any GIRLS who lift weight?

so everytime i go to the gym, my usual work out is cardio and then hitting the weight room. everytime im there, i feel like all the guys around me look at me kindda weird? even tho i know they're not. but. i have this self-conscience feeling that since im not lifting as much as they are, they just kindda.. look down on me a bit. and since im a girl, i try not to do as much as they are because i feel like that's gonna make me look like a poser -.-

but anywayz.

just wondering if there are any girls here who lift weights n stuff .

share your experience!

Littlemalynda I agree!!

 I was a Division I Basketball player & was the smallest but strongest on my team by far (5'9" and 135-140lbs)... And I could not rep 220 squat. And she's probably talking about maxing out if anything. Also, 130 bench aunt_amanda90 probably doesn't rep either- I can probably bet my bank account on that. Unless you're around 6'4"/170lbs then possibly you would be doing that weight for rep/set. If you want to brag about stats talk about reps & going at least 4x6 preferably 3x8. At my prime i was cleaning 145+, curling 35lb dumbbells, tricep pushing a 60lb dumbbell (2 hands), upright rowing 145lbs, benching 45lb dumbbells, shoulder pressing 45lb dummbbells, single leg lunging 145-155lbs, shrugging 315lbs (repping 10), doing sets of 50 push ups, 5-10 pull ups, and hundreds of ab reps some with weights. And even then I was not "gross looking" just looked really toned & had a feminine 6-pack.

So i definately agree that going as hard as you can with the most weight you can do without sacrificing form is the way to go. Our musculature is very different from the male body & "toning" will take much longer to rid yourself of fat. However, if you are as young as 13 then lifting weights is not the best thing for your body-it is still developing rapidly & this kind of stress will reduce bone expansion (I was also a biology major, lol).

And bassifiedmotherchuck at 13yrs old one shouldnt be worried about their body so intensely... stop putting that kind of pressure on yourself! From your picture it looks like you have nothing to worry about. Be beautiful!!

dmosca,

Yeah wow! I have never really gone for the "max lift" for just the one lift out of fear of injury. I curl 20lbs, and I just started benching on the actualy bench press... the incline I can bench 60lbs and I did the bar (also 60) just fine but my wobblyness is pretty humorous. Tomorrow is chest again so I'll be trying again but probably with 10lbs on each side to test again. For tri's I can't do much (still nursing my left shoulder and I hurt it that way) so I do anywhere from 12.5-15 (two hands) depending on how I feel... but I know I can lift way more :(. Lunges I use the 40lb barbell; 3 sets of 20 deep lunges and I am sweatin up a storm!! not a struggle but enough to leavae my thighs with a good burn.

Killer for me is sissy squats. I can do 15lbs but damn I can't keep form. I prefer 5lbs and keep perfect form burning my knees and quads to hell!! lol!!

Haven't tried shrugs yet... I am kinda stuck in my ways about routine... lol, we'll see ;D. For chest flies tho getting better at 20lbs each hand and 50-60lbs on the machine.

yeah maybe she's just super tall.... at 5ft 4 I can't do all that! (at least not yet!!) ;D 

yeah screw maxing- just ends up hurting you in the end. I am going to change my pic to one from college. I wasn't huge by any means & I worked my tail off at the gym lifting, playing basketball, & running for 6 hours usually in the summertime. Just goes to show you some people have the body to get "huge" and "ripped" and others just get toned & a little bigger.

Keep up with the weights, try to increase everytime! Bring out the warrior in you (sounds corny) & everytime you walk over to the rack try to do the weight of at least one of the guys/men over there. You will suprise yourself! Keep up the good work... & hot legs by the way!!!

hah tell me about it thats how i felt yesturday!! I normally got to this gym located in a different area, i know the people, feel compfortable and do what i want without the weird looks. The only problem is that i switched gyms and yesturday was my first day at the other gym.. WEIRD i saw guys from highschool i could never stand and felt like almost every person was staring at me.. so to be honest i cut my workout short and just left. which i realized today.. was pretty stupid.. resistance training and cardio are the BEST to lose weight and tone.. and i've realized, screw the people around you, love your self for once and do what you feel is right.. those people aren't going to mold you your dream body you will, with confidence and strength so take it from me girl.. im ganna go in there today and do what i need regradless of looks from anyone. Good luck!! Keep it up!

lol! Thanks girl!! I gotta say you are pretty darn tough too!! I can really tone up everything except my abs... I was pear shaped, but now it's looking more apple! weird! I guess I really don't concentrate on my abs as much as I should (I only do one real day of abs incorporated into my weights)... I think I may take up my windsor pilates 20 min video again 2-3x a week... that worked wonders until my dvd player died. lol!

Running for 6 hours?!?! You're a champion!! I run 1-2 hours every saturday as one of my 3 cardio days per week (I alternate cardio/weights for 6 days, 1 days rest) although now that I will be marathon training I will be running at least 2hrs on Sat and might even switch out a spin class day for another run day. I find Pyramiding my sets kinda helps me push for higher weights... I'll do leg extensions starting at 90lbs for 12 reps, then 110lbs for 10 reps, then 130 for 8. I found this especially worked when I was on my creatine cycle... it will be interesting to see what I lift upon my next cycle in Jan!!

I don't do much, but every time I do the treadmill (almost every weekday)...I lift arm weights just to keep my arms toned, tight, and looking stronger. It works!!!