shoulder press wt ques? - JP Fitness Forums

afterburn · 02-19-2008, 11:08 AM

Today I did 30lb each arm shoulder presses on stage 1 b-3. 35 lbs was a no go even though the 30 was a ok ! Anyway, I asked a trainer at the gym what I should do because a 10 total add would be to much right now. He looked at me shocked & said 30lb is really too much for a woman !! He is really nice & wasn't being a jerk by no means, he just didn't want me to risk a shoulder injury w/ that much weight..He said the women that he has trained for a long time are only up to 15lb each ( I laughed & said "I know, iv'e seen you with those PINK dumbbells"). In u-tube I have seen women lift more than 30lb ! So , do I need to move up in weight, I have b4 coming up on Wed & do 8 reps? It kinda is crazy to stay at 30 & do lower reps, but I know I'm not ready to jump to 35.. I can't even get the 35 up in position! He recommended ( if I was going to do 30 ) doing a slower rep or doing 8- 4x? Thanks guys & gals

MuscleMom23 · 02-19-2008, 12:01 PM

Actually I was thinking about getting Plate Mates just for these! I am not up to your weight but I can't see to get up to 20's. The plate mates I guess come in different increments.

I saw somewhere on here that (I think with squats or deadlifts I dunno it was a good idea!) you do what you can with the heavier ones and then switch out to the lighter ones or rest and do more with heavier.

I had to do that with shoulder presses to get where I am because of an old injury. I go heavy then drop down the weight and immediately pick up lighter and even lighter if I have to in one set. GGGGRRRRRR!!! LOL! I want them heavy dumbells LOL!

BTW the trainer at the gym was not sympathetic to my plight either saying that 15lbs was real good for a woman! (can you say black eye LOL!)

rixatrix · 02-19-2008, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afterburn

Anyway, I asked a trainer at the gym what I should do because a 10 total add would be to much right now. He looked at me shocked & said 30lb is really too much for a woman

Haha! He's just so shocked you're already stronger than him!

I was doing my workout in the weight room the other day and totally out-working this guy in his 30s-40s. I was thinking in my head, "Come on guy, you're being lazy! You're being outlifted by a girl in her 20s who just started this program!"

Anyway, we were just talking the other day about ways to move up in weight. Keep using the 30s, but add an extra set at the end. Or you can use the 35s until your arms give out, then drop down to the 30s to finish the set. And no matter what, keep kicking ass! Those boys are going to have to learn a new lift when they see you with the 35s - picking their jaws up off the floor.

beach_plums · 02-19-2008, 12:46 PM

Another option would be to continue to use the 30lbs and add some wrist weights.

marygrace · 02-19-2008, 01:51 PM

I also received a comment about heavy lifting, but from a WOMAN trainer! A couple weeks ago, I felt I needed some guidance as to how to get the form down for my deadlifts. When I told her I'd been lifting 65 lbs, she said there was no reason for me to lift that much, and told me I should stick with the 25-lb little bar with no weight on it. PFFFFT.

Lisa~ · 02-19-2008, 02:03 PM

You guys will probably get a kick out of this:

lies in the gym

For the shoulder presses, I like the wrist weights idea. It starts to get hard to add weight once you're near the max you can press. Being able to add just 1 lb or 2 lb per side is great.

marygrace · 02-19-2008, 02:26 PM

Great link, Lisa. I frequent another fitness website that just recently highlighted NROL4W. Apparently most of the posters there are pretty ignorant, because almost all of the comments went along the lines of "I don't want to get too bulky!" So silly.

prof41 · 02-19-2008, 03:34 PM

You know what's even scarier. I trained with an excellent trainer who wrote up my w/o's etc (similar to the ones in NRT4W) but had an assistant who would go over the excercises with me to check form etc.

And SHE was always telling me, not too heavy, don't want to get man arms......

I'll put up with ignorance from regular joe's in gyms, but when an assistant trainer tells you this....well.....

rixatrix · 02-19-2008, 03:57 PM

Oh man, I guess I'm lucky. I go to my local YMCA and everyone is so supportive. I started going in the morning and this woman who was a regular introduced herself to me - in the free weight room, which is almost always a ratio of 5:1, men to women.

And this weekend, I saw this TOTALLY unassuming, Dad-like guy heave 410lbs in the most amazing deadlift I'd ever seen. He brings his teenage daughter into the weight room and she does squats and bench presses and all sorts of other legitimate exercises.

But honestly, if anyone ever told me what I couldn't lift, I'd just laugh at them and tell them all about my plan to have arms that scare men and children. I also have a plan involving a dozen pullups and an all-pink workout outfit...but that's still several months off.

marygrace · 02-19-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

And this weekend, I saw this TOTALLY unassuming, Dad-like guy heave 410lbs in the most amazing deadlift I'd ever seen. He brings his teenage daughter into the weight room and she does squats and bench presses and all sorts of other legitimate exercises.

Wow, that's really awesome!

rixatrix · 02-19-2008, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marygrace

Wow, that's really awesome!

Oh my god, I know. I'd talked to him before, so when he was stepped back, catching his breath, I just kinda nodded and winked at him. People were literally gathered around the weight room (lots of glass windows) watching him. It was inspiring. And he's completely normal sized, not like those huge, beefy guys who like to show off. If you saw him on the street, you'd think, "Aww, now there's someone who looks nice."

If they only knew...

LaraT · 02-20-2008, 06:29 AM

I would LOVE to get up to 30 lbs on the shoulder press. Currently I can do about 4-5 with 20 lb db's and then drop down to 15 to finish the set. Wish my gym had 17's or platemates.

I don't lift nearly as heavy as many of you on here but I am one of the few women at my gym that even venture into the free weight area (and the ones that do seem to stick with 10 lb db's max) A few male trainers have commented like "whoa that is a heavy weight you are strong" and it was hardly what I consider heavy (50 lb for deadlift) They look at me like I am crazy!

MuscleMom23 · 02-20-2008, 08:49 AM

Interesting about the wrist weights. I was in Target getting a foam roller and I happened upon some wrist weights (red, thank god LOL)and got them. And I come on here and lo and behold! The wrist weight idea.

The heaviest I found was 2 lbs a piece. And a WHOLE lot cheaper then plate mates!

I have leg weights that can be changed with .5 lbs increments, but leg weights on my arms? Okay, I am just too geeky as it is, I cannot do that roflol!!

afterburn · 02-23-2008, 03:32 PM

Thanks Girls!! Wrist weights ,, what a great idea..... Sorry it took me so long to get back ! Lisa thank for the great " lies" hehe !! Afterburn 64lb ahhhh better than 70 right now wheeeeeesh !

SpacecityPaula · 02-23-2008, 05:38 PM

Bob will be so thrilled that I can take the wrist weights he got me a a year and half ago to the gym. THanks for that idea Lisa