Weightlifting people, here! Ongoing chat thread...

Back from the gym. I am so enjoying doing my own thing again. Over the past week or so I've been re-evaluating what my priorities are. I'm never going to be an elite powerlifter - I just don't have the talent. On the other hand, I do care about numbers. I want to feel strong and I want to feel like I'm progressing.

I'm still going to focus on the mixture of the three big lifts and varied accessory work that have formed the basis of my routine, but I'm going to try to be more intuitive with it and mix it up more, day to day.

Back squats -
5 x 5 x 70kg feeling better than it has in a while
2 x 10 x 60kg

Bench press:
2 x 6 x 50kg
3 x 5 x 50kg
12 x 40kg
10 x 40kg

Bent over rows (supinated narrow grip)
5 x 10 x 30kg
Bent over rows (overhand wide grip)
2 x 10 x 30kg

Assisted pull-ups
5 x 6

I'm trying to build up my lats at the moment. Lats and glutes - must remember to take my foam thing tomorrow morning so I can do heavy glute bridges.

How are you working out how much calorie surplus you need per day, Just? Are you going by feel or are you following a plan?

I'm still in an overall deficit (though the less said about yesterday's spinach and gorgonzola pizza and Friday's beer and mezze feast the better...) and still slowly losing. Then I'm going to try maintaining for a bit. When I was unintentionally bulking I got a whole lot stronger which seemed to have been achieved mainly with biscuits at work and a hot chocolate most nights, as well as having seconds at dinner. Now I'm tracking everything on MFP I realise I was probably eating roughly 500-600 calories extra per day, most of it sugar.

Gym in a minute, once I've woken up!

thats why I dont bulk!
I find it easy to upregulate food intake, and I wouldnt be averse to gaining body fat if it would go on my legs and arse
but it mostly goes to my midsection, and under my chin so I have bigger muscles but I pay the price of a fat face and a belly

I stick with smaller and lean these days :o

I'm finally trying to bulk. This is harder than you might think.

First, there's the fear of gaining fat. As an apple, any fat will immediately appear on my belly. I fought hard to get it to a decent measurement and was starting to see abs.

Second, it's not easy to eat more than you want to. I naturally maintain at my tdee so long as I don't drink alcohol or have added sugar. Eating more is difficult (I won't be drinking alcohol) and I suspect that I'll be resorting to sugar to get the calories in.

I'm tracking on My Fitness Pal, which is an annoying drag. I think I'm going to have to track my protein to make sure I'm getting enough and then I'll probably have to resort to things like eating ice cream in the evenings just to get the calories.

I've had over 100 grams of protein today, I don't feel remotely hungry and I still have 800 calories to go. I'll do another protein shake but it won't be enough.

True I can drop body fat easily just by doing loads of Endurance training
But then I get that 'turn sideways and you can't see me' physique😕

To be strong as possible I need to drop the running/biking/swimming and eat a lot and then I turn into a bit of a porker 🐖

They very possibly are. I think he was only using them to illustrate what many women do not want.

I think power lifters can gain that muscle... It's the being big and ripped that makes one go

...... Nothing wrong with that..... their choice, but it's not a look which is achievable for most women without 'help'

I think the glute guy article is good but those pictures of crossfitters further down....those girls all look chemically enhanced to me

It wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, really. I just remember the feelings that I used to have and being told "pshaw! I wish I had your "problem!" "

I've read Just's other post properly now and I'm not sure who it was aimed, but I certainly don't think you need to defend or justify your feelings about your body, Mercury. I said I was a bit jealous - I am! - but you feel how you feel.

Having never had a 'tidy body', before kids or after, I can't exactly relate but I do sympathise. I would say most women (not all) that I know find it difficult to be comfortable in our skin.

Thanks Just, I think you've said some very interesting things.
Thought provoking.

I suppose I am the large one in my family: both sisters are sylph like with slender limbs and my mother too. I'm the only engineer, the others are in the arts. I've always been compared to my dad, another engineer, who is built a gymnast and very muscular. My DH is a swimmer and hasn't a speck of fat on him.

I suppose it's a shock when the tidy body you had before kids turns into something quite different after pregnancy and a section, and I suppose I'm still coming to terms with a large overhanging, numb and weak abdomen, and saggy post breastfeeding boobs.

My fear is that if I do lift weights regularly I'll just look massive and my work clothes will hang badly. It doesn't help my 25" waist has disappeared.

I'm going to try doing some yoga and try to reconnect with myself.

Thanks so much for your insights and support. I'm actually feeling quite raw about my body post baby, so it's good to know there's such a group of support here. I'll keep you posted. Best of luck all.

if I wanted to lose muscle I would restrict my food intake, cut back on strength training and emphasize endurance training

Just, that Bret Contreras article is great. I think you've recommended him to me before (re glute activation) - I could lose hours to his site, he seems to talk a lot of sense.

