SO!!! I am asking you all to comment on my FB page about something that happened today. I was at one of the gyms where I work. There was a woman working her A** off…what I mean is that she was there before I started my workout and finished up a few minutes after I was done (more on time management/efficiency another time).
After she was done on the treadmill she went over to the weights, which THRILLED me!! I LOVE when women lift!…Then she picked up the ol’ 5 pound dumbbells and proceeded to do bicep curls.
Okay. Before I go on, let me ask you these questions:
- How much does your typical bag of groceries weigh?
- How much did your child weigh before you stopped carrying him/her around?
- How much does the bag of dog food at the pet store?
When lifting, PLEASE use weights that will tax your muscles! Weights that will leave you unable to perform the exercise with GOOD form after a maximum of 20 reps. If you are not challenging your muscles, they are not going to change (i.e., grow, get stronger, get “toned” to use the term of the 80s/90s).
Think about it. I could stand here all day and lift 5 pound dumbbells. It will take me a LONG time to FEEL that weight, let alone get tired from it.
Now, before you freak out, yes there are some clarifications. Is this your first time using weights? Are you recovering from an injury? Is this your first time doing a new exercise? YES, all of those are good reasons to lighten up. HOWEVER, I could tell by looking at this woman that it was NOT her first time in the gym.
LIFT HEAVIER TO SEE RESULTS! Don’t know how heavy? Don’t know which exercises to do? Ask for help.
- Your gym has people to help you.
- Set up ONE personal training session. A good trainer can set you up with a program to do on your own if you don’t want to hire someone for regular sessions.
- Set up ONE personal training session PER MONTH – have him/her give you a program, then update it each month.
Bottom line: LIFT THOSE WEIGHTS, LADIES!!! You are THERE, at the gym, putting in the effort – SO MAKE IT WORTH YOUR TIME!!
