Weight training for tiny girls like me?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2003
Weight training for tiny girls like me?
7
Sat, 05-07-2005 - 10:39am

I'm in my mid-20's and while I'm still pretty tiny, I am terribly afraid of becoming one of those 30 year old women who, no matter how much she goes to the gym, cannot stay in shape. (Obviously that's none of you ladies, but you know what I'm talking about) I know that in your mid-20s, your metabolism can slow and your body can change shape into that oh-so-attractive "pear". Hopefully, this will never happen to me. And I figured that in addition to cardio and all of my pilates and yoga, I should really add some weight training- my school has a great gym with lots of really nice, new machines. And I know that building and maintaining muscle mass is good for you as you get older- protects joints, etc. Any muscle definition I've ever gained in the past has always been through resistance training (like Pilates)- but I know it's not the same as using weights.

The thing is, I have NO upper body strength and my core could use some more toning/strengthening/flab-loss. My legs are pretty strong, but that's from years of dancing. I would really love to just get toned and stronger across the board. My concern is, I am 5'2" and weigh about 105, and again, have no upper body strength to speak of. Is it even feasible that I would even be able to lift a decent amount of weights to have any effect? We have a personal trainer service at school, but I don't want to show up and come across as some wispy little thing who will never be able to pick up a dumbbell, but thinks she can- I feel like they'd just laugh at me. So I kind of want to just know what the expectations should be, going into this. Any insight, pointers??

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2004
Sat, 05-07-2005 - 12:27pm

By being in the shape that you are, you are already WAY ahead of the game. I've got a client (she's a friend too) about the same size you are and she is a powerhouse. She's got a dancer's body and she is probably my strongest client. NO ONE should laugh at you or judge you and if they do, you need a new trainer. Most of the women I train start out with very little upper body strength (which is a matter of anatomy/biomechanics... a woman's power is in her hips/legs) and that's just something I expect to see as a trainer. A good trainer will be able to assess your strengths and weaknesses in a couple of sessions and adjust appropriately so that you progress. Good for you for getting into a weights program. I hope you enjoy it!

Btw, I know you didn't mean it that way, but some of us are born "pears". :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2003
Sat, 05-07-2005 - 1:00pm
Thanks for the advice. And yeah, I didn't mean to insult those who are naturally "pear" shaped! I meant more that 1.) a lot of women tend to let themselves go the second they hit 30- which is dumb, and 2.) as women get older, our body mass tends to gravitate down :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Sat, 05-07-2005 - 3:59pm

I ditto what Kel said. You and I are almost the same size (I'm 5'2" and beetween 112-115 pounds) As a trainer, I'd NEVER laugh at you because of your abilities. As long as you are getting fatigued at the end of a set, how much weight you use is irrelevant. You WILL get stronger.

Second point - I also fear "letting myself go" if I get married/have kids. I don't think our type-A gym rat personalities would ever let that happen. :)





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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 05-07-2005 - 6:26pm

I am who you speak of. A tiny dancer in my 20s that became a fleshy mama in her 30's (but always naturally pear shaped & proud of it). I'm smaller now than I was as a dancer & weigh more. As I approach 40 I'm in the best shape of my life.

First off trainers usually become trainers out of the desire to help others improve their health & physique regardless of their starting point, so you needn't be embarassed. Secondly, yes the metabolism slows & it gets more difficult tp maintain & build muscle, but middle age spread occurs more as a result of inactivity & poor eating habits than age or child bearing. As long as you stay active, eat well and be honest with yourself about your body, your choices & your priorities you'll have little to worry about. Yes changes will occur, you can't change your genes & the effects of fluctuating hormones, but first & foremost accept yourself for who you truly are, not how you look, and focus on maintaining your health.

Soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Sat, 05-07-2005 - 6:48pm

i don't think there are many 30 year old women (or 40 or 50) who can't get in shape no matter how much she goes to the gym. i don't know any and i personally don't find it more difficult to get in shape than i did 10 years ago (but then again i'm probably the pear shaped flabby ass that you dread being, so that might not be so much consolation).

it is true that a lot of women "let themselves go" as they get married, have kids, etc. but that's because they aren't making eating right and working out as much of a priority anymore. definitely age will affect your body, but i don't think you need to worry about getting old and flabby if you work out regularly. but i do think that weight training is a part of that. people naturally lose muscle mass as they get older and you need to strength train to counteract that.

i think a few sessions with a trainer is a great idea. don't worry if you are not strong at first. nobody is going to laugh at you and if they do, f@#$ them.

as for lifting a decent amount to have an effect, it doesn't work that way. to have an effect, you just have to lift enough weight that you can't do any more than like 8-10 in good form. if you pick up a 2 lb weight and can only do 5 reps before you have to take a break, then 2 lbs is enough to have an effect on you.

by the way, the fact that you are small doesn't mean you can't get really strong - ever see that female weight lifting champ that's like 100 lbs? she can do that jerk and lift move (whatever it's called) with more than her own body weight.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sun, 05-08-2005 - 8:50pm
You've gotten some great advice.





iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-2003
Sun, 05-08-2005 - 11:06pm
Thanks. At the moment, I'm pretty much just sticking to the personal training sessions that we can sign up for at the gym at school- it's all I can afford right now. The school gym is free, so it just makes more sense for me to take advantage of the very reasonably priced services they offer. So I don't think I get to be all that picky! Hopefully, all will be okay. The dang gym was closed today for Mother's Day, so I'm going tomorrow to fill out the form, etc.