How heavy is "lifting heavy?"

SRP

SRP

Cathlete
I'm just wondering what some of you lift out there, in a Cathe weight workout. For example, at the moment, the heaviest barbell I can get over my head to do squats is 50 lbs. My legs might be able to squat more, but my arms can't lift more over the head. I can curl a 20 lb dumbbell (maybe 25 lb if I really try), but I rarely do that on a Cathe, because the tapes I have (namely Pyramid) do so many reps.
 
RE: How heavy is

I don't lift as heavy when I'm doing a Cathe workout as opposed to the weights I use in the gym. She does a lot more reps than I would when I'm lifting heavy. I can't lift a barbell over my head that is sufficient to fatigue my legs. I still get a very good burn though.
 
RE: How heavy is

This is completely an individual thing as well as it depends on how strong you are. Generally you use a weight that you can do 1 or 2 sets of 10 with and wouldn't be able to do a 3rd set with. But each area seems to have it's own rules, with weight lifters; it's heavy if they can only lift it up one or two times. Or with some athletic training it's heavy if they can only do about 30 reps. So there are all sorts of variations out there. But generally when I train someone to do heavy lifting, I generally stick with the 1 to 2 sets of 10, as it seems to be heavy but doesn't wear them completely out, and we can move on to another exercise without a really long break. That last rep your doing to do for that exercise, should be the hardest and most difficult generally takes everything you have to keep good form and lift it, and your muscle has been worked to failure not just fatigue. This is basically where you just about can’t lift that weight again for the 11th rep, and sure can’t do it in good form.

HTH,

Kit
 
RE: How heavy is

I can match Cathe or go heavier than she does, and how "heavy" depends on the workout. But when I follow a homemade routine that requires 2-3 sets of 8 or 10, I find I can go even heavier. One of the ladies here told me that if I can go to the gym and use the bench for presses, I can lift heavier than what I'm currently lifting at home because I don't have to use that much energy hoisting the bb up and trying to get to the starting position, as the bb is already up there. But a gym is just not possible right now. I just try to challenge myself by switching routines every 3-4 weeks and going as heavy as I can, again, depending on the workout. If you look at my logs, you'll see that my "heavy" weights are all different.

Pinky
 
RE: How heavy is

I can squat with 75lb's, but only using the Smith Machine. I do 10 lb's in all the shoulder work in Legs and Shoulders Slow and Heavy series, and that is a killer for me. I do curl with 25lb dumb bells, but only 1 set of 8's. Last night I went longer, but could only bring the weight half way down and back up again. I can go 30lbs for bicep curls in ME...well, I did it once so I am sure I can do it again.
One thing that works for me is eating plenty of carbs and protein before, during and after and getting alot of sleep (8-10 hours). Drinking green tea helps too which gives me a boost of caffeine.
For me, what I just listed above I consider HEAVY. I am not a big woman, but I do have alot of determination and drive and BIG A$$ dreams of where I want to me SOON!!!

Charlotte~~
 
RE: How heavy is

LauraMax - I assume this is at the gym? 250 lbs? Wow! You must have some kind of legs.
 
RE: How heavy is

Yep, the gym, and nope, my legs & rear end still resemble those of an 11 year old boy. ;(
 
RE: How heavy is

Oh, I'm laughing on that one! We women struggle so hard with that half of the body. Unfortunately, my lower half has never been that skinny. I think I envy you.
 
RE: How heavy is

>the heaviest
>barbell I can get over my head to do squats is 50 lbs. My legs
>might be able to squat more, but my arms can't lift more over
>the head.

When I want to squat more than 45# (the limit I've put on my shoulders), I wear a weighted vest along with using the 45# barbell.

What I lift depends on the workout (number of reps, rest, sequence of exercises) but the pyramids are pretty fresh in my mind because I do them more regularly. Here's what I lifted last time I did them:
PUB:
Chest presses (30# heaviest)
flyes (17.5# heaviest--this is as heavy as I will ever go with these, for shoulder reasons)
pullovers (35# heaviest)
db rows (27.5# heaviest)
overhead presses (I don't do the anterior delt lifts, but do these instead, at the beginning of the section: 15# heaviest)
rear and side delt raises: 8# heaviest
Lying triceps extensions (I substitute these for kickbacks, which are too isolated for my goals: 12# heaviest)
Overhead tricep extensions (30# heaviest)
biceps (15# db heaviest).

I can actually lift a bit heavier than that with most exercises when doing P90X.

PLB:
squats/lunges/pliés: 15# vest + 45# bar heaviest (60#) Though now I prefer to go lighter with the lower body, so I'd probably just use the 45# bar, which is what I use in GSL).
step ups: 15# vest + 35# bar (50#). (Again, I'd now go lighter and concentrate on form)
deadlifts: 55# bar heaviest(no vest)
 
RE: How heavy is

I agree it is totally individual.I use cathe workouts for strength but really do my own thing with them.To me super heavy is only 3-5 reps(which is what I am doing now)heavy8-10 medium10-12 endurance anywhere above the medium rep range.That is just how I classify mine.I really perfer the 3-5 reps and have to up all the wts every 2 weeks or so.But I do mix it up right now I am doing the august rotation that has alot of endurance work-so I fit my super heavy(for me)lifting on sat. or sun.right now I am doing HC upper I just rest while they finish up.And if you feel like you can move up you need to or else your hard work will be for nothing because you will adapt to the wt and it won't challenge your body anymore.
 
