Comments on: Women And Weight Training: Debunking The Myths http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/ Brinkzone: The Final Frontier In Bodybuilding , Health & Fitness Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:03:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Will Brink http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-746 Will Brink Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:06:37 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-746 Thanx for the thoughtful comment May. With ladies like you and Elissa out there acting as examples for others, we can change the "toning and firming" community of women into those who realize weights - and heavy weights at that - are the way to go if you want a lean healthy body. Also, see my blog post on common industry terms I hate for more comments on "toning and firming" Thanx for the thoughtful comment May. With ladies like you and Elissa out there acting as examples for others, we can change the “toning and firming” community of women into those who realize weights - and heavy weights at that - are the way to go if you want a lean healthy body. Also, see my blog post on common industry terms I hate for more comments on “toning and firming”

]]> By: May http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-741 May Sun, 19 Oct 2008 06:06:41 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-741 This is a great post Wil yet being a female nurse, personal trainer and family member, I have to agree with Elissa.... women just can't get past certain issues when it comes to strength training. Even the term alone is enough for me to see them shudder! Myths will continue and until they do it themselves, they will never learn. I know, I was one of those women who would lift weights but very light weights and do 20-30 sets. I was terrified of bulking up and looking like a "he she" from Supersize She. My boyfriend laughed at me and he continued to push me to try heavier weights. I gave in and since he volunteered to spot me, I was okay with it... hence Elissa's point about a female psyche and hanging around the weights) He put me through heavy bicep curls, bench presses and back and leg workouts. After 10 years of lifting weights, it wasn't until I went heavy with my boyfriend that I started to see "tone and definition" to my arms and legs. Until we can find ways to get women to BELIEVE and actually walk to the dumbells and know that it will tone and define their body rather than bulk it... these myths will continue to persist. There needs to be a challenge contest of before and after pictures of women who go from no strength training to strength training 3x/wk!! This is a great post Wil yet being a female nurse, personal trainer and family member, I have to agree with Elissa…. women just can’t get past certain issues when it comes to strength training.

Even the term alone is enough for me to see them shudder! Myths will continue and until they do it themselves, they will never learn. I know, I was one of those women who would lift weights but very light weights and do 20-30 sets. I was terrified of bulking up and looking like a “he she” from Supersize She.

My boyfriend laughed at me and he continued to push me to try heavier weights. I gave in and since he volunteered to spot me, I was okay with it… hence Elissa’s point about a female psyche and hanging around the weights) He put me through heavy bicep curls, bench presses and back and leg workouts. After 10 years of lifting weights, it wasn’t until I went heavy with my boyfriend that I started to see “tone and definition” to my arms and legs.

Until we can find ways to get women to BELIEVE and actually walk to the dumbells and know that it will tone and define their body rather than bulk it… these myths will continue to persist.

There needs to be a challenge contest of before and after pictures of women who go from no strength training to strength training 3x/wk!!

]]> By: Will Brink http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-292 Will Brink Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:07:05 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-292 Carol. Yes, start today! As you said, one day at a time, one foot in front of the other. Lots of free articles on my web site too for additional info. Make sure to take a "before" pic so you can see what progress is made over time. Vickie, lift heavy and often! No pink weighs for you! Pam, 80lbs lost and kept off is something to be very proud. I don't even know you, and I'm proud of you! :-) Frances, I know what it's like to deal with illness (read my latest interview) and have also have to find ways of making sure to workout. Life happens, and you have to work with what you have. Articles on my site give some suggestions about basics of days per week. For example, see the article "Follow The Kiss System For Success" for some ideas. Carol. Yes, start today! As you said, one day at a time, one foot in front of the other. Lots of free articles on my web site too for additional info. Make sure to take a “before” pic so you can see what progress is made over time.

Vickie, lift heavy and often! No pink weighs for you!

