 Poster: A snowHead
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What sort of weight is appropriate for a woman to use when exercising with free weights/dumbells ? (exercises for arms and chest etc.) I mean, the weight that works muscle but doesn't make you look like a fella  I've been doing all sorts of upper arm exercises - 2 sets of 15-20 with 1.5kg weights, but it doesn't feel like I'm working too hard.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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erica2004, try doing 3 sets, but at the end of the third set you should be starting to struggle. I cant remember the last time i saw a woman that looked like a fella, but I see a lot of females working out on aerobic stuff that could really do with a few good meals and some weight training.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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erica2004, I definitely would not suggest going above 3kg. Try increasing to 3 sets as FTSM says first, then go to 2kg if poss and later 3kg.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As above - also doing the sets slowly will increase the difficulty. Try counting to 2 up and 2 down, 3 up 1 down, 1 up 3 down and 4 up 4 down. If what I've written makes sense! 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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erica2004, remember repition for definition (firming) and weight to put muscle bulk on (or strength)...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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As Nick L states do 3 sets of required repititions. When you can do this go up to the next weight. Do not forget to target triceps as well as biceps. For chest exercises try altering body angle ie incline/decline for pressing and fly techniques.
At these weights/repititions you will not add bulk only tone. Enjoy! 
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Thanks  I hadn't realised that repetitions were the thing to do. I'll do just that.
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Unless you are taking huge amounts of protein and training for many years with very heavy weights you will not put on the type of muscle a male would. Unless you are taking testosterone or steroids that is.
Generally - doing sets of 2-4 reps leads to power increase, 8 reps is approx the max for muscle gain and 12-16 reps for stamina training (each to failure).
As said above, you should be struggling by the 3rd set, as you get stronger you can train so that you are struggling at the end of each set (warm up first) and increase sets to 4 (as a possible suggestion). There is a lot of women specific info out there on the net. But everyone is different, and some peoples genetics does suit varying regimes.
Also - your body will get used to the regime you do - so every 8 weeks it is beneficial to change the emphasis/exercises.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Oh - and as you reach the 'up' bit - contract/clench your muscles for a second.
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I agree with Scarpa - I excercise with weights since 18 years regularly. I eat quite well, I excercise heavy, and trust me - even for man to put up serious muscle is hard work. You will not turn out like Mr Olympians (or Ms Olympians for that matter) even if you wanted to!
Each set, do between 15 and 20 reps, but you might for change go down to 10-12 too to some variation. 3-4 sets/excercise. 2-4 excercises/muscle group (back, biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders and legs). If you are already in relatively good shape, and have excercised with weights, each set you should aim close to failure, i.e. point that you cannot do more repetitions. Otherwise, take it easier in the beginning. Make a good warm up, but do your serious aerobic and cardio excercise after the weights, not before. Eat and sleep well, get proper rest between . Ask advice from the staff at your gym.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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One other point - streeeeetch once you have warmed up (on cross trainer, running, skipping etc). It's much safer. Myself - I do my stretch routine between weight sets. If you are starting out maybe just gently increase week to week. Muscles get stronger quicker than tendons and high reps or high weight can put a strain on these.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Erica, I'm built like a weed, and I do weights - both machines and also free weights, and BodyPUMP which is free weights with a lot of repetitions to music. I weigh 49kg, and for a 3 to 5 minute track (continuous reps but different timing) in BodyPUMP, I use 5kg for biceps and triceps, 7.5kg for chest, 5kg for shoulders, 10 to 12.5kg for back, 15kg for squats, 10kg for lunges/quads and 2.5 or 5kg additional for abs exercises. However I have been doing this for years, and didn't start off with weights like this. I can assure you that you don't look like a bloke using this kind of weight - we have a tiny instructor who uses at least twice as much weight as I do, and she looks like a model, not a bloke!
The answer on machines is to use a weight such that you can just do 3 sets of 10-15reps, with 1-2 mins rest in between. This will be heavier than for continuous work like BodyPUMP. This weight will go up as you get stronger, but again, you won't bulk up. Get advice on technique from staff at the gym.
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erica2004 - you've opened a whole can of worms here! And I'm probably going to be contentious here...
As with everything, there are a number of schools of thought.
The "traditional" model of weight training is 3 sets of 8-12 reps and there's general agreement that this is good for gaining muscle. (There's nothing wrong with tradition!)
There's also a school of thought that says that higher reps build definition, but not muscle mass - usually one set of between 16 and 30 reps. But sometime multiple sets. Whether this works or is true is quite hotly disputed.
You then get into different models around lifting and lowering. Some say one second up, one second down; some say two seconds, etc ; right up to the "slow" school, who proposed up to 10 minutes.
