female strength training

CeannRua

I'd like to try to lift heavier and use barbells more. Would either of these programs be better than the other or is there something better out there?
http://www.stumptuous.com/workout-4
Stage 1 of NROLFW - http://www.fitclick.com/free_workout_routine_The_New_Rules_of_Lifting_for_Women_Stage_1?CustomerWorkoutID=4522

With either, I'd have to go for some PT sessions for help with deadlifting and squatting form. Being new to these, would full-body or split workouts be better? The only objective here is to gain strength. Thanks for any advice.

gymfreak

Hey,
Glad to see another ladyee interested in strength training here on boards! There have been quite a few new ladies in the logs section recently (hint, hint--start a log:D)

As regards the programmes, there are good points to both and I suppose it also comes down to preference somewhat.

I like the layout of NROLFW yet I dont like the rep ranges. I prefer to train within the rep range of 3-5 for strength and 8-10 for hypertrophy.

Aaand in the stumpous one, I like the rep ranges and the exercises but I don't like split routines, I prefer full body:P:P

So basically what Im saying is both are good, you'll find positive and negative points to both. Personally I think Id lean towards NROLFW and change the rep ranges.

As regards a PT, it really depends on where you are based. If you are in Dublin I'd highly recommend Hanley (he posts here on boards).

http://www.revolutionfitness.ie/

Hope that helps

Dotcomdolly

gymfreak wrote: »

Hey,
Glad to see another ladyee interested in strength training here on boards! There have been quite a few new ladies in the logs section recently (hint, hint--start a log:D)

As regards the programmes, there are good points to both and I suppose it also comes down to preference somewhat.

I like the layout of NROLFW yet I dont like the rep ranges. I prefer to train within the rep range of 3-5 for strength and 8-10 for hypertrophy.

Aaand in the stumpous one, I like the rep ranges and the exercises but I don't like split routines, I prefer full body:P:P

So basically what Im saying is both are good, you'll find positive and negative points to both. Personally I think Id lean towards NROLFW and change the rep ranges.

As regards a PT, it really depends on where you are based. If you are in Dublin I'd highly recommend Hanley (he posts here on boards).

http://www.revolutionfitness.ie/

Hope that helps

Yeah the reps in NROL are high aren't they? I'm starting it in 2 weeks but I never thought of revising until you said it, you're bending the R's of the NROL!

CeannRua - do start a log won't you so we can follow your , no doubt, amazing, progress I'm just finishing up week 7 of this and have found it good

http://www.how2getbig.com/getstrong.php

I alternate the squats & rows with variations & rep ranges, it's all in my log.
Re p.t's I went to cmyk (who also posts here), for this course and found it/him excellent
http://www.blog.irishfitness.ie/learning-basic-exercise/

gymfreak

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Yeah the reps in NROL are high aren't they? I'm starting it in 2 weeks but I never thought of revising until you said it, you're bending the R's of the NROL!

CeannRua - do start a log won't you so we can follow your , no doubt, amazing, progress I'm just finishing up week 7 of this and have found it good

http://www.how2getbig.com/getstrong.php

I alternate the squats & rows with variations & rep ranges, it's all in my log.
Re p.t's I went to cmyk (who also posts here), for this course and found it/him excellent
http://www.blog.irishfitness.ie/learning-basic-exercise/

Yeh, I think the rep ranges are silly if the goal is to gain strength. Other than that, I like the exercise choices!

Dotcomdolly

So the prescribed reps are
week 1 & 2 etc. -2x15
2x12
3x10
3x8
What would you change them to?

Hanley

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

So the prescribed reps are
week 1 & 2 etc. -2x15
2x12
3x10
3x8
What would you change them to?

I actually think that's pretty decent for a beginner...

Stench Blossoms

Hanley wrote: »

I actually think that's pretty decent for a beginner...

Yeh I agree.

The program is really a beginners guide.

butthatsjustme

I would really love to start weight training too! I've read NROL for women four times at this stage!

