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?

Hi Bogey

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned already but re your grip, have you tried alternate grip i.e. one overhand and one underhand? I have found that this has worked in the past and is often recommended.

Personally I think 50kg on a deadlift is good if you're only 100lbs (45.45kg). Anything over your bodyweight is good when it comes to the big lifts.

How are you on the bench, squat, pull up, dips etc?

Not done anything fun but after a discussion on here I've dropped my routine in favour of the stronglift 5x5. It's been a long time since I did any squats or deadlifts so am starting low and rediscovering my form.

This is just a suggestion but if a forum topic is created then it may be an idea to have a thread dedicated to form/technique. Just a thought though.

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 am the same. Our gym has a new pt and I trained with him yesterday, just for fun really. I could push the prowler with an extra 60kg on just as far as he could. He just kept saying 'wow that's impressive'. I do train for myself, but those moments are also good.

Also agree with futopia one hand over one hand under helps with deadlifts and a thread for techniques would be good. I massively improved my squat form using some a few small tips I was given.

?I like to go heavy on the leg press, usually around 180 kg for 10 to 12 reps.

On the subject of more women in the weights room of late, I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the popularity of crossfit?
I suspect it has helped make weightlifting seems less of a men only activity? ?

Possible suszanne I have never been to cross fit, so I wouldn't be able to definitely. Our gym is definitely into functional fitness but not a cross fit gym.

For me it was a combo of having friends who compete and a change in PT. My previous pt was very much 'low weight and lots of reps, lots of cardio' type (this was about 8 years ago). I didn't really see the point of him watching me on a treadmill, so stopped using him. I got a new pt 3 years ago who taught me about lifting and why its good for women. He is very passionate about getting women into weights. He hows owns te gym where I train and although its the type of gym people call a 'mans gym' mainly weights, not many cardio machines. He works really hard at making sure everyone not matter what sex, fitness levels or weight you are. Because of this all the members are really nice too.

As alot of friends compete so I had lots of encouragement. Although I have to say my mum was horrified. She even accused me of doing steroids when she saw me with a smart shaker in public. She is always saying 'don't do too much you will get too big'. Think dh was a bit confused by it to. But he thinks its great now, he has seen the mental change in me too. Lifting has probably done more for my mind than my body. Feel like a different person.

I've oft pondered the Crossfit explosion and I think it's down to a few things. Firstly, it's a cost balance between just having a gym membership and having a PT- you get the programing benefit and motivation of a PT but it's much cheaper. I think it's an excellent bargain on that basis. Secondly, the gyms tend to be smaller and more personal than the big chain gyms (plus it's mainly class based) and that also makes people more likely to stick with it as there is a social/ community aspect. Thirdly, there's the opportunity to compete and there's no bar for it- it's actually very inclusive. Lastly, the "drop-in" convention is a real bonus for people who travel a lot as they can just pay a walk in rate at any Crossfit gym, which most of the big gyms wont permit.

I also think (possibly this is optimistic) that people are wising up to all the gimmicks and the appeal of Crossift is the simplicity and basicness of it all.

My local cross fit gym was expensive. Over £100 for the induction courses and to train 5 days it was £75 a month. 1-2-1 sessions were available on top. I only pay £25pcm for my gym, classes included in that. My circuits class is similar to cross fit. So it seemed alot. I wonder if other ones are cheaper? I assumed it was the going rate.

?I've no experience of crossfit but get the impression it is more welcoming to women, at least very different to the typical weights room which often feels activity unwelcoming.
I'd imagine you would rarely be the only woman at a crossfit gym?
All it will take is a few more women lifting for the men in the free weight area to get used to us bench pressing and whatnot, and then I'm sure they'll be totally cool with it :) ?

she, but what would 20 PT training sessions per month cost you because Crossfit is priced at a midpoint between DIY programming (gym for 25) and personal approach (personal trainer for 20 hrs per month)? Crossfit classes here tend to have limited numbers (1:7 ratio max- usually lower) and maybe only 3/4 trainers who know all the clients - there's a high owner = trainer factor so lower trainer turnover. With chain gyms in big cities (where crossfit gyms proliferate), the teachers switch around the whole time and the ratios are high (c.30 people in a class, 1 instructor). Also, circuits isnt Crossfit. Some Crossfit classes are similar to circuit classes, but there's also a big focus on low rep, high weight lifting (free weights). Crossfit is basically designed to be a comprehensive program that combines lifting with high intensity cardio and they program to achieve that over a week.

