quesion/debate about women weightlifting

selfmom5

in the past I have been able to lose weight just doing cardio. the older I get the easier it tends to come back on. So, I am wanting to try lifting weights and improving my muscle tone. I am currently reading a book "the new rules of lifting for women" and I am wanting to try lifting weights that are more than the typical 5-8lb dumbells that I normally use. I have friends telling me that they bulked up (man style) lifting heavy weights though. I want definition, I want to see muscle but I don't want to look like a female body builder.
Also, my hubby is telling me I need to lose the weight first then start building muscle.... its all so confusing! I have 20-30lbs to lose currently.
Any experienced advice is more than welcome!!

Liftng4Lis

It is VERY difficult to "bulk" up. Actually, you would have to be in a surplus with a combination of a lot of work. With the exceptions of newbie gains, you won't even build much muscle in a deficit, (this train I think can last about 10 months??). You will get stronger, maintain muscle mass while losing, tone and look better. Go get it!

HotPotato22

You burn calories when you lift, same as when you do cardio. You burn more doing cardio but you aren't adding as much muscle mass back. I want long lean muscles not bulky and I do a mixture of light(ish) weights at high reps and then pretty heavy weights at lower reps. I've only lost 7 lbs but I've also lost 6 inches from my waist and hips and I have so much more muscle tone. I do a combination of cardio and weights almost daily and I look and feel much better.

mollyr0425

I just started stage 2 of New Rules of Lifting for Women yesterday. I LOVED the information in the book and am enjoying the program so far. I regret not taking some pictures before starting stage 1 to compare my progress to but I do think I got some good results, especially in my arms and back. And judging by the amount of lunges in stage 2, I expect to see some results in my lower body soon!

mskinner1091

I just started lifting a month ago. I lift twice a week. I LOVE IT. You can tone your muscles without 'bulking up' From what I've read, it's important to tone & strength train during your weight loss journey. I think your husband may be incorrect in suggesting you start weights after weight loss. You can do that of course, but I'm pretty certain it's better to do it as you're losing weight. Good luck!

Sabine_Stroehm

I've been lifting since 1996. I'm not bulky.

RavenousRachel

I have been lifting as heavy as possible for years now and bulky muscles are nowhere in sight. Women don't and can't bulk up without tons of steroids, period. And it feels SO GOOD to leg press 400lbs! 5-8lb weights do nothing unless you're 90 years old, and there's no such thing as "toning." You're either building dense muscle mass (density means it looks smaller than the fat that's there right now) or you're not. Women's magazines have a lot to answer for in spreading those vile lies.

terem00

I've been lifting consistently for 3 years....I'm also not bulky! (Actually wear a size 4 or xs)

ew_david

Your friends and husband are spewing archaic information they heard from somewhere else.

I have been lifting for 2 years, while eating at a deficit (most of the time), and lost 30 pounds.

benjaminhk

It is incredibly hard for women to bulk up from weight lifting without all the testosterone. Lifting weights is a great way to burn calories and is more efficient than doing repetitive cardio exercises (angry response prevention disclaimer: not implying that all cardio is repetitive).

In other words, you can put forth a lot more effort in a short amount of time to get an equal or greater calorie burn than if you go on the elliptical for a longer amount of time.

Back when I had a gym membership, I tried to do a little bit of both but I found it discouraging that I could spend an hour doing ellipticals and burn like half the calories that I was burning lifting weights for a shorter time. Plus, repetitive exercises get to be really boring.

sardelsa

Hmm... I actually just completed a bulk and didn't get bulky at all, so not sure what your friends are talking about. Maybe they lost weight and the muscle showed more, which isn't bulky it's just more defined. Definitely start lifting now to retain your muscle, I wouldn't wait.

Emilia777

I’ve been lifting heavy for almost two years now (though I took a pretty long break from it until recently). I use the Rippetoe program, which you can find on bodybuilding dot com.

First of all, the whole women bulking up from heavy weights thing is a myth. You have to work very, very hard to look anywhere near a female bodybuilder. Besides, as I understand it, to gain serious muscle mass you need to bulk (eat at a calorie surplus while lifting) and then cut (eat at a deficit and do cardio to lose any fat gained together with the muscle).

Second of all, lifting is my absolute favourite thing. It seems to work great for my body, as I find I lose a lot more weight (or at least inches, as muscle mass is heavier than fat) when doing weight training than when I only do cardio. It also helps if you have any sort of chronic pain problems - I have back issues and core strength helps a lot.

