I get bulky from weights...

LorinaLynn

I haven't read the whole thread, but as far as clothes fitting tighter, I think of it as the differences between a marshmallow and a spool of thread. They're about the same size, but the marshmallow is squishy, so you can cram it into small spaces that the spool won't fit in.

I'm about the same size as I was before I did any lifting, but since I'm not marshmallow soft anymore, there's some clothes that fit a lot tighter. I weigh more, too, so even though I hadn't done an intentional bulk cycle, I ate above maintenance from time to time in the last two years. And seeing what happened to my badonk, I'm perfectly ok with both the weight gain, and some pants being tight. My legs, too. Yeah, there's more bulk to my quads, but in my opinion, my legs before lifting looked like a just opened can of Pillsbury cookie dough. They were a little smaller, but they lacked any definition.

Yogi_Carl

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.

FYI pilates does not lengthen muscles.

Pilates DOES claim to strengthen AND lengthen muscles.

So it alters insertion points, muscle length, ligaments and tendon placing? Most interesting.

Tell me, how biomechanically does that work?

Answer? It doesn't. Genetically you are stuck with what you have. Otherwise bodybuilders like me would be all over it! Think about it, if you lengthen a muscle you NEED a long limb :laugh:

As for the OP, can't be arsed to join in. You've decided it all even tho you are talking twaddle. You are eating too much if you are gaining. Simple as that, you can't extend something without calories. Impossible.

I think I know what's going on here. I agree you can't detach the insertion points, lengehten the bone and re-attach That would be silly and not very comfortable either I would imagine.

When people talk about longer muscles (and I was one of them), what they really mean is to increase the flexible range of the muscle. For example, a person who cannot touch their toes will have shorter hamstrings than one who can. The person who cannot touch their toes can work on the muscle's flexible range until they get nearer the floor - so the hamstring muscle is now "longer" when it is at full stretch.

Photographs of people who are super flexible are usually in some kind of pose that shows that off and so some people assume that they have somehow acheive longer muscles.

Carl
(Bodyweight and yoga fan).

cwolfman13

if a dude said that he wanted to bulk up, everyone would tell him lifting was the way.
just because the vast majority of women don't bulk up naturally, doesn't mean that this one hasn't.

she may have put on fat, water or muscle weight. they're all possible.

Actually, they would say to lift weights and EAT. 'Cuz science and **** dictates that you can't bulk anything on a calorie deficit. This point...and actual flippin' science seems to escape many on this thread and MFP in general.

If she is indeed bulking, it is because she's eating at a calorie surplus. If she lifted and ate at a deficit, she wouldn't be bulking...again...science.

Matt_Wild

I lift weights.. I make sure I do more reps and lighter weight so I don't end up bulky. So my arms are solid yet slimmer than they have ever been.

I do fewer reps and heavy weights and I'm not bulky AT ALL. My arms are solid yet slim as well, but they are much stronger and better defined than they were when I did light weight and high reps. That worked alright for awhile, but I've seen much better results from lifting heavy.

You do realise that hypertophy between 8-30 reps builds the same muscle size. Beyond this you are just burning ATP, your not doing nothing at all in anyway. You either build muscle or you lose or stay the same, you can't do a partial growth lift, that doesn't make any sense.

gigglybeth

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.

I'm pear shaped and in just over a month of using weights I've lost over an inch off my hips and off my waist. So yeah, there's that.

I'm sure that many of the people in the photos that always get posted have lost a lot of fat in addition to putting on muscle. When I used weights and got bigger I had no weight to lose. My body naturally deposits more fat in my lower body. If I added muscle I looked bigger because it wasn't displacing fat. So yeah, there's that, too.

No one can paint with such a massively broad brush and say, "Pear shape+weights=bigger lower body". If you for whatever reason that is true for you, doesn't make it true for every pear shaped woman on earth.

My friend loves running. I've tried to be a runner and even did a couple of 5Ks. I eventually realized I freaking hate running. Does that mean running is bad for all pear shapes? No, it just means I freaking hate running.

krhn

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.

^^^THIS ????

bumblebums

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.

FYI pilates does not lengthen muscles.

Pilates DOES claim to strengthen AND lengthen muscles.

I have claimed to have invented the question mark. That does not make it true.

Pilates does not lengthen muscles--the shape of your muscles is determined by genetics, not the exercises you do. You can certainly increase the size of your muscles by training, but the shape is pre-determined. There is only so much strength you can build with Pilates-style body weight exercises, hence nobody usually builds Schwarzenegger-size muscles doing it.

AllonsYtotheTardis

n'rmind. not worth the strike

Lupercalia

if a dude said that he wanted to bulk up, everyone would tell him lifting was the way.
just because the vast majority of women don't bulk up naturally, doesn't mean that this one hasn't.

she may have put on fat, water or muscle weight. they're all possible.

Men don't bulk from lifting weights. We bulk from eating over our TDEE. Lifting is the stimulus for muscle development but it can't happen if the body doesn't have enough fuel. That is why many a man's training regime is the same for cutting and bulking cycles. Yes, there are natural variations among people but it is best to understand the process by which this happens so the OP can better control what happens.

