For girls who lift or men who know?
Brooke4206
Posts: 140 Member
I have been lifting about a year now. I've always lifted to 10 reps. Did 4 sets of DL, squats, and bench. I am now considering upping the weight and doing 3 sets of all of the above but only 5 reps. I was told by a friend that this could possibly make me bulk with the increasing weight? I don't eat a massive amount so I am not sure if that plays into it as well. I already have the low body fat. I am just looking to get a six pack. I have the top two already.
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Replies
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You won't just get bulky, that doesn't happen. It comes down to nutrition and hard work. Do people go to University and accidentally get degrees?0
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Naw...you have to eat at a surplus to bulk and gain size. Generally lower reps are for strength and higher reps are for hypertrophy.0
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That's an excellent plan. You won't bulk. Go for it! You will love the results.0
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It sounds like you were referred to do Starting Strength. You do 3x5, and increase every week until you fail. Once youve failed the same weight and the same exercise for 3 separate lifting days, you deload and work back up. Its a little more than those 3 lifts though and there is an A and B set of lifts you alternate every other day. It might be a good book to get, or at least good program to research online.
Like others said, women dont accidentally get bulky. They dont accidentally look like she-man.0 -
Women genetically hold more fat than men and it varies how low in bodyfat a person has to be for their abs to show.
1) Work abdominals, as a guy, all I have to do is do leg raises and reverse crunches to build the abdominal muscles bigger, for a woman you just have to do the same and it might take a little more time (it took me 3 months to build the muscles). If you can feel each of your ab muscles through your belly fat, then that's good.
2) Diet down low enough to see all your abs, men have to be 12-10% before they start seeing all 6 abs. Not sure about women.
Oh and as a woman, you have like 1/10th of the amount of testosterone a guy has, so you don't hormonally have enough test to support that much muscle mass, so you won't get bulky.0 -
4-6 reps = strength range
8-10 = hypertrophy range (which is muscle growth but only when combined with a calorie surplus)0 -
You won't just get bulky, that doesn't happen. It comes down to nutrition and hard work. Do people go to University and accidentally get degrees?
For the longest time I've heard people say "I dont want to lift I'll just get bulky and look like a balloon" and for the longest time I've tried to think of a way to say "nope" in a way they understood and I think you good sir have done it. I will most likely use this in the not too distant future. *round of applause*0 -
You won't bulk. You really have to try extra hard to bulk as a female...0
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It's laughable difficult to get bulky even when you are TRYING to do so- it absolutely 150million% will not happen just by picking up heavy things.0
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Yeah, you're not going to bulk on that without eating a lot more calories (and protein). From everything I've seen, 4-6 reps is best for strength, 8-10 is where you start working on hypertrophy (building muscle mass). I generally do 5 sets of 5, and love the feeling of strength from that.
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Women won't get bulky because we don't have the hormones for that like men do. You will develop lean muscles, and an athletic physique.0
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I love love love how great my body looks and feels from using free weights and bodybuilding exercises, and I still look very feminine. I've trained since college years.
to this day I do not know how that myth started, of women bulking up. it just doesn't happen. you have to train a certain way to bulk up, and also take certain supplements to bulk up. if you look at the women who compete in bodybuilding events, they're all smooth and feminine looking when they're not training, and they're lean and ripped with blood vessels popping during competition because they do certain things to enhance muscle tone and veins for judging competition.
muscles burn more calories than fat. muscles weigh more than fat. with muscle tone you'll burn more calories and stay fitter longer in life. this is a huge benefit to women in that muscles will also strengthen your bones.
When you hit 40 you lose 10% muscles, which weakens your bones.
when you hit 50 you're now losing 20% of muscles, further accelerating bone loss. and it keeps increasing as we get older.
so you want strong lean muscles as early on in your life as possible.
and you can start to strengthen muscles anytime in your life.
muscle's have memory. what you did as a kid or when you were fittest will create the fastest gain for you all your life.0 -
speaking of weightlifting routines... I think it's good to keep changing it up.
I absolutely love the routine Ultimate Body Workout published by men's health.
I can honestly say this is for serious body strengthening and fat burning.
I find that the men's routines are much better for muscle strengthening, than their women's workouts.
