Does anyone use a decent weight lifting forum?

[BlameItOnTheBogey]

I've been trying to find somewhere for ages where I can chat to other women who lift. But the only forums I have found are either women lifting super light and mainly focussed on cardio or more serious forums which are over-run with misogynists (bodybuilding.com actually makes me weep at how much they hate women).

I want somewhere I can talk about decent weight lifting kit, how to up my personal bests, whether I should be avoiding the trap bar for my deadlifts, how to improve my grip strength, whether protein shakes actually do anything etc etc.

Is there anything like this out there for women?

Oh and counting the macros...not everyone does it. But I have found its really helped me shred fat and increase muscle. My lifts are still going up even though I am in a calorie deficit for fat loss

re cardio, I think it's not just the length of the session but also the intensity that you are working at which determines how much 'load' cardio puts on you and therefore detracts from the capacity for adaptation which is available for strength gains.

The optimal combination will vary from person to person and (for each person) will also vary over time and according to circumstances.

for overall long term health I would say focus on strength training but avoid anything which compromises the integrity of joints.
(My feeling is that shoulder joints may be especially vulnerable in women?)

possibly moderate amount of lowish intensity cardio are enough to keep cv health in good nick

then again if you have a passion for something why not just fill your boots?

I asked MNHQ about having a specific board, and they said to post in Site Stuff to see how much interest there would be in the idea.

I agree Suzanne, if women can do only one thing for their health in terms of exercise then it should be resistance training. Unless you enjoy it, loads of cardio isn't necessary.

Just a dull health and safety point on the macros etc - I'm a health coach and work with lots of people struggling with disordered eating. If this is something you've tended towards in the past then macros can be just as crazy-making as any other diet and might be best avoided

sleep definitely a good point. I know alot of competitive body builders. Disordered eating is very common in these circles. For me its something I do most of the time. I have been away this weekend. Didn't count a thing. But I know people who couldn't have had a weekend (or day) off.

Among PT's too, there's a surprising (or not ) prevalence of it. They aren't always the healthy role models you might think they would be.

thing is one persons unhealthy and obsessive is another persons focused and dedicated, obviously there are extremes which are unequivocally harmful, but it is in part a matter of what you consider to be normal or proper

some people find a way out of anorexia via exercise, you might argue that they are still ill because they have just swapped one compulsion for another but for a person who is prone to that kind of thing a less harmful compulsion may be the their best option.
(appreciate this may be a controversial take on the subject)

I think there are red flags that would take it beyond focused and dedicated and like shewept says, I think that would include never being able to take a day off counting macros etc or working out, or when your social life disappears because you don't want to compromise a workout or its effects, if your period goes AWOL, if you find you are continually resricting food harder or working out longer to get the same sense of a high or just that you have done enough....utter rigidity isn't healthy, even Olympic athletes rest and eat what they like from time to time.

I have an friend who is currently doing a study about the fitness industry (looking at competitors and pts) and disordered eating.

I have never been sure which comes first. Do people suffering gravitate towards being a competitor / pt or the other way round.

I don't know the girl very well, but am looking forward to seeing the study.

I don't agree that's its the best option, to turn to exercise. I have seen some catastrophic fall out, from people using exercise to mask or recover from eating problems. But that's my experience. Not actual factual evidence.

But this could be a thread for a lifting section. Going to look in site stuff now.

Interesting question shewept, I suspect that as is often the case with ED's, genetics lay the fire and environment strikes the match?

I'd be interested so we the paper too if that's possible please

'best option' may not be the right term, perhaps most realistic or likely to be acceptable or achievable in the short term

sleep as soon as I know she has finished I will see if she will let me link it.

The only concern I have is that she was always quite vocal about how lifting helped her beat her ed, then was vocal about how weights caused her ed. I feel she may be biased in her view of it. But it will make an interesting read.

All but one of my friends (who compete) are already starting with the breakdowns. Some are 20+ weeks from competition. Its really quite concerning.

Is someone starting a thread in site stuff? I am happy to do it, just don't want to tread on anyone toes

people who are prone to going to extremes....are prone to going to extremes

I think with bodybuilding you can get enmeshed in the culture and lose touch with what is a 'normal' body shape

if you exercise regularly you are already abnormal or obsessive in the view of the 'average' person so there can be a kind of 'well I might as well go the whole 9 yards' mentality

Just done it, please add your names here!

I have done it!

Thanks shewept. I don't know if you've heard of Maddy Moon, she is a former bikini competitor who went down that crazy road and has made it through the other side. Now doing similar work to me. Interesting story and may be good for your friends by the sounds of it (if/when they are ready to listen).

sleep she is fantastic. Thank you for the link. I will definitely pass it along. I was considering competing myself, but the girls have put me off without even trying. I got a phone call at 3am once because my friend couldn't sleep and her coach had said she would find it hard to shred fat if she wasn't sleeping properly. She was really stressed, which made it worse. Right then I knew I would be like if I did competitions. So now its just because its fun and healthy.

competing in anything is bound to put you into a whole new category of pressure surely.
I've never had any interest myself, either in bodybuilding or running, partly because I like to train according to my own schedule rather than have to be ready for a certain event
Mainly I'm just not at that sort of level, but as long as I can get to a standard which I feel is good for me, then I'm happy

Yes, its whole different kettle of fish. That's why I won't do it. I love lifting and the gym in general. I think, for me, competing would take the fun out of it.

I agree re competing.

I'm more motivated too by beating my own personal best than I would be by beating others (although I admit that I get an enormous kick from the surprise people can show when they see me lift some really heavy at the gym).

I might look into macros. I've never really had a problem with food and so don't think I am at risk of being obsessive about it. Although I can see how that could happen for some.

I've signed into the thread in site stuff. Contemplated writing 'In b4 the topic is created' but wasn't sure if anyone would get my half-arse and rather lame 'in' joke...

I weight lift five days a week. I don't use weight lifting forums only Pop on here now and again. I train with a coach several times a week where I have many like minded friends who also use a coach. We sometimes get together outside the gym for a meal or we will all go to the gym to train. I don't let my training time ever impose. On my family time I have four children and also work part time.
I don't use protien shakes As I am intolarant to whey and for most it's not needed. But I do use essentail amnios. food is calculated and I eat 6meals a day to fuel my workouts. I also take an alsortment of vitamins and supporting suppliements too.

Hello all. Just checking in to keep this thread going not least because MN want evidence of interest before they consider creating a topic. I had a personal best on leg press today with 3 sets of 250 pounds. Not bad considering I am recovering from a back injury so have been taking it easy recently.

Anyone else done anything fun this week?