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Weight lifting women

23 replies

firstofallimadelight · 13/02/2026 11:09

I’ve been going to the gym for about 6 months and started on low weights 3-5kg and worked on increasing reps/sets rather than weight. Now I’m gradually increasing weight but doing less sets/reps I’m currently doing the following-

1 session
deadlift 10kg
boat twist 8kg
row machine 22kg
weighted bridge 8kg
farmers carry 16kg
goblet squat10kg

2 session
overhead 8kg
chest press 20kg
lat raise 5kg
fly delt 20kg
standing row 6kg
pull down30kg

m wondering how some of these will be doable as I increase weight. Does anyone have any good compound exercises I can introduce. Mainly focusing on core/ back . I prefer weights or cable over machines .

OP posts:
firstofallimadelight · 13/02/2026 17:54

Bump

OP posts:
RollOnSunshine · 13/02/2026 17:56

I don't understand what you are asking tbh.

10kg sounds extremely light for a deadlift though.

TheLemonOtter · 13/02/2026 18:03

Are you doing 3 or 4 sets, with 10-12 reps per set? In that case, add weight until you can only manage about 6 reps per set, keep going till you are at 10-12 again, then repeat! The last one in each set should be tough. There are more scientific ways, but this is simple at the start.

UnaOfStormhold · 13/02/2026 18:04

I'd identify a rep range, say 8-12, and stick to that, increasing your weight when 12 is comfortable with good form. That way you're progressing without overdoing it. I agree your deadlift seems very light compared to your other moves, e.g. I deadlift at least twice as much as I pulldown.

MagpiePi · 13/02/2026 18:30

Front squats are good for core, and bent over rows, reverse flies and pull downs are good for upper back strength. Deadlifts are good for everything, although if you are lifting with your back then you’re doing it wrong! You should be able to deadlift A LOT more than 10 kg.

This site is quite a good way of assessing your strength and you can see standards for your age and weight

https://symmetricstrength.com/

Symmetric Strength

Symmetric Strength provides a comprehensive lifter analysis based on strength research and data from strength competitions.

https://symmetricstrength.com

AlphabetBird · 13/02/2026 18:36

If you’re happy with what you’re doing, take the advice above and add weight and down reps until you can build back up, then rinse and repeat.

You won’t be able to add weight at the same rate. Deadlifts will go up fast (you should aim to DL your own body weight as a sensible medium term target - not for loads of sets. Lateral raises will probably only go up by 1kg ever, because they are horrible bastards. It makes sense though - your quads and hamstrings are big powerful muscles and your lats are tiny…

disappearingfish · 13/02/2026 19:18

They sound extraordinarily light for someone who has been going regularly for 6 months. Are you sure you are not missing some zeros?

IwanttoWFH · 13/02/2026 19:32

Deadlifts are a brave choice for a newbie! They have to be done correctly or you can really hurt yourself. Especially increasing the weight. I can’t do them due to back problems.

There are probably more effective exercises you could be doing. For example, barbell squats (great for lower body and work the core too). Leg press, leg extensions, hamstring curls, Bulgarian split squats etc. After six months, you should be using more than 10KG on a goblet squat. I was using 20KG but found it hard on the wrists, so stopped.

Farmers carries are good for functionality but there are better exercises you can do than this.

Session two sounds good, but I’d recommend doing two full body workouts each time.

I would suggest you use Chat GPT to do a workout for you. It’s really helpful!

ParmaVioletTea · 13/02/2026 20:01

Are you counting the weight of the bar in lifts like a deadlift? Because 10 kilos is less than a standard not-quite-deadlift in a pump class.

For 2 sessions a week, I’d do fewer exercises , at much heavier weights , and probably 5 sets of 6-8 reps.

Day 1
deadlifts - with a bar, and start with 5 kilos bumper plates, so you’re lifting 30 kilos. You should be able to increase that quite quickly over 6 months to aim for a body weight dead in a year’s time. Take advantage of newbie gains!

then accessories - keep them in the pull range if you like, so lat pull downs, for example. If your gym has it, a sled pull is a really easy way of getting strength and endurance, without any necessary technique!

Day 2
Back squats - aiming for maybe up to 40 kilos. But start with just the bar at 20 kilos.

You could add dumbbell thrusters as another squat pattern, but with an overhead press added.

Add in maybe some mobility stuff, and power moves including things like step ups, eventually weighted with dumbbells, and also box jumps, which are great for bone strength.

Farmers carry - is this 16 kilos each hand, or just 16 kilos total? You should be training to be able to carry near to your body weight. It’s an exercise that is good for training grip strength, and carrying load under stress, but the sled is even better for that.

overall, your weights are very light (unless you’re a 70 yo beginner) . People tend to underestimate how much weight they can handle.

Can you do some small group lifting classes? Then you’ll get some coaching and also get an idea about how to structure a progressive overload programme.

ParmaVioletTea · 13/02/2026 20:09

I suppose I should have asked first - what are your aims, and how old are you, and what’s your body weight?

There are lots of online plans, including coached and non- coached, depending on your aims. It’s not clear from your workout list above what you want to achieve. The weights are all in line with a pump class, which is great fun, but aerobic, rather than muscle- building.

DuchessofStaffordshire · 15/02/2026 17:33

Can I ask how and why you chose the exercises that you are doing?
I would recommend finding a plan and sticking to it.
If you want to get strong, use a plan like strong lifts for a while, focus on good form in basic compound movement patterns (squat, hinge, push, pull, press) then think about adding accessory exercises. Tons of different exercises in one workout are unnecessary and often lead to junk volume and injury.

