I get bulky from weights...
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This thread is like a stereotype of misinformation with several ignored pieces of facts and good advice.
It is impossible to gain muscle on a deficit. If you really think you're getting bulky, it's not the type of exercise you do.
Lifting heavy and eating at a deficit has only made me smaller.0 -
Not to beat a dead horse, but it is most likely your diet. It actually isn't easy to put on muscle. Your bulk is coming from you eating more calories. Being on a paleo diet doesnt mean you will lose weight. Your "diet" is irrelevant. Unfortunately, a lot of people think when they work out it gives them a license to eat much more. They mistake hunger as a sign that they need to continue to eat. Many people also over estimate how many calories they burn when weight training. My advice: track your calories better. Figure out your maintenance calories and stick there for a few weeks. Track your results. Tweak them when needed. Don't eat your calories back. I never understood this anyway. To lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit, yet people will eat back the calories they think they burned during a workout and then wonder why they aren't losing weight! If you aren't seeing results, you either need to eat less or train much harder.0
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QFT...Would be inclined to reevaluate how you measure your food portions, are you prone to guess work? Or do you use accurate methods and I don't just mean measuring cups/spoons. Electric kitchen scales is the way to go.This thread is like a stereotype of misinformation with several ignored pieces of facts and good advice.
It is impossible to gain muscle on a deficit. If you really think you're getting bulky, it's not the type of exercise you do.
Lifting heavy and eating at a deficit has only made me smaller.0 -
I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.0
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I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.
Just because you're pear shaped doesn't mean your body is unique.
If you're new to weight lifting, you will gain a very small amount of muscle mass, roughly 5lbs at best, even while eating at a deficit. Past that, you will not gain more muscle mass unless you are eating a surplus.0 -
I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.
Tell that to my pear-shaped body that has dropped almost 3" from each thigh due to heavy lifting and a moderate calorie deficit.0 -
Hmmm, I can't seem to get my bulk on and I lift heavy .......0
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What you ate isn't the issue. It's how much. You can gain weight eating perfectly clean and you can lose weight eating Twinkies or other junk. CrossFit is intense and it will increase your appetite so if you are not carefully tracking your calories I can imagine you could have gained weight simply because of the hunger.
That said, you can gain muscle mass and lose fat while eating around maintenance if you're new to training. If you think you look bulky then again, the answer is not to blame your training regime, but to eat at a deficit to strip off the excess fat.
I agree!
This is about the best answer possible without opening up your diary and sharing your stats with us (weight and body fat percentage before and after changing gyms, TDEE, caloric intake, etc).0 -
I lift heavy, in that I lift essentially to exhaustion on the last set. I wear the same size as I did when I hit my UGW (and even a few pounds under) but I definitely weigh more (due to the lifting, I think). It hasn't made me bulky at all...just well toned. In saying that, I'll echo what a few have said and wager it's your diet, not lifting, that has made those jeans fit tighter. I no longer log what I eat, but I do a healthy mix of lifting and cardio as I'm training for a few races that I have later this summer.
Don't give up on lifting. Good luck on figuring it out!0 -
Not to beat a dead horse, but it is most likely your diet. It actually isn't easy to put on muscle. Your bulk is coming from you eating more calories. Being on a paleo diet doesnt mean you will lose weight. Your "diet" is irrelevant. Unfortunately, a lot of people think when they work out it gives them a license to eat much more. They mistake hunger as a sign that they need to continue to eat. Many people also over estimate how many calories they burn when weight training. My advice: track your calories better. Figure out your maintenance calories and stick there for a few weeks. Track your results. Tweak them when needed. Don't eat your calories back. I never understood this anyway. To lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit, yet people will eat back the calories they think they burned during a workout and then wonder why they aren't losing weight! If you aren't seeing results, you either need to eat less or train much harder.
