I worry myself over the silliest things sometimes, or at least some people think so, especially ones that don’t workout on a daily basis. I read a lot about lifting weights/females and weight lifting. I read to find out what others do and how much they lift, and how often. What I’d really like to read about, but can never seem to find, is how long people have been working out/lifting. How much experience and time in lifting to get where they are now.
Not that I am always comparing myself to others, but I kind of would like to know where I am in the broad spectrum of the weight lifting world. Well, I know I’m kind of near the the bottom of the barrel still.
I have been lifting for about only 10 months now. Although, I have made progress, I feel like I should be doing more but I’m not real sure. I am still only dead lifting 62 pounds, I still can’t do a very good deep heavy weight squat, I really suck at lunges because I have no balance. I went from lifting 5 lbs to 17 lbs. I can still only bench 62 lbs., from 5lbs. dumbbells. I have lost 40 pounds and several sizes and managed to keep it off so far. And I do have some visible muscle tone now. So, is that expected progress, or am I really slow? Remember I haven’t done any fitness since before highschool.
I follow the same workout week after week, because if I don’t, I think I will lose strength. I did stop for awhile about 4 months ago, just to try the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, but it didn’t help me much and I got back on my schedule. But my schedule is always the same: chest and triceps, back and biceps, rest, shoulders, chest and Tris., back & bi’s, rest, repeat repeat repeat. I sometimes try doing supersets and cross training but not often. I try to do legs 2 times a week and abs 3 xs a week.
I recently started trying to add running to my schedule, and now I am even more confused. I’m not sure if I should do legs the same day as running or the day before or the day after or all of the above. Well, won’t I overwork them? But I want them strong.
I guess what I’m getting at is I just wish that there were more blogs or websites about how long it takes for someone to go from 0 to 135 lbs on chest presses. Or from 60 to 250lbs squats. I know everyone is different but I’d like a general idea. Well I am 42 years old and would like to bench 150lbs before I’m 50. Is this possible for me??
just a little bit of stuff 
It’s absolutely possible, assuming you don’t have elbow or shoulder problems. Start out slowly. I started squatting 50 lbs, and within about 4 months was up to 140. More than that gave me knee problems- it all depends on your body. For those kind of gains, I would give yourself at least a year of serious training.
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I have trained people as young as 15 and as old as 55 , women in the bench press and within a good 6 weeks they were warming up with 95 pounds and doing sets of 3-4 at 135. Squatting within a few weeks warming up at 135, getting to sets of 185 and 225 within 2.5-3.5 months. So yes it is possible. Do not believe that you can’t workout the same body part more than twice a week or even a day later. A day later light helps with recovery. Do over head tri extensions, tri push downs, skull crushers and dbs at flat, incline and decline and use the hammer strength machines. Test your weights once every 2 weeks or so, that means not doing as much. When you go from exhausted to a little rested you jump up. Then change it all up up do dbs first, then machines and finish with bench and incline barbells. Vary it up and have a spotter. There are different ways to do dbs also from close grip, medium, wide, lower hands pointed in, upper in and parallel, flies, pek dek and more. Most fitness women started off as either obese or thin, they learned to get strong and muscle at the same weight is smaller and more toned than fat. If cardio is something you can do add bursts in your non test days. I have various sample workouts on my blog, check them out. Also if you have issues with push ups, like you can’t do 5, do them on off days and do 10-15 sets of 3 in between other things. Then after weeks try a good set and you should be able to do 20. Then same method for 6 and you are able to do 35-45.
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Thanks, It seems like I would probably benefit from a trainer. I would probably be much further along. Unfortunately I don’t belong to a gym and really didn’t want to join one, but I may reconsider that so that I can use machines and gain access to a trainer. Oh, and I can do 20 pushups on a good day :’)
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If you can already do 20 pushups you should be able to do 95 pounds at least.Being you said you do not workout at a gym I am guessing you workout at home? When I came home from college I bought a lot of equipment. I squat rack which I also used for bench press and shrugs, a bench, some olympic plates and dumb bells. Then I added to them, got a curling bar, leg extension/leg press, weight holders and also got standard weights and equipment that fir the different size plates. I guess you may have up rights or you are doing what I currently am as my living situation changed and I had to get rid of 85% of what I had and now it is a bench, no uprights, a curling bar, I no longer use Olympic plates, dumb bells and I have to hoist the weight to get the weight to the starting position. Plus I have an exercise ball. If you are doing bench on either the bench as described or a ball you weights will go way up in a gym as either of those make it very hard to life.
Paul
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I do have a bench with leg ext./leg press, preacher setup ad I can put the bar on the back to make it easier to lift for squats. It also does decline and incline. I have bands that I use for tricep pulldowns. I usually do my curls standing. Lately I’ve been doing dumbbell squats in front because the bar hurts my neck. I was only able to do 10 80lb. barbell squats and my legs were quivering.
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For the squats w dbs try this. One db in front and hold one behind you. It will keep you from tipping forward.
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