THANK YOU. :drinker:

jennifershoo

It's 90% diet. Your training has very little to do with your bulk.

That's why lifters bulk and cut and bulk and cut. They don't train differently, they change their diet for the desired result and continue training.

This^

jennifershoo

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.

Awesome!!!

ironbutterf1y

Bump!

Unknown

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BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Pear shape, apple shape, inverted triangle, hourglass --- whatever shape is all about fat distribution.

If you strength train on a deficit you're going to change.

I am a true pear.

When I started I was a 36-30-43

Now I'm a 36-26-36.

Did I miraculously become an hourglass? No. I lost body fat and started lifting very heavy weights at a deficit.

I dead lift 183, working sets using 155 pounds of weight all the time. I weighed in at a whopping 120.8 this morning. That 183 PR was hit when I weighed in at 122.

Does anyone really believe that you're not going to change shape when training on a deficit? Yes, we are all genetically different. But it doesn't change that I lost almost all my inches from my pear-shaped hips.

AnvilHead

Actually, they would say to lift weights and EAT. 'Cuz science and **** dictates that you can't bulk anything on a calorie deficit. This point...and actual flippin' science seems to escape many on this thread and MFP in general.

If she is indeed bulking, it is because she's eating at a calorie surplus. If she lifted and ate at a deficit, she wouldn't be bulking...again...science.

But science doesn't apply to special snowflakes. I wonder if there are also people to whom the laws of gravity don't apply.

Does anyone really believe that you're not going to change shape when training on a deficit? Yes, we are all genetically different. But it doesn't change that I lost almost all my inches from my pear-shaped hips.

Nobody said you're not going to change shape. Certainly you can/will. But you're not going to build muscle. Science.

jellab

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Actually, they would say to lift weights and EAT. 'Cuz science and **** dictates that you can't bulk anything on a calorie deficit. This point...and actual flippin' science seems to escape many on this thread and MFP in general.

If she is indeed bulking, it is because she's eating at a calorie surplus. If she lifted and ate at a deficit, she wouldn't be bulking...again...science.

But science doesn't apply to special snowflakes. I wonder if there are also people to whom the laws of gravity don't apply.

Does anyone really believe that you're not going to change shape when training on a deficit? Yes, we are all genetically different. But it doesn't change that I lost almost all my inches from my pear-shaped hips.

Nobody said you're not going to change shape. Certainly you can/will. But you're not going to build muscle. Science.

We don't disagree. All the women crying "pear" disagree. They will change shape too if they lose body fat. Because. Um. Science.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

People aren't being mean by saying bulk comes from eating. Not from training. Do what you want with exercise. But don't blame it for your physique. If you do Crossfit and eat at a deficit, you can't bulk.

jellab

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

People aren't being mean by saying bulk comes from eating. Not from training. Do what you want with exercise. But don't blame it for your physique. If you do Crossfit and eat at a deficit, you can't bulk.

Right, that's not mean at all. It's the condescending comments that aren't necessary. Not a big deal, I just don't know why people have to be that way.

anemoneprose

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

People aren't being mean by saying bulk comes from eating. Not from training. Do what you want with exercise. But don't blame it for your physique. If you do Crossfit and eat at a deficit, you can't bulk.

she might not bulk, but, she might not like the result, whatever mechanism's behind it..

dbmata

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

People aren't being mean by saying bulk comes from eating. Not from training. Do what you want with exercise. But don't blame it for your physique. If you do Crossfit and eat at a deficit, you can't bulk.

Right, that's not mean at all. It's the condescending comments that aren't necessary. Not a big deal, I just don't know why people have to be that way.

Eat less. It's not muscle that is causing bulk.

dbmata

That is curious OP: You describe yourself as "short and curvy" usually building muscle with such genetics leads to something like this: does this look like a bad "bulky" to you?

there are women who have a more masculine bone structure that tends to get exaggerated with more muscle mass. for reference:



(both of these women have been training for years btw and don't seem to be on anabolic steroids so its not possible to look either way by accident.)

so are you sure it was muscle you gained?

Both of those are amazing.

metacognition

4'11" here.

Lifting heavy causes water retention as the muscles repair themselves.

You'll look slightly bigger for a few days. Also, the shape of the muscle changes how the fat layer appears over it. This is not evidence of weight training working too well, just evidence that it's working ! It takes way more work and effort to put on muscle than most people, especially women (we have such little testosterone) would assume. I used to think I was getting bulky but I wasn't even training for strength, rather endurance with weights too low to create a difference in size. Then I lost 30 pounds of additional fat and realized how small my muscles really are.

If you put on muscle while eating at a caloric surplus chances are that you will probably put on some fat weight as well.
A definite sign is if your clothes get tighter. If you put on muscle and lose fat, you WILL look smaller in most cases because fat takes up 3 times more space than muscle, pound for pound. If there's a specific muscle group that looks large and it is as lean as it will get, then you can de-emphasize training that specific muscle or emphasize training muscles around it to detract attention (for example some women build up the muscles in their upper back so their waists look smaller with a v - tapered effect)

Weights are the gold mine for women who want to look trim and lean - if you cut body fat % at a deficit after developing a good base (muscle) to work with you will get smaller and see more definition at the same time.