But I'm a bit nervous about actually starting
I usually do 25kg squats with barbell as part of my workout, using the free barbells lying around (25kg is the heaviest one I can lift over my head without looking like an accident waiting to happen). But I don't like to use the squat box when the gym is busy because I'd feel bad using it to lift 30kg and having someone who's actually going to lift a proper weight stand around waiting on me! I'd really like to drag myself out of the "untrained" section of the starting strength weight standards calculator so I'm going to try and make an effort from now on though! (pb is 32.5kg from one day that nobody was there!)

I've also tried bench press twice, first time with a friend in a gym at home, which gave me the confidence to try it at my own gym (did 27.5kg, half my bw easily, but didn't add more cos I was alone!). But then when I did I looked up and a girl on a cardio machine seemed to have found the whole episode hilarious!
So I've gotten a bit nervous about wandering in and trying out stuff!

Now I think about it though, I'm actually really frustrated about this, I'd LOVE to get a program drawn up by my gym so that I could have the support of the pts there to show me techniques and track my progress. Plus having something on my program means I have to do it. But when I asked the pt drawing up my timetable to include free weights or barbells he told me I'm not strong enough yet, so just put in dumbbell bicep curls...
Is it really necessary to go through two twenty session gym programs before I'm strong enough to have a program with barbells? I thought you lifted barbells and then you got strong

Should I just bite the bullet and do starting strength? I was looking at it this morning, by pure coincidence, and I don't know what all the lifts are, but it looks so good!! And I love the idea of having pb's for stuff! But I like having a pt session every ten gym sessions as it gives me a consistent short term goal...

gymfreak

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

So the prescribed reps are
week 1 & 2 etc. -2x15
2x12
3x10
3x8
What would you change them to?

Hey the link I clicked on originally only mentioned 2 x 15 so that's what i was making my judgement on..but at the same time

1. Dotcomdolly you are far from a beginner.

2, even if you were a beginner I wouldnt be advising sets of 15 or even 12 for deadlifts..or squats...but that's just my opinon.

Why dont you experiment yourself Dotcomdolly, maybe somewhere between 5-8??

gymfreak

butthatsjustme wrote: »

I would really love to start weight training too! I've read NROL for women four times at this stage!

But I'm a bit nervous about actually starting
I usually do 25kg squats with barbell as part of my workout, using the free barbells lying around (25kg is the heaviest one I can lift over my head without looking like an accident waiting to happen). But I don't like to use the squat box when the gym is busy because I'd feel bad using it to lift 30kg and having someone who's actually going to lift a proper weight stand around waiting on me! I'd really like to drag myself out of the "untrained" section of the starting strength weight standards calculator so I'm going to try and make an effort from now on though! (pb is 32.5kg from one day that nobody was there!)

I've also tried bench press twice, first time with a friend in a gym at home, which gave me the confidence to try it at my own gym (did 27.5kg, half my bw easily, but didn't add more cos I was alone!). But then when I did I looked up and a girl on a cardio machine seemed to have found the whole episode hilarious!
So I've gotten a bit nervous about wandering in and trying out stuff!

Now I think about it though, I'm actually really frustrated about this, I'd LOVE to get a program drawn up by my gym so that I could have the support of the pts there to show me techniques and track my progress. Plus having something on my program means I have to do it. But when I asked the pt drawing up my timetable to include free weights or barbells he told me I'm not strong enough yet, so just put in dumbbell bicep curls...
Is it really necessary to go through two twenty session gym programs before I'm strong enough to have a program with barbells? I thought you lifted barbells and then you got strong

Should I just bite the bullet and do starting strength? I was looking at it this morning, by pure coincidence, and I don't know what all the lifts are, but it looks so good!! And I love the idea of having pb's for stuff! But I like having a pt session every ten gym sessions as it gives me a consistent short term goal...

Hey,
I dont think that you should ever feel intimidated about using the squat rack nor think that you shouldnt be using it because you are only starting out. You are paying the exact same gym membership as everyone else and you have the same rights.

As regards the girl laughing at you whilst you were bench pressing..i doubt that was what actually happened..and if it was well then she is just ill informed. I've personally never had anyone laugh or look twice at me whilst I was in the weights area...although I used to feel like people were staring when I first began. But that was more of a self conscious thing and worrying whether I was doing it right.

