Chick concerned about over-doing it with weights

[limelight_9]

I'm a female who just started going back to the gym to get my body/mind in order. I need to loose about 30 pounds and am confident I can do so with the exercise/diet/lifestyle change routine. I've been doing a great deal of weight lifting because its the perfect thing to go along with the cardio workout (muscle burns more calories than fat).. I've been sticking with the weight machines and testing my strength as I go.. I suck with arm/chest machines and max out at around 30 pounds. My arms are like sticks of butter and feel useless.. My back is pretty strong and I can go 120 lbs on the back press, about 45 lbs on the stomach curl machine.. For my legs I can do about 40 - 60 lbs on extension or curl, but for leg press I can do about 145 or so..

My question is how do you know when you're lifting the correct ammount of weight and are not putting yourself in danger of injury/pulled muscles. Just because i'm not feeling pain/tearing when pushing 150, I could be doing some harm if I push to 160. It's hard for me to tell when its time to push to the next weight level. I could go with the "feel the burn" strategy, but it's supposed to hurt when you're doing something effective.

I asked my gyrl that I worked out with, but she thinks anything over 20 pounds is overdoing it for a female.

[khalid a.k.a Genocide]

Since you are mostly using machines, the possibility of an injury is relatively small. People often get injured using free weights because freeweights require balance and a certain amount of knowledge of exercising.

As far as not being sure if the exercises are really working since you're not feeling anything on muscles; Why not add 5lbs every week on all your lifts/exercises. And also if you're doing 3 sets per exercise, up the weight after every set. You should soon reach a point were the weights will be really heavy to you.

But then again, your goal is not to get bulky. so I don't think you should worry much about lifting extremely heavy weights. Just lift moderate heavy weights(to you) and keep a 8 to15 repetitions per exercise. One more thing, I think you ought to try free weights(FW) as well, but with FWs start very light in order to use/learn good form.

whats your routine(weight training) like? and hows your diet(most important part of the equation)?

[ahhhhhsht]

U should be able to do atleast 8 reps, I like the 8-15 range he said. And the minute u start to lose perfect form its to much. As a guy its ok to cheat a lil to get that extra on the last set, but a girl wanting to lose weight i say no cheating high reps.

[limelight_9]

Originally Posted by khalid a.k.a Genocide

Since you are mostly using machines, the possibility of an injury is relatively small. People often get injured using free weights because freeweights require balance and a certain amount of knowledge of exercising.

As far as not being sure if the exercises are really working since you're not feeling anything on muscles; Why not add 5lbs every week on all your lifts/exercises. And also if you're doing 3 sets per exercise, up the weight after every set. You should soon reach a point were the weights will be really heavy to you.

But then again, your goal is not to get bulky. so I don't think you should worry much about lifting extremely heavy weights. Just lift moderate heavy weights(to you) and keep a 8 to15 repetitions per exercise. One more thing, I think you ought to try free weights(FW) as well, but with FWs start very light in order to use/learn good form.

whats your routine(weight training) like? and hows your diet(most important part of the equation)?

Thanks for the tips guys.. A sista is tired of being out of shape, feeling lazy, looking less than my best, health in decline and just plain unhappy.

I try to switch up my routine. One night it's arm work/back and stomach, next time its leg work and stomach and always cardio on the treadmill for about 45 minutes.

I've been back in the gym for about 2 weeks now and I feel a change in my daily stamina. I've got more energy, I can go up a flight of stairs without wheezing like an 80 yr old, and i'm generally more bouncy and happy.

My diet has gotten much better in the past few weeks.

Breakfast i'll have a scrambled egg beaters (the alternative stuff in the carton), dry wheat toast, OJ and a cup of green tea

Snack - fruit (fresh apple or pear or canned peaches)

Lunch - sandwich from deli near the job (potbelly's starbucks sammich, subway, corner bakery) Ummmm am I doing it too death with bread?

Snack - cup of green tea

Dinner - usually something home made (meat and a veggie) I dont eat red meat and I dont eat pork (since 99) I only eat fish, chicken, and turkey.

My downfall is the weekend when I go kinda wacky for fast food or am just too lazy to cook. Then in comes in the 3-pc chicken wings with fries and mild sauce.. McChicken sammiches from mcdonalds, and super sized fries.. damnnnnnn i'm a french fry head.. and I got a krazy sweet tooth for desserts.. It's a struggle to stay out of the damn starbucks in my building but i'm doing better slowly.