Their women's workouts are great cardio, where I need to build muscle that I've lost with aging. I've always been a strong well balanced girl that doesn't look like a guy.... any woman can benefit big time from this workout.
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ultimate-body-weight-workout
they publish a new version annually. I found it in book format back in 2008. Now that I'm familiar with the routine sequence, I just keep a few cliff notes in my iphone 'notes' app to take to the gym.0 -
Seems that your goal appears to be a six pack, so you need lower body fat. Are you incorporating cardio sessions into your daily routines?0
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First of all, I'm sick and freaking tired of everyone demonizing bulky women. I am strong. I have endurance. I am fast. I am bulky. I don't care if someone looks long and lean in a pair of leggings. I can most likely kick their a##. I understand that this is subjective, as someone else my height and weight with similar BF might not consider themselves bulky but I do consider them so. And I think those women should be proud as heck of their mass gains!
Okay, I feel I've gotten bulkier than most without really trying. I eat at maintenance. I have almost 130 pounds of lean mass and I am only 5'5". I have been lifting for strength, not mass gains. I don't mind being bulky though. My body is naturally built for doing stuff, not having a thigh gap. I am an anomaly and there is nothing wrong with me and I refuse to let everyone keep shaming "bulky women" who are often kick-butt athletes! It's genetics!
Yep, 6 pack=lower body fat.
Up to 5 reps is generally used in strength progressions. If you are looking for hypertrophy, continue on with the 8-12 reps and clean up your diet to a fat loss plan.0 -
I like having programs that have all rep ranges involved. I'd get bored if I was always lifting heavy or light. Both will get you abs. Keep eating at a deficit, lift, and hit your macros.0
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4-6 reps = strength range
8-10 = hypertrophy range (which is muscle growth but only when combined with a calorie surplus)
This
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I want to know what boys and women think on this issue.0
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I have been lifting about a year now. I've always lifted to 10 reps. Did 4 sets of DL, squats, and bench. I am now considering upping the weight and doing 3 sets of all of the above but only 5 reps. I was told by a friend that this could possibly make me bulk with the increasing weight? I don't eat a massive amount so I am not sure if that plays into it as well. I already have the low body fat. I am just looking to get a six pack. I have the top two already.
Only if you are in surplus would you "bulk", but even then, that would require time.
Now a 6-pack will be a result of caloric deficit0 -
First of all, I'm sick and freaking tired of everyone demonizing bulky women. I am strong. I have endurance. I am fast. I am bulky. I don't care if someone looks long and lean in a pair of leggings. I can most likely kick their a##. I understand that this is subjective, as someone else my height and weight with similar BF might not consider themselves bulky but I do consider them so. And I think those women should be proud as heck of their mass gains!
Okay, I feel I've gotten bulkier than most without really trying. I eat at maintenance. I have almost 130 pounds of lean mass and I am only 5'5". I have been lifting for strength, not mass gains. I don't mind being bulky though. My body is naturally built for doing stuff, not having a thigh gap. I am an anomaly and there is nothing wrong with me and I refuse to let everyone keep shaming "bulky women" who are often kick-butt athletes! It's genetics!
Seconded! You rock!0 -
Your caloric intake is what will determine if you bulk, cut, or remain the same. Adding more intensity to your training by adding weight with lower reps can be and usually a good thing. Try it and see how you like it. You can always add an additional exercise after the big three with higher reps like 8-10 or 10-12 if isolation moves for more volume.
P.S. Throat punch your friend for the advise he or she gave. J/K.... no really do it. :laugh:
:happy: 0 -
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
Scroll towards the bottom, till you see a picture under "Staci Now". To get to that point she has been eating 3000-4000 cals per day for months, and burning most of it off. She is 5'4", and 142lbs in the more muscle-y one. 131lbs in the one that has a bit more fat in it. This is up from her low of 117lbs (Didn't like how she looked and felt), which is down from her starting weight of 170lb.0 -
First of all, I'm sick and freaking tired of everyone demonizing bulky women. I am strong. I have endurance. I am fast. I am bulky. I don't care if someone looks long and lean in a pair of leggings. I can most likely kick their a##. I understand that this is subjective, as someone else my height and weight with similar BF might not consider themselves bulky but I do consider them so. And I think those women should be proud as heck of their mass gains!