Perhaps go to a different PT in your gym and ask him for a programme?

Hanley

butthatsjustme wrote: »

I would really love to start weight training too! I've read NROL for women four times at this stage!

But I'm a bit nervous about actually starting
I usually do 25kg squats with barbell as part of my workout, using the free barbells lying around (25kg is the heaviest one I can lift over my head without looking like an accident waiting to happen). But I don't like to use the squat box when the gym is busy because I'd feel bad using it to lift 30kg and having someone who's actually going to lift a proper weight stand around waiting on me! I'd really like to drag myself out of the "untrained" section of the starting strength weight standards calculator so I'm going to try and make an effort from now on though! (pb is 32.5kg from one day that nobody was there!)

I get ya. Thing is... don't ever feel bad about using the squat rack to actually squat. Most people use it for stuff it was never designed for!! If someone wants to use it too, it's up to them to have the stones to ask if they can share.

I've also tried bench press twice, first time with a friend in a gym at home, which gave me the confidence to try it at my own gym (did 27.5kg, half my bw easily, but didn't add more cos I was alone!). But then when I did I looked up and a girl on a cardio machine seemed to have found the whole episode hilarious!

So I've gotten a bit nervous about wandering in and trying out stuff!

Very cowardly move from that girl tbh. Unless she was laughing at something else. I can't comprhend someone being dumb enough to laugh at someone for training.

Now I think about it though, I'm actually really frustrated about this, I'd LOVE to get a program drawn up by my gym so that I could have the support of the pts there to show me techniques and track my progress. Plus having something on my program means I have to do it. But when I asked the pt drawing up my timetable to include free weights or barbells he told me I'm not strong enough yet, so just put in dumbbell bicep curls...
Is it really necessary to go through two twenty session gym programs before I'm strong enough to have a program with barbells? I thought you lifted barbells and then you got strong

You're frustrated because you don't have the knowledge to put together a complete program, not having a workable plan of action that integrates all the necessary components to ensure your success, and lack the support systems necessary to implement it.

The PT in your gym sounds rubbish. Dumbbell curls will do nothing to help you towards your goals. You get stronger at lifting barbells by lifting barbells.

Should I just bite the bullet and do starting strength? I was looking at it this morning, by pure coincidence, and I don't know what all the lifts are, but it looks so good!! And I love the idea of having pb's for stuff! But I like having a pt session every ten gym sessions as it gives me a consistent short term goal...

There's better, and there's worse!! It's a decent starting point once your technique is legit and solid!

DylanJM

butthatsjustme wrote: »

But when I asked the pt drawing up my timetable to include free weights or barbells he told me I'm not strong enough yet, so just put in dumbbell bicep curls...

Argh this just annoys me. If you're strong enough to use an empty bar, which you are (bench pressing half your body weight on your second time is also pretty good) then you are strong enough to do barbell training. He didn't even give you exercises that would transfer over to the exercises you would do with a barbell. Barbell exercise are a whole lot more fun as well.

Should I just bite the bullet and do starting strength? I was looking at it this morning, by pure coincidence, and I don't know what all the lifts are, but it looks so good!! And I love the idea of having pb's for stuff! But I like having a pt session every ten gym sessions as it gives me a consistent short term goal...

Starting strength would be a good starting point and you could make a good amount of progress by doing it for a few months. The book itself is also quite a good resource for beginners and will give you information on all the exercises you would be doing. Setting pb's is also great fun and keeps training interesting.

Good luck whichever route you go and don't let the personal trainer convince you that you're not strong enough, they're always trying to do that these days

Edit: Basically everything that Hanley said that I didn't see as I was writing this lol.

Dotcomdolly

Go for it TJM, and get in the rack, as others have said - you pay your gym membership too, I would never put 25kg over my head :eek:
And your bench isn't much less than mine, so you hav the sthrength base there. An even if you didn't the way to get strong is to do strength training!, what an eejit to advise you not to :rolleyes: Was it a p.t or a gym assistant? If the latter maybe hire a p.t for an hour to show you the S.S moves.

Deano7788

butthatsjustme wrote: »

I would really love to start weight training too! I've read NROL for women four times at this stage!

