Weight training for new job?

[As476]

Hi all, I’ve taken a new job recently and it is incredibly physical. It’s not generally a job done by women, and as a result the training is very male dominant.

I am determined to succeed but I don’t have a lot of strength. What weight exercises can I do? I need to do something to slowly build up strength so I don’t find it so hard. I had my training day last week and felt like I’d run a marathon!

thanks 😌

Can you be a bit more specific about the physicality of the job. Do you need to be stronger as in having more muscle? More running carrying loads such as firefighters?
Training will surely we job specific more than oriented to men vs women.

It’s a strength thing, I need way more muscle to get it done. It’s a bit embarrassing being so weedy!

@Mad1988 its not necessarily orientated to men but there are only 3 women across the 4 different training groups. 20 people in each group. I’m just a bit stuck on what I should do to build muscles. At the moment I can do it but I feel so physically exhausted because it takes so much effort. The men don’t seem to suffer with it so much.

Les Mills on demand usually offer a 30 day free trial and they have a programme called “strength development” which has given great results for people im in a group with

It sounds like just doing the job will be strength training enough! You should probably look after yourself in other ways - sleep and nutrition, basically. And make sure you don't get injured so proper form, lift with your knees, that kind of thing.

Give yourself a few weeks - which will admittedly feel like you're completely dead on your feet - and I bet you'll notice your strength and stamina increasing without even trying.

Caroline Girvan Iron series. If you are a complete newbie go for weights a third to a half of what she lifts.

Thankyou so much all of you for your advice. I’m really stressing over it. I’ll look up proper lifting, half the problem is they’re all a lot taller than me too, so I’m having to lift things twice as high if that makes sense. They’re lifting to chest height (which I still think is too high for tyres!) whereas I’m lifting to head height. Thankfully another woman on the course this week helped me explain why they needed to adjust the ramps 😂. I’m on week three and I’m just absolutely exhausted. It’s a three year thing so I think if I can balance some simple weights exercises with the right diet and plenty of sleep and stretching I should be ok. It’s all a bit daunting!

I’d be trying to rest I think. Sounds like the job is the strength training.
Im not an expert though. Some yoga, to balance the movement out?
Make sure you are eating well, enough protein to build the muscle.

I’m having to lift things twice as high if that makes sense. They’re lifting to chest height (which I still think is too high for tyres!) whereas I’m lifting to head height.

I don't think you should be lifting above shoulder height at most - have they done a detailed risk assessment?
The HSE has a guide to manual handling which lays out max loads for men and women and what is good practice
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.PDF

To build muscle, look at food too - after weight training eat high protein

It sounds like they are expecting too much at this stage. In terms of conditioning for the actual job, I would suggest doing movements that replicate the movements at work but with lighter weights (maybe half of the working weight) for sets of 12 reps. If you can condition all of the smaller muscles around the main working muscles it will be much better than going all out for maximal power which the main muscles might well be able to handle now, but the smaller muscles, tendons and ligaments probably can't.

Focus on the 3 main major compound lifts:
deadlift
back squat
bench press

Get to a gym, and get a couple of PT sessions to learn these properly. Then develop (or get from your PT) a programme with PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD, so that you gradually increase strength. You add a little bit more weight each week, or fortnight, and you train to failure - but not injury, so take it steady. See these vids from MegSquats which explain the principles of a progressive programme:

(at around 5 mins in)

Don't faff around with dumbbells or kettle bells except as accessory movements. Focus on the 3 all-body compound lifts. Squats & deadlifts particularly will strengthen abs, as well as glutes and quads, and work your posterior chain (the back of your body).

But learn correct technique in these big compound lifts with a couple of one on one training sessions.

If your gym has it, another way to develop brute strength is with the sled - a metal frame onto which you load weights, and then push or pull or drag along a 10 metre non-resistant track & back. I started at around 40kilos plus the weight of the sled. I now can drag 400 kilos there & back. Slooooowly!

@BirdinaHedge thanks this is amazing! Really appreciate it!