Posted on 06/17/2021 10:13:07 AM PDT by Mariner
I was recently at an event for the International Women’s Forum. While talking with a small group of women at the event, the conversation turned to what we were doing or tried new lately. Two of the women excitedly told of their new venture into lifting heavy weights. Weight lifting for women? Interesting.
One of the women, who is petite, proudly announced that she had lifted 250 pounds with her legs! Needless to say, we were all very impressed. We were even more curious when she told us she had lost a full inch around each thigh in just two months, her osteoporosis was improving, and she was losing weight. I also might add that they were working with a personal trainer. But would lifting heavy weights as opposed to not so heavy make that big of a difference, we wondered? It turns out, it makes a huge difference.
Why It’s Important for Women To Lift Heavy Weights
Lifting heavy weights is important for women over 50 because their bodies are naturally losing muscle mass. The best way for them to save the muscle they do have and to build new lean muscle mass is to lift weight limits that challenge them. It’s that weight that breaks down existing muscle and rebuilds it stronger.
Strength Training for Women over 50
Women, particularly older ones, tend to back away from lifting weights that challenge them because they are afraid of building bulk. While lifting heavier weight will increase your muscle mass, it will not Hulk you out. Instead, strength training will create tone throughout your body.
(Excerpt) Read more at primewomen.com ...
“I used a bench press program that went off of reps with % of max for years. It works. 5 sets on flat bench and would get stronger the next week. Heavy sets was 3 reps at 90% of max, 5 reps at 85% and 8 reps at 80% of max. Those 3 sets required a spotter if you wished to live. NFL used the system back in the day for strength training. It worked very well.”
If you are under 45yrs and need to be stronger than the other guy, there is no substitute.
And injury haunts them too.
The difference being the time to full recovery.
Waiting for this covid mess to be over with and restrictions at hospital to be lifted and will go have my shoulder fixed the second and last time. Heavy days are done for me. Mostly. If I can’t do it 10 times I don’t pick it up, very often anymore. I still get the urge. The beast inside us never dies. It just gets wiser.
Lately I have been using weight I can do 12 times but slow the rep down and make the weight heavier than what it is. Great pump.
Slow down, focus on precise form and execution of eccentric (un)lifts.
At 40-50% of max, and very slow. 6-8 second reps.
It preserves tendons, cartilage and ligaments.
And will cause muscle burn you haven’t felt in years.
You can easily get to total muscle failure with 60lbs bench press, I don’t care who you are.
Started doing sets like that after I tore my right (have torn both) tricep tendon. Had to heal it up for 3 months and used that method to rehab the elbow. Works amazing for curls. Loved it and use it for most muscle groups. Even cuts down the amount of time I lift.
I started using the smith machine for flat bench years ago, I use 225 and slow it down, makes it feel like 300. Amazing how those injuries are humbling. I see younger people slinging and swinging weight just to move more than they should be and makes me cringe.
Amen! Same too when watching them do unassisted pull ups. Little ole' middle age female me getting up there counting into the 20s hard time--proper form, and then the twenty year old boys jumping up and swinging their body back and forth and up and down using mostly momentum into the 20s count (playtime ;D).
In that case I just rolled my eyes knowing the benefits they were NOT getting. But it fed their ego and looked good to others in the amount and speed.
But as you said when the swinging and slinging of the weights happen with younger people, I feel blessed to have learned the hard lessons (injuries) as well as took seriously all the advice about proper form and controlled lifting when I was younger.
So great to read other dedicated resistant training Freepers' posts.
Best of luck and blessings for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
And happy lifting!!
You're such a joke and troll. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Thank Mariner! Such a great thread, article, and posts. Appreciate it!
Not my style to engage a troll. But in this case I want to make sure any female that reads this thread understands that what you've said (Tommy Revolt) is not true at all.
And in fact for any women hesitant about weight lifting over 50 and that also have struggled with not looking and feeling their best as they age in spite of exercise or diets there is much hope for an entire transformation through the use of properly trained free weights and functional training programs.
As the article states above. 50 is just a beginning. As a woman who looks and feels amazing at age 55, I am a shiny example (as are many others out there).
Time to put down the skepticism and pick up a whole new body, mind, and life filled with strength, joy, accomplishment, confidence, flexibility, empowerment. Gives the GOLDEN years a whole new meaning.
“Plus you’ll develop a manly face and you don’t want that.” - Tommy
Well, if she lifts heavy weights WITH HER FACE...maybe! Otherwise she’d need to take hormones to get a manly face.
I’m not a big fan of very heavy weights. I think smaller weights, used to the point of genuine fatigue (tiredness), will get good results with less danger of damage. I’m a runner, but I often argue walking gives 75% of the benefit with 25% of the wear and tear - and feel the same about weights.
OTOH, many women shy away from using weights to the point of genuine fatigue. And you can’t build strength without pushing yourself. There is a happy medium somewhere. But manly faces come from hormone injections. Not drug-free weight lifting.
Wonderful inspiration and first hand account ;D. Thanks so much and excellent work entropy12!
I think folks who criticize women lifting weights as too bulky confuse it with body building and heavy lifts
You can certainly tone with weights
It’s harder for women...body doesn’t respond as easily to the stimuli of resistance training
I prefer yoga bodies but that’s just me
Nothing wrong with a weight appropriate female form toned nicely..period
I keep posting about exercise because it has done wonders for my body. I hope more FReepers heed my example and live a longer & healthier and pain-free life by gradually working into any exercise program. We certainly can use the votes for a longer period.
The key is “gradual” working up into a exercise routine.
This is my main exercise video. It keeps my heart in good shape and the wrist weights strengthen upper body by swinging arms.
Notice I do not run, just walk at 25-26 minutes/mile pace, and cover 1 mile distance 5 times a week.
The treadmill is set 1-1/2 to 2 degrees up depending on my mood that day. After the treadmill, I will drink half a glass of water and then pull 15-20 lb (total) weight on the weight machine 23 times. At age 81, I do not need speed, just need to keep some tone in body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I55ZxIwbuOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I55ZxIwbuOU
Bump for reference
Bite me Wokesters.
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