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 kicked the men yesterday:)
It's time to get up off your flabby ass and move. A lot.
Weight training has taken old, invalid women out of nursing homes to independence.
It prevents osteoporosis, dementia and disgust when gazing at yourself in the mirror.
Do this and be happy.
“Two of the women excitedly told of their new venture into lifting heavy weights.”
This made me laugh out loud.
You don’t even need to lift a lot of heavy weights. Just pushing your limit a few times per session is enough to trigger your body into building new muscle.
This deep down inside visceral fat that obliterates one's waistline BLOWS. It's like you have an entirely new body that is determined to deposit weight the way men do. And it doesn't help that menopause tanks your metabolism.
Any tried and true methods to help in this area from the women on this board will be very much appreciated.
You don’t even need to lift a lot of heavy weights. Just pushing your limit a few times per session is enough to trigger your body into building new muscle.
~~~
Yep. Resistance training is a relative thing. All you really need to be doing is challenging your muscles to a level higher than simple endurance exercise. The maximum number of reps that you can do is best indicator.
And building new muscle isn’t even necessarily the best reward, although having more functional strength is a good thing for almost anyone. There are metabolic and endocrine changes all over the body as a result of resistance work. The change can be systemic, and not just some targeted muscle groups.
Great article - go ladies!
I’ve seen too many hot girls start lifting, and get those mannish shoulders and arms. Then they never know when to stop. They quickly lose that 1970s feminine hotness.
I got my 61 year old fiancé into weightlifting. We work with a trainer three times a week. After 8 months she looks better than ever. Toned. Loose skin filling out nicely, no bulking. I’m 64, and yesterday did 720 on the leg press. I started at 59 and look better than I did at 40. Feel better, too. Lift weights. You’ll be glad you did. Don’t go crazy with the weight though to protect your joints. Some of those women you see lifting 100’s of pounds will likely have problems down the road.
Competent trainers and nutritonists all say you cannot target particular areas of the body for fat reduction.
It’s overall fat reduction.
And remember, you can’t outrun a fork.
Bicycles and iron are the fountain of youth.
At age 81, I have more energy and flexibility than when I was 60 years old. First I started playing 5 rounds of 18 every week pushing my golf cart over hilly golf courses. At age 75 I quit golf and took up gym routine minimum 5 times every week.
All my health issues at age 60 have long disappeared. Don’t need any prescriptions. Just 1-aday vitamin pill is all I take now.
“I’ve seen too many hot girls start lifting, and get those mannish shoulders and arms.”
You mean like Jennifer Garner and JLo?
Yeah, what a turn off they are...
Agree 100%. Did nothing but super heavy weights for over 20 years. About 5 years ago I started having massive injuries from it. Tricep tendons torn off the elbow. Shoulder surgery only to have it rip again 11 months later. Herniated discs that will need fusion surgery soon. The list goes on. Best shape I was ever in was when I couldn’t go heavy all the time. Hit a few semi heavy sets to spark the muscle and then pump it full of blood. I turn 51 in a week. I have done so much damage I don’t even want to look at heavy. I do miss the feel of heavy sometimes but not the feel of tendons ripping and your elbow swelling up the size of a football. I watch the older people get talked into doing heavy CrossFit stuff and a month later they are in a sling or a brace. Heavy is a young persons game. But I am a male and was stupid. Look at ronnie Coleman.
Weight training is fine, but heavy weight training might not be. Just like a little whiskey is fine but a lot may not be. Moderation is key.
I am glad you posted this. This actually made me go back and check when I started my program.
So, I bought “Bigger, Stronger, Leaner” April 28. So it has been 6 weeks. Seems like I have been doing it longer, but I guess not. It makes me happier with my progress or lack thereof to know it hasn’t been as long as I thought.
I am not a lady, but I think if I make progress I can get my wife into it. I am hoping anyway. When she was younger she was way into it. She is recovering from the treatment for Stage IV colon cancer (Cancer free from 10+ years), so she has numerous issues that I think would benefit from weights.
I’ve had equipment for some time but for me the real deal breaker was I didn’t have a way to log progress. I tried notebooks and whatnot but I am not that organized. I found an Android app (also comes in an Apple version) called “Simple Workout” that makes it easy to design and edit routines and importantly look at your prior lifts.
So this is really the first time in my long life that I’ve stuck with it this long (going on 6 weeks).
I feel stronger but as someone mentioned weight control is needed for the results to be visible. Matthews recommends about a gram a day of protein per pound lean body mass. That can only be easily done with protein shakes, which are a lot tastier than I remember them to be.
I noticed looking at my logs that I need to eat several of those salad kits in supermarkets like 3 or 4 a week to lose weight so I am getting back with that. It is easy to gain weight with the shakes and lifting, losing weight is more of a challenge.
Anyhoo, thanks for posting this and letting me share my 2 cents.
I wish I could weight train- I don’t have anywhere close to where I live to do it. I’m having to drive 75 miles round trip just to be able to swim (hubby doesn’t a pool in our yard but I’m about to the point where he’s going to get one anyway). One thing I am doing for exercise is using a push mower on my lawn.
” I have done so much damage I don’t even want to look at heavy.”
Heavy to a girl is 10lbs single arm curls.
Heavy to a 55yr old woman is 5lbs single arm curls.
Men don’t usually go heavy. They go stupid.
No good can come to a man over 50 from 200lb military presses, in sets of 3-5.
While great benefit can be derived from 3 sets of 10, good form and 55lbs.
FYI: It was those heavy military presses that took out my right shoulder at 43yrs old.
They’re talking “girl heavy”.
As in 200lb leg presses...after working up to it.
I went stupid for sure. I was lucky to last as long as I did without catastrophe. I would probably do the same thing over again though.
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