Women On Weights

Ahh, the beauty of the "search" function. I posted the below message in a thread two years ago: -------------- I started lifting weights about 2 years ago to try to increase my bone density. It hasn't helped my swim times at all. I'm doing a slightly different type of weightlifting, though, so I don't know whether I should have expected it to affect my swimming. I do a group weight class at my gym (Bally). They call it "PowerFlex", but I've seen similar class descriptions at other gyms with names like "Body Pump". It's an hour-long class with an instructor like you'd find in an aerobics class. We use free weights - a single bar with weight plates. They're lightweight bars (2.5 pounds) with plates that are easily put on and taken off. The plates are 2.5, 5, and 10 pounds, and the bar will hold a maximum of 3 plates on each side. The most weight that can fit on the bar is 60 pounds (3 10-lb plates on each side). The sets are all done to music with the instructor calling out the moves. Each muscle group is worked for 4 minutes. So, for example, we do 4 minutes of squats to the beat of the music. We might do eight single squats, then eight where we're going down on 2 counts and back up on 2 counts, then 8 more singles, then 8 where we're going down 3 counts, up one, etc. In a four-minute set I'd guess that we do about 100 squats. You have to keep the weight fairly low to be able to do that many reps. (I am currently lifting 35 pounds on the squat set, for example.) We do four minutes on each muscle group: quads, chest, glutes/hamstrings, back, triceps, biceps, shoulders, and abs. As with swimming, I've found that I am more inclined to do the weight workouts (and to work harder) if I'm in a group setting than if I try to work out on my own. Even though it may not be the perfect weight workout for swimming, I HAVE to lift weights for my bone density and at least this gets me to the gym. ------------------ 2007 update: I'm still doing pretty much the same thing. What's interesting about this type of weight lifting is that it's a great equalizer. One of the instructors is 44 years old and smaller than me (I'm 105 lbs.), yet she can lift as much or more weight, with better form, than any of the men in the class! Anna Lea

Ahh, the beauty of the "search" function. I posted the below message in a thread two years ago: -------------- I started lifting weights about 2 years ago to try to increase my bone density. It hasn't helped my swim times at all. I'm doing a slightly different type of weightlifting, though, so I don't know whether I should have expected it to affect my swimming. I do a group weight class at my gym (Bally). They call it "PowerFlex", but I've seen similar class descriptions at other gyms with names like "Body Pump". It's an hour-long class with an instructor like you'd find in an aerobics class. We use free weights - a single bar with weight plates. They're lightweight bars (2.5 pounds) with plates that are easily put on and taken off. The plates are 2.5, 5, and 10 pounds, and the bar will hold a maximum of 3 plates on each side. The most weight that can fit on the bar is 60 pounds (3 10-lb plates on each side). The sets are all done to music with the instructor calling out the moves. Each muscle group is worked for 4 minutes. So, for example, we do 4 minutes of squats to the beat of the music. We might do eight single squats, then eight where we're going down on 2 counts and back up on 2 counts, then 8 more singles, then 8 where we're going down 3 counts, up one, etc. In a four-minute set I'd guess that we do about 100 squats. You have to keep the weight fairly low to be able to do that many reps. (I am currently lifting 35 pounds on the squat set, for example.) We do four minutes on each muscle group: quads, chest, glutes/hamstrings, back, triceps, biceps, shoulders, and abs. As with swimming, I've found that I am more inclined to do the weight workouts (and to work harder) if I'm in a group setting than if I try to work out on my own. Even though it may not be the perfect weight workout for swimming, I HAVE to lift weights for my bone density and at least this gets me to the gym. ------------------ 2007 update: I'm still doing pretty much the same thing. What's interesting about this type of weight lifting is that it's a great equalizer. One of the instructors is 44 years old and smaller than me (I'm 105 lbs.), yet she can lift as much or more weight, with better form, than any of the men in the class! Anna Lea