Okay, I feel I've gotten bulkier than most without really trying. I eat at maintenance. I have almost 130 pounds of lean mass and I am only 5'5". I have been lifting for strength, not mass gains. I don't mind being bulky though. My body is naturally built for doing stuff, not having a thigh gap. I am an anomaly and there is nothing wrong with me and I refuse to let everyone keep shaming "bulky women" who are often kick-butt athletes! It's genetics!
Yep, 6 pack=lower body fat.
Up to 5 reps is generally used in strength progressions. If you are looking for hypertrophy, continue on with the 8-12 reps and clean up your diet to a fat loss plan.
Yep.... :bigsmile:0 -
First of all, I'm sick and freaking tired of everyone demonizing bulky women. I am strong. I have endurance. I am fast. I am bulky. I don't care if someone looks long and lean in a pair of leggings. I can most likely kick their a##. I understand that this is subjective, as someone else my height and weight with similar BF might not consider themselves bulky but I do consider them so. And I think those women should be proud as heck of their mass gains!
Okay, I feel I've gotten bulkier than most without really trying. I eat at maintenance. I have almost 130 pounds of lean mass and I am only 5'5". I have been lifting for strength, not mass gains. I don't mind being bulky though. My body is naturally built for doing stuff, not having a thigh gap. I am an anomaly and there is nothing wrong with me and I refuse to let everyone keep shaming "bulky women" who are often kick-butt athletes! It's genetics!
Yep, 6 pack=lower body fat.
Up to 5 reps is generally used in strength progressions. If you are looking for hypertrophy, continue on with the 8-12 reps and clean up your diet to a fat loss plan.
This is another excellent perspective and point!
And it depends on the person. Being bulky is beautiful. But, for some women it is very hard to get to that point. I'm not even sure it's possible for all women.0 -
As has been said several times here, women do not have the hormones necessary to get really bulky. We do get muscle definition and tone with weight training--which are very good and healthy looking! If you've ever seen pictures of female weight lifters, and they are very bulky... they have taken steroids and testosterone to achieve that. They are compromising their health to force their body to bulk up.0
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Rep range has had absolutely ZERO effect on my progress. Nothing. Nada. Whether I do 6-8 or 12-15 reps, I do not grow. However, I do eat at maintenance so contingent on your goals/food intake, your results could differ.0
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You won't just get bulky, that doesn't happen. It comes down to nutrition and hard work. Do people go to University and accidentally get degrees?
best response I've read in months. strong first post! :laugh: :laugh:0 -
Speaking from experience, men do the same thing. After a certain time of lifting the routine feels slow and you just want to lift heavier, to be stronger. You will get injured. Strength is a slow progression and most lifters learn this the hard way - injuries.
I would increase the weight and stick with 3-4 sets of 10 controlled reps. Once you can do the reps, increase the weight slightly.0 -
Speaking from experience, men do the same thing. After a certain time of lifting the routine feels slow and you just want to lift heavier, to be stronger. You will get injured. Strength is a slow progression and most lifters learn this the hard way - injuries.
I would increase the weight and stick with 3-4 sets of 10 controlled reps. Once you can do the reps, increase the weight slightly.
huh???0 -
First of all, I'm sick and freaking tired of everyone demonizing bulky women. I am strong. I have endurance. I am fast. I am bulky. I don't care if someone looks long and lean in a pair of leggings. I can most likely kick their a##. I understand that this is subjective, as someone else my height and weight with similar BF might not consider themselves bulky but I do consider them so. And I think those women should be proud as heck of their mass gains!
Okay, I feel I've gotten bulkier than most without really trying. I eat at maintenance. I have almost 130 pounds of lean mass and I am only 5'5". I have been lifting for strength, not mass gains. I don't mind being bulky though. My body is naturally built for doing stuff, not having a thigh gap. I am an anomaly and there is nothing wrong with me and I refuse to let everyone keep shaming "bulky women" who are often kick-butt athletes! It's genetics!
Yep, 6 pack=lower body fat.
Up to 5 reps is generally used in strength progressions. If you are looking for hypertrophy, continue on with the 8-12 reps and clean up your diet to a fat loss plan.
Get'em girl! :flowerforyou:0
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