RE: How heavy is

I can smith squat 130-135 lbs which is a heck of a lot more than I weigh, but when I lift barbells I found it better to only do 40 lbs because I easily lose my form when I go higher. My back tends to be hypermobile. I know I can go to 50-65 lbs but I found it is much better to keep my form (and back) than lift heavier.

Robin
 
RE: How heavy is

Cathe does a lot of reps and she does them faster than most. When I do Leaner Legs I use 50-60 lbs on regular squats and plie squats, 40 lbs on lunges and 40 lbs on step ups but I always rest because she is so fast.

I can't even lift a 50 lb barbell over my head so I use two 25 lbs dumbells and a weight belt.
 
RE: How heavy is

I think I am similar to you. She goes faster (than I ever do when I am in the gym) and without the racks etc you'd find in a gym, I just don't feel like I can go heavier than Cathe. I am still working my way up to what she does. I do about 75 percent of what she says she is using. Sometimes I will pause the tape and take longer breaks and then I can go heavier. I love that she says what her weights she is using are. I find it very helpful.

Hoisting up to the shoulders for squats, etc, and then also for chest presses (barbell) I have to be careful, I feel like the other muscles that I use to hoist could get injured. Someday I will have racks in my house and then I will be all set.

Jen
 
RE: How heavy is

I won't give you the "lift what is heavy for YOU" lecture, because it is obvious that you already know that, based on the info you are giving us. Besides, the question is not: "How much should I lift?", but "How much do YOU (us) lift?"

So, I don't lift as heavy as many here, but here are my numbers for Slow & Heavy:

Shoulders: 7 pounds ( X 2 dumbbells)
Legs: 40 pounds (total)
Biceps: 10 pounds ( X 2 dumbbells)
triceps: 7 pounds ( X 2 dumbells)
chest: 12 to 16 pounds bench press (X 2 db), 10 flies (X 2 db)
back: 7 pounds (X 2 db)
 
RE: How heavy is

I am sorry I didn;t know you wanted the wts-I'll give you the wts I am using right now for my 3-5 rep workout for upper these are total wt and I am using hc upper as my workout.
bent row -93lb reps 8-5-5
1 arm row-61 lbs-4-4-4
seated row 180lbs-8-8-8 (need to up it)
overhead press(shoulders)83lbs-5 changed to 88-3-3
lat raise 50lbs-8 60lbs-3-3
rear delt 40lbs-6-6-6(need to up it)
bicep bar curl 88lbs -3 83lbs 3-3
db curl 70 lbs6-4-4
h curl 70lbs 4-4-4
chest press 95lbs 5-4-4
pushups 7sets no wts
lying tricep extension 80lbs-4-4-4
dips 30 body wt
tricep press 80lbs-5-4-4
kickbacks 40lbs lbs 7-5

on ctx this a.m my wt ranged from 30lb for 1 arm rows down to my lightest which was 10lbs so I used 10-12-15(most of the time)-20-30lb dumbells(these wts are times 2).For lower I can lift 100 lbs over my head and use a wt vest for another 40lb so for heavy at home I use 140lb for all but leg press-37-53 for leg press reps ranging from 8-12.Endurance I use 53lbs and some 37lbs depending on which w/o I am using.At the gym when I did legs there I could machine squat 345lbs but free squat was 180lb the reps ranged from 8-12 at the gym.I haven't worked out my legs at the gym for a long time (I have never worked upper there)
 
RE: How heavy is

Holy cow, Sheila, you pump a lot of iron! I am seriously impressed. I'd be scared to death to try to get 100 lbs over my head. Of course I can't now - but working out alone at home, I'd be nervous if something went wrong with that amount of weight.

How heavy do weight vests come? I might check into those. I really do need to go heavier on my legs, but holding a barbell on my shoulders, even at just 50 lbs., really starts to bother me, especially since I have a repetitive motion injury in both elbows. Keeping them bent at that angle with weight is unpleasant.
 
RE: How heavy is

>Hoisting up to the shoulders for squats, etc, and then also
>for chest presses (barbell) I have to be careful, I feel like
>the other muscles that I use to hoist could get injured.

I decided that my maximum hoisting weight is 45# overhead, so I add on weight from a weight vest if I want to lift more than that.
 
RE: How heavy is

>How heavy do weight vests come? I might check into those.

I've seen up to 40#. There's a really nice looking one in the latest www.fitterfirst.com catalog. It comes in either 20# or 40#, and looks like it would be more comfortable than some because of the way it's kind of cut out around the sides of the body. If I didn't have one already (a Reebok flexmetal 20# vest), I'd probably get one of those.
 
RE: How heavy is

Wow. Those vests are expensive. Thanks for the link... but I guess I'd better hold off for a while. I've spent all my $$ on Cathe tapes and have to save up for the Terminator series...:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top