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Broad shoulders from weight lifting

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Original post by Unistudent77
A girl that has just started lifting will not have very broad shoulders.

And to your second paragraph, if you are referring to a guy then that's ridiculous. I was using 17.5s/20s after like 6/8 months and i didn't have a great first year of training.

I'd push for OHP over DB pressing but the bar would be too heavy for most beginners


So you think shoulders = OHP?

As I said, show me a beginner that can even do a single proper lateral raise with 8kg. Then show me a beginning girl who can do that.
Original post by Reality Check
^THIS.

Women simply do not have the testosterone levels to easily increase their muscle mass without sustained and heavy training. Add to that the 8kg mass you've been using, and it's simply impossible to have turned into Arnie overnight. I think it's probably a result of toning up a bit, losing fat and (I suspect this is the main factor) having rather better posture as a result of the exercise meaning you're standing up straighter and your shoulders are less rounded, hence they look a bit wider.


So instead of actually thinking about the issue which is herself perceiving her shoulders having gotten broader, you are like "broad shoulders, 8kg, wtf".
Original post by yudothis
So instead of actually thinking about the issue which is herself perceiving her shoulders having gotten broader, you are like "broad shoulders, 8kg, wtf".


What in earth are you on about?
Original post by Reality Check
What in earth are you on about?


That of course she did not turn into Arnie overnight, that for you her shoulders are not broad in the slightest, but that to her she noticed her shoulders having gotten bigger.

So instead of like "lol 8kg broad" and derailing the thread, you could have explained to her what happens to muscles when you train them, that "toning" is silly and that of course she will gain muscle mass and hence look "bigger/broader".
Original post by yudothis
That of course she did not turn into Arnie overnight, that for you her shoulders are not broad in the slightest, but that to her she noticed her shoulders having gotten bigger.

So instead of like "lol 8kg broad" and derailing the thread, you could have explained to her what happens to muscles when you train them, that "toning" is silly and that of course she will gain muscle mass and hence look "bigger/broader".


Thank you for telling me what to post. I'll ask you again in future, when I'm lost for some badly written codswallop: you seem to have a limitless supply.
Original post by Reality Check
Thank you for telling me what to post. I'll ask you again in future, when I'm lost for some badly written codswallop: you seem to have a limitless supply.


You asked me why I replied to you in that way. I did. You then get huffy because you don't like the response?
Yeah IDK everyone is assuming she is doing dumbbell presses with 8kg and forgetting how much smaller framed in the shoulders women are than men.

Strict lateral/front/rear raises for higher reps with 8kg dumbbells is substantial for a woman and could absolutely transform her shoulders night and day. Hell I'm a guy and can bench 120kg and rep 60kg OHPs and would still be tired after a single set of 15 strict raises with 8kg dumbbells.

EDIT: thats not so say I actually believe she got very broad in 4 months or that she is even doing raises instead of presses with those dumbbells but just saying its theoretically possible.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by yudothis
So you think shoulders = OHP?

As I said, show me a beginner that can even do a single proper lateral raise with 8kg. Then show me a beginning girl who can do that.


Fair, she 'could' be hitting rear delts, lat raises and front raises with 8kg but doubtful.
Original post by Unistudent77
Fair, she 'could' be hitting rear delts, lat raises and front raises with 8kg but doubtful.


Why is it doubtful.

I made gains with less than 8kg. I started at almost nothing. In fact, from pictures you might dismiss my progress, because yes, I don't look "big", but myself, and pretty much everyone that knows me well can tell the difference.

In addition, I question some people's knowledge here if they are so dismissive of 8kg dumbbell work.
Original post by In One Ear
Yeah IDK everyone is assuming she is doing dumbbell presses with 8kg and forgetting how much smaller framed in the shoulders women are than men.

Strict lateral/front/rear raises for higher reps with 8kg dumbbells is substantial for a woman and could absolutely transform her shoulders night and day. Hell I'm a guy and can bench 120kg and rep 60kg OHPs and would still be tired after a single set of 15 strict raises with 8kg dumbbells.

EDIT: thats not so say I actually believe she got very broad in 4 months or that she is even doing raises instead of presses with those dumbbells but just saying its theoretically possible.


You can do more than 8kg DBs for 15

There's no way a noob is doing 8kg DBs lateral and rear delt raises; no way
Original post by Angry cucumber
You can do more than 8kg DBs for 15

There's no way a noob is doing 8kg DBs lateral and rear delt raises; no way


"I only lift 8kg max"...no one was saying she is doing them at 8kg.
Original post by yudothis
"I only lift 8kg max"...no one was saying she is doing them at 8kg.


You're defeating your own argument with that statement. A 2, 4 or 6 kg lateral raise is going to have an even lower muscular change possibility
Original post by Angry cucumber
You can do more than 8kg DBs for 15

There's no way a noob is doing 8kg DBs lateral and rear delt raises; no way


IDK depends on rep quality- raises are one of those lifts where its hard to compare numbers because its so easy to use the surrounding muscles to very different degrees and it can be very hard sometimes (at least I find so) to actually get the target muscle to engage strongly (lateral and rear raises the main culprit here).

I certainly couldn't keep busting out sets of 15 resting only 60-90 seconds for long...
Original post by Angry cucumber
You're defeating your own argument with that statement. A 2, 4 or 6 kg lateral raise is going to have an even lower muscular change possibility


Do you even understand anything about muscle science?
Original post by mashbbk
When I was young (early teens), I've managed to change physique playing with max 5kg drums bell set I was bought.


At a time when your physique was changing anyway due to the process of maturing from a child to an adult?
Original post by mashbbk
That isn't true, hypertrophy doesn't require a lot of weight - and 8kg is definitely enough provided there is enough volume/frequency. Infact, even 5kg would have been enough.


^^ This. If you're doing lateral raises, you can build very impressive delts with just 5kg if you do it right.

However, the OP being female, don't worry about getting too broad shoulders. Deltoid muscle size is very strongly correlated with testosterone levels, so as a female you simply cannot grow massive shoulder muscles without taking steroids.

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