also mean "time under tension" and this means putting your muscles under some time of "resistance" for time. Basically, it means you are breaking down muscle and rebuilding with nutrition to help change your body composition.

Resistance training is very important for women as they get older...here is a great article on why women should resistance train through out their lives no matter the age!

https://bit.ly/3BYxJBW

Enjoy! and I hope this make sense

If you try it and like it, check out New Rules of Lifting for Women.

If you feel lost about where to start, this book is a great resource, a classic. It has a basic, effective, well-researched program for women using dumbbells and ankle weights. About 8 exercises, approximately 20 minutes, twice a week, with suggestions on weight levels.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1763824

Anonymous wrote:It could mean either free weights or machines. If you are just getting into weight lifting or getting back to weight lifting, the circuit machines at a gym are a good way to go because they forces you into good form and you can work your way around the room and hit all the major muscle groups. Free weights and body weight exercises can be better at getting at all the smaller stabilizing muscles but I say graduate into that with some instruction in a class or with a personal trainer after you have build a stronger muscle foundation (like 6 months solid on the circuit machines with increasing weights). Good luck!

+100


Machines are great. I know that free weights can help more but I think you can get plenty strong with machines and body weight exercises alone.

Squats, deadlifts, pull-ups (or a pull-up progression), push-ups, a few other random things with dumbbells when that's what I have time for.

It could mean either free weights or machines. If you are just getting into weight lifting or getting back to weight lifting, the circuit machines at a gym are a good way to go because they forces you into good form and you can work your way around the room and hit all the major muscle groups. Free weights and body weight exercises can be better at getting at all the smaller stabilizing muscles but I say graduate into that with some instruction in a class or with a personal trainer after you have build a stronger muscle foundation (like 6 months solid on the circuit machines with increasing weights). Good luck!

To me it means a crossfit type of workout or kettlebell sport. So, like over a for a 20 minute workout it could mean moving 10,000 pounds.

It's whatever you will actually do regularly. If you are going from nothing to something, then the slight differences between approaches don't matter. All that matters is that it's something that works a wide variety of muscles and is challenging, in the sense that the last few reps feel much harder than the first, and that you couldn't do a lot more (e.g., doing 5 reps of something that you could do 7 times is fine. Doing 5 reps of something you could do 12 times - not enough).

Free weights, machines, bodyweight - all good.

5 reps, 20 reps - all good.

1 set, 5 sets - all good.

I go to youtube

Anonymous wrote:As a 43 year old woman, I’m a bit clueless about weight training and realize i need to do more.

Is this movements or exercises with free weights or are you in a weight room on machines and following a specific routine? Does it matter?

How much weight do you typically lift? Is there an ideal target of weight lifted that you should be trying to work toward? Or is it enough, for bone health, to just be doing something with weights?

I think of "weight training" as any strength building exercise. Could mean machines or free weights or body weight or resistance bands. As the other commenter said, focus on finding the weight that's challenging for you. If you can do more than 15 repetitions in a row easily, you are almost definitely lifting too little for strength building. Nia Shanks is a trainer who hasn't posted much lately but has some very good dumbbell routines for beginners and plenty of general advice on customizing your routine as you get stronger.

https://niashanks.com/start/
https://niashanks.com/lift-like-a-girl-dumbbell-workout/

Anonymous wrote:As a 43 year old woman, I’m a bit clueless about weight training and realize i need to do more.

Is this movements or exercises with free weights or are you in a weight room on machines and following a specific routine? Does it matter?

How much weight do you typically lift? Is there an ideal target of weight lifted that you should be trying to work toward? Or is it enough, for bone health, to just be doing something with weights?

I do free weights (weights and barbell lifts) as there is more benefit to using free weights over most machines. machines are good for accessory exercise but you get more bang for your buck with free weights because while you may be doing a squat with a barbell or even a goblet squat with a free weight and while squat primarily target the quads you are also using a lot of stabilizer muscles like the back and ab muscles that you wouldn't be using if you did a leg press instead.

I do follow a specific routine. I love the inner circle app (https://www.sfinnercircle.com/issues/) so women like the sweat ap. You get the best results when weight training if you follow a routine/go in with a plan with a set rep and set goal. You should also follow the same workout routine for at least 4 weeks vs doing different things every time you walk into the gym. You should also be progressively overloading, that is lifting more weight as you get stronger. So if you are aiming for 12 reps of an exercise and can easily do 12 reps with the weight you choose you should increase the weight so the last 2-3 reps are challenging while still using correct form. and you feel like you might be able to do the last rep. You should also be using different weights for different exercises. You back muscles are a lot stronger than your biceps, so no 10 lb weights for rows.

As for the specific weight. There is no goal. it is really based on the individual. What matters most is that you are challenging yourself vs just going through the motions with lights weights.

if you want to get into strength training I suggest working with a trainer to get the basics down. Oh and if a trainer throws you on a bosu ball to so an exercise, run away. This is a recipe for injury yet they love do this to make workout look challenging.

As a 43 year old woman, I’m a bit clueless about weight training and realize i need to do more.

Is this movements or exercises with free weights or are you in a weight room on machines and following a specific routine? Does it matter?

How much weight do you typically lift? Is there an ideal target of weight lifted that you should be trying to work toward? Or is it enough, for bone health, to just be doing something with weights?