Bulking and I'm not wanting to

melaneeb1994
melaneeb1994 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

I am coming to MFP with the same fear as most other women - that weight training will lead to bulkiness. While I know that it isn't possible for women to get bulky like men, I know that my bodytype (mesomorph) can put on muscle better than say an ectomorph.

My issue here is that I have VERY muscular thighs (both quads and hamstrings) as well as muscular triceps. There are other parts of my body that have less muscle (like my glutes for example) that I want to develop while losing muscle in the other areas. I've tried researching exercises to help build my glutes but they all involve exercises that will engage my quads and hamstrings (ex. squats, deadlifts etc). I have done these in the past with the hope that they would not make my legs big but I found that in a short period of time I had gained about 2-3 inches on my thighs without gaining fat.

I should mention - I am in the process of losing fat and have almost reach my desired BFP, being very careful not to fall into an underweight range as I did in the past (In an effort to slim down my legs). I know most people say "to lose mass on thighs lose fat" but there isn't much more fat to spare (I have about 1 inch left on my stomach to lose before I reach a fitness level BFP)

IS THERE ANYONE THAT CAN HELP ME? PLEASE I AM SO DESPERATE. My thighs and triceps have been such an insecurity for me that it has driven me into health issues.

Replies

  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Well, I have some great news for you! You cannot build muscle while in a calorie deficit!

    That being said, when you are new to strength training, your body will start storing additional water and glycogen in your muscles, making them look much fuller. Some people confuse this with "building muscle", but think of it more as energy and water storage.



    For training glutes, I would recommend looking into a book called Strong Curves by Bret Contreras. He is widely known as the Glute Guy and has helped many women achieve that amazing butt that they desire. Many women here on MFP have followed his program and have had great results.

    I -believe- that his program includes hip thrusts and glute bridges, which target the glutes more directly than squats and deadlifts. However, since I am biased, I suggest continuing both of those exercise and adding in the former two. :smile:

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