ooh rowing…I have interest in that TOO!
Hi everyone. I’m new to the site and I joined because I wanted to respond to this thread. I can relate to zadruga alot. I’m also 5’3 and I just started powerlifting a year ago. Current max is 350 squat, 405 DL, and 180 bench…everything raw. I compete in the SHW. I struggle alot with body image too because on one hand I started at 300 with little strength. I’ve lost almost 60lbs doing this and love every minute of it. On the other hand being 240 and powerlifting I have to be careful when I lose weight now I don’t lose strength and suck at my lifts. It’s very much a double edged sword. My BP, cholesterol, blood sugar are all normal bte. Happy New Year!
SG33, in a year you’ve gone from 300, weak, to 240 strong.
I’m sure that 240 is some good muscle, but I bet if you keep training you’ll keep losing and still be damn strong, in a lower weight class. It is all relevant.
Just throwing that out there, I don’t have any experience moving outside my weight class, but with the raw power you have I’m willing to bet that your relative strength will still be awesome at 200, 180, or even 160lbs.
Keep it up, excellent work!
stronggirl, thanks for posting. esp the part abt your health stats.
i won’t encourage you to lose weight, and you’re damned strong the way you are.
paying attention to your body image comment, though, i’ll say this- accept it or change it. bc you’re so short, you’ll always be pretty good at powerlifting, and you’re obvi carrying around a decent muscle base.
glad to have you around.
This thread is a really good read.
I’ve been working really hard to grow my shoulders and then I see a pic where I’m flexing and it freaks me out. I do like it as I get used to it. But then I have to get annoyed with myself for worrying about it. To be fair, I’ve been petite all of my life, chunky for a few years and then in the last 2 years I’ve put on the muscle and can move weights I never thought possible. It’s been awfully fast for me especially going in a direction that I’ve never gone before.
It seems not too crazy that you have a self-image that isn’t necessarily negative or positive but something different from what you get from training and you just need some time to wrap your head around it. And if you’re younger maybe it’s easier to adapt because change is easier, but older it’s easier because you’re less bothered by what other people think.
[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
[quote]dianab wrote:
Competition really appeals to me, but I think I need to find a new sport to be competitive in.[/quote]
So do I. I’ve always been performance oriented because I played team sports for a lot of my life. I was hoping to compete in PL’ing until surgery and old age set me back. I lift because I like it, but I need a specific goal to light a fire under my ass.
I’ve been told I have a good base for bodybuilding, but I’ve never been motivated to train for esthetics. It’s that body image thing, I guess, I’d rather be judged by performance than by what I look like. Besides, I’d piss myself laughing strutting onstage striking poses wearing a string while everybody stampedes out the exits. I get enough of that shit playing my bass.
I need something to train for and look forward to besides wheelchair racing in the old folk’s home.
[/quote]
I’ve been trying to find a thing I’d like to be training for but failing so far. I don’t think BB or figure appeals to me for the same reasons as Yo Momma. I am regretting a little bit waiting so late to start my athletic endeavors.
Thanks CBear84 and dianab for the awesome words 
I figure that i’m just going to keep what Im doing and see where it goes. It will keep coming off Next comp is late Feb so I think I may still be at this class for a bit. Glad to be around here!
[quote]Bobbi Miller wrote:
This. I see this a lot. Using powerlifing as a justification for being fat, without actually being all that strong in relation to bodyweight. It isn’t harsh to point this out. If the post was made by a man it’d be an all out flame war. Everyone is so delicate with feelings around here but women should be able to take the truth just like the men would have to take it. [/quote]
I absolutely agree. And women should stop getting all defensive and touchy…they need just as much mental toughness as the men do.
All other points aside, 200+ lbs. at 5’3" just isn’t healthy, in my honest opinion. Just because you are a powerlifter, doesn’t mean you have to get fat.
Yes, I gained 17 lbs. rather quickly when I began, but I didn’t mind at all because I was near the point of emaciation after my figure competition. But justifying that you NEED a fat physique in order to train properly for powerlifting is just ridiculous.
shes from figure athlete.
[quote]alexus wrote:
I saw something on the Chinese women’s team. Interesting about the superheavyweight one, I thought. Would I choose to do that? Depends on performance (I like to think). I’ll never be that good. But I like to think I’d make the performance decision if it did ever come to that (though I’m not certain I would).
‘monotonous’ and ‘boring’ WTF??? [/quote]
That first lifter is tougher than me. I don’t think I’d be ready to go near a bar after 2X bodyweight+whatever thumped me in the back leg, much less attempt the weight again. I don’t normally look at 60ish kilo girls for inspiration videos but that’s just damn impressive right there.
My gawd I hate watching ‘accidents’ like that!! CRAZY! I stopped at the second girls crushing…
Yeah, that first chick is tough. I don’t think I’d have the courage for that, either. Or certainly not only a couple minutes later. Maybe the water had something to do with it…
I posted the vid because of the woman in the 75kg+ weight class (her footage starts around 6.20).
It didn’t say her height but she weighs over 135kg.
She wasn’t naturally that big - she follows a diet constructed by a nutritionist to give her the best chance of a gold medal.
I do agree that it wouldn’t be wise to use powerlifting or weightlifting to justify unhealthy eating habits… That one needs to be honest about how much increased weight impacts on performance (with respect to strength in relation to bodyweight).
But I also see that in some cases people actually work hard (and make sacrifices) to achieve greater overall weight for performance in their sport. I think the last girl is an example of that. I’m not sure if she would be considered ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ with respect to her stats… But I do think she made sacrifices for performance in her sport that should be recognized as such.
[quote]BEAR BORN wrote:
That first lifter is tougher than me. I don’t think I’d be ready to go near a bar after 2X bodyweight+whatever thumped me in the back leg, much less attempt the weight again. I don’t normally look at 60ish kilo girls for inspiration videos but that’s just damn impressive right there.[/quote]
First thing I thought. Absolutely amazing determination.
I typed a whole thing out, but I basically just agree with CBear.
[quote]CBear84 wrote:
shes from figure athlete. [/quote]
This though, I don’t understand?
rowing is a great exercise… if you have water near you, I say go for it, because nothing’s better than being on the water. I have the concept 2 stuff site all over my log, and log my erg work. If anyone wants to talk to me about EDs you can PM me. I’m totally over it, but it was a challenge, and now I feel totally comfortable and relieved about my relationship with food and my body. So… happy to help anyone with questions about that or rowing.
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