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I mean harder to develop than other muscles? I've been working out for awhile at the gym, but I've noticed I after many weeks I still can't lift anymore with my delts than I could the first day I started at the gym. Yet I've progressed quite well in the amounts I can lift with every other body part. Is there something special I should know about Delts? Is it just a part hard for women to strengthen?
Out of all the upper body exercises I do, I think I can lift the least when doing raises. That's a tough muscle to develop. Are you doing exercises that target the delts? Do you see an improvement in definition? I still don't lift a lot when doing raises (5 to 10 pounds, depending on how many I am doing), but I definitely notice that my shoulders are looking more toned.
Lower body is the strongest part of females. You won't see much change only using 5-10lbs either unless you have lower bodyfat (under 20%F). That wt is just is the "tuck it in" weight level. That area can be hard for a lot of people of both genders though.
What do you do to them now? Lift heavy as you can & low rep 2x a week? ( seems best I think for building instead of tucking)
I'm lifting 30 using the machine that works the delts. But I've been stuck at 30 lbs since day 1 of joining a gym. Prior to that I worked months at home on light free weights but I don't think I was working my delts. The big guys at the gym dominate the free weight section and you can't even get a bench or a bar to yourself most days and they leave heavy plates on the Hammer Strengths so can't usually get a chance to use those. So I do the other machines and figure as I muscle up I will be able to muscle my way into the free weight section. Right now they stare at me weird like I have no business being over there. I can't even do squats without men staring at me I guess they are thinking what is fat girl doing over there doing the "men exercises" cause none of the other women do squats. I do them at home now.
I also notice my biceps are slow in strengthening but triceps are developing and so are pecs. I've increased in amount lifted by lower body the most going from 30 lbs to 80 lbs in 3 weeks. Still I feel intimidated/angry with myself because I see women lifting 150 with their legs.
This is getting off topic a bit but hey it is my thread. One thing I do not get is I see women who are really cut and have very nice shapely and hard looking muscles yet they barely lift 30 lbs. Whereas I lift heavier but don't look in shape. Is it because they are way skinny that they can't lift heavy even though they look buff? My whole body is getting very firm or more like hard to touch even around the delt area but doesn't look different. I don't get it what my body is doing. I'm so competitive with myself that I have to lift heavy, but I think it makes me bulk.
Last edited by mtneer; 06-29-2010 at 10:42 AM..
Reason: misspelling
One thing I do not get is I see women who are really cut and have very nice shapely and hard looking muscles yet they barely lift 30 lbs. Whereas I lift heavier but don't look in shape. Is it because they are way skinny that they can't lift heavy even though they look buff?
Don't focus so much on whether you're lifting heavy or light. What matters more is whether it's heavy FOR YOU. I generally try to stay within 8-12 reps. If I can't do 8 reps, then I know the weight is too heavy, even if it might be light by everyone else's standards. Likewise, if you can do 12 reps, don't worry if you're already using a lot more weight than someone else. As for achieving that "toned" look, keep in mind that this has more to do with lowering your body fat than how much muscle you have. Those women who look shapely despite lifting less weight than you have managed to get their body fat to a low enough level where there's not much covering up their muscles. If that's the look you want, continue lifting the way you've been doing. Lifting heavy (heavy for you) is what tells your body to retain muscle. Focus more on eating clean and doing cardio. That'll help you lower your body fat and get the toned look those other women have.
Lifting heavy (heavy for you) is what tells your body to retain muscle. Focus more on eating clean and doing cardio. That'll help you lower your body fat and get the toned look those other women have.
Cardio is really hard for me. My knee is messed up and I have severe arthritis in feet and knees. I'm also recovering with a neurological disorder where I had to relearn how to walk and learn how to stand up without toppling over. So quite honestly I am scared to do much on my feet like I'm terrified to get on a treadmill plus walking/running much makes my knees scream. For cardio I do rowing machine to exhaustion, recumbant bike part of the time but I have trouble with it because even on the last adjustment my legs are too short to comfortably ride on it. I'm REALLY short and this is a problem with machines. I also do something called the Viper Rope Climber machine. It says if you set it on tension 1-2 and do 10-20 mins it works as cardio. I put it on 3 and do it as long as I can. It really takes a lot out of me.
Well lean muscular does not mean strong. Also if they are small they may be dieting. I personally find it so funny what I can do on 1500 cals and up vs. under 1500 cals. The lower calorie makes me weak.
If you are just built naturally thick & muscular,(no matter whatever your body fat is) your body will tend to be stronger with "power" than endurance. So you will be having the edge on skinny mini's in that area. You will always be able to lift a little more. But they may be able to out run you (longevity speaking)
Start tracking your body fat. It really does show results when nothing else is seeming to other than you think you are getting harder.
How many reps of 30? Heavy weights do add muscle/bulk. If you like it and have fat to lose, don't worry about it though. You can always wean down smaller later on but the lean tissue you build now will make you fat loss easier.
Cardio is really hard for me. My knee is messed up and I have severe arthritis in feet and knees. I'm also recovering with a neurological disorder where I had to relearn how to walk and learn how to stand up without toppling over. So quite honestly I am scared to do much on my feet like I'm terrified to get on a treadmill plus walking/running much makes my knees scream. For cardio I do rowing machine to exhaustion, recumbant bike part of the time but I have trouble with it because even on the last adjustment my legs are too short to comfortably ride on it. I'm REALLY short and this is a problem with machines. I also do something called the Viper Rope Climber machine. It says if you set it on tension 1-2 and do 10-20 mins it works as cardio. I put it on 3 and do it as long as I can. It really takes a lot out of me.
What you eat is more important than how much cardio you do to get and stay lean. Do what you can but eat lower carb. Only 40% of your daily intake should be carbs (max) if you can't workout a lot with cardio. It may not happen as fast, but it will happen. Its how I had to do it.
I found that when I used only the weight machines, I never got stronger either. It wasn't until I started using free weights and started changing up my routine that I started getting stronger. I worked (and still am working) hard and am seeing significant gains. So don't give up! You have overcome so much. The rowing machines are a really awesome full body workout. It's great that you can do that. Would it be possible to switch gyms to one that would make you feel more comfortable? Your gym sounds like my nightmare. lol. Ditto what everyone is saying about eating clean and lifting heavier. Hang in there!
I mean harder to develop than other muscles? I've been working out for awhile at the gym, but I've noticed I after many weeks I still can't lift anymore with my delts than I could the first day I started at the gym. Yet I've progressed quite well in the amounts I can lift with every other body part. Is there something special I should know about Delts? Is it just a part hard for women to strengthen?
No they aren't, you just have to target them properly. My delts are well defined and striated.
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