Will weight training make women bulky?

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  • VinVenture
    VinVenture Posts: 290
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    230317_10150620977135574_327738720573_18957089_7616993_n.jpg

    Being a female novice lifter ( My squats are currently 110 lbs and increasing), this is my new goal. This is my inspirational picture. I just came to this thread to be an annoying know-it-all, but decided against this. You guys are awesome.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    230317_10150620977135574_327738720573_18957089_7616993_n.jpg

    Being a female novice lifter ( My squats are currently 110 lbs and increasing), this is my new goal. This is my inspirational picture. I just came to this thread to be an annoying know-it-all, but decided against this. You guys are awesome.

    Good luck reaching your goal!

    And this thread already has an annoying know-it-all who, although doesn't even lift weights, actually knows more about the subject than the rest of us. :laugh:
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    It depends on the woman. I have short arms, and when I do heavy weights, they look fat, because I don't intend to ever have a BF% low enough for serious muscle definition. I have a small build but put on muscle very easily, which looks fine on my quite long legs but daft on my short little arms.

    I do lightish (though still double what the other girls do) weights for my arms as part of circuit training and also (full) press ups and they look fine right now, I could possibly even do with gaining a little more muscle on them (for a change). So I guess you can go quite heavy. If you have long limbs then you can get away with bigger muscles, IMO. I am just working out what is best for me at the moment, having tried both extremes.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    Quote me saying that I don't strength train and then quote me saying I lift 2 pounds. I will wait for your answer, then I know what I will do next.
    How about saying you strength train, but use 3lbs weights? That's NOT strength training. Again totally delusional in how you interpret exercise physiology. I'm getting more convinced that you're just a troll.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    Does lifting 60 lbs of 6 year old boy count as lifting? What about repetitive lifting of 36 lbs of 4 year old?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    I don't have to prove myself to anyone.
    Common answer from someone who really CAN'T prove much.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • DRetel
    DRetel Posts: 136 Member
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    Quote me saying that I don't strength train and then quote me saying I lift 2 pounds. I will wait for your answer, then I know what I will do next.
    How about saying you strength train, but use 3lbs weights? That's NOT strength training. Again totally delusional in how you interpret exercise physiology. I'm getting more convinced that you're just a troll.


    Trolls are not to be fed.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    Let me also emphasize that you could bust your *kitten*, eat right, get rest, get down to 18% body fat or less and STILL NOT look like any of them. Genetics is also a key factor. Eason and the others have small hipbones. If you have large hipbones, nothing you do will reduce the width. Same with muscle insertions and how your muscle shape is.
    But do what you can with your genetics to achieve the best you.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
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    The weight training a body builder undertakes is different to that of a strength athlete and so they end up with different bodies usually unless they are specifically training for both. A strength athlete prefers to trigger myofibrillar hypertrophy (the enlargement of muscle fibres) whereas a bodybuilder prefers to triggering sacroplasmic hypertrophy (increase in sacroplasm, being non contractile muscle fluid.)

    Now there is some crossover between the two. Generally however if you train for strength predominantly you will not look "big or bulky". Whilst the size of your muscles does not increase that much to the naked eye given the increase in myofibrils it causes you to be stronger and has a distinct functional benefit in the real world. Many things in real life become much easier (carrying your kids around, or shopping, putting heavy items on shelves and so on.)

    If a woman wants to look like a bodybuilder she will not get there by accident. Bodybuilders train very specifically at higher rep ranges (10 to 15 reps per set if not more) with a high degree of volume (they are in the gym all the time doing numerous sets, hitting muscle groups from every conceivable angles and devoting a lot of time to training) with high degrees of muscle fatigue. They will be eating at a calorie surplus. In all honesty they will probably be juicing.

    So what does this mean in plain English for the average lady on MFP who is eating at a calorie deficit and is advised to lift heavy for 2 - 3 limited sessions a week? There is no way in God's Green Earth you will end up looking bulky or like a bodybuilder. Forget it. It will NOT happen.