I lift as heavy as possible and have only gotten smaller because I was eating at a deficit or maintenance for a long time. My strength gains stalled after a certain point and I had to start eating more - almost 2000 calories - in order to keep making improvements. That's close to maintenance, and just a few hundred calories less than what I ate when I was obese. Heavy weights and interval training (intense stimuli forcing the body to adapt) will keep your metabolism strong and make it easier to stay a lower weight.
I do have chunky thighs as a short person, but continued attention to body fat % will help them lean out.

I have a natural apple or banana shape.
I was around 40 - 35 - 39.

After lifting weights and eating at a deficit, my body is 33.5 - 26 - 31.5.

bumblebums

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

You didn't actually ask questions--you made a couple of presuppositions in your original post that people corrected for you.

Presupposition #1: you got bulky because you were lifting weights.

See the posts on what causes people to bulk up. It ain't lifting weights that does it, it's eating more calories than you consume.

Presupposition #2: you got bulky because of your body shape.

See the posts on whether your body shape has anything to do with your ability to gain muscle mass.

If you want people to answer your questions nicely rather than ridicule your assertions, don't answer them yourself first.

anemoneprose

she said she liked her body when she did calisthenic/bodyweight type workouts*, and didn't like it after cross fit + maybe eating over maintenance, maybe not.

**which, might well be like the kind of conditioning people do for martial arts, and god, those are ugly, unfit bodies, aren't they

BeachIron

Wow, some of you are just mean. Whatev. I just had a question, sheesh. I'll be sure not to put it out here next time.

You're right, I don't look like a body builder. But I'm only 5'2" so when I put on any size at all you can tell. We did a lot of heavy lifting at our CrossFit box - it wasn't just WODs. I did eat Paleo style while I was CFing, but I didn't eat to my hearts content - again, I'm small so every little bit makes a difference. I don't need anymore advice, obviously this isn't the right place to go for it. Thanks to the cool people who didn't jump all over me.

Have a great day!

People aren't being mean by saying bulk comes from eating. Not from training. Do what you want with exercise. But don't blame it for your physique. If you do Crossfit and eat at a deficit, you can't bulk.

she might not bulk, but, she might not like the result, whatever mechanism's behind it..

Again, if she understands the mechanism behind what is happening she can better manage it. It is very difficult to get big muscles. Even for men. Let me say that again, even men have trouble getting big muscles. If you look at (in person) natural male bodybuilders you will be surprised that they are not nearly as big as you expect. The truly large men are either very unusually gifted with awesome genetics and have been training for years, OR they are using drugs. If you look at natural competitive female lifters you will see smaller women who are ripped but ARE SMALL. It is fat that makes most people big. Cut the fat and you will be much smaller.

I have a friend on here (I'm not naming her because I don't want to annoy her with this) but she just finished competing and placed quite well in a bodybuilding competition. Her boss actually asked her if she was eating and needed help because she got so SMALL. This is a woman who placed in a bodybuilding competition. Please stop talking about weight lifting making women bulky. It just doesn't happen naturally by accident.

Matt_Wild

We aren't jumping all over you. We are simply not agreeing with you. We are stating science. Please tell me the mechanism where the dietary intake of protein and overall calories to allow growth in a negative calorie state? I want to know as I'm a bodybuilder, and bodybuilding coach. Of men and women.

I've never encountered the process you are stating ever.

anemoneprose

i'm not for a second opposing science. i am not saying lifting on a deficit creates muscle mass, it patently doesn't. that lowers body fat, which leads to a more defined look. i am saying that the look achieved by lowering body fat that way may not be one that the OP prefers.

She has her own training experience, her own sense of her body and preferences. She liked it better when she did whatever calisthenics she was doing.

in other words: to the extent that the OP meets basic health guidelines and likes herself and feels good, the mechanism behind those outcomes DOESN'T MATTER

**when I said 'she might not bulk', did not mean to imply that she theoretically could. ambiguous use of a conditional phrase, sorry.

another way of putting it would be 'even though she would not bulk, she might not like the result'

Momjogger

"But doctors and physical therapists agree that it's a vital part of keeping your body fit and able. "Flexibility is the third pillar of fitness, next to cardiovascular conditioning and strength training," says David Geier, the director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, and a spokesperson for the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

In fact, flexibility can help your body reach its optimum fitness level, may play a role in injury prevention, and can even contribute to staving off conditions like arthritis and more serious illnesses.

Here's how it works: When you stretch a muscle, you lengthen the tendons, or muscle fibers, that attach it to the bone. "The longer these fibers are, the more you can increase the muscle in size when you do your strength training," says Geier. That means that a more flexible muscle has the potential to become a stronger muscle, too."

Research it people. Or watch a dancer or gymnast work on getting their split. Duh. Increasing flexibility does lengthen muscles. Pilates was created for ballerinas and dancers to help increase strength and flexibility. It's also good for body builders.

Unknown

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