Free Weight Lifting Tribe

[ParisApril]

Introduce yourself!

HS'ing Mom to 2 kids 11 and almost 5. I have been working out at home for ahem... 17 years. About 8 years ago I added free weights into my routines and they have made an amazing difference to my body. I love the sweeping curve my shoulders get when I lift regularly.

I have decided to lift heavier weights with less reps 8-16 to see if my results will be more noticeable. After I workout my upper body today I will post my lifted weights for my different body parts.

[425lisamarie]

I lift. I'm fairly muscular and pretty much stick to heavy lifting and uphill walking/hill sprints and stairs.

Yesterday i did legs and shoulders. Heavy squats, 80 pound barbell walking lunges, stiff dead lifts with dumbells. For shoulders military press, heavy, 4 working sets of 6-10 reps pyramiding up in weight, arnold presses, lat raises, and flys for rear delts. Tomrrow i'll do some pullups, dips, and arms. Monday i had a good back/chest/arm workout.

[Baby_Cakes]

Subbing. I just read The New Rules of Lifting for Women and am going to get started asap. I'm a little intimidated by free weights and by the meatheads who hog them in the gym, but I'm also motivated to get started. Thanks for this thread!

[425lisamarie]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes

Subbing. I just read The New Rules of Lifting for Women and am going to get started asap. I'm a little intimidated by free weights and by the meatheads who hog them in the gym, but I'm also motivated to get started. Thanks for this thread!

Well i probably look like a female meathead LOL. Really though looks can be deceiving. I know so many super nice people at the gym. Even the ones who look big and mean are usually not. I've never had a problem. I am always helpful and love making new friends at the gym, and I am very encouraging to anyone who looks intimidated/new.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

I lift. I'm fairly muscular and pretty much stick to heavy lifting and uphill walking/hill sprints and stairs.
.

Fairly muscular? You're freakin' ripped woman!!!

[ParisApril]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

I lift. I'm fairly muscular and pretty much stick to heavy lifting and uphill walking/hill sprints and stairs.

Yesterday i did legs and shoulders. Heavy squats, 80 pound barbell walking lunges, stiff dead lifts with dumbells. For shoulders military press, heavy, 4 working sets of 6-10 reps pyramiding up in weight, arnold presses, lat raises, and flys for rear delts. Tomrrow i'll do some pullups, dips, and arms. Monday i had a good back/chest/arm workout.

WOW!

For me this is pretty heavy. These weights are for each hand.

2 sets of 16 incline push ups, chest flys with 15lbs
1 set of 16 dips
2 sets of 16 dumbbell tricep presses with 10 lbs
1 set of 12 tricep kickbacks 10lbs
2 sets each of 12 front, side and rear lateral raises with 10lbs
1 set of 16 shoulder presses with 15lbs
2 sets of 16 dumbbell rows with 30lbs
1 set of 16 dumbbell rows with 30lbs
1 set of 16 bicep curls with 15lbs
2 sets 16 of concentration curls with 15lbs
Stretching.

(I should have wrote is down because I think this is right )

I was at the park with the kids on Tuesday while I was climbing on the bars and I did about 12 bent knee leg raises and 8 upside down sit ups. My abs have never worked out so hard before. They are so sore even 2 days later! I will definitely be going to that park again soon.

[425lisamarie]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

Fairly muscular? You're freakin' ripped woman!!!

LOL....I'm gonna take a pic later and post it for you lilem. My back looks pretty good now and my shoulders....much better than several months ago

[Baby_Cakes]

I should have watched my mouth! I didn't even realize what I said could be taken as an insult!

I guess it's just intimidating to me to see a bunch of men around the weights. I worry they're going to look at me weird and judge me b/c I'm not that strong (yet). I'm not even in that great of shape so I'm working on getting up the courage to go into that corner of the gym. I would so love a workout partner! It would take the pressure off!

Seeing all these workouts is inspiring.

[ryleigh'smama]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes

I should have watched my mouth! I didn't even realize what I said could be taken as an insult!

I guess it's just intimidating to me to see a bunch of men around the weights. I worry they're going to look at me weird and judge me b/c I'm not that strong (yet). I'm not even in that great of shape so I'm working on getting up the courage to go into that corner of the gym. I would so love a workout partner! It would take the pressure off!

Seeing all these workouts is inspiring.

I get funnier looks for being stronger than most other women there. But for the most part, everyone is super nice at the gym and helpful too...if I get stuck and need help (that happened once with walking lunges, I put a higher weight on than I was used to, didn't set up the squat bar to get it off, and was so tired from having it on my shoulders for all the lunges I couldn't get it off).

Anyway, I am Katie, and I lift. I love it. Workout today:
three sets of:
Squats 1st set at 135 lbs and incresed by 20 lbs each set, cable leg/glute lifts, jumping lunges with 15 lb weights in hand.
then three sets of:
50 walking lunges with 80 lbs, straight leg deadlifts started with 35 lb dumbbells and went up each set, jump squats tabata style at the end of each set (on for 20 sec rest 10 sec on 20 sec...OUCH!).

Normally I would have done some calf work, and presses....but I didn't I finished with 10 tabata sprints on the treadmill. Then I crawled out of the gym.

[mommajb]

I really enjoy my weight lifting though I identify as a runner. I love the Cosgroves' style and have worked through nrolfw but I have trouble "stepping away from the treadmill." Actually (to borrow a word from my 4 yo), I have no problem ignoring the treadmill as I prefer to run outside. I alternate on a daily basis and today was weights.

When I workout very early morning the women seem to be lifting while the men are on the cardio machines at my gym.