Strength Training For Women: Setting the Record Straight

[Gertrude]

There's so much to strength and training that goes beyond just make and female. Genetics plays a part as does development early on. Muscle fiber type distribution, diet, hormone levels, the type of training one does and where muscles insert into bones that affects leverage. There's a lot of variability even among men. Bench press isn't everything. How are the other muscle groups? How well do the work together? Most importantly, what do you want to do with them? My days of heavy lifting are behind me. Between low t and having had cervical fusion, I'm not supposed to lift over 100lbs and I don't recover like I used to with anaerobic workouts. 7 years ago I could do 6 days a week. I'd be lucky to get out 2 days of that now without being in pain. That's ok. I focus on cardio now. Hiking, treadmill or just walking. I'm at the point in my weight loss that I will be able to run soon. I think the goal is to figure out what works for you. That's the best we can do.


<modified by Admin>


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Deborah]

It's a good thing that bench press isn't everything because I was born to suck at bench press with long arms.  Fortunately, I was compensated with long legs and a naturally pretty strong back so deadlifts come fairly easily.

I added a new exercise last week, power cleans.  I find them fun to do and hope they help everything else along.  I'm only doing three sets of three but they are really demanding and leave me dizzy by the third rep.  I'm working my way up each set by five pounds until I find where my working sets should be.  So far I'm only up to 130 lbs.

Another thing I'm hoping they counter is the age related decrease in explosive power that is supposed to affect everyone. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Alexa Ares]

It's a good thing that bench press isn't everything because I was born to suck at bench press with long arms.  Fortunately, I was compensated with long legs and a naturally pretty strong back so deadlifts come fairly easily.

I added a new exercise last week, power cleans.  I find them fun to do and hope they help everything else along.  I'm only doing three sets of three but they are really demanding and leave me dizzy by the third rep.  I'm working my way up each set by five pounds until I find where my working sets should be.  So far I'm only up to 130 lbs.

Another thing I'm hoping they counter is the age related decrease in explosive power that is supposed to affect everyone. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Power Cleans are Fun - they are just tough on the recovery system. I will have to get back into them one day, I avoid them for time periods as worry about making my already big traps more bulky.

They are great for maintaining power and explosion though - they are the core exercise for sprinters so that says it all.

If you get up to near BW for triples thats a pretty good clean.

Dead are far better than BP IMO, just they don't get the same love from people. I would rather be a very good Dlifter than a Bencher. My shoulder has never been the same since I pressed 235lb for 6, I never do much bench these days, always incline and rarely above 135. Chest isnt a priority for me.

I agree with other posters its all about your goals. I like weights, others like running. Do what suits you.

[Charlie Nicki]

Deborah, I want to lose muscle mass in my arms and back. Somebody recommended I should do a lot of cardio and take liquid L-carnitine to lose weight and it'll eventually start decreasing my muscle mass as well since I'm already skinny. Is this accurate? All I've seen online is that it helps you lose weight because it burns fat, I haven't seen anything about it helping decrease muscles.

[Drexy/Drex]

Hi Deb thanks for posting .....how are your legs and butt responding?
I haven't done a thing for at least 8mths partly out of laziness and also wanting to drop mass
But am going to start back in soon .....just legs butt prominently as I know working the legs produces upper body strength

[Paige]

Deborah, I want to lose muscle mass in my arms and back. Somebody recommended I should do a lot of cardio and take liquid L-carnitine to lose weight and it'll eventually start decreasing my muscle mass as well since I'm already skinny. Is this accurate? All I've seen online is that it helps you lose weight because it burns fat, I haven't seen anything about it helping decrease muscles.

So I'm not sure how safe this is but if you have a low protein diet, I believe your body steals protein from your muscles.  Would this be a way to reduce muscle size or would it be dangerous?

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/lose-muscle-dont-eat-enough-protein-lift-weights-6825.html

[Alexa Ares]

Hi Paige, for what its worth, In my experience, distance running at slow/moderate pace done frequently on a moderate/low calorie diet will drop weight like nothing else.
If you look at the bodies of Marathon runners you will notice they are a lot lighter than a sprinter of the same height.