Third, I don’t know how heavy you want to go. I don’t lift too heavy but I have progressed a bit. For instance, I squat 100 lbs (3 sets of 5 reps each), deadlift 135 lbs (1 set of 5 reps), and bench press 60 lbs (3 sets of 5 reps). As you can see, my upper body strength is rubbish, but anyway. This works great for me and I will keep upping the weights.

Lastly, regardless of what you end up doing, I highly recommend you are very careful to maintain good lifting form. With heavy weights comes big responsibility, and form is in my opinion the single most important thing in lifting.

I hope this is helpful and feel free to ask anything!

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

As a man, I feel well versed in woman biology.

Here is what I recommend to get in shape but not bulky.
1 stop listening to people telling you not to lift
2 keep with a progressive lifting program
3 Throw out your scale and buy a tape measure
4 don't take steroids/testosterone

lynndot1

Unless you're eating a lot (A LOT) you won't put on "too much" muscle. It's not like a few cheat meals will do it either, bulking is a very conscious effort for both men and women, especially women. I lift 3-4 times a week going as heavy as I can go and I'm a size 2-4 in most things...nothing bulky here to speak of, hah.

Since you still have ~30 pounds to go you can keep eating at your deficit and add weights in just fine. As you get closer to your goal weight you might notice a stall at the gym in which case you'll probably ease up on your deficit, but for now, meh. Go ham.

SR_86

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

It is VERY difficult to "bulk" up. Actually, you would have to be in a surplus with a combination of a lot of work. With the exceptions of newbie gains, you won't even build much muscle in a deficit, (this train I think can last about 10 months??). You will get stronger, maintain muscle mass while losing, tone and look better. Go get it!

I was wondering how long the newbie gains 'train' lasted! I've been lifting for 5 weeks and wondered if it was anytime soon, I didn't realise it would be months that's good news

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Bulking is mostly about food. If you're eating a deficit you won't build significant mass (a few ounces of newbie gains maybe).

When you lose weight you lose a combination of water, fat, and muscle. Lifting weights and eating adequate protein will help you make sure you lose mostly fat and keep most of your muscle.

mollyr0425

I think it's pretty much agreed on now by most people who know what they're talking about that MOST women just don't have enough testosterone in their bodies to get "bulky" regardless of how heavy they lift

erickirb

mollyr0425 wrote: »

I think it's pretty much agreed on now by most people who know what they're talking about that MOST women just don't have enough testosterone in their bodies to get "bulky" regardless of how heavy they lift

not to mention if you are in a deficit to lose weight you will not add muscle anyway.

natebollinger

Bottom line, even if you are a guy, you don't "accidentally" get ripped. It's VERY hard work to put on mass and bulk up, especially if you are a woman. Lifting weights will be a great compliment to your cardio. Attack from all angles; strength (lifting), endurance (cardio), and speed (sprints). You will see great results and great caloric burn just sitting on your @$$ after working out by raising your metabolism.

_lyndseybrooke_

HUGE Misconceptions about Women Lifting Heavy (for you) Weights

• It will make you bulky. Simply put, this is a load of crap. You can automatically assume that anyone telling you this has no clue what they're talking about. More about that later.
• You should only start lifting weights after losing all or most of the body fat you plan to lose. Wrong again. During weight loss, you're going to lose both fat and muscle. Lifting while losing weight helps minimize muscle loss. The best time to start lifting is immediately.
• Lifting weights tones your muscles. Muscles do not "tone." This "toned" look that many women want is simply the result of low body fat. Muscles get bigger, stay the same size, or get smaller. They do not "tone." The word is completely useless.

What makes muscles grow from weightlifting is a calorie surplus. Your muscles need calories to grow. As I said, lifting while losing weight isn't about muscle gain, and any muscle mass gained while eating at a deficit will be very small and probably unnoticeable; it's about muscle retention. You can certainly gain strength while eating at a deficit, but gaining muscle takes a lot of work, and eating more calories than your body is burning is how most of us accomplish that.

Regardless, women do not bulk up like men. We simply don't have the body chemistry for it. And if we are able to do it, it takes A LOT of work. Believe me, you aren't going to get muscular on accident. It takes a lot of work and dedication (and calories) to accomplish such a feat.

