Weightlifting people, here! Ongoing chat thread...

Thanks for the welcome 😊.

JustGettingStarted - I am also a member of a bigger gym that has a good weights room. but so far when I've gone I've only really used the Dumbbells or the machines on my own.

hey big40! welcome on board!

That sounds great, big40.

Do you feel comfortable lifting on your own, as well?

Hi Everyone, I just reactivated my account so I could join this thread!

I'm a relatively recent convert to weights (since February), but really loving it and feeling inspired by you ladies.

Up till now I've been doing 1 small group PT weights session each week (mainly deadlifts, squats and bench presses), with a few HIIT type classes as well. I've now signed up to do 3 of these group PT sessions each week, so hoping to see some improvements in my strength!

OK, so here's a selection of women I follow:

thisisfemalepowerlifting - "guts x grit x grind" - they repost loads of followers' powerlifting videos so a great source of inspiration
pixie_anni - she has hardly any followers and I'm not even sure how I found her - maybe when I was obsessed with doing perfect handstands - but she's a cool older woman who happens to be really strong and ace at handstands and other bodyweight training
soshelifts - UK women who lift
mhairithorburn - awesome Scottish woman who was in Ninja Warrior - mostly climbing stuff
donnamoorestrongwoman - 2016 world's strongest woman
thisgrannycan - woman who lost a shit ton of weight and started powerlifting training in her 50s - now an elite equipped lifter
lucysewell_01 local personal trainer: ludicrously ripped, also v cool and encouraging ethos
jessiegraffpwr - another Ninja Warrior contestant and professional stuntwoman. Does loads of impressive acrobatic stuff.
progress.not.perfection - female tattooer who started powerlifting training and is really good at it
bicepslikebriggs - Samantha Briggs, elite crossfitter
melissawall_powerlifter - another international masters powerlifter, local-ish to me. Very down to earth and funny.

I am on Instagram but I don't put any lifting videos/pictures up. However I do follow a bunch of female powerlifters and other fitness folk - later on when I get a chance I'll do a list: my feed is strictly wanker-free.

I think the bulk/cut cycle is the norm.

I would bulk deliberately, but I gain fat in my belly - I'm an apple on stilts - and gaining at the waist would really upset me. I think I'll bite the bullet and do it for a couple of months because I don't know how else I can get the booty gains.

Are any of you on Instagram? I really struggle to find normal people to follow.

that is awesome, bloodyiphone! I dream of a 95kg squat. I don't actually know what my one rep squat max is but I suspect it's 85kg, maybe, on a good day.

YY to cycles of strong versus look. I think it's very hard, unless you're a mega focused diet person, to train for both. When I was concentrating on getting stronger I just used to eat what I want whilst lifting 4-5 times a week. Now I want to get leaner I'm noticing a definite dip in strength but I dunno if it's all in my head.

Well done again!

I'm very very excited I just this week managed to get a 95kg squat, my previous PB was 85.. Do you ever feel like "that's it" my max is done and what's next? I was almost like a turning point.

For me I think I'm going to focus now on some fat burning, the photo taken while doing the squat actually made me think eweee I have a tummy going on here.

So I'm going to start an 8-10 week plan and focus on nutrition and try and drop some body fat now before christmas period, after my unintentional bulk period!

Do you all find you go through cycles of strong Vs look? or are you all pretty stable in terms of size kgs and body shape.

That's an interesting idea! I've heard of push, pull, legs but I wanted 4 days.

I'm considering doing arms and legs, then chest, back and shoulders.

Hey Maid! Deload week sounds good - be great to see what you get up to after the marathon is over. Are you excited/nervous for it? What time are you aiming for?

90kg for two isn't a rep PB. I think I've done 8 reps at 90 before, though they were pretty ugly! I'm on a periodisation programme at the moment, so my sessions vary in intensity and volume. The idea is that if the stimulus varies, the response is better (in terms of both strength and hypertrophy). I don't fully trust it as an approach - it feels counter-intuitive to me not to be working at max effort every time I train - but I'm going to give it three months and see what happens.

Back to it this morning, and felt good for it. The week of rest and food has done me good I think. Had to video my deadlifts to send the coach and they are looking more solid than before.