    They will however preserve their existing muscle mass (or if they are lucky increase it slightly) which will then be exposed as their body fat lowers. They will look smaller (as fat occupies more space per lb than muscle) sleek and "toned" (presuming however that they have any reasonable existing muscle mass to begin with.)

    Perhaps most importantly they will gain functional, real world strength and to me this is the biggest prize of all. Substance over style every time.

    If you are a lady and haven't considered strength training then consider doing so. There are just too many advantages to it to leave it for another day. Don't let us boys hold all the chips ;)

    Very nice. But where is your math?

    Oh, wait. It makes perfect sense this way. Never mind.
  • wee_wolfie
    wee_wolfie Posts: 40 Member
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    As a slight aside, is it possible for some women to just be naturally quite muscley/bulky? I have 12 inch arms without lifting, of which very little is squidgy (bit more developed on the inside than outside). I would like to add one inch or so to these and bulk my shoulders a bit, so have started to do a little lifting. I am not lean, just a bit plump really and working on it currently. According to the above posts I must be some sort of freak :/ Reassure me please!
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    As a slight aside, is it possible for some women to just be naturally quite muscley/bulky? I have 12 inch arms without lifting, of which very little is squidgy (bit more developed on the inside than outside). I would like to add one inch or so to these and bulk my shoulders a bit, so have started to do a little lifting. I am not lean, just a bit plump really and working on it currently. According to the above posts I must be some sort of freak :/ Reassure me please!

    Muscle =/= bulky.

    Body fat makes people bulky...

    If you are not lean, as you admit, then sure, you do have some muscle, but you appear thicker because it has body fat around it. If you lean out, you will not be bulky, even if you lift heavy. If you lift heavy to increase muscle size WITHOUT cutting the fat (do this by NOT eating a calorie deficit) then you will appear more bulky because you are not getting rid of the bulky fat.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Quote me saying that I don't strength train and then quote me saying I lift 2 pounds. I will wait for your answer, then I know what I will do next.
    How about saying you strength train, but use 3lbs weights? That's NOT strength training. Again totally delusional in how you interpret exercise physiology. I'm getting more convinced that you're just a troll.


    Trolls are not to be fed.

    You don't have to feed the trolls. Some of us who are eating popcorn are messy eaters, and the trolls come around to eat what we're spilling.

    I need to go count the calories of my popcorn now. It might make me bulky.
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
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    AZackery. How about a picture of yourself? To correctly illustrate your body that you have?

    I don't have to prove myself to anyone.
    I love you AZackery:-)
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
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    Double post
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Muscle =/= bulky.

    Body fat makes people bulky...

    If you are not lean, as you admit, then sure, you do have some muscle, but you appear thicker because it has body fat around it.

    Plus, fat isn't just around/over the muscle, like a nice fluffy down comforter. It's in it, too, like the marbling of fat in beef or pork.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    As a slight aside, is it possible for some women to just be naturally quite muscley/bulky? I have 12 inch arms without lifting, of which very little is squidgy (bit more developed on the inside than outside). I would like to add one inch or so to these and bulk my shoulders a bit, so have started to do a little lifting. I am not lean, just a bit plump really and working on it currently. According to the above posts I must be some sort of freak :/ Reassure me please!
    Yes, just like there are males who are naturally big with no weight lifting at all.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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  • wee_wolfie
    wee_wolfie Posts: 40 Member
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    Yes, just like there are males who are naturally big with no weight lifting at all.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't detect any sarcasm here, so thanks, feel slightly less weird now :)
  • madisonsteelex
    madisonsteelex Posts: 295
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    Hmmm. I could say, "I don't like flabby, cellulitey arms." But then that would make me an @sshole. Darn.
    this
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    I don't detect any sarcasm here, so thanks, feel slightly less weird now :)
    No sarcasm. It's true. Go to Samoa and you'll believe me.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
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    I don't detect any sarcasm here, so thanks, feel slightly less weird now :)
    No sarcasm. It's true. Go to Samoa and you'll believe me.
    Some naturally blessed big brothers from out there. Makes me jealous.

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