In short, it's safe to assume most people outside of MFP don't know much about weightlifting for women, so take all advice you get from these people with a grain of salt. Actually, just ignore it completely. Read your book, lift some heavy stuff, and get stronger, healthier,and hotter so you can go back and show the naysayers how wrong they really are.

evileen99

Here's the picture I post all the time:

On the left, woman at her goal weight. On the right, 15 pounds heavier after a heavy lifting program. Who looks bigger?

SezxyStef

I've been lifting since September 2013...and in the process lost 60lbs...(because of my deficit) I was benching 125lbs yesterday and no I am not bulky....that dress I am wearing in my profile pic is a size 4...trust me lifting heavy does not bulk a woman up....

Larissa_NY

Not all women define "bulky" the same way. To some women, and your friends might be among them, the slightest hint of muscle definition looks too masculine. Other women are perfectly willing to sign up for sculpted biceps, they just don't want to look like a spray-tanned, 'roided-out Ms. Olympia competitor from 1993. I'm in no danger of looking like Betty Pariso any time soon, and neither are you, but I do have definition in my arms and a set of squat quads.

The thing to remember is that muscle is brutally hard to build and easy to lose. If you start not liking the way you look, you can always put down the weights for a while. But you might find that being strong is so much fun that you don't really care.

mbcieslak87

I, like you, was always able to lose weight relatively quickly just by adding a bunch of cardio back into my routine when I was younger but have found that more and more difficult to do, for a number of reasons lately (and jeeze, I'm only 27). I decided I had to change because where was I going to be at 47 or 67 if it was already this hard now.

First of all you have to re-examine that statement - if you are constantly in need of dropping weight, it must suggest that the way you are dong it is not sustainable. I know it wasn't for me! For example, during college when I had all the time in the world, I would go the gym for hours and elliptical or run around the track with my friends... until the cows came home, because I had very little time contraints. After college I continued running but at faster paces to make it fit more in my schedule; but running 5-6 days a week is not sustainable for most of us, especially to truly make a difference in your appearance (afterall 6 miles is only ~600 calories and I can eat them back QUICKLY)

So recently I started Stronglifts 5x5 (i've tried other stuff, like p90x but never a real weightlifting program). I've at it for 6 weeks (you lift 3x a week and I have also continued to run 3x a week because I have come to like it, now that it's not a daily chore) and have noticed so many benefits! My whole body looks more toned, I went shopping this past weekend and everything fit, I am happier and feel stronger and have gotten compliments on having lost weight (although i really have only lost like 3 lbs). I really find a combination of lifting and cardio is the most sustainable for me and therefore the best thing in the long run! I can't imagine going back to cardio-ing myself to death.

Hope this helps!

Iceprincessk25

Lift and lift heavy I say!!!!!

Asher_Ethan

Most of my 20's I was afraid of, "bulking up," also and I would lift really light.
3 years ago I started lifting heavier and I wish I would have educated myself on the subject more when I was younger because I would have been a lot stronger now.

Azexas

Women lack the testosterone required to actually "bulk up" Lift those weights OP!

BusyRaeNOTBusty

Ignore your friends and husband. Believe the book.

<- been lifting heavy for 4 years.

sunandstars2

Of_Monsters_and_Meat wrote: »

As a man, I feel well versed in woman biology.

Here is what I recommend to get in shape but not bulky.
1 stop listening to people telling you not to lift
2 keep with a progressive lifting program
3 Throw out your scale and buy a tape measure

I LOVE THIS! great advice

Ready2Rock206

Don't take steroids and you'll be fine. Start lifting now - don't wait to lose the weight first, you'll look so much better sooner!

skinnylove00

<< i've been lifting heavy for over 5 years. i'm NOT bulky whatsoever!!! the reason building muscle is important because it improves your body composition, making you look tighter and less jiggly. as you lift, you build muscle which acts as little cal burning factories that CONTINUE to burn those cals even when you're out of the gym. the "bulkiness" people complain about is just a load of horse *kitten*...cupcakes and ice cream make you bulky, and muscle does not. you will notice far more faster results in terms of body composition if you lift rather than just do cardio. also...throw out your scale. you might go up in weight if you start lifting BUT you notice that your clothes will start falling off you and you'll need smaller sizes. it's because muscle is dense so you'll be heavier but look tighter/smaller.