But I'm a bit nervous about actually starting
I usually do 25kg squats with barbell as part of my workout, using the free barbells lying around (25kg is the heaviest one I can lift over my head without looking like an accident waiting to happen). But I don't like to use the squat box when the gym is busy because I'd feel bad using it to lift 30kg and having someone who's actually going to lift a proper weight stand around waiting on me! I'd really like to drag myself out of the "untrained" section of the starting strength weight standards calculator so I'm going to try and make an effort from now on though! (pb is 32.5kg from one day that nobody was there!)

I've also tried bench press twice, first time with a friend in a gym at home, which gave me the confidence to try it at my own gym (did 27.5kg, half my bw easily, but didn't add more cos I was alone!). But then when I did I looked up and a girl on a cardio machine seemed to have found the whole episode hilarious!
So I've gotten a bit nervous about wandering in and trying out stuff!

Now I think about it though, I'm actually really frustrated about this, I'd LOVE to get a program drawn up by my gym so that I could have the support of the pts there to show me techniques and track my progress. Plus having something on my program means I have to do it. But when I asked the pt drawing up my timetable to include free weights or barbells he told me I'm not strong enough yet, so just put in dumbbell bicep curls...
Is it really necessary to go through two twenty session gym programs before I'm strong enough to have a program with barbells? I thought you lifted barbells and then you got strong

Should I just bite the bullet and do starting strength? I was looking at it this morning, by pure coincidence, and I don't know what all the lifts are, but it looks so good!! And I love the idea of having pb's for stuff! But I like having a pt session every ten gym sessions as it gives me a consistent short term goal...

You honestly have nothing to be nervous about, everyone has to start somewhere. My sister was very nervous about starting free weights, mainly because she's only 5 foot 1 and 45kg and was worried she'd feel out of place. I brought her along with me and she started out just lifting a training bar, then moving onto a regular 20kg bar and then started adding weight to that. She's now benching 30kg for 5 reps, squatting 45kg for 5 and deadlifting 55kg for 5 and getting stronger every week. She actually has much better technique than a lot of the guys there. She's also close to finally getting a chin up.

She's never been happier with her training and is also now more confident, still going with me but going off on her to train when we get there, only coming near me when she wants a spot. The only thing anybody has ever said to her has been to complement her on her lifting.

I'd say definitely go for it, just get a PT first and insist they show you the proper technique and don't accept excuses.

Nervous Wreck

Hanley wrote: »

I get ya. Thing is... don't ever feel bad about using the squat rack to actually squat. Most people use it for stuff it was never designed for!! If someone wants to use it too, it's up to them to have the stones to ask if they can share.

Can't back this enough. There's so many people in my gym that use the racks for a variety of crap that it's just not intended for. Most recently, deadlifts. No, not rack-pulls. Deadlifts. In a squat rack. And it's infuriating when I want to actually use it for its intended purpose. But if someone's using a rack to actually squat, I don't give a **** what weight is on it. They can use an empty bar for all I care and fair play to them. It's not about how heavy you lift objectively, it's about your own training.

Great to see more women lifting!

Gummy Panda

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Can't back this enough. There's so many people in my gym that use the racks for a variety of crap that it's just not intended for. Most recently, deadlifts. No, not rack-pulls. Deadlifts. In a squat rack. And it's infuriating when I want to actually use it for its intended purpose. But if someone's using a rack to actually squat, I don't give a **** what weight is on it. They can use an empty bar for all I care and fair play to them. It's not about how heavy you lift objectively, it's about your own training.

Great to see more women lifting!

Yeah plenty of women in my gym using the squat racks. No guy says boo to them which is good because they generally have better form then most of the guys. Also they have developed fantastic glutes!!

CeannRua

OP here, thanks for replies. I have the NROL book so I'll go ahead and do that. I've been doing weights but not lifting as heavy as I could and not following a program, so looking forward to having a structure to follow.

butthatsjustme

Hanley wrote: »

I get ya. Thing is... don't ever feel bad about using the squat rack to actually squat. Most people use it for stuff it was never designed for!! If someone wants to use it too, it's up to them to have the stones to ask if they can share.