For a person who is used to being sedentary, it makes sense to incentivize the building of new muscle that would boost metabolism the rest of the time. It's not just about the calories burned during the session, it's making new muscles that burns more calories.0 -
I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.
Tell that to my pear-shaped body that has dropped almost 3" from each thigh due to heavy lifting and a moderate calorie deficit.
Clearly you need more crossfit, its the secret to bulking. It even works at a deficit!
I'm signing up first thing tomorrow morning.0 -
I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.
Tell that to my pear-shaped body that has dropped almost 3" from each thigh due to heavy lifting and a moderate calorie deficit.
Clearly you need more crossfit, its the secret to bulking. It even works at a deficit!
I'm signing up first thing tomorrow morning.
I knew three times a week wasn't enough...
Come at me, bulk!0 -
You need to have a hefty calorie surplus to gain even one pound of muscle. 3500 calories, give or take. And a lot of those excess calories must come from protein.
If you're getting bulky muscles lifting weights, you're eating a whole lot of extra calories.
There's a very short term "pump" right after a hard workout. But that should go away in an hour or so.
IIRC, there are 3500 cals in a pound of FAT. Only 600 (?) cals of protein in a lb of muscle.0 -
When did you start?
How accurately are you logging your food? Are you weighing and measuring everything?
What has your weight done?0 -
I'm just gonna leave this here...
Left - 155lbs. Size 12. Calorie deficit and moderate cardio.
Right - 155lbs. Size 6. Eating Maintenance, minimal cardio, and lifting heavy.
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You do get bulky from lifting.
Lifting the fork to your mouth, that is.0 -
I'm so glad you posted this. I have only heard/seen one side of the story so it's nice to hear the other side. :flowerforyou:0
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I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.
Tell that to my pear-shaped body that has dropped almost 3" from each thigh due to heavy lifting and a moderate calorie deficit.
Clearly you need more crossfit, its the secret to bulking. It even works at a deficit!
I'm signing up first thing tomorrow morning.
I knew three times a week wasn't enough...
Come at me, bulk!
Sigh...how I wish it was that easy! I am pear-shaped too, and I keep losing inches while lifting on a deficit. I would kill to be able to add muscle or "bulk", if you prefer, at the same time. If only I could be a special snowflake!0 -
I'm so glad you posted this. I have only heard/seen one side of the story so it's nice to hear the other side. :flowerforyou:
What other side of the story? :huh:
Oh I get it, you think that people actually get bulky from lifting weights while eating at a deficit because "everyone's body is different!!111one!"0 -
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I'm pear-shaped and don't use direct weight resistance on the lower part of my body except for my calves. When I use weights I do get bigger.
Tell that to my pear-shaped body that has dropped almost 3" from each thigh due to heavy lifting and a moderate calorie deficit.
Clearly you need more crossfit, its the secret to bulking. It even works at a deficit!
I'm signing up first thing tomorrow morning.
I knew three times a week wasn't enough...
Come at me, bulk!
Sigh...how I wish it was that easy! I am pear-shaped too, and I keep losing inches while lifting on a deficit. I would kill to be able to add muscle or "bulk", if you prefer, at the same time. If only I could be a special snowflake!
I know that feel. I'm lifting and also at a deficit and pear shaped (coincidence? Fate?) And so far all I've done is lose 7 pounds and go from a tight size 8/10 to a loose 8. Where's my bulk that people keep promising?0 -
Both of those statements are true. (Pilates does not lengthen muscles, that is just a sales pitch.)- pilates does not lengthen muscles.
- Pilates DOES claim to strengthen AND lengthen muscles.
BTW your muscles will only get as big as they need to be to meet the challenges they've faced. If you limit the amount of weight you are using, your muscles will only get big enough to do that much. In other words if you press up to 75 lbs and never progress past that point (even though you are capable of doing so) then you would not get as big as you would if you had kept progressing to say 150 lbs.
So find the point in your lifts where your body is what you desire, and just continue doing those amounts for your lifts and be happy.0 -
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:You do get bulky from lifting.