Sirzy · 15/02/2026 17:37

I think if you want to lift properly it’s worth getting at least a few sessions in with a trainer to show you correct form and the exercises which can help improve mobility.

firstofallimadelight · 17/02/2026 04:55

Thank you everyone for your replies. To answer questions (sorry I should have explained in the op) I am 50, I had a prolapsed disc last year that massively reduced my mobility. I have trained under advise of hospital physio and the exercises I’m doing came from the hospital. I’m now looking to increase on that but going slow (maybe too slow) !
I’ve been nervous about a trainer or class incase I’m pushed into doing something I don’t feel comfortable with but agree it could help. I’ve been gradually increasing weight but more so in last month as I’m trying to build strength . I haven’t dared use the bar yet so everything has been dumbbells and kettle bells. With machines for pull down and chest press. I possibly need to venture over to that area I’m just a bit scared.

OP posts:
Elektra1 · 17/02/2026 06:30

10kg for a deadlift is very light. I started going to the gym 3 months ago as a 49 year old who had only ever done home workouts with adjustable dumbbells (max weight: 10kg) before and I’m deadlifting 60kg now. I’ve only managed to go twice a week too so I could probably have done better in the time if I’d managed 3-4 times a week. But good form is very important before increasing the weight. With your medical history I would definitely book a few sessions with a PT if you can. They won’t force you to do anything but they will make sure you have good form.

SandwichMakerHater · 17/02/2026 07:19

I used a PT a couple of years after having a prolapsed disc and one really useful thought that I always keep in mind when I'm exercising is that a bar is great for seeing if you favour one side (strangely I favour the side that was injured), and working on correcting that. With dumbells it's easy to miss that because each arm is lifting independently so you might not notice that your left shoulder ends up lower and your right hand higher, or that there is a slight twist to one side, for example. Using a bar in front of a mirror was brilliant for me to really concentrate on being symmetrical.

Even a decade on, I have to work hard at visualising exactly where both hips and shoulders are during a workout otherwise I know my left side will take more strain than the right.

TheActualQueen · 17/02/2026 07:36

Stop telling the op to lift more! People should lift what they can manage.
OP in your position I’d definitely get a PT if you can afford it and explain your health issues. It’s so important to lift safely and with good form. Never mind how much people you don’t know on the internet lift.

Good luck and enjoy. Weights have helped me feel stronger and feel much less achy in perimenopause age 50 too 🏋🏻‍♀️🏋🏻‍♀️🏋🏻‍♀️

ParmaVioletTea · 17/02/2026 15:57

I had a prolapsed disc last year that massively reduced my mobility. I have trained under advise of hospital physio and the exercises I’m doing came from the hospital. I’m now looking to increase on that but going slow (maybe too slow)

Bit of a drip feed @firstofallimadelight - that changes the advice.

A GOOD PT will never push you where you are genuinely unable to go, or push you too fast. But they will challenge you, and offer you SAFE ways to get stronger. A PT will have a lot of tricks up his/her sleeve.

I've been training with a PT for 8 years now & 2 years ago, tore knee cartilage. My PT knows my physios, so they worked together to help me with "kneehab." Slowly (oh so frustratingly slowly) we worked on developing quad & glute strength and gradually I got back to heavy lifting safely., and I hit new (big) PBs just before Christmas last year.

I'm also back running (which caused the tear) - but not sprinting as I was before the knee injury. Short distances at a reasonable pace.

So it's about finding te right PT - properly qualified. I find the men who've been involved lifelong in sport are the best - their knowledge of anatomy & biomechanics comes out of years of tough sports. My PT was a teenage rower then did martial arts and now does very well in Hyrox. Other PTs at my gym have played rugby at a national level and the stuff they know about bodies & injuries is amazing.

MagpiePi · 17/02/2026 16:24

@ParmaVioletTea
I am having severe PT envy!

annonymousse · 17/02/2026 17:06

My PT did a long questionnaire and health check session before I started training with him. If I struggle with a certain exercise he adjusts it so it's still a challenge but not painful. I've been working with him for just over a year and am now dead lifting 65kg and have lost 22kg. Bit alarmed by a PP saying I should be aiming to lift my own body weight! I'm a long way from that. Oh and I'm 62.

ParmaVioletTea · 17/02/2026 17:07

He is fab. And a really decent human being, too. The thing I’ve learnt at my powerlifting gym (my commercial gym closed) is that the biggest blokes are generally the sweetest. It felt intimidating at first, going to this particular gym, but the trainers there are all fantastic. And the management too. They really set the tone for a supportive and knowledgeable place.

My PT is always doing extra training, and matches it to the needs of his clients. So he does special stuff on pregnancy and post-partum training, and he trains really fit young men, and 80 year old women. We all do pretty much the same stuff, but adjusted to abilities and bodies. And if I so much as mention a twinge in my back, then it’s no lifting for me that day.

I hope @firstofallimadelight can find a PT that suits her needs, and help get her strong!

ParmaVioletTea · 17/02/2026 17:11

But if you keep going @annonymousse youll get there or near to it. I first pulled 100 kg at age 65 and now I’m inching to110. At the moment stuck at 107.5. I wish I’d discovered proper weight lifting 20 or 30 years ago - I’d be lifting over 120 kilos now …. I can but dream.

annonymousse · 17/02/2026 18:11

@ParmaVioletTea wow!!! That's amazing!

ParmaVioletTea · 17/02/2026 18:41

And I would not have thought I was capable of any of what I now do most days in the gym. I've always been active (trained dancer) but never sporty or atghletic. Yet my PT and others at my gym (instructors of classes and watching what others do) have taught me so much about what I'm capable of.

If I can do it anyone can, really. I'm just stubborn - I don't like things to beat me. And it takes a long time - I train with a trainer, in a class, or on my own about 4-5 times a week, plus I walk a lot.

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