PCOS, Lifting Weights & Testosterone

Need2lose456

OK, so im hoping that one of you will be able to assist me here! I have been reading lots of posts about the benefits of weight lifting and am really keen to get started. I've come across a few articles that mention that men are able to bulk up due to testosterone and my concern is that i have high testosterone levels due to the PCOS and i really don't want to look like a man!

Any PCOS sufferers out there that can shed some light on this?

Need2lose456

bump

Jennisin1

I hae PCOS and lift like I beast. I am pretty muscular but don't think I look "bulky". You decided.. my profile picture is from Wednesday.

MsEndomorph

One side effect of PCOS is higher than normal testosterone, yes, not it should still be pretty low compared to a man's. I obviously haven't seen your labs, but my guess is you have enough to help you get some great results, but not enough to turn you in Ahhh-nold.

If you're super worried about it, just keep an eye on your measurements. You won't grow 5 inches around overnight, so you could always stop adding weight if you found yourself expanding too much for your liking.

RAGGEDYANN1970

my husband was diagnosed with extreme low testosterone. i have PCOS. my test. level was actually higher than his was.
my husband started on treatment and now his level is just now getting up to what a normal man's should be (he takes injections every week) , and now he is bulking-up from lifting weights. even with my high PCOS testosterone, i have been lifting for 2 years and i definitely did not bulk-up. i have nice tone, but no bulk.

fbmandy55

I have this issue. I'm not concerned at all about becoming bulky, but the hormonal effects. My skin breaking out, growing unwanted hair on my face, chest, etc... Those seem to be my worst symptoms of PCOS.

toomanycats75

I have PCOS, and definitely do not bulk up from strength training. It can actually help w/ PCOS by improving insulin resistance.

dbmata

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Need2lose456

You look awesome, what program do you follow?

dbmata

I hae PCOS and lift like I beast. I am pretty muscular but don't think I look "bulky". You decided.. my profile picture is from Wednesday.

It's very nice.

Need2lose456

I have the facial hair! Wax weekly and tweeze daily:grumble:

Now should i worry?

adorable_aly

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Urm some women with PCOS do have these symptoms. Don't be so flippant.

lynn1982

I have PCOS and I lift. I haven't bulked up and in fact, my weight loss stalled until I started lifting...

Bethie_J

I have PCOS, and just about all the negative side effects from it. I lift heavy. It has NOT made me bulky. It's had the opposite effect; things are tighter and look thinner.

Don't be afraid. Lift all the weights!

KristyAnn81

I have PCOS and I do build muscle faster than I lose weight, when I start, but I have never "bulked" up at all. I used to be worried about the same thing, but it's really nothing to fear.

Leadfoot_Lewis

Men have about 10x more Testosterone than women do. I highly doubt your levels with PCOS are even close to being that high. If you're in doubt, have it checked. That will answer your question.

KatLifter

Check out Molly Galbraith, she is an awesome badass blogger, trainer, and lifter - and she has PCOS.
http://mollygalbraith.com/

tbsugacookie

I was told I had PCOS about ten years ago. After doing a little bit of research, I saw that following a low carb diet sometimes helps. I tried it, and all traces of the cysts and my symptoms disappeared. Now I eat a more "balanced" diet, but haven't had any trouble (I've had a couple of different doctors since then, and none of them has mentioned PCOS).

I do notice when I lift heavy that my muscles will be "pumped" for an hour or so, but they always return to normal and I end up more toned, which is really the point, so I really wouldn't worry about bulking. You'll be fine!! Good luck!

dbmata

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Urm some women with PCOS do have these symptoms. Don't be so flippant.

Urm, you do realize that without taking an injectable t stack you won't "bulk out"?

I don't mean cute asian rockstar chest hair. I mean greek dude on a beach in speedos.

dbmata

I have the facial hair! Wax weekly and tweeze daily:grumble:

Now should i worry?

not at all. You'll be fine, we have a lot more and produce a lot more than you are capable of without significant aid, like daily injections and a well heeled bank account.

adorable_aly

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Urm some women with PCOS do have these symptoms. Don't be so flippant.

Urm, you do realize that without taking an injectable t stack you won't "bulk out"?

I don't mean cute asian rockstar chest hair. I mean greek dude on a beach in speedos.

I wasn't talking about the testosterone I mean talking about a condition that you clearly don't have any idea about otherwise you wouldn't make those remarks since some women DO have it that bad. Please be more sensitive.

dbmata

No. Please harden up.

Jennisin1

I do stronglifts 5x5 most of the time, but the last couple of weeks have been running through a 5x7x5 program for something different.

But I lift heavy and I lift free weights. Once I decided to stop fooling around and get serious on lifting heavy... I dropped two pants sizes in 6 weeks... but only a couple of pounds. It was pretty awesome.