Pam, 80lbs lost and kept off is something to be very proud. I don’t even know you, and I’m proud of you! :-)

Frances, I know what it’s like to deal with illness (read my latest interview) and have also have to find ways of making sure to workout. Life happens, and you have to work with what you have. Articles on my site give some suggestions about basics of days per week. For example, see the article “Follow The Kiss System For Success” for some ideas.

]]> By: Frances Hayday http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-289 Frances Hayday Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:09:53 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-289 Will, After a period of illness from which I am recovering, I am switching from strictly swimming, to swimming and resistance training. I am quite weak, even after a lot of distance swimming over a year, and feel daunted by the prospect of gaining strength in my muscles starting at the beginner's level of resistance training. Will it get easier, and will I gradually gain strength, going to the gym 3-4 times per week, or should I go every day for 30-45 minutes? Anything you have to say to help would be appreciated. Thanks, Frances Will, After a period of illness from which I am recovering, I am switching from strictly swimming, to swimming and resistance training. I am quite weak, even after a lot of distance swimming over a year, and feel daunted by the prospect of gaining strength in my muscles starting at the beginner’s level of resistance training. Will it get easier, and will I gradually gain strength, going to the gym 3-4 times per week, or should I go every day for 30-45 minutes? Anything you have to say to help would be appreciated. Thanks, Frances

]]> By: Pam http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-288 Pam Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:55:36 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-288 I'm also a fan of weight training! Not only does it do wonders for me physically but mentally as well (go into it mad/stressed and walk away light as a feather feeling great). With the assistance of weight training, I lost 80 lbs over the past two years. I'm not a cardio chick by any means unless it involves the outdoors. You do what works for you and your body. Health and Happiness are the most important things to concentrate on while your alive....the otherstuff that you deal with are just tests. I’m also a fan of weight training! Not only does it do wonders for me physically but mentally as well (go into it mad/stressed and walk away light as a feather feeling great). With the assistance of weight training, I lost 80 lbs over the past two years. I’m not a cardio chick by any means unless it involves the outdoors. You do what works for you and your body. Health and Happiness are the most important things to concentrate on while your alive….the otherstuff that you deal with are just tests.

]]> By: Vickie http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-280 Vickie Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:06:57 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-280 Bravo Will! I've been a big fan of weight training for some time. Though not currently at an ideal weight *cough*, I do lots of weight training, load bearing exercises and whatnot. I can't stand aerobics as marketed to women, or dumbed-down Yoga. Itty bitty little pink dumbbells only suitable as paperweights. I'll take the real deal and I'll do what I can to be the best me I can be. Bravo Will!

I’ve been a big fan of weight training for some time. Though not currently at an ideal weight *cough*, I do lots of weight training, load bearing exercises and whatnot. I can’t stand aerobics as marketed to women, or dumbed-down Yoga. Itty bitty little pink dumbbells only suitable as paperweights. I’ll take the real deal and I’ll do what I can to be the best me I can be.

]]> By: Carol http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-278 Carol Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:52:11 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-278 Thank you for your article Will and for the posts here on the blog about weight training for women. When I was fit and strong awhile ago (got out of training and got fat - ugh!) a female said to me ...."Wow, you are buff!" I didn't know what that meant... she explained that it was a compliment and that I looked fit, trim, muscular. I lifted often, did martial arts 3-4 times a week and ran/biked and did cardio karate. Life changed... I got LAZY... and junk foody.... and I am not happy where I am... So I am starting back to the road to recovering my body through weight trainig and good choices with proper diet. I look foward to the blog and future posts. Need to get this 185 lb 5ft 4in female who is blubbery back to the buff 5ft 4in - 130's (I never checked my weight back then).... I just fit in my clothes and felt great. I want that back. So, I will work at it... one day at a time..... starting today. Thanks. Thank you for your article Will and for the posts here on the blog about weight training for women. When I was fit and strong awhile ago (got out of training and got fat - ugh!) a female said to me ….”Wow, you are buff!” I didn’t know what that meant… she explained that it was a compliment and that I looked fit, trim, muscular. I lifted often, did martial arts 3-4 times a week and ran/biked and did cardio karate. Life changed… I got LAZY… and junk foody…. and I am not happy where I am… So I am starting back to the road to recovering my body through weight trainig and good choices with proper diet. I look foward to the blog and future posts. Need to get this 185 lb 5ft 4in female who is blubbery back to the buff 5ft 4in - 130’s (I never checked my weight back then)…. I just fit in my clothes and felt great. I want that back. So, I will work at it… one day at a time….. starting today. Thanks.