As long as you give yourself a decent amount of time 6-12 months you can make significant changes.

Most dietary supplements are of little real use long term from my experience. Best thing is to just be consistent, and get used to eating less. What you eat isn't really as important as people think as long as calories are low enough for weight loss assuming ones goal is weight loss above all.

As a side note, a little mini band work for Glutes is never a bad thing, as who dosen't want a bit of roundness in their backside?

[tgibeth]

Deborah, do you think the benefits of doing squats and bench presses would be about the same using a Smith machine for a little security as opposed to not using one?

[Deborah]

Deborah, do you think the benefits of doing squats and bench presses would be about the same using a Smith machine for a little security as opposed to not using one?

Yes. I hope so since it's all I have right now. 🤣[emoji28][emoji23]

For the squats I don't see there being a whole lot of difference as long as you keep body alignment the same as if you had free weights.  If you've done free weights before then you know the position.   Sometimes though on the smith machine people put their feet out forward.  That will hit the quads a lot more than the glutes and posterior chain.

I have done both and heavy is heavy either way.   I've also read some experiences of very advanced lifters and their articles say the same thing.

For deadlift it may be a little easier since it starts out elevated by about six inches. Unless you're training for competition that probably doesn't make much difference.  But there too heavy feels heavy.

For bench press too I think there's a lot of benefit and unless you're training for competition it probably makes little difference.

One thing to consider though is that a smith machine bar only weighs 15 pounds as opposed to a 45 pound Olympic bar.  So that should be factored in when figuring out how much weight you're lifting.  So two plates on each side is 195 lbs as opposed to 225 lbs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jaybutterfly]

Yeah, tell that to magnus Samuelson or Mariuz pudzianowski. Arnold too... T helps with recovery and allows for greater work loads which usually lead to more mass and strength.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I would like to raise that in the case of Arnold he was known to have taken steroids in his youth to assist, as these are not a problem in the competitions he took part in. In reality, many body builders did. Steroids assist in your recovery and allow you to train harder and longer than you otherwise would. in fact Magnus is the only one you mentioned to my knowledge hasn't used steroids so you need to factor some of that in.

[Gertrude]

I would like to raise that in the case of Arnold he was known to have taken steroids in his youth to assist, as these are not a problem in the competitions he took part in. In reality, many body builders did. Steroids assist in your recovery and allow you to train harder and longer than you otherwise would. in fact Magnus is the only one you mentioned to my knowledge hasn't used steroids so you need to factor some of that in.

If I had to guess, Magnusson used steroids and or hgh. Look at him in the mid to late 90s and then in the early 2000s. Pay attention to the facial bone structure. He gained about 55lbs and not fat and he wasn't small before. I like the guy, but there's too much dishonesty in sports. It's like joe weiders rags showing mr Olympia type competitors and saying they're all natural and just workout hard and you can be just like them. Weider should have been shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Alexa Ares]

Having been around bodybuilding for years, I can safely say usage of peds is very prevalent in bodybuilding and strong man events. Takes nothing away from their achievements, just reality is there is only so much that is humanly possible without them.

Peds are to muscle what surgery is to reality tv / social media starlets. Just part of what you have to do to be there.

As a side note, for trans women, who used steroids before transition, not using any testosterone may feel like a major hormonal change!  Using hrt is a massive step for such people I feel...

[Gertrude]

Having been around bodybuilding for years, I can safely say usage of peds is very prevalent in bodybuilding and strong man events. Takes nothing away from their achievements, just reality is there is only so much that is humanly possible without them.

Peds are to muscle what surgery is to reality tv / social media starlets. Just part of what you have to do to be there.

As a side note, for trans women, who used steroids before transition, not using any testosterone may feel like a major hormonal change!  Using hrt is a massive step for such people I feel...

I agree, but I also believe in 100% transparency. Lying takes away from their achievements. Call it what it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro