How can a short woman start barbell training?
April 30, 2012 10:48 AM Subscribe
I am a short (5') female and I want to start barbell training. What do I need to know?
I'm five feet tall and 107 pounds. I have some weight training experience, mostly in the dumbbell/smith machine squat area. This Nerd Fitness post on Staci inspired me to switch to barbell training, but I need some help and advice on a few points:
-- I read through all of the StrongLifts PDF, which is very pro-bro-doggy, so even though it says to just start with the bar I'm worried that's too heavy for me. Right now I'm only doing 35 lb squats in the Smith machine. Do I need a spotter or some other help here?
-- My gym has a squat rack, no power cage, will this be a problem?
-- Stronglifts recommends starting with 95 lbs on the deadlift just to get the bar in the air. If I need to start lighter or with no weight, what are my options? Since I'm short, could it be okay to start deadlifts with the bar on the ground?
-- Basically same question with bench presses: If I'm currently doing just 15 lb dumbbells for my bench press, how can I start with a 45 lb bar?
-- Is there any equipment you can recommend to make lifting easier for a short women? I already ordered gloves (I have calluses from the dumbbells).
Thanks in advance for your help.
I'm five feet tall and 107 pounds. I have some weight training experience, mostly in the dumbbell/smith machine squat area. This Nerd Fitness post on Staci inspired me to switch to barbell training, but I need some help and advice on a few points:
-- I read through all of the StrongLifts PDF, which is very pro-bro-doggy, so even though it says to just start with the bar I'm worried that's too heavy for me. Right now I'm only doing 35 lb squats in the Smith machine. Do I need a spotter or some other help here?
-- My gym has a squat rack, no power cage, will this be a problem?
-- Stronglifts recommends starting with 95 lbs on the deadlift just to get the bar in the air. If I need to start lighter or with no weight, what are my options? Since I'm short, could it be okay to start deadlifts with the bar on the ground?
-- Basically same question with bench presses: If I'm currently doing just 15 lb dumbbells for my bench press, how can I start with a 45 lb bar?
-- Is there any equipment you can recommend to make lifting easier for a short women? I already ordered gloves (I have calluses from the dumbbells).
Thanks in advance for your help.
Check out this link on beginning weight lifting from a woman named Krista, Stumptuous.
posted by simulacra at 10:55 AM on April 30, 2012
posted by simulacra at 10:55 AM on April 30, 2012
Best answer: General resources: The book Starting Strength has very good, in-depth descriptions of how to perform the basic lifts. Rippetoe can be a bit . . . intense in his wording (First sentence: "Physical Strength is the most important thing in life."). New Rules of Lifting for Women is a good resource, as well as Stumptuous.com.
- If the bar is too heavy, then you can start out with things like weighted lunges and Bulgarian split squats, things that allow you to hold dumbbells in your hands while you build up leg strength. You should be able to work up to 45# quite fast though. If you have someone who can monitor your form that would be very good, but if you aren't working to a maximum weight to failure (and at this point you shouldn't be) then you likely won't need a spotter for squats. Smith machine is not a great choice for squats as often they lead you to squatting in biomechanically damaging ways depending on the angle of the track.
A spotter for bench will eventually be a good idea but again, likely not at first.
- It depends on the kind of squat rack. Some squat racks will have rails that will stop you before you can hit a full squat. That will be a problem, since doing partial squats without doing full squats can lead to knee issues.
- If you need to start lighter than 95#, then stack plates, those stackable stair-stepping aerobic blocks, or whatever you can under the ends of the bar to raise it to where it would approximately be if you had 45# plates on each side (135# total). Again, this should be something where you will probably see some good gains and will be able to put plates on the bar pretty quickly. Putting the bar straight on the floor can lead to you rounding your back and scrunching over too much. Then again, you're short, so it won't be as much of an issue as if you were 6'0''.
- Do dumbbells until you can do a 45# bar. That is perfectly OK. Keep in mind dumbbells are actually harder than a bar, so if you can only do 30# total in dumbbells you could probably do 40-45# with a bar. Keep pushing up the dumbbell weight until you can do the bar weight.
- I would not use gloves, as they will make everything harder to grip and can actually interfere with your form. Calluses are a good thing and your hands will get used to it.
Also--it is really, really important to note that it is OK with doing dumbbell workouts if that's what you're comfortable with. Dumbbells and barbells each offer their own benefits. Don't think you're somehow doing a "lesser" workout because you can't do a barbell yet.
posted by Anonymous at 11:02 AM on April 30, 2012
- If the bar is too heavy, then you can start out with things like weighted lunges and Bulgarian split squats, things that allow you to hold dumbbells in your hands while you build up leg strength. You should be able to work up to 45# quite fast though. If you have someone who can monitor your form that would be very good, but if you aren't working to a maximum weight to failure (and at this point you shouldn't be) then you likely won't need a spotter for squats. Smith machine is not a great choice for squats as often they lead you to squatting in biomechanically damaging ways depending on the angle of the track.
A spotter for bench will eventually be a good idea but again, likely not at first.
- It depends on the kind of squat rack. Some squat racks will have rails that will stop you before you can hit a full squat. That will be a problem, since doing partial squats without doing full squats can lead to knee issues.
- If you need to start lighter than 95#, then stack plates, those stackable stair-stepping aerobic blocks, or whatever you can under the ends of the bar to raise it to where it would approximately be if you had 45# plates on each side (135# total). Again, this should be something where you will probably see some good gains and will be able to put plates on the bar pretty quickly. Putting the bar straight on the floor can lead to you rounding your back and scrunching over too much. Then again, you're short, so it won't be as much of an issue as if you were 6'0''.
- Do dumbbells until you can do a 45# bar. That is perfectly OK. Keep in mind dumbbells are actually harder than a bar, so if you can only do 30# total in dumbbells you could probably do 40-45# with a bar. Keep pushing up the dumbbell weight until you can do the bar weight.
- I would not use gloves, as they will make everything harder to grip and can actually interfere with your form. Calluses are a good thing and your hands will get used to it.
Also--it is really, really important to note that it is OK with doing dumbbell workouts if that's what you're comfortable with. Dumbbells and barbells each offer their own benefits. Don't think you're somehow doing a "lesser" workout because you can't do a barbell yet.
posted by Anonymous at 11:02 AM on April 30, 2012
First, congrats on doing bar training! Bar training is awesome and effective.
Just the bar is likely going to be 45 lbs. That should be very, very manageable. Alternatively, you could invest in a 35 lb women's bar.
Squat racks will be fine. Does your gym have bumper plates or iron plates? If they have bumpers, go for broke and drop 'em if you need to. If you have iron plates, don't work at your 1 rep max -- work your 5 rep max. Drop if you need to, but know that dropping iron plates can get you booted from the gym.
95 lb deadlift is too heavy for you to start. Pick lighter plates. I am not a fan of deadlifting with the empty bar for beginners -- you need to learn how to properly set with the bar at the correct distance from the floor.
Bench press: do you have 1 push up? Then you'll be fine with a 45lb bench. You may only have 3-5 reps, but that's fine.
Calluses are going to happen with lifting. Gloves can help. Honestly, the only other equipment I would invest in is chalk and lifting shoes. If you watch for clearances, you can score lifting shoes for ~30$. Being short isn't really a problem -- shorties are actually stronger pound-for-pound than tall folks.
More important that equipment would be finding a coach to get your form correct on the lifts. Best is paying someone local for their time. The cheap solution is to find an online fitness site with a forum, and post video of your lifts to their digital coaching section.
posted by bfranklin at 11:06 AM on April 30, 2012
Just the bar is likely going to be 45 lbs. That should be very, very manageable. Alternatively, you could invest in a 35 lb women's bar.
Squat racks will be fine. Does your gym have bumper plates or iron plates? If they have bumpers, go for broke and drop 'em if you need to. If you have iron plates, don't work at your 1 rep max -- work your 5 rep max. Drop if you need to, but know that dropping iron plates can get you booted from the gym.
95 lb deadlift is too heavy for you to start. Pick lighter plates. I am not a fan of deadlifting with the empty bar for beginners -- you need to learn how to properly set with the bar at the correct distance from the floor.
Bench press: do you have 1 push up? Then you'll be fine with a 45lb bench. You may only have 3-5 reps, but that's fine.
Calluses are going to happen with lifting. Gloves can help. Honestly, the only other equipment I would invest in is chalk and lifting shoes. If you watch for clearances, you can score lifting shoes for ~30$. Being short isn't really a problem -- shorties are actually stronger pound-for-pound than tall folks.
More important that equipment would be finding a coach to get your form correct on the lifts. Best is paying someone local for their time. The cheap solution is to find an online fitness site with a forum, and post video of your lifts to their digital coaching section.
posted by bfranklin at 11:06 AM on April 30, 2012
Sorry, and regarding equipment to make things easier for short women, there really isn't any I can think of. It's just a matter of getting strong enough to use the barbell and whatnot. But don't let your height and size discourage you! Being short is actually an advantage for lifting, as you don't have to move the bar as far which means it's easier for you to move more weight. And being 4'11'' and 105# doesn't stop Marzina Karpinska or other 48kg female lifters from putting tremendous weight above their head (211# in that video!).
posted by Anonymous at 11:14 AM on April 30, 2012
posted by Anonymous at 11:14 AM on April 30, 2012
I agree that a session with a coach would help. If you're already at a gym then you can just ask them if an employee will show you how to do the exercises, they might have a free first-time coaching session or something (my gym does).
If you can't afford a trainer, then do you have any friends who lift weights at all? I recently started doing some weight training and what finally got me into the gym to start was going with a friend. He has been working off Starting Strength for a couple years now and when I mentioned I wanted to start weights he was very enthusiastic and offered to walk me through a first session. If you have any friends who are into weights then they may be evangelical enough to really enjoy helping you start, and even if you're pretty confident you know what you're doing (I did lift weights in high school a few years ago) having someone there to watch you makes it a little easier and will help you solve the first couple of issues with your form. They can also help you attach weights and spot you a little - it sounds to me like you should actually be ok with the squat and bench press, not sure about the deadlift.
I'm female and 5-2"/5-3" and haven't noticed any issues with my height using a barbell.
posted by jacalata at 11:49 AM on April 30, 2012
If you can't afford a trainer, then do you have any friends who lift weights at all? I recently started doing some weight training and what finally got me into the gym to start was going with a friend. He has been working off Starting Strength for a couple years now and when I mentioned I wanted to start weights he was very enthusiastic and offered to walk me through a first session. If you have any friends who are into weights then they may be evangelical enough to really enjoy helping you start, and even if you're pretty confident you know what you're doing (I did lift weights in high school a few years ago) having someone there to watch you makes it a little easier and will help you solve the first couple of issues with your form. They can also help you attach weights and spot you a little - it sounds to me like you should actually be ok with the squat and bench press, not sure about the deadlift.
I'm female and 5-2"/5-3" and haven't noticed any issues with my height using a barbell.
posted by jacalata at 11:49 AM on April 30, 2012
I think, as others do, a session or two with a coach may provide you with a lot of confidence. You can always do front squats (youtube has videos), use dumbbells or us the smaller non-olympic bars until you are confident you can squat 45lb. I think that will be soon - most women (and I am one) I know progress quite rapidly with the squat and deadlift but struggle horribly with the bench press and overhead press; a lot of men don't "get" that. When I started shoulder pressing and couldn't handle the 45lb bar I used the short bars intended for curls, which go down to I think around 25lb in my gym, and while I'm sure someone will have a reason that's not optimal it worked fine for me. I think I did the same with the deadlift but I can't remember.
As regards equipment, I'm 5'3" and I know those 3" probably make a difference but I can use the squat rack and various machines and benches just fine. One exception: I have always put plates or steps beneath the bench when bench pressing, so I can push through my legs rather than have them flailing off the end pathetically.
Good luck and enjoy!
posted by jamesonandwater at 11:57 AM on April 30, 2012
As regards equipment, I'm 5'3" and I know those 3" probably make a difference but I can use the squat rack and various machines and benches just fine. One exception: I have always put plates or steps beneath the bench when bench pressing, so I can push through my legs rather than have them flailing off the end pathetically.
Good luck and enjoy!
posted by jamesonandwater at 11:57 AM on April 30, 2012
I find that at 4'11" I can't use the squat rack unless it's already set up for me. A lot of times the bar is up too high for me to manage. I still haven't figured out if it's weird to ask someone to help me set it up, so I don't get to do squats as often as I would like. Going with a taller friend really helps for this.
I also can't reach the weight grips where they're stored unless I kind of shimmy up the side of the rack, but that's actually manageable in a way that moving a 45 pound bar that's resting at eye-level just isn't.
posted by k8lin at 12:09 PM on April 30, 2012
I also can't reach the weight grips where they're stored unless I kind of shimmy up the side of the rack, but that's actually manageable in a way that moving a 45 pound bar that's resting at eye-level just isn't.
posted by k8lin at 12:09 PM on April 30, 2012
Also: Yes, totally, just start with the bar! And start with a spotter the first few times! That will help a lot. You'll probably be able to work up to using heavier weights very quickly, though, both from my personal experience and from my general understanding of the process.
posted by k8lin at 12:11 PM on April 30, 2012
posted by k8lin at 12:11 PM on April 30, 2012
I question how useful a coach would be at a gym without a rack. My gym has about two dozen trainers. Only about three make their clients do squats and only one makes them do them right and squats, as readers of these threads and Ripettoe know, is the most important exercise.
Particularly being a wan there seems to be a tendency amount trainers, in my observation, to push them into "girl exercises": lifts they would never make a male client do with too light weights.
If at all possible I would shop around for a new gym that has essential equipment. If not and you do want to get a coach at the gym I would make it very clear what it is you want to do. They work for you. And if they want you to do BoSU squats with five pound dumbbells, fire then.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:55 PM on April 30, 2012
Particularly being a wan there seems to be a tendency amount trainers, in my observation, to push them into "girl exercises": lifts they would never make a male client do with too light weights.
If at all possible I would shop around for a new gym that has essential equipment. If not and you do want to get a coach at the gym I would make it very clear what it is you want to do. They work for you. And if they want you to do BoSU squats with five pound dumbbells, fire then.
posted by munchingzombie at 12:55 PM on April 30, 2012
(woman, not a wan. Composing/editing on my phone is a task for which I need a personal trainer)
posted by munchingzombie at 12:58 PM on April 30, 2012
posted by munchingzombie at 12:58 PM on April 30, 2012
I think a session with a friend or coach would help but isn't totally necessary.
45 pounds isn't that much, but it's distributed weirdly in a way we kind of don't ordinarily confront. It's lonnnnnnng. And so it's not just the weight, it's the weight distributed just that way along that line and once you get used to balancing that long thing you're okay, but I think it would be comforting to have someone just to spot because at 5' your wingspan is smaller than some guy who's 6'4.
I'm 5'4 and use barbells for squats, bench presses, and incline bench presses. I've gotten used to it but if I had had the option to have a buddy with me the first time I did those things, it would have been nice.
I've been using this Stumptuous work out for the past four months. (I just graduated to barbells on the incline bench press last week, I used dumbbells up to then.)
If I'm currently doing just 15 lb dumbbells for my bench press, how can I start with a 45 lb bar?
Well, you're at thirty pounds, so it's not that far off and in a way, it's actually easier to lift the bar. But if you have someone to spot you you can try it out, and if not, maybe just ease on up to two twenty pound weights and then try the transition? You don't have to rush it. You can use dumbbells for some things and barbells for others.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:48 PM on April 30, 2012
45 pounds isn't that much, but it's distributed weirdly in a way we kind of don't ordinarily confront. It's lonnnnnnng. And so it's not just the weight, it's the weight distributed just that way along that line and once you get used to balancing that long thing you're okay, but I think it would be comforting to have someone just to spot because at 5' your wingspan is smaller than some guy who's 6'4.
I'm 5'4 and use barbells for squats, bench presses, and incline bench presses. I've gotten used to it but if I had had the option to have a buddy with me the first time I did those things, it would have been nice.
I've been using this Stumptuous work out for the past four months. (I just graduated to barbells on the incline bench press last week, I used dumbbells up to then.)
If I'm currently doing just 15 lb dumbbells for my bench press, how can I start with a 45 lb bar?
Well, you're at thirty pounds, so it's not that far off and in a way, it's actually easier to lift the bar. But if you have someone to spot you you can try it out, and if not, maybe just ease on up to two twenty pound weights and then try the transition? You don't have to rush it. You can use dumbbells for some things and barbells for others.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:48 PM on April 30, 2012
When choosing a coach/trainer, find someone with serious experience in the mechanics of lifting. Personal trainer certifications vary widely, and there are a lot people our there who don't know enough to show you properly. Even some long-time bodybuilders don't know the subtleties of difficult lifts like deadlift and squat. The potential for injury is much higher than with bench press or machines.
posted by 4midori at 2:01 PM on April 30, 2012
posted by 4midori at 2:01 PM on April 30, 2012
All of the gyms I've trained at have had standard 45# bars, and also lighter bars, ranging from ones that had 'plates' fixed on, from 10 to 100 in increments of 10, to foam-wrapped no-plate bars that had some set weight (under 50#) evenly distributed across them.
They were usually kept near the cardio/aerobics areas, for 'step' and 'pump' classes. You may want to look around.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 2:22 PM on April 30, 2012
They were usually kept near the cardio/aerobics areas, for 'step' and 'pump' classes. You may want to look around.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 2:22 PM on April 30, 2012
Yeah, your gym may well have a bar that's shorter and/or lighter than the standard 45 -- like so.
posted by en forme de poire at 4:05 PM on April 30, 2012
posted by en forme de poire at 4:05 PM on April 30, 2012
re calluses. I considered gloves as a solution and was given similar advice from a trainer as Shroedinger offered - best to avoid using gloves.
He suggested that I use chalk and look at my grip. Since I found this article Ive found lifting far more comfortable. The article refers to the grip on a barbell deadlift but I've found that paying attention to your grip to avoid pinching skin across your palm on other lifts and with dumbbells makes for a much more comfortable time all round.
posted by Ness at 8:54 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
He suggested that I use chalk and look at my grip. Since I found this article Ive found lifting far more comfortable. The article refers to the grip on a barbell deadlift but I've found that paying attention to your grip to avoid pinching skin across your palm on other lifts and with dumbbells makes for a much more comfortable time all round.
posted by Ness at 8:54 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: That's everyone! I think my next steps will be squatting with the bar and working for another week or so on dumbbell bench presses until I'm using the bar (at 17.5 lb now, so not long, in fact, I may try the bar today with a spotter). I'll also be stacking plates under for my deadlift. Someone from MeFi also recommended a gym that is too far for me for every day, but has trainers that can critique my form, so I'll be making an appointment there. I am also reading The New Rules of Lifting for Women right now.
As for my hands, I will use gloves, because I am a lady. Or maybe not. Calloused hands are cool.
posted by miniminimarket at 1:13 PM on May 2, 2012
As for my hands, I will use gloves, because I am a lady. Or maybe not. Calloused hands are cool.
posted by miniminimarket at 1:13 PM on May 2, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dfriedman at 10:51 AM on April 30, 2012 [6 favorites]