Upper-body workout

[avram]

Tried something new today. I remember from Hot Point that women were supposed to do longer sets (more reps) with lower weights, and men fewer reps with higher weights. The exercises I’m doing I got from a site aimed at women. I figured maybe I should be trying shorter sets with more weights.

So what I did today was one long (15 reps) set at the weight I used last time, and then two shorter (10 reps) sets at the next highest weight level. Feels pretty good; the one-arms rows left my back and shoulder muscles with that hard-used feeling I associate with a productive workout.

• Weight: 282
• One-arm rows: 1 set of 15 at 9lbs, 2 sets of 10 at 12lbs.
• Dumbbell standing shoulder press: 1 set of 15 with 9lb weights, 2 sets of 10 with 12lb weights.
• Dumbbell shrugs: 1 set of 15 with 15lb weights, 2 sets of 10 with 18lb weights.
• Dumbbell bench press: 1 set of 15 with 12lb weights, 2 sets of 10 with 15lb weights.
• Ab crunches: None. My abs are still a bit achey from Monday.

Somewhere out there, there’s gotta be a publisher of exercise-related books called Bench Press. Google agrees, but thinks it’s German.

Comments

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

The longer sets / less weight thing is predicated on the idea that women want to tone, not build muscle mass. Screw that, I want to build muscle mass. My nutritionist suggested calibrating the weight so that on your last rep of your last set, you can't actually lift the weight but have to strain to try. That's a lot of weight. And this is a female nutritionist talking to a woman.

For comparison's sake, when I was lifting weights regularly, I did one-arm rows with 20's, shoulder presses with 12's/15's depending on the day, chest flys with 15's, dumbell presses with 20's, etc. And I'm a woman, and WEAK.

Hm. I should get back to doing that. I felt better and lost weight like a house on fire. Lemme know if you want a list of the workout I was doing.

[avram]

I figured it was the tone/mass distinction.

I've chosen the routines I'm using because they're the ones I've got equipment for. I've got a set of adjustable weights that tops out at 21 pounds (in 3-pound increments), and a bed I can use as a non-tilting bench. A staircase for the calf raises, and a floor for ab crunches.