[khalid a.k.a Genocide]

Originally Posted by limelight_9

Thanks for the tips guys.. A sista is tired of being out of shape, feeling lazy, looking less than my best, health in decline and just plain unhappy.

I try to switch up my routine. One night it's arm work/back and stomach, next time its leg work and stomach and always cardio on the treadmill for about 45 minutes.

I've been back in the gym for about 2 weeks now and I feel a change in my daily stamina. I've got more energy, I can go up a flight of stairs without wheezing like an 80 yr old, and i'm generally more bouncy and happy.

My diet has gotten much better in the past few weeks.

Breakfast i'll have a scrambled egg beaters (the alternative stuff in the carton), dry wheat toast, OJ and a cup of green tea

Snack - fruit (fresh apple or pear or canned peaches)

Lunch - sandwich from deli near the job (potbelly's starbucks sammich, subway, corner bakery) Ummmm am I doing it too death with bread?

Snack - cup of green tea

Dinner - usually something home made (meat and a veggie) I dont eat red meat and I dont eat pork (since 99) I only eat fish, chicken, and turkey.

My downfall is the weekend when I go kinda wacky for fast food or am just too lazy to cook. Then in comes in the 3-pc chicken wings with fries and mild sauce.. McChicken sammiches from mcdonalds, and super sized fries.. damnnnnnn i'm a french fry head.. and I got a krazy sweet tooth for desserts.. It's a struggle to stay out of the damn starbucks in my building but i'm doing better slowly.

how many times a week do you train? 3,4,5??

I think you should also work your chest and shoulders that way you'll be workingout all body parts. And its also a more effective way to lose weight(whe all body parts are being exercised/workout).

As far as your diet, it looks good. But instead of eating egg beaters, try and just eat egg whites. Egg whites pack a good amount of protein, which you want. And you should cut back on the fast food really because its not gonna help you achieve (and maintain) your goal. You can cheat on your diet once in a while like once a month, just not more than that in my opinion.

[limelight_9]

Originally Posted by khalid a.k.a Genocide

how many times a week do you train? 3,4,5??

I think you should also work your chest and shoulders that way you'll be workingout all body parts. And its also a more effective way to lose weight(whe all body parts are being exercised/workout).

As far as your diet, it looks good. But instead of eating egg beaters, try and just eat egg whites. Egg whites pack a good amount of protein, which you want. And you should cut back on the fast food really because its not gonna help you achieve (and maintain) your goal. You can cheat on your diet once in a while like once a month, just not more than that in my opinion.

Most definately i've cut out the weekend junk food fests (for the past 2 weeks now) I've tried egg whites they taste so blahhh to me. But I know they are good for me with the protein. Knowing me i'd be tempted to drop some cheese on em for flavor.

I'm also doing chest exercises on arm/upper body workout day. I pay lots of attention to the chest exercises to build muscle there hoping some of the fat will go away. Actually the biggest part of me is the chest area. The DD's look real nice in a low cut shirt, but they get in my way, slow me down, hurt the back and hopefully weightloss overall will have em shrinking a bit.

(I wish there were more females in here to talk to about that)

[ahhhhhsht]

u know they have fat free cheese right? I get it and it taste good to me.

[limelight_9]

I'm happy to have some progress to report. I've got a side gig that's physically straining. Lots of walking, standing for about 7 hours, harsh weather conditions ect.. Our whole team constantly complains of an aching back, sore knees, hurting feet, stiff neck by about midway through the day, and are pratically dead on their feet by the end of the day feeling like somebody took a bat to their backs and knees.

Today was my first day back to tha side-gig since my 2 weeks or so of workin out 4 days a week. My routine is pretty much the same but i've boosted the weights up by 5 pounds or so on all the machines. Today was the first time I was pain free all day while working at that job. My energy level was krazy and I was bouncing around all over the place today. Not oncr did I say "i'm tired/sore/sleepy/pissed off" like I usually would..... My back felt great, and the knees were all good too. I used to leave that place pratically in tears and ready to crawl out rather than walk due to the pain shooting up and down my knees and back.

I'm on the road to being stronger physically and I digg how it feels...

[AmmunitionVX]

It's extremely hard for women to put on Muscle, I think cuase of the lack of testerone.............The builky women you see, trust me they put alot of work into it and some use roids.....