Squats, weights, pain in bum, caused this (pics)

CoderGal

These are all pics of me. There's not even a 10lb difference between the before and afters. These pics are from when I was regularly running on the treadmill every day to eating more and lifting at approx the same weight.

+ =



Increase: firmness, bone density, strength, self-confidence, muscle mass, endurence, metabolism (even at rest)
Decrease: arthritis, inches, resting heart rate, fat, back problems, injuries, other heath problems

Those are a few reasons I took up strength. I admit, I was not interested at first. But there are so many reasons to keep going now. I've dabbled in a few things for years at a time, dance, yoga, pilates, running (ok this one not for years), hiking, lifting. I love all these things. I'm a beginner in the lifting world, and I still admit none of the other things will get you as firm as lifting well, if that's your goal. And you don't need to look like a bulky man monster either:




So waddaya think? What are your reasons for/against?

Achrya

The only thing not right about this post is I don't have any *drools at the overwhelming hotness* gifs on me right now. You however and the butt/body that squats have helped build are amazing!

dcmitchell01

You look great! I am interested in lifting too... just sort of starting my research about it.
Thanks for the inspiration!

PikaKnight

Zombriana

squats are wonderfull.
My butt has always been big but now its like... shapely and big!!

Great job hun!!

SQUATS FOR THE WIN!!

deedzzz

wow! Awesome transformation!!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

whierd

5brownsnc

Wow.Great transformation.I've been worried that I will start gaining weight if I add strength and was trying to get to my goal weight first.
Maybe I should be more concerned about the way I look and feel rather than the number on the scale. Thanks for the inspiration

ThisCanadian

bump

JacquiMayCrook

Amazing! How long did this transformation take? xx

LorinaLynn

I think the word "DANG!" says it all!

dym123

You look amazing! Let's hear it for squats! I started adding 45 squats and 45 deadlifts, 3x week about a month ago along with my normal cardio/strength routine. Though I have only lost about 3lbs, I have gone from a size 12/14 to a size 8/10 . It used to take months to drop a pant size.

ETA: The heaviest I "squatted" was 25lb dumbbells, though I am looking to go heavier at some point.

RunFarLiveHappy

Gorgeous, congrats! Yay for lifting progress pics. I am hoping to have some after a few more weeks.

ZoeLifts

You look so awesome!!

mustgetmuscles1

CoderGal

Wow.Great transformation.I've been worried that I will start gaining weight if I add strength and was trying to get to my goal weight first.
Maybe I should be more concerned about the way I look and feel rather than the number on the scale. Thanks for the inspiration

If you eat at a calorie deficit, your weight well drop. You will not continiously get larger. I repeat, you will not get larger. Those people don't know what they're talking about. It's commonly either in the head of the overly concerned about bulking up, the person is eating at a surplus and is in denial, or they don't realize how their human body has worked their whole life. If you eat or if you move you are going to get temporary glycogen, not fat, not muscle, a different temporary weight that's important for a healthy body that helps you get stronger and slimmer which dissappears within a day or 2. Same as if you give blood, it well come back in a healthy body. If you measure a part of your body that has been worked hard after fluid is rushing to it to repair, yes, it's going to be temporarily larger. You can get it wandering around the mall for a long time. But I promise you, the alternative to not moving is staying larger and squishier. How do you grow muscle mass on a calorie deficit with a lack of fuel? You don't. More importantly for this case, your inches well drop. I don't feel like getting rid of my water or blood or shrinking my organs or bones for the sake of mass is productive anymore, since I didn't realize that's what I was doing before. I just want to be less squishy, lower fat. And this is the most efficent way I've found for doing so.

I had the same mentality (dropping weight first) but I regret it now. I would have been a whole lot firmer and slimmer a whole lot sooner had I started earlier. It's a silly thought looking back at it now and knowing what I know now.

I know girls who are at my start weight that are so tiny compared to what I was. And it is so much harder to bulk up then people think. It's all in our minds. Even if I did start sooner and get rid of my fat faster, if I thought I was to muscle up, I'd just lose more weight, or start watching more TV and continue lifting. And knowing what I know now, that wouldn't have happened. Bodybuilder is one type of body that lifts, it doesn't mean that everyone who does it will turn into a body builder. Every picture a person sees that they think is bulky, garanteed they looked a lot bulkier as the overweight fatter version. If you see what you think is a lean hulkster, I garantee that person worked damn hard and tried to get that way through several bulk/cuts (and/or came from a very bulky obese state) and lifted much more then one would think to get there. I've seen some obese people and some people who are after having kids get very very bikini ready with lifting. I still have progress to go but I don't think I'm doing to terrible either (pic taken a few seconds ago, the squat gif was taken today as well)

pcastagner

Thank you

blessedmomof3girls

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This girl is adding squats to her gym routine starting tomorrow! Super work! :flowerforyou:

CoderGal

If you fall into the case of "if I'm not getting smaller why can my *kitten* no longer squish into pants that are to small for me", here is a similar thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1057517-squats-and-big-booties-redux

Cortneyrenee04

Um, yeah... I'm gonna go do squats right now.