Form is essential. Especially withDL. There is no race. Better to learn how to have proper form and posture to avoid injuries. Get her some gloves
cuz callouses can get nasty. It’s a hint of support without going overboard. When I put on my gloves, it’s game time. No more house wife but beast mode ![]()
Sure. I hope that was helpful. I’m assuming the average beginner with no gym experience.
There are athletically gifted women. Morghan King is an OLY WLer who lifts in the 48 kg class (105 lbs). She was a D1 soccer player and gifted athlete. The first time she went to a Crossfit Box and trained squats, she maxed out at 198 lbs. That’s very, very unusual. She had exceptional MMC connection and got the movement pattern down right away. The athleticism carried over. She was winning National comps after training for only one year. That’s not typical.
Of course your sis may fall in love with strength training, but my advice is not to expect her to love it like you do. Sometimes those of us who love this hobby can be too intense about wanting our friend or family members to also catch the bug, and we can overwhelm them with the desire to teach them everything we know because we find it fascinating. Most people have more general fitness goals, like how to NOT be fat.
I fell in love with strength training, and that first year was so exciting. It seemed like every time I went to the gym I was better at something, hitting some new PR that I could celebrate. Most people don’t get completely hooked on progress in that way. I think spending time at TN gives us a very skewed perception. Competitive PLing is this very, very small niche sport but it seems common here, for example.
Been following her for about 1.5 years on instagram. I agree, she’s insanely impressive. She lifts weights at ~100lbs that most 200lb guys I know wouldn’t be able to lift. That’s CRAZY to me.
My mom warned me about this. She knows I go to the gym 3-5x/week and I show her every time I hit a PR. She knows that this is what I love spending my time doing and she told me to take it easy on my sister. Of course, I love my little sister very much, and with that comes high expectations because I think so highly of her.
It’s going to be tricky finding the balance between allowing her to progress at her own rate, and keeping her on an honest progression so that she continues seeing results. Ultimately, it is my hope that she chooses one of the Big 4 (Oly, bodybuilding, or PLing, which I love all very much, or strongwoman. Of course, that’d most likely be after a few years of doing one of the first options). Until she expresses any desire to focus her training on any specific goals, I’m just going to continue teaching her the basics. If nothing else, I want her to be able to do a solid form RDL, squat, and bench press. I don’t care what path she chooses, even if it’s just weight loss/“toning” as long as we can bond over our love for the gym. That’s the real goal for me here.