Then there's whether you tense the muscle at the top of the lift; the order in which you train; etc...
To be honest - and at the end of the day - what's best is a tricky combination of what body type; your propensity to put on muscle and how much time you have. Don't under-estimate this last point.
Personally, I'm a fan of single set of higher reps. Why? Because I've got a good routine that I know I can fit into 20-25 minutes of the morning before I go to work. Every time I've tried the 8-12 set approach I've ended up being over-ambitious and pulled or torn something by pushing too hard.
My humble advice is to get someone who knows what they're doing to show you a routine and then give the different approaches people are suggesting a go. You'll like one of them more than the others and it'll somehow fit your available time the best.
Whatever people argue is optimum, the best exercise is the exercise you actually do because it works for you.
I got a stretch routine from a chiropractor that they swore was the absolute dogs doobries. It had 8 stretches on it. Each of which you were supposed to hold for a minute, on each side. And you supposed to repeat each stretch three times!!!! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Bear in mind that most, if not all of those huge muscley guys in the gym will have done cycles of steroids to get to that size as well.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Any workout programme that you do will be wholly dependant on what you are trying to acheive. Generally if you are trying to improve muscle tone and definition you go for low to moderate weights with higher reps (15-20 reps/2-3 sets). The lower the rep range and higher the weight the more you are working into strengthening and building. (6-10 reps/2-3sets)
Exercise classes like BodyPump are great if you want to improve muscle tone/definition but they also massively improve your muscular endurance.(something a lot of guys don't really have) I teach Pump and the amout of guys that have come into my classes and thought they could lift big weights is amazing. Yes they can lift big weights on the gym floor but can they lift then repeatedly for 5 minutes with varying tempo. The simple answer.......NO.
With any weights workout the last 2-3 reps of the set should be the hardest, if they aren't then you need to increase the weight slightly. If you stick to that then you won't go too far wrong. As soon as things start getting easy then gradually increase the weights.
Ultimately its all down to what you are trying to acheive.
Hope this helps. If anyone needs any more info then PM or email me and I will try to help out. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks. I find that I'm reasonably fit (stamina) because I walk a lot and I ride a lot. In summer I ride in endurance comps. of around 40 miles in 4 hours. I find I can go skiing without much more preparation. However, I'm finding I have less flexiblity than I'd like and I'd say I'm not particularly strong, and a bit flabby in places ! I've been prompted by Stocky's fitness schedule to incorporate a bit of more basic strength work first. I did find lunges onto the bosu quite taxing! I happened upon a book in Tescos by Matt Roberts and I've been using his basic fitness routines. This is what I did yesterday -
Firstly - stretches and 40 step ups onto the bosu
2) 22 mins cross trainer - HR 140- 160
More stretches
(with 1.5kg weight)
3 reps of 20 bicep curls
ditto hammer curls
ditto single arm row
ditto pec flyes
2 reps of 15 tricep extensions (ouch)
2 reps of 15 lateral arm raises (ouch)
2 reps of 25 squats
1 reps of 25 lunges
1 rep of 15 lunges on bosu
10 press ups (from knees) 2 press ups from feet (struggle)
40 basic crunches (I find it difficult to stop neck aching)
25 crunches on bosu
15 back stretches - lie on stomach and arch back up.
Stretches.
I do the exercises slowly and strongly.
Today, my arms feel fine, my thighs a aching a bit.
Is this sufficient or correct to get me fitter for skiing?
Why should I do the weights before the cardio?
P.S. This does take me about 1hr15mins - a bit long, but I do this at home - have my own Lifefitness crosstrainer.
I'll do this three times a weeks.
Everyday, I walk the dogs a couple of miles.
4 days a week I ride.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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you should do the weights first so that when it comes to cario you can really go for it because you dont need to hold anything back for the weights
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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erica2004, just to avoid confusion, what you call reps I call sets and each complete stroke within a set a rep.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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erica2004
40 basic crunches (I find it difficult to stop neck aching)
Do you have your hands behind your head?
If you do that can kinda pull at the neck.
try fingers on temples and keep the neck/spine aligned, and just lift from the abs.
Kinda difficult to explain in text, get a PT if ones available to have look at how you do them
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Something I've found to be good is to do like 10 reps on a heavy weight, for me something around 8kg, and then after that to do another 20 reps on something around 2kg.
It's aesthetically pleasing, but shouldnt make you look like a bloke ;]
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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You could always have a look at doing some Pilates too. Using resistance bands/spring-loaded rings to create long, lean muscle. But I'm biased, because I'm an instructor! Or use a Power Plate, if your gym has one.
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