Women who lift weights ??? Advice please

johanaaah

I learned a lot with my trainer.....He is nationally recognized and has trained many famous body builders. First thing he taught me is the only way to get rid of the fat is cardio PLUS building muscle. The more muscle you have/build, the more fat you will burn. This of it this way: visualize your fat burning. Now visualize your muscle growing. You will have less fat if you have two actions going on rather than just the fat loss.....The first thing you should do is focus on cardio about 4 times a week for 50 mins. Then you should focus on a whole body workout 3 days a week, starting with 10 mins cardio to warm up and get your heart rate up....Once your heart rate is up you keep it up with lifting weights, doing squats, lunges etc....In the middle of your workout do 8 mins on the stairmaster to get your heart rate up again....then continue your weight training....finish with another 5 or 10 of cardio....He recommended 2 sets of 15 reps VS 3 sets of 10...Why? Women need to look leaner and this will accomplish that vs more sets. You wont bulk up. I promise!!! ALso, he recommended not waiting too much time in between sets.....The faster you do your sets and reps, the better for your muscles. Your total body should be no longer than 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins......I lost a good ammt of fat percentage working out with him........I gained it back because i got lazy but i am on my game again and also the reason I am on MFP.


Good luck!!

nickyfm

The only time my butt ever looks good is when I weight train!!

The only downside is that my shoulders do get a little bulky. but only A LITTLE!! Also because I pole dance, which is freak load of arm work.

tataliciousd89

Just do it. Keep doing it. Don't be afraid. You will look and feel soooooooooooo much better than dieting alone, I promise.

auditorz

If you don't lift weights you can only get skinny fat.

nel0311

I was nervous too. My husband told me that i wont bulk up real bad just by using 3-5 lb weights. it just helps my body make the muscles stronger so that they can burn the fat. Yes it is true that you will see the scale rises a little while doing so but it will right before the muscle starts to help burn off the rest of the fat that is in your body. Seeing how you cant turn fat into muscle you should see the results you want. Best bet is to stay away from any suppliments that will bulk you up and contain massive amounts of calories and you shoud be fine. The change happens slow but it happens. Good luck!

SmallerBecky

OKAY PLEASE READ MINE I HAVE THE ANSWER!!! Hey my workout is 3 days a week and i do 5 sets of squats (with 45lb bar) And 10-12 reps per set, and a bunch of other things, but I don't really want to write all that, anyways the key is to tone up not bulk up, you do this by doing more reps per set and less weight per rep. Hope it helps you its really working for me, but your might still gain a little muscel weight , but thats good wight and you won't look funny its just like replacing the wiggly fat with muscle


:flowerforyou:

Highlighted part is not true. Lifting heavy weights with low reps won't cause you to bulk up. Women are so scared of accidentally bulking up while on a caloric deficit. Guess what? It's hard to gain muscle even when you're eating above maintenance. Most of the "bulk" women see on themselves is the fat, not the muscle.

Less reps, more weight--I agree! Lift, lift, lift...and lift HEAVY! My profile pic is me on Week 11 of P90X (three days of strength training a week, among other cardio workouts). I'm starting New Rules of Lifting for Women right after I finish Week 13 (end of next week). These arms lift 15s, 20s, and occasionally 35s...and they're only gonna get better!

DarleneT22

I have been lifting for 4 weeks now and I lift heavy. I have about 20 lbs to get to my goal but really I just want to tone up and get rid of the jiggle. Thanks to this thread I just bought that New Rules book for my Kindle so thanks!!

kir911

Don't be afraid to lift. At first the scale may not move alot, but don't worry, you are making more progress than you think. I lost more inches than I did weight at the beginning from primarily lifting. I lost 24 inches in about 2 - 2 1/2 months, 2 pants sizes. It really is the way to go!

Katie3784

I'm sure you have heard this, but you must believe it. Women really cannot bulk up. We don't have enough testosterone to get big. I strength train 4 days a week, and have developed incredible tone and definition in my upper body. You will not gain weight from muscle. In fact, having more muscle burns more calories, so you will still lose weight. Do not be scared. I repeat, do not be scared.

BJC78

Thanks for all the advice! I think I'm going to check out the book too Question~ can this be done at home or only in the gym?

KareninCanada

It's certainly easier in the gym, but it can be modified to do at home.

And the book will explain to you exactly why the "more reps less weight" is completely bogus.