One caveat is that as a concept it's not well regulated (which everyone admits is problematic) and some gyms are a lot better than others.

suzanne They definitely directly market to women thru the merchandising and concept marketing, but also I think centreing it on a class structure really helps beginners get to grips with free weights in a supportive environment without haemorraging their life savings on a PT. Now I'd feel totally confident just going in the weights room and doing some hang cleans- before, no way.

I suppose marketing to women is the smart business strategy, they are an untapped potential, but it's also a win - win situation because it gets women into lifting with proper technique?

Yes comparing it to the cost of a pt , it is cheaper. But I could do 5 classes per week for £25 pcm. My gym is only small usually a max of 10 per class and usually less. Also the other PTs at the gym generally join in and help whoever is leading the class, like a team effort, so (yesterday for example) there was 3 PTs to 8 other participants. So for me, its expensive.

As I said my circuits class includes lots of cross fit aspects, but is not cross fit. Cross fit doesn't appeal to me, mainly because I get the results I am looking for where I am for a fraction of the price. I can see the appeal, though.

For me it felt expensive in comparison to what I get at my gym.

I think crossfits marketing to women and couples has been great. Definitely helped the rise of women doing weights

wow she- sounds like you're getting a bargain- I need to move to where you live ! Round these parts you can't get a decent peak gym membership for less than a hundred a month and even then the 6-8pm classes are stupidly overbooked (I have seen fights break out over "saved" spin bikes" ). Mind you, Asian gyms are random- I once went at lunchtime and there was someone eating their Maccas whilst cycling on the exercise bike.

some gyms here are astonishingly cheap, I've a friend who pays about or £10 a month for a large fully equipped gym with all the weights and cardio you could ask for plus free classes.
I dont know how they manage to make a profit.

Mine is around £35 per month and is pretty good.
I would just love to live near one of those really huge gyms with all the best equipment and loads of it so you dont have to wait to use things and you can always do exactly what you went there to do

What's an Asian gym?

I have seen people eating chocolate whilst in the bikes and found a wispa wrapper lodged in a resistance machine once at a chain gym

Yeah its a bargain. The only staff they have are also pts who work reception, do cleaning etc because it is small. There are no non trained staff. But the perks are that if they aren't busy they do the classes too. Has a good community spirit. We are all doing Spartan race at Manchester. Member even re rack their weights at this one. I just don't feel close enough to ask questions like I would here.

The cheapest chain gym here is one of the fitness for less at about £20pm but not very good.

I used to be a member at total fitness which was £50pm and you are right, nothing causing arguments like 'saved' spin bike. Oh and lockers....the amount of time I heard 'i always use that locker and someone's taken it' felt like shouting 'there is a thousand lockers and they are all identical....get a grip!'

I suppose looking at the cost of gyms in your area crossfit is cheap. Its just from my perspective it didn't seem it. Maybe my local crossfit needs to look at that. I was hoping they would do the kids version there, but they aren't planning on it. My dc would love it.

Actually now I think about it actually may not be similar to cross fit. Its similar to what I think cross fit is.

Yesterday started with a

5 min run to the park
Body weight squats, burpees and uphil sprint
Run back

I'm the gym the circuits were

Kettle bells (double arm swing then, squat to upright row)
Squat box jumps
Weighted pushups
Weighted sit ups
Sledge hammer on a hgv tyre
Weighted prowler
Monkey bars (weighted)
Weighted lunges
Weighted squats

Then we have an outdoor area where we have more hgv tyres and a fenced off part for sprints. So did

10 x burpees
Sprint
5 squat jumps on to a tyre (different heights for different abilities)
Repeated 5 times.

I would say its more boot camp than circuits, but i haven't done circuits anywhere else.

An Asian gym is a gym in Asia ( where I live). Sorry- was trying not to be too specific as paranoid about identity theft . Your description is quite like a Crossfit grinder session but there are other sessions which are more heavy lifting focused and just so a short circuit- type piece at the end for 15 mins or so. It's difficult to be really definitive though as all gyms can program as they want so they're all different.