]]> By: Philip (fairlane) http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-275 Philip (fairlane) Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:02:10 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-275 I see more men doing pilates and aerobic classes than I see women in the free-weight area of my gym. Those that are, are being "trained" (wrongly I might add) by either mis-informed men, or the gyms trainers themselves. I think also there is a bit of "I-don't-want all-the-men-staring-at-me-while-I'm-working-out" syndrome coming from some women. I know one woman actually told me that. Yes she was gorgeous, but I tried to reassure her that men are staring because we're sick of staring at other men, please send more women our way :) - After a while we won't notice, I promise ;) I sometimes notice even men won't work in with a woman say on a bench press because of the disparity in loads between each. How sad. I don't give a shit who I work in with, whether they are ten times weaker than me, or ten times stronger. I just want to get my stuff done, and if it's a woman, so be it. If I get asked for ''advice'', and sometimes I do, I usually find out that they aren't doing the same exercises as men are, for the above reasons. I never understood that either and always told women, there's no reason you can't do the same stuff we are. In fact, most women would confide that they really want to. Well, ladies, go ahead. To hell with who's watching, to hell what others may think, as the commercial says - JUST DO IT. I see more men doing pilates and aerobic classes than I see women in the free-weight area of my gym. Those that are, are being “trained” (wrongly I might add) by either mis-informed men, or the gyms trainers themselves. I think also there is a bit of “I-don’t-want all-the-men-staring-at-me-while-I’m-working-out” syndrome coming from some women. I know one woman actually told me that. Yes she was gorgeous, but I tried to reassure her that men are staring because we’re sick of staring at other men, please send more women our way :) - After a while we won’t notice, I promise ;) I sometimes notice even men won’t work in with a woman say on a bench press because of the disparity in loads between each. How sad. I don’t give a shit who I work in with, whether they are ten times weaker than me, or ten times stronger. I just want to get my stuff done, and if it’s a woman, so be it. If I get asked for ”advice”, and sometimes I do, I usually find out that they aren’t doing the same exercises as men are, for the above reasons. I never understood that either and always told women, there’s no reason you can’t do the same stuff we are. In fact, most women would confide that they really want to. Well, ladies, go ahead. To hell with who’s watching, to hell what others may think, as the commercial says - JUST DO IT.

]]> By: Robyn Booth http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-264 Robyn Booth Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:09:30 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-264 Like Elissa, I am often the only female in the free weights section of the gym and I agree that it is a fear of failure and being out of place that keep the girls down the other end. And yes, I too keep telling my friends about the benefits of weight training, but am constantly given the reply of not wanting to get bulky. I don't know how to get through to them. I have shown them articles like this, but to no avail. I will keep persisting as I am addicted to the buzz of weight training. Like Elissa, I am often the only female in the free weights section of the gym and I agree that it is a fear of failure and being out of place that keep the girls down the other end. And yes, I too keep telling my friends about the benefits of weight training, but am constantly given the reply of not wanting to get bulky. I don’t know how to get through to them. I have shown them articles like this, but to no avail. I will keep persisting as I am addicted to the buzz of weight training.

]]> By: Will Brink http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/general-health/women-and-weight-training-debunking-the-myths/#comment-241 Will Brink Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:58:07 +0000 http://www.brinkzone.com/blog/?p=346#comment-241 Knowledge is power Joyce! :-) Knowledge is power Joyce! :-)

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