KatLifter

No. Please harden up.

You're only making it worse on yourself. This isn't going to end well

rage032

Not being an expert on the subject in any regard, but from the research I've done on strength training I've figured out a couple of things.

1.) Bulking up is not just about the exercise, but the food you're consuming as well. In order to get big, you have to eat big. Most of the bulky guys/girl you see in the gym will be putting in 1 1/2 to 2 hours of pure strength training. When bulking up the lads may eat in excess of 5000 calories a day (Women may do a little less but it's still going to be a lot more than what most people eat). So if you're like me, and you're eating 1500 calories or less a day, there is no way you're going to be anywhere near big as them.

2.) Muscle Mass does not equal strength. In order to gain muscle mass, you need to be working out on a particular body part for really long times. My weekly bicep workout consists of 3 set of 8 reps. I lift as heavy as I possibly can in those 3 sets and my biceps are wrecked. That lasts all of about 5 mins (including rests), the next week, I will add 2kg onto the weight and go again. The size of my biceps are not reflecting the increase of weights I'm using. If I wanted to really bulk my biceps up, I would have to train them specifically for entire gym session. Muscle mass comes from straining the muscle over a period of time. Which is why a body builder will spend an entire session working on just shoulders, or just back, or chest ect. ect.

3.) It takes a long time for those guys to get as big as they do. I'm talking years. Even if they are using roids, it would take years. If you're trying to loose weight you will reach that goal long before you look like the Incredible Hulk. Even if you do start to see that you're bulking up a little too much, you can just stop strength training, and as the saying goes, if you don't use it... you loose it.

Honestly though, in any strength training your muscles will grow. That's the point. You break them down and they come back stronger. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to loose weight, as your body needs to use more energy to run itself.

Start out with a very general routine, one that targets all your four major muscle areas in one go. Maybe something like Weighted Squats, calf raises, Chest Press or push ups, Assisted pull ups/lateral pull down, shoulder press would be enough to start with. Once you get into it, I think you will not look back.

RunHardBeStrong

I have PCOS, and just about all the negative side effects from it. I lift heavy. It has NOT made me bulky. It's had the opposite effect; things are tighter and look thinner.

Don't be afraid. Lift all the weights!

This is me as well.

Laroka

I don't have pcos, but I was misdiagnosed a while back and looked up a lot of information about it, and asked a lot of questions. Anyway. I don't remember where I got the information, but it makes sense. Basically even though your hormones might be high it is not as high as most men. So you might gain muscle faster than the average women, but not the average man.

lynn1982

No. Please harden up.

Wow...really? You seriously have no idea what it's like.

fbmandy55

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Urm some women with PCOS do have these symptoms. Don't be so flippant.

Yeah, thanks.

ETA: Spent way too much money on Electrolysis, waxing, special razors. I have to shave my face, neck, stomach and chest DAILY. I've been on medications for 3 years to stop the hair grow and it may make the hair less black and slower to grow but it's still there.

I spent 3 years with an sexually, verbally and physically abusive man because he had me convinced that no one else would ever want to be with me. Finally, after losing some weight, gaining confidence and leaving that man, I spent 2 years single out of fear of my condition. The few times a guy would come close to touching my face or neck, I would panic that he would feel that my skin was not smooth and freak out that it was shaved. One actually did. I've been with my fiance for 2 years and I still don't like him touching certain parts of my face and chest.

Until you are a woman living with Hirsutism and having to live with that kind of insecurity and the depression caused by having no way to fix it, please stfu.

MsEndomorph

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Uneducated fail.

A little less sarcasm and a little more research before commenting might be in order

adorable_aly

Do you have a lot of chest hair, or need to shave your beard often?

If not, you don't have testosterone levels high enough to worry.

Carry on.

Urm some women with PCOS do have these symptoms. Don't be so flippant.

Yeah, thanks.

ETA: Spent way too much money on Electrolysis, waxing, special razors. I have to shave my face, neck, stomach and chest DAILY. I've been on medications for 3 years to stop the hair grow and it may make the hair less black and slower to grow but it's still there.

I spent 3 years with an sexually, verbally and physically abusive man because he had me convinced that no one else would ever want to be with me. Finally, after losing some weight, gaining confidence and leaving that man, I spent 2 years single out of fear of my condition. The few times a guy would come close to touching my face or neck, I would panic that he would feel that my skin was not smooth and freak out that it was shaved. One actually did. I've been with my fiance for 2 years and I still don't like him touching certain parts of my face and chest.

Until you are a woman living with Hirsutism and having to live with that kind of insecurity and the depression caused by having no way to fix it, please stfu.

That is such an amazing journey, it gives me hope. I wish you and your fiancé all the happiness in the world. :flowerforyou: And I hope to find such a supportive partner in the future.

Also electrolysis, that **** is just horrendous!!