Hippie_Soul

Thanks for this!!! I have only been working out about 4 months and never before in my life!
I really enjoy the cardio and had some weight lifting (machine weights) sessions with a personal trainer (courtesy of joining the gym) but I didn't really like it. After reading this, I believe I will give it another shot.
I have a lot of weight to lose~about 70 lbs~but am wondering can I still do the weights now with the cardio and if so, are free weights or machine weights better?
(Thanks for letting me ask additional questions besides the original post :flowerforyou: )

Articeluvsmemphis

Muscle doesn't way more than fat, it's denser. a pound is a pound is a pound the world around

keep lifting, you cannot bulk like a man can eating on a calorie deficit and including cardio as well, and you don't have enough testosterone either, keep lifting, you will look better after a big weight loss, not just a blob of skin who has only done cardio and has loss a lot of muscle mass

lynheff

First it is VERY hard for women--or even men for that matter--to bulk up. It takes a lot of strength training over time to build any significant amount of muscle. The professional body builders spend hours a day at this. They also have ultra low body fat so their muscles are more visible than will be true for most of us.
There is a downside to NOT strength training. if you don't challenge your muscles, starting in your 30's you will begin to lose muscle mass. Since muscles are the powerhouse of your metabolism Less muscle means it takes fewer calories to maintain your weight and gaining becomes easier. No joy there!

I have been doing weight training for years and don't have any bulky muscles. It became so much more important since I got out of the wheelchair. I have kept my weight off, lost inches and , more importantly, become stronger, more flexible and totally independent.
Good luck!

KristalDawnO

If you're pretty new to weightlifting, you can get a nice program on the body for life website. They detail the exercise, the repetitions, the weight, etc. If you're wanting to tone up, and lose weight - heavy isn't where it is at. Lower weights (but still challenging at the end) and higher repetitions is going to be anaerobic, as well as aerobic exercise. You will benefit from this, and if you're looking to lift heavy - this is where you will make your gains.

As for bulking way up. Women don't have the testosterone levels in their bodies to bulk up as much as their male counterparts. You will develop nice, lean muscle mass. Don't let the body builders of the world throw you off, yes they are incredible! Yes, they probably look more muscled than you'd ever want to look - but that is during competition only. They follow a very strict diet to get them down to posing weight to show off their hard work. In the off season, they're just strong beautiful ladies

gastankerdriver

I wish I knew who started this myth that if a woman starts lifting weights, she will "bulk up" and look like Arnold Schwarznegger. I have been lifting weights for years and know that it is very difficult to amass large amounts of muscle.

djkamin60

Someone seriously needs to ban the muscle weighs more than fat phrase. A pound is a pound whether it is muscle, fat, water, or food. The truth is muscle helps burn more calories than fat. So lift weights and you may stay the same weight or gain a few at first but in the long run, your metabolism will increase.

LorinaLynn

I wish people would stop arguing about muscle weighing more than fat. I've only "met" ONE person who didn't understand that one pound always equals one pound, and that the phrase "by volume" was implied.

I also wish more people understood how hard it is to gain muscle, and that a stall or gain on the scale while on a calorie deficit is much, much more likely fluid retention than putting on muscle. But that's what threads like this are for.

funkycamper

Thanks for this!!! I have only been working out about 4 months and never before in my life!
I really enjoy the cardio and had some weight lifting (machine weights) sessions with a personal trainer (courtesy of joining the gym) but I didn't really like it. After reading this, I believe I will give it another shot.
I have a lot of weight to lose~about 70 lbs~but am wondering can I still do the weights now with the cardio and if so, are free weights or machine weights better?
(Thanks for letting me ask additional questions besides the original post :flowerforyou: )

Go for it. Free weights are better. Do your cardio on days you don't do weights.

Moonblood

Get yourself a copy of The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess -- stop worrying, keep lifting!!! :-D

This!!!

mandiemahoney

bump

runningfromzombies

Ok so, as many women i am one of those that is scared to be lifting weights due to i'm afraid of bulking up. I have however been giving it a go for the past two weeks but even though i have been i'm still freaking myself out about it. I'm so worried about the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" deal! I want to see the number on the scale DROP not increase!! Anyways, i'd love to hear different things about lifting weights and if possible see pictures of women who have used strength training to help them to achieve their goals. I'm so... confused when it comes to strength training. Confused and very nervous about getting big instead of skinny and toned. HELP ME PLEASE UNDERSTAND!!! Thanks to all who respond ahead of time

1. It is next to IMPOSSIBLE for girls to "bulk up". You don't have enough of the right hormones. I lift heavy-ish (I do not suffer from pink weight syndrome), and all it's done for me is to look more toned at 150 pounds than I did at 145.
2. Who the hell cares what the number on the scale says if the image in the mirror is a lightly muscled goddess? You are the only person who ever sees the number on the scale...everyone else just sees what you look like. So...does it matter?

bdur76

http://www.soheeleefitness.com/2012/01/23/cardio-bunny-stop-it-stop-it-now/

^^^^Read this^^^^

Oh yeah, and lift heavy!