Deadlifts: 4 x 2 x 90 kg
Paused deadlifts: 3 x 5 x 75 kg
Romanian deadlifts: 5 x 10 x 50 kg

Incline dumbbell press: 4 x 12 x 16 kg dumbbells
Lat pull down: 4 x 12 x 40 kg
Hamstring curl: 4 x 12 x 34-24 kg

hi everyone! just back from a week's holidaying. Have done no lifting but +++eating, so we'll see how Maid's refeed idea pans out tomorrow when I hit the gym on deadlift day.

Good to see other powerlifters here strongandlong and bloodyiphone! I still don't know if I ever want to compete really - for a start I'd need to put at least 20kg each on my squat and deadlift to be competitive in my weight class, though bench is grand. But this has definitely been my favourite style of weight training and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens as I stick with it.

Just I'm sure you've thought about this already, but there are some good ideas for different splits and days per week on the likes of bodybuilding dot com and t-nation, with pros and cons of each.

I've been doing an upper/lower split (4 days a week) forever... I think I want to change to a different split, because upper is a bit much.

I want to lift 4 days and do HIIT two days, so I want to stick to the 4 days of lifting.

And I like doing 2 leg days.

I could do legs and arms, then chest, back and shoulders. But my arms are an afterthought, anyway, as my triceps get so much work with my pushing.

What to do...

I've completed 3/4 times a year. Only twice this year so far. I might fit another one in before Christmas

Your PT is quite right to be fussy about form, of course. Especially for DLs and especially since you've been injured before.

I love deadlifts!

Waves at Maid I wish I did...!! I can do them, I just feel blah..

But to be fair I did manage to pull a muscle in my back and was in agony for a month while doing a deadlift, so I suspect it's more of a headspace thing...

Maid do you compete as well? or have a PT?

Thanks Strong–So can I ask how often do you compete?

I've just found a local place where they have Saturday taster sessions.. for women only, so might pop my head around the door. (Hampshire) And I'll chat to my PT about my burning desire to actually do something more than just train for trainings sake–He is such an amazing a fuss pot on mobility and great form.

We've just done a full 2 months on lifting with strong focus on accessory and single leg work as I had a lazy glute causing me QL issues–so now both glutes appear to be firing I can see the numbers going up.

Does anyone do front squats in their programme? Or overhead squats?

Those numbers are great. Not far off where I was for my first comp (95/50/125 iirc) and I was 50% heavier than you!

Don't be nervous about entering. All the other competitors will be really welcoming and helpful. You'll make lots of new friends and have a great time!

strong–Oh wow, I'll take a look

Favourite is the squat, I'm 61kg and can rep 5/6 x 85kg and working up to 90-95kg single.

Deads I'm not a massive fan of but can single 105kg

And bench Isn't on my radar at all and not part of my training but I know from ages ago I did a 50kg, so a way off on those.

I'm about to change plan and get a bit leaner like my body at about 57kg so I'm looking to hit a few bigger lifts.

I know nothing about competing and if I'm anywhere near the sort of level needed, but would like to add it to my life and the community aspect really appeals to me.

But i'd be very nervous going along? I guess I could just watch?

Hi bloodyiphone!

Squat+deadlift+bench is powerlifting. I started competing 4 years ago (at 39) and love it. It's a really warm, supportive community (just like MN ).

The 2 main drug tested federations are the BDFPA and the GBPF. Have a look to see who's got a comp in your area.

Which is your favourite lift?

arhh hello! I just posted a really excited thread in the weights room, but saw it was a bit light on traffic–so is this the best place to chat??

..............................

I've just set up an account to say Helloooo, I've lurked on mumsnet for years and years!! I dread to think how many hours of my life reading posts.

So I'd love to chat generally to women who life as I bore my friends stupid, in fact I hardly have anyone to talk to other than my trainer and my poor husband who nods and tells me to be “careful”, i can't talk snatches, squats, cleans or anything, with blank faces.

So I’d love to talk to anyone who does competitive lifting, or feels like they would love to take it to the next level?

I train 3-4 times a week, around being a mum, career etc, and it started as weight loss but now it’s just part of who I’am, I need it in my life – but I’m also hitting some really lovely heavy lifts and would love just maybe before I get to 45 try and get one competition done!! Not bikini, powerlifting or olympic.. but I don’t know what else is out there?

Is there just one where you can do a squat, deadlift and bench??

Excited to be able to talk about my hobby…and can’t wait to help and encourage others.

I started by accident, and 3 years later literally love my lumps and bumps and muscles and body fat and totally appreciate my body for the strong machine that it is :-)