Very cowardly move from that girl tbh. Unless she was laughing at something else. I can't comprhend someone being dumb enough to laugh at someone for training.



You're frustrated because you don't have the knowledge to put together a complete program, not having a workable plan of action that integrates all the necessary components to ensure your success, and lack the support systems necessary to implement it.

The PT in your gym sounds rubbish. Dumbbell curls will do nothing to help you towards your goals. You get stronger at lifting barbells by lifting barbells.




There's better, and there's worse!! It's a decent starting point once your technique is legit and solid!

I promised myself I'd take a rest day today, but after I wrote my earlier post I couldn't resist BUT I've made a pt appointment for a program review

I don't actually pay for gym membership as it's the college gym, but I suppose neither do the majority in there!
But there never seems to be enough proper bars round the place so that was kinda why I try to just use the ones lying around

It's funny, when I did brave up, I don't think I stopped smiling for like two hours afterwards, and when I saw the girl laughing I was just like "screw you cardio girl, I'm having way more fun than you". I even bumped into someone I barely know leaving, and told them all about it at 100mph!! Yet it's her that stays in my head

I spent summer getting fit enough so I could try strength training once I had gym access! I did dumbbell stuff three times a week in my room, used a friends pull up bar, and then did the first phase of p90x, but the only thing they asked as regards fitness was did I do sport... And when I said no they gave me the beginner program! I probably should have mentioned something, but I'd never seen a pt before so I was too intimidated...

Stench Blossoms

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Can't back this enough. There's so many people in my gym that use the racks for a variety of crap that it's just not intended for. Most recently, deadlifts. No, not rack-pulls. Deadlifts. In a squat rack. And it's infuriating when I want to actually use it for its intended purpose. But if someone's using a rack to actually squat, I don't give a **** what weight is on it. They can use an empty bar for all I care and fair play to them. It's not about how heavy you lift objectively, it's about your own training.

Great to see more women lifting!

In my limited gym we only have one barbell so I do my deadlifts in the squat rack

Nervous Wreck

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

In my limited gym we only have one barbell so I do my deadlifts in the squat rack

Can't argue with that!

Stench Blossoms

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Can't argue with that!

And if you or anyone else came over to me while I was doing them I'd beat you with the barbell

Nervous Wreck

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

And if you or anyone else came over to me while I was doing them I'd beat you with the barbell

Spirit: she haz it!

Gummy Panda

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

In my limited gym we only have one barbell so I do my deadlifts in the squat rack

That's crazy!

Gauge

I've just started the NROLFW as well. I have a session booked with a PT this week as I'm struggling with the squatting and deadlifting side of things. I'm enjoying it a lot so far but my fear/inexperience with the squat rack and loading barbells etc is holding me back big time so I'm really looking forward to improving that and moving forward.

Stench Blossoms

Gummy Panda wrote: »

That's crazy!

Yeh my gym is absolutely tiny (and i'm the only girl ever in the weight section). We only got the rack in the last 2 or 3 months. It never really bothered me before because all I did was cardio. I'm planning on moving to a new gym thats opening in Galway but there's been some delays. Was suppose to be open in Dec and still no sign of it yet.

Orla K

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

Yeh my gym is absolutely tiny (and i'm the only girl ever in the weight section). We only got the rack in the last 2 or 3 months. It never really bothered me before because all I did was cardio. I'm planning on moving to a new gym thats opening in Galway but there's been some delays. Was suppose to be open in Dec and still no sign of it yet.

That's kind of like my gym, only got a barbell last year(except for the bodypump ones) and it just got a power rack after christmas, before there was a smith machine. I've only just started doing squats. Most of the time I'm the only female doing proper weights, sometimes women get dragged in by boyfriends and I only see them once. It's the only gym in town so I've no other choice but I like the people there, some more than others:D

daenerysstormborn3

I appear to be the only girl in my gym who uses the weights section. I had some girl stare at me the entire time as I moved around doing my thing this morning. It was weird.

