HELP WITH BURNING FAT WITHOUT THE BULK

jakesgirl05

I NEED HELP!!!!!
Okay, so I tried this before.....
I bulk up easily and I can't stand it!! It seems every DVD I get for fat burning has mega bulk building exercises (ie. squats, lunges). I know, most women don't bulk, women have to work hard at bulking, more muscle is better, and so on. Thing is, I DO bulk up easily and I don't want to be bigger. I want to LOSE inches. Heck, I would like to lose some muscle mass even!
Aren't there any DVD work outs focused in burning GAT, and not BULKING up? I have A LOT of muscle and I would like to lose fat without building more. Even slim in six has mega squats! Yikes!
I feel like just giving up at times. I danced growing up and for years as an adult and my muscles have memory let me tell you! I get down to a size two and still can't wear cute boots because my calves are too big. Really? I lose as much as I can and I still have big arms. There must be a way to lose fat, not bulk and reduce muscle size. WITHOUT surgery. Pilates and yoga are good, but they are NOT fat burners. Done the research. I can't run because of my knees or I would. Any one have ideas? I would love love love some good fat burning DVDs!!!
I would be thrilled if I got some help thanks !!!!

minijuggernaut

Well, you won't build much appreciable muscle with air squats. Most of those DVDs are more endurance work than hypertrophy programs - but if you're looking for a workout with absolutely no bending at the knee, it might be a tall order.

Have you tried zumba/dancing/running? Straight up cardio is probably going to be more targeted to your goals.

ETA: Sorry, only skimmed the part where you said you can't run. I would suggest a gym with ellipticals or the like. Additionally, what's your diet like? Losing the fat OVER the muscle really does wonders for the "bulk" effect.

DancingMoosie

What about jazzercise or general aerobics dvds, bike, elliptical, walking, rebounder, swimming?

j6o4

the only thing different about bulking and cutting is the way you eat. I train the exact same when im losing or when im gaining, it's all about diet. Most likey in your case, your probably just getting a pump where blood flows into your muscle which 100% will go away.

kcaffee1

Swimming, walking, biking - probably swimming though. It gives you the resistance to help burn the fat, but because you adapt to it so quickly, the resistance won't cause you to bulk up. At least that I've seen. Almost any "bulky" swimmers supplement the swimming with lifting. And, I've personally seen some TREMENDOUS improvements in fat layers melting off with swimming. Be sure to use a mix of strokes though, or you can wind up over working your shoulders.

SkimFlatWhite68

Diet is the most important factor in a fat loss diet (most say it's 70-80% of the equation) so concentrate on your food intake, keep a small calorie deficit, make wise choices.

If you don't want to do weights and already have a lot of muscle, then don't do weights. It's really that simple. Go for a daily walk. The walk will be your exercise, there is no need to run if you don't want to.

Everyone will have a different plan depending what their goals are. So you just need to tailor YOUR programme to what YOU want to achieve.

Best wishes,

ladynocturne

You know you can lose fat without exercising right? Find out how many calories you maintain on, eat 250-500 less than that to lose .5lbs-1lb a week.

jakesgirl05

Wow! Thank you so much for the responses! I really appreciate the suggestions and support! I didn't think of Jazzercise or Zymba , and actually they would probably be awesome! Thank you! Swimming too!!

Capt_Apollo

if you swim, try and swim without using your legs, as you don't want them to get bulky.

also, limit your stroking with you arms, as you probably don't want the bigger upper body that swimmers get.

just try and float in the water, without moving a lot.

Binkie1955

exercise doesn't 'burn' fat. that's a myth. Fat is either stored or consumed regardless of your caloric output based on the insulin in circulation in your blood. insulin is stimulated by carbohydrates. that's why all diets that are designed to lose fat, focus on carbohydrate restriction. reduce carbs, reduce insulin, reduce the 'storage' of fat and encourage its consumption by the body so called 'ketosis'. Muscles will burn glycogen, fat or proteins depending on what's available. If insulin is circulating to excess, the fats are being 'stored' that's the chemistry of it and they are not available. having excess fat is caused by shutting down the natural system that makes fat available as an energy source for the body.

the exercise will build muscle either way. so if you're consuming excess carbs and exercising heavily you build both fat and muscle and get bulky but not 'cut'.

read Good Calories Bad Calories to get the science down and consider http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ as a vehicle for designing your diet around your body composition goals.

Mokey41

The exercise on those DVD's won't build bulk especially if you are eating at a deficit. You may be seeing some muscle definition happening but it just isn't easy to build muscle even eating for it and doing heavy lifting.

ninerbuff

If you already have the muscle from prior dance, then unfortunately the only way to lose the muscle would be at the expense of putting your health in danger. Muscle wasting comes from practically being comatose or terminal with cancer or AIDS.
The problem you may have is with your view of how a female should look. And IMO, there's no criteria that will fit everyone. So work with what you're dealt with. Don't compromise with what some say you should look like because that's when problematic issues with body image, self esteem and eating disorders will sound logical to do.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

PlayerHatinDogooder

Have you ever considered just going into a coma?

If squats and lunges get you bulky I can only imagine what walking around all day does to your leg muscles seeing as your hypersensitive to bulkiness.

taso42

Yeah right

CoderGal

Have any pictures of this? I've heard people talk about it, but I've never seen this happen before. I've also heard someone say it in person and they're the skinniest unmuscular thing I've ever seen so just making sure it's not a mind thing. Also grew up in dance and find things far to lose on my legs. Started lifting weights and my legs got even smaller.