Here's that article:

bretcontreras.com/how-to-attain-a-slender-look-like-jessica-alba-zoe-saldana/

I don't think it's helpful to tell Mercury that she shouldn't have a problem with her body type. I can relate, as I had the opposite problem in my 20's. I was 5'10" and 125lbs... Built like a model. But I felt unfeminine. I wanted to be petite and curvy, like Pamela Anderson. If I dared to complain, I would be told that I had the ideal model figure and should be grateful.

It sounds to me like she feels unfeminine in her body: She feels out of place in the free weight room. She compares her legs to the closest man in her life. She compares herself to the Jolly Green Giant. This is not something we can just brush off and dismiss as silly.

It's perhaps unfortunate that she doesn't embrace her genetic potential and run with it, but her feelings are valid.

The majority of women benefit from weight training and gain a more feminine physique. But the women who are truly primarily concerned only with strength are in the minority. Most of us simply can't "Accidentally Arnold."

I know that Bret Contreras wrote an article addressing this. Say what you will about the guy he does listen to what women want and he knows that some women want to remain petite and sylph-like.

I've never measured my appendages! Am I missing out?

Mercury I'm struggling to see what your problem is if you're a hulk then I'm a mega hulk
My quads are 53cm
Calves 36cm
I am 5 foot 2 lean and petite, 8 stone or slightly under, my legs days are puny in my opinion compared to what they used to be back in the day

Sadly my biceps are only about 30 cm I need to train them more!

I have the long finger thing as well but I can't parallel park 😅

ha! No - it's a cable machine pull. You get down on one knee, straight back, and pull the handle towards your face - keeping your elbows up and out. Good for developing the rear delts.

I don't do much yoga these days but when I did I used to just pick something off youtube as you suggest. Or I'd do a few rounds of sun salutations a and b (ashtanga yoga) because I could remember those from classes.

sorry about the essay

The thing is I do look like a full on beast just with hand held free weights. I used the resistance machine thing in the gym last year and looked like I had used a foot pump, ended up massive, so I don't do that now.... besides it was weird as it was just me and some really 'swole' blokes in the weights room. I didn't like being the only woman there: it is all very smelly trainers, and musty workout gear smell too.

My BMI has always been much higher than you'd think, and fat % much lower.
My testosterone is on the high end of normal range, but I'm very very sensitive to it, and have long ring fingers, much longer than my index fingers. Bad back cystic acne in my teens. I work in STEM.

I'm sure I could put on a lot more than a few lbs of muscle a year, ha! Probably a lb every month, but I don't know if that's such a good idea as I really could paint myself green and sell cans of corn.

I add rice protein to a glass of soya milk, with a mashed banana if I'm in a hurry in the morning: other than that I don't go over board on protein. I don't eat eggs or beef, but eat fish and lamb and chicken, complex carbs/ veg/ oils. Don't drink alcohol. Try and rest enough.

I can hold weights for ages, arm extended etc, hold planks etc, without any difficulty at all, but flippin hate cardio. I like sprinting.

I used to dance quite a bit, but was never sylph like with teeny tiny legs and arms ( I looked more Nureyev than Fontaine)
My ideal weight is 8stone 7lbs as I'm 5'3", but because it bulges, when I'm that weight, I wear a size 12 for a tailored fit, or a 10 in a stretchy fabric. 35cm biceps. 50cm around my leg muscle, measured 3" above my knee. Calves 36cm. Really stocky looking at the moment as I'm carrying a fat layer on top. Post section tummy apron, and ab weakness is probably the most annoying change since becoming a mum.

I think I'll try tai chi and yoga, maybe swimming. I want to stretch out the square, bulging look I get if I lift, and reduce the fat.

I know it's the opposite of what everyone is doing here, but anyone got any yoga programme recommendations? YouTube? I'm booked in for a 3 hr workshop class every Saturday, but if anyone knows of a quick 30 min daily online programme they like I'd appreciate the info. TIA.

"Face pulls" sounds really strange, Findo.... I wouldn't know the names of the holds, Ive just used the machines and hand helds. I can imagine Face pulls as a lift Desperate Dan would use with his chin.

As I'm still trying to lose weight I'm beginning to think it's daft to try to get stronger, at least for the next couple of months. So I'm going to focus mostly on volume to hopefully maintain muscle mass.

Did my own thing this morning and felt all the better for it. Also I can pack a lot more in when I'm not having to fanny about videoing myself then editing clips to send to the coach.

Deadlifts
5 x 70 kg
5 x 5 x 80 kg (felt good)

Romanian deadlifts
5 x 10 x 50 kg

Incline barbell press
12 x 30 kg
4 x 8 x 35 kg

Seated dumbell shoulder press
5 x 10 x 12 kg dumbbells

Kneeling face pulls
4 x 10 x 32 kg

Weighted hyperextensions (15 kg plate)
4 x 10

If I gained muscle as easily as you Mercury I would take full advantage of it and go full on beast mode
But that's just me 😁

Bit jealous, tbh! I agree with Just's suggestion if you don't want to bulk up but you get such a good response to resistance training.