There are loads of big burly blokes in my gym, grunting and having a willy measuring contest at all times so when it comes time for me to start this kind of proper lifting (I'm still at dumbbell stage) I probably will be intimidated. I'll probably pick a quiet day for my first try as I figure it all out.

Dotcomdolly

The only time I feel self-conscious is when I can't get the feckin plates on/off the barbell :mad:
Otherwise I just assume all the blokes think I'm just awesome

elsy

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

The only time I feel self-conscious is when I can't get the feckin plates on/off the barbell :mad:
Otherwise I just assume all the blokes think I'm just awesome

I think a lot of blokes do have respect for ya in my old gym I would have been the only girl to attempt anyway a half decent weights workout I still have a long way to go as the months went by I got really comfortable in the weights section and had no problem asking lads for help or to spot me. I actually feel doing weights has brought my confidence on loads. I do a few spinning classes also and I have often seen some of the women from spinning walking on the treadmill staring at me in the weights section but I just think to myself there the ones wasting there time I was going that gym 2 years they all look the exact same me on the other hand I've completely changed my appearance

Orla K

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

The only time I feel self-conscious is when I can't get the feckin plates on/off the barbell :mad:
Otherwise I just assume all the blokes think I'm just awesome

It's the clips for me, I've small hands and I can barely grip them I spent ages trying to get one on and by the time I finished that was nearly more of a workout than what I was planning on doing.

butthatsjustme

elsy wrote: »

I think a lot of blokes do have respect for ya in my old gym I would have been the only girl to attempt anyway a half decent weights workout I still have a long way to go as the months went by I got really comfortable in the weights section and had no problem asking lads for help or to spot me. I actually feel doing weights has brought my confidence on loads. I do a few spinning classes also and I have often seen some of the women from spinning walking on the treadmill staring at me in the weights section but I just think to myself there the ones wasting there time I was going that gym 2 years they all look the exact same me on the other hand I've completely changed my appearance

I'm usually the only girl in there when I'm doing squats. Just out of curiosity, what would your weights circuit be?
How often would you need to ask for a spotter?

elsy

butthatsjustme wrote: »

I'm usually the only girl in there when I'm doing squats. Just out of curiosity, what would your weights circuit be?
How often would you need to ask for a spotter?

The only reason I had to ask for a spotter was because my gym hadnt a squat rack only some barbells and I was at a stage I couldn't safely lift the barbell over my head to do my squats so I would ask one of the lads that would be there in a regular basis so I would know there face or to say hi to to spot me. In the past 2 weeks I moved gym because I really want to properly get into my strength training and the leisure centre I was in got me to a certain point but I didn't feel I would progress there. In my new gym I am on a 3 day split legs and shoulders, biceps and back and triceps and chest this will be my third week there I love it raging I didn't change before its a bit of a longer drive but well worth it plus they have squat racks etc

Hanley

Orla K wrote: »

It's the clips for me, I've small hands and I can barely grip them I spent ages trying to get one on and by the time I finished that was nearly more of a workout than what I was planning on doing.

There's actually a knack to getting them on. You can't "jiggle" them on. They need to be slid along the bar!

Orla K

Hanley wrote: »

There's actually a knack to getting them on. You can't "jiggle" them on. They need to be slid along the bar!

I have heard that before, there's a smaller type of one that I don't have a problem with but the bigger ones I need two hands to grip it and I think it makes it difficult to slide along the bar.

Dotcomdolly

Hanley wrote: »

There's actually a knack to getting them on. You can't "jiggle" them on. They need to be slid along the bar!

Any tips for getting paltes on/off hanley? partic the 20kg - getting them off is a curse - I have been lifting the bar with one hand and try push the plate off with the other? Do you pull or push ? <insert durty laugh>

butthatsjustme

elsy wrote: »

The only reason I had to ask for a spotter was because my gym hadnt a squat rack only some barbells and I was at a stage I couldn't safely lift the barbell over my head to do my squats so I would ask one of the lads that would be there in a regular basis so I would know there face or to say hi to to spot me. In the past 2 weeks I moved gym because I really want to properly get into my strength training and the leisure centre I was in got me to a certain point but I didn't feel I would progress there. In my new gym I am on a 3 day split legs and shoulders, biceps and back and triceps and chest this will be my third week there I love it raging I didn't change before its a bit of a longer drive but well worth it plus they have squat racks etc

Are you following your own program or one of the popular ones?
Do you mind me asking what you do each day of the split?
How long would you be in the gym each day?
Am I asking too many questions..?