Hezzietiger1

Diet

linsey0689

Try walking maybe? or cardio machines would be good

determinedbutlazy

I would ask that you post pictures too, it sounds like you're perhaps suffering slightly from a warped sense of body image?
Stick to cardio exercises like running and swimming etc if you don't want to use weights, and eat at a caloric deficit.

magerum

Prancercise, clearly the answer.



www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew

determinedbutlazy

Prancercise, clearly the answer.



www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew

No way! Thor does Prancercise and he's bulky as all get out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtuxaEcaYuQ

chrisdavey

pics of this bulkiness?

magerum

Prancercise, clearly the answer.



www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-50GjySwew

No way! Thor does Prancercise and he's bulky as all get out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtuxaEcaYuQ

Holy....You win the internet.

TallGlassOfQuirky

exercise doesn't 'burn' fat. that's a myth. Fat is either stored or consumed regardless of your caloric output based on the insulin in circulation in your blood. insulin is stimulated by carbohydrates. that's why all diets that are designed to lose fat, focus on carbohydrate restriction. reduce carbs, reduce insulin, reduce the 'storage' of fat and encourage its consumption by the body so called 'ketosis'. Muscles will burn glycogen, fat or proteins depending on what's available. If insulin is circulating to excess, the fats are being 'stored' that's the chemistry of it and they are not available. having excess fat is caused by shutting down the natural system that makes fat available as an energy source for the body.

the exercise will build muscle either way. so if you're consuming excess carbs and exercising heavily you build both fat and muscle and get bulky but not 'cut'.

read Good Calories Bad Calories to get the science down and consider http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ as a vehicle for designing your diet around your body composition goals.

Umm... No.

Not "all diets that are designed to lose fat" focus on carbohydrate restriction. In fact, the "eat how MFP recommends you eat" diet, which has contributed to the loss of millions of pounds of fat, does not focus on carbohydrate restriction.

Also, it is completely incorrect to say that "exercise will build muscle either way." Unless you are a newbie who has never exercised much, are eating a caloric surplus (note that I did not say carbohydrate surplus), and/or unless you are lifting heavy things, it's just not that easy to build muscle.

OP, go ahead and read the book this guy recommended because then you can ignore it knowing you made an educated decision. In the meantime, just move your body and eat at a moderate deficit. Oh, and be patient.

ETA- When I had fifty pounds left to lose, I was a bit afraid of getting bulky, too. I also thought I bulked up more easily than most women and I certainly am naturally stronger than most so it wasn't just my imagination. That being said, keeping as much of the muscle as possible while shedding the fat meant that I was healthier and LOOKED smaller than the scale indicated, even if (like you) my calves were too big for those cute knee high boots until way later than I thought they should have been.

ninerbuff

exercise doesn't 'burn' fat. that's a myth. Fat is either stored or consumed regardless of your caloric output based on the insulin in circulation in your blood. insulin is stimulated by carbohydrates. that's why all diets that are designed to lose fat, focus on carbohydrate restriction. reduce carbs, reduce insulin, reduce the 'storage' of fat and encourage its consumption by the body so called 'ketosis'. Muscles will burn glycogen, fat or proteins depending on what's available. If insulin is circulating to excess, the fats are being 'stored' that's the chemistry of it and they are not available. having excess fat is caused by shutting down the natural system that makes fat available as an energy source for the body.

the exercise will build muscle either way. so if you're consuming excess carbs and exercising heavily you build both fat and muscle and get bulky but not 'cut'.

read Good Calories Bad Calories to get the science down and consider http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ as a vehicle for designing your diet around your body composition goals.

Fat energy is mostly burned at REST. Eating at a calorie deficit uses excess storage. One doesn't have to reduce carbs to get lean.
Carbs aren't evil and being ketogenic doesn't help with muscle building due to lack of mTOR.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

BrianSharpe

exercise doesn't 'burn' fat. that's a myth. Fat is either stored or consumed regardless of your caloric output based on the insulin in circulation in your blood. insulin is stimulated by carbohydrates. that's why all diets that are designed to lose fat, focus on carbohydrate restriction. reduce carbs, reduce insulin, reduce the 'storage' of fat and encourage its consumption by the body so called 'ketosis'. Muscles will burn glycogen, fat or proteins depending on what's available. If insulin is circulating to excess, the fats are being 'stored' that's the chemistry of it and they are not available. having excess fat is caused by shutting down the natural system that makes fat available as an energy source for the body.

the exercise will build muscle either way. so if you're consuming excess carbs and exercising heavily you build both fat and muscle and get bulky but not 'cut'.

read Good Calories Bad Calories to get the science down and consider http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ as a vehicle for designing your diet around your body composition goals.

all diets?

pure nonsense, you can lose fat eating nothing but carbs as long as you maintain a caloric deficit. (and you'll find "Good Calories, Bad Calories" in the fiction section of your local bookstore)

TavistockToad

in for pictures of bulky!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

jakesgirl05

I probably won't ever post pics of myself on MFP. Especially after the rude responses I've encountered. Why would I subject myself to more judgement and ridicule from people that so not know anything about me except for a "username" and a question. U would never put pics of myself up anywhere public because I'm not okay with sharing that. I don't have tob

jakesgirl05

Prove anything. Ridiculous. I asked a question. An honest simple question. Period. I do not want big muscular thighs. I am not here to judge any body for their choice in what they ultimately want to look like. If I were 100% fine with my aesthetic I wouldn't be here asking for suggestions. Key word, suggestions, not judgement, not what do you think of my question. Honestly. Good grief!

TavistockToad

the reason people want 'proof' is because one persons idea of 'bulky' is not the same as another persons... so by using pictures, or even measurments of your thighs before you did exercise, and then again when they got 'bulky' from bodyweight squats would enable people to help you more.

Unknown

This content has been removed.