Lifting the fork to your mouth, that is.0 -
I just wish it was as easy for guys (who, incidentally, have more muscle mass and somewhere between 6x-10x the testosterone women do) to "accidentally" get bulky...even when eating at a surplus, lifting heavy and TRYING to get big. I'm amazed at how many women claim to get hyoooge from doing cardio and picking up a few dumbbells.
....then again, the women who have responded to this thread who truly DO lift heavy realize that it doesn't really happen and they haven't turned into hulking monsters overnight.0 -
Claim is wrong then. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons. So unless doing Pilates detaches them, lengthens the bones, then reattaches the tendons through exercise, you're being fed false information.
Pilates DOES claim to strengthen AND lengthen muscles.
FYI pilates does not lengthen muscles.So for now, I'm doing less work with ab machines than the others and focusing more pilates attention on that region to help lengthen those muscles.
Pilates will help with strengthening and CALORIE DEFICIT will create the illusion of a longer muscle since Pilates doesn't work on progressive weight overload.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
The way bodybuilders and other bulk up is to eat in calorie surplus. Sounds like that's what's happening.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
This content has been removed.
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I just wish it was as easy for guys (who, incidentally, have more muscle mass and somewhere between 6x-10x the testosterone women do) to "accidentally" get bulky...even when eating at a surplus, lifting heavy and TRYING to get big. I'm amazed at how many women claim to get hyoooge from doing cardio and picking up a few dumbbells.
....then again, the women who have responded to this thread who truly DO lift heavy realize that it doesn't really happen and they haven't turned into hulking monsters overnight.
I am actually trying to bulk..I must be doing something wrong!0 -
Maybe you should try Crossfit instead of those big, heavy compound movements. :bigsmile:I just wish it was as easy for guys (who, incidentally, have more muscle mass and somewhere between 6x-10x the testosterone women do) to "accidentally" get bulky...even when eating at a surplus, lifting heavy and TRYING to get big. I'm amazed at how many women claim to get hyoooge from doing cardio and picking up a few dumbbells.
....then again, the women who have responded to this thread who truly DO lift heavy realize that it doesn't really happen and they haven't turned into hulking monsters overnight.
I am actually trying to bulk..I must be doing something wrong!0 -
I just wish it was as easy for guys (who, incidentally, have more muscle mass and somewhere between 6x-10x the testosterone women do) to "accidentally" get bulky...even when eating at a surplus, lifting heavy and TRYING to get big. I'm amazed at how many women claim to get hyoooge from doing cardio and picking up a few dumbbells.
....then again, the women who have responded to this thread who truly DO lift heavy realize that it doesn't really happen and they haven't turned into hulking monsters overnight.
well, look. even the lower bf% muscled look takes getting used to, when all your life you've been fed bunk about being lean and long and whatever, which involves softer lines, no muscle definition, etc. it's a million times healthier than what was before, but it's not a stereotypically feminine look. it isn't. and then muscles go and do strange things, like temporarily fill up with water, and it's all very confusing, ok?
it's a real paradigm shift. strange things happen to your body and you don't really know how to interpret them, so you fall back on old ideas that you grew up with.
also: i think more muscle, low bf is a beautiful look, a youthful, healthy, strong, beautiful look that also does great things for health.
but, outside of the minimum strength work typically recommended, transforming a body takes a lot of commitment, time, money, etc, as you know. it is, literally, forcing your body into a particular kind of growth that probably wouldn't happen in most situations we'd encounter now or at most times in history. it's a beautiful art, but it's an art - it's not more natural or (necessarily) better than other kinds of body modification - which, strictly speaking, it is. you're deliberately changing your body composition. think about that - read that sentence out loud. you are changing your body composition. which, in case I'm misinterpreted, is of course fine!
i don't agree with insisting someone adopt those same ideals, though. if OP prefers herself one way and is healthy, why push it?0
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