Orla K

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Any tips for getting paltes on/off hanley? partic the 20kg - getting them off is a curse - I have been lifting the bar with one hand and try push the plate off with the other? Do you pull or push ? <insert durty laugh>

The way I do it is I stand over the plate, it having it like this in front of you _ lift up the bar a bit and just yank it off:P. It not really pushing or pulling. For the other side I move the bar rather than move the plate.

Dotcomdolly

Orla K wrote: »

The way I do it is I stand over the plate, it having it like this in front of you _ lift up the bar a bit and just yank it off:P. It not really pushing or pulling. For the other side I move the bar rather than move the plate.

Gotcha!

elsy

butthatsjustme wrote: »

Are you following your own program or one of the popular ones?
Do you mind me asking what you do each day of the split?
How long would you be in the gym each day?
Am I asking too many questions..?

I am only a beginner too the gym I joined is ran by a man and girl that both compete they are the only ones who work there and have a lot of time for helping with your training. I spent the past year trying to just get into it and train myself was getting results but knew I could be getting a lot better results so decided to move gyms even though it meant travelling from my local town I live in laois. I literally only started a log yesterday it's called squat it like its hot I have me training plan on that it will be changing every 6 weeks but you can read it there. As I said I'm only trying to get into this seriously now and have so much to learn its great too see a few of us all trying to get started we should all keep each other post and share any tips or helpful things we learn along the way

butthatsjustme

elsy wrote: »

I am only a beginner too the gym I joined is ran by a man and girl that both compete they are the only ones who work there and have a lot of time for helping with your training. I spent the past year trying to just get into it and train myself was getting results but knew I could be getting a lot better results so decided to move gyms even though it meant travelling from my local town I live in laois. I literally only started a log yesterday it's called squat it like its hot I have me training plan on that it will be changing every 6 weeks but you can read it there. As I said I'm only trying to get into this seriously now and have so much to learn its great too see a few of us all trying to get started we should all keep each other post and share any tips or helpful things we learn along the way

*Brainstorms ideas for fitness log*

Orla K

I didn't know where to put this but I saw someone and she was squatting 30kg for 30reps! I was dieing to ask her why

Dotcomdolly

Orla K wrote: »

I didn't know where to put this but I saw someone and she was squatting 30kg for 30reps! I was dieing to ask her why

So as not to get bulky of course

TheBellJar

Orla K wrote: »

I didn't know where to put this but I saw someone and she was squatting 30kg for 30reps! I was dieing to ask her why

Probably because somebody told her to.

This is why threads like this are awesome with people actually questioning the advice they're given and doing some research to make educated decisions regarding their fitness. You wouldn't see someone popping 30 pills a day because a student doctor came up to them in the street and told them to.

Sugar Free

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Any tips for getting paltes on/off hanley? partic the 20kg - getting them off is a curse - I have been lifting the bar with one hand and try push the plate off with the other? Do you pull or push ? <insert durty laugh>

Are you talking about if the bar is on the ground?

I know Hercs has this handy jack so you propped up one side of the bar and easily pulled the plates off.
You can improvise your own jack by rolling the bar on top of a plate placed flat on the ground. Makes peeling off multiple 20kg plates a lot easier.

Edit: For the record, I'm not a reader of M&F! However, the picture in the link illustrates exactly what I mean:

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/training/tips/deadlift-dilemma-how-add-and-remove-plates-easily

Orla K

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

So as not to get bulky of course

The thing is she's fairly well built! She's taller than me and has to weigh over 70kg. She has some body fat to lose but her quads(I think) and her legs in general are fairly strong looking. She does have a lot of strength she does this dancing and there's alot of body weight stuff in it and flips. If she got her bodyfat down a bit more she would look great I just can't understand 30reps! I would have thought that if someone told her not to get bulky it would be 15-20reps.