I love the idea of the hammer thing- that must be a major stress release!!

Oh right! I didn't even consider that's what it meant. My silly assumption was you were in the UK. Apologies.

Oh right! I didn't even consider that's what it meant. My silly assumption was you were in the UK. Apologies.

Sorry. Had to cut off mid way. Ds came home.

I LOVE the hammer and tyre. It really is a great stress reliever we all play 'who can make the loudest bang' everyone wants to be the one to split it. No luck yet.

I do heavy lifts followed by 15 mins of this type on the other 4 days. Today I was outside trying to increase how high I can squat jump. The outside tyres are varying heights and I can't manage the highest one. Will take some pic tomorrow to post.

Battle ropes is another favourite of mine.

All it will take is a few more women lifting for the men in the free weight area to get used to us bench pressing and whatnot, and then I'm sure they'll be totally cool with it

Is the general experience one where women are made to feel unwelcome? Sounds sad if it is.

It may be because I've been a member of David Lloyds for so long but I've seen a slow and steady increase in women doing free weights sessions (including my wife). I do appreciate that men often appear aloof but I think most would gladly give you a spot or share a squat rack if busy.

My experience is that I am usually the only woman in the free weights section, but the majority of regularly attending men there are friendly and polite-mine is a local council gym so not particularly 'meat heady' (in fact they actively discourage that kind if environment) but so far as the guys that are tended that way go, they generally seem very much in favour of women lifting heavy, it's only the odd idiot who wanders up and picks up a bar or weights I'm close to without checking whether I'm between sets because they clearly assume I couldn't be lifting it . I admit that I get a certain sense of satisfaction from putting them right .

shewept I agree wholeheartedly on how beneficial lifting can be for women's mindset/self esteem. It can be incredibly empowering and there is definitely a knock on effect on day to day life.

Is the general experience one where women are made to feel unwelcome? Sounds sad if it is.

Not in my gym. It only has a few cardio machine and is mainly based on weights and functional stuff (Tyre flips, sledge hammers, battle ropes etc.) it what people describe as a 'mans gym' lots of free weights etc. And the membership was 90% male before the new owner took over. Now its 40% female. So no men bat an eyelid and all the members are welcoming.

At the chain gym i used to go, it was a bit of nightmare. It took a while for me to go into the free weight area without my pt. I had men that would wonder round behind me when doing squats. I would move to a different area and they would appear behind me again, this happened regularly. If my nails were done there would be comments about them an about not being able to do weights seriously with nail varnish on. Crude comments if I was laid down doing chest press about how they could jump on me. It was awful.

Thankfully it was pt that bought the gym I am at now. There is no division between men or women at all.

I also hate that chain gyms have a 'ladies gym' which is a room full of cardio machines out of the main gym, where there is also cardio machines. I understand some people don't like working out in front of people but it should be called a private gym, not ladies. Gives the impression that ladies should only do cardio.

sleep yes our gym actively encourages non meat head types. I never feel uncomfortable going in like I did at the chain gym. I also think i wouldn't let the stupid men at my old gym bother me as much now if I had to go there. Because lifting has given me so much confidence.

My left hip started dislocating in my last pregnancy, it never fully recovered. I expected to have stiff weak hip forever. But now I can squat and squat jump on to hgv tyres. It took a while to get the strength and confidence to do these things. But not I give anything a go. Lifting has taught me I can do anything, I may need to practice but I will get there.

Most men are fine, but some just STARE, and often don't give me enough space.
A few times if I'm using something I've had men sit or stand close by and stare at me making it obvious that they want to use whatever it is, hoping I guess that I will feel intimidated and move.
I don't, I take even longer.
My other half uses the same gym, no one would ever treat him like that.
Never had lewd comments, not sure how I'd react, it is a mildly meathead gym ?

I just to stare at them till they walked away.

Tbh women at the gym where a nightmare, just not when it came to weights room. One woman always used to stand on a treadmill (it wasn't moving) and chat to women on the next treadmill along while they were running/ walking. Even when all the other treadmills were gone she wouldn't move. So there would be people waiting even though she didn't actually want to use the treadmill.