If you eat too much while lifting heavy...

victoria4321

Would that make women bulky? I know I always hear its not possible eating at a deficit, but I often eat way over. Over as in 2000-3000 calories total in a day kind of over.

victoria4321

Bump

Toddrific

If you eat over your calories, you'll "bulk up, ie. gain fat.

victoria4321

Well I do know about the fat part, thats a given. I know when guys lift though they do eat a huge calorie surplus. Then they do cut cycles or something I think, I'm not too knowledgeable about all of it really but its just what I've read here and there. I'm wondering if I were to do that should I worry about being stuck with big muscles after I lower calories and lose more.

I usually eat a lot more on lifting days simply because I'm starving and light headed at around 1900 calories. Most of it is fruit, nuts and dairy though.

My real concern is making my legs bigger lol. I already have 35'' hips cause my quads are huge (not saying its a bad thing). I just wouldn't want to make them bigger over the long run.

gmjminsz

If you eat over your calories, you'll "bulk up, ie. gain fat.

x2

Why are you eating so much? I'm a man at 86kg and I lift heavy but you eat more calories than me.

In terms of muscle, unless you're on da roids women lack the testosterone to get 'big'.

What's your routine and lifts out of interest?

momof3and3

Females cannot get big and bulky, we lack the testosterone

For an average height female, 35" hips is not huge, that is normal...

Over-eating will make you gain weight/fat, not muscle

If you are hungry, than eat, but unless you are training as an olympic athlete, I don't think you need 3000 calories a day...

gmjminsz

@OP - Competitive bodybuilders and power lifters will eat a huge surplus, but even serious trainers (e.g. me) who are not competitive won't.

The standard calorie surplus for men is +500 calories over your BMR when bulking. Equally, the deficit is -500. I'm not sure about women, but for a man, even when bulking, going above 15% body fat is pointless and difficult to lose.

As for your thighs, women are quad dominant in leg exercises. Take out heavy squats if you do them, or increase reps at lighter weights at 10 - 15 rep range.

victoria4321

If you eat over your calories, you'll "bulk up, ie. gain fat.

x2

Why are you eating so much? I'm a man at 86kg and I lift heavy but you eat more calories than me.

In terms of muscle, unless you're on da roids women lack the testosterone to get 'big'.

What's your routine and lifts out of interest?

I was using mostly machines until recently. For the past month 3 days a week I've been doing the work outs below. I started to see a trainer to work on the form because I wasn't doing any free weights so my reps are high for now.

DB chest press 20lb 15reps/3 sets
Barbell squat 60lbs 15reps/3 sets
1 arm row 20lbs 15reps/3 sets
DB lunges 15lbs 15reps/3 sets
Romanian dead lift 60lbs 15reps/3 sets
DB shoulder presses10lbs 20 reps/3 sets alternating arms
That standing crunch work out where you lift your legs - 16reps for 3 sets
alternating step ups with 15lb db 20 reps/ 3 sets alternating
push ups, a little wider than shoulder width 15 reps/ 3 sets
lat pull 70lbs 15 reps/3 sets
pull ups/chin ups - 2 of each for 3 sets unassisted
bicep curls 15reps/ 3 sets
tricep curls 15 reps/ 3 sets (I add plates to a curl bar but I forgot the weight)

I know it's a lot cause I need a nap after. My trainer mostly just showed me work outs to do but I'm not sure how to format it yet so I just do them all. In addition to that, one day a week I'll do a 4.5 mile run (usually takes just under 40min) and another day I'll run a mile then sprint stairs at the park for around 45min total.

Li_Willi

Here's a group that may be of interest to you:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

victoria4321

Females cannot get big and bulky, we lack the testosterone

For an average height female, 35" hips is not huge, that is normal...

Over-eating will make you gain weight/fat, not muscle

If you are hungry, than eat, but unless you are training as an olympic athlete, I don't think you need 3000 calories a day...

Oh no, I'm not saying that I "need" to eat it. I'm actually hoping that once I adjust to everything I won't be eating like an animal lol. I haven't been gaining weight eating that much, but I'm not losing either which I'm also okay with for now. Its kind of like how I used to always be hungry when I started training for soccer season when I was in school but then it levels out after maybe two months.

I never got big then, but I wasn't lifting anything other than body weight at the time also.

I also meant the 35" is fine compared to my other measurements. I wouldn't want my hips any bigger only because I'm small on top.

carrie_eggo

I admit, I skimmed this thread. I just wanted to chime in:

1. It is very hard to gain actual muscle.
2. 35" hips are not big. That's what mine are and I'm a size 2/4.
3. Figure out your TDEE with a moderate activity factor and eat at that. You will NOT bulk up.

KristalDawnO

When I first started lifting competitively (my previous life) I gained 30 pounds. A lot of it was muscle/water in the muscle, and I'm sure a lot of it was just being ravenous and eating everything under the sun! It will chill as your body gets used to things. Just keep it in check. You won't bulk way up. I was a powerlifter, and while I have a large frame to begin with - I never lost femininity. PS - you're not lifting HEAVY. It's okay

gmjminsz

To be frank, those lifts are not heavy for a girl lifter and thus you're eating way too much. I would view 60kg bench, 80kg squat and a 90kg deadlift as very strong lifts for a girl.

Here's a link to a girl lifter on menshealth that you may find useful.

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/community/forums/thread/1300382

I'd structure your workout like this:

A
Squats 3 x 15
RDL
Wk 1 Barbell BOR Wk 2 One arm DB row
Wk 1 Incline Bench Wk 2 Flat DB press
Core: supermans/hanging leg raises/Russian twists (superset)

B
Deadlifts 5 x 5
Bulgarian split squats
Wk 1 Pull ups Wk 2 Chin ups
Wk1 Clean and press Wk 2 Standing OHP
Isos: dips and curls (superset)

Both free weights and machines are useful. However, if you're a beginner, free weights are better. Machines can be good when you're more advanced to isolate muscles for hypertrophy. The advantage of free weights for you is that they will use more calories by engaging the core more, and also engage stabilizing muscles for overall strength gains and, ultimately, injury prevention.

victoria4321

When I first started lifting competitively (my previous life) I gained 30 pounds. A lot of it was muscle/water in the muscle, and I'm sure a lot of it was just being ravenous and eating everything under the sun! It will chill as your body gets used to things. Just keep it in check. You won't bulk way up. I was a powerlifter, and while I have a large frame to begin with - I never lost femininity. PS - you're not lifting HEAVY. It's okay

I know it's not that heavy for now because I want to have good form before dropping my reps, no need to be condescending. I'm saying heavy relatively, as in I do them all until failure. Eventually I plan on dropping my reps for everything but what would the use be if I'm not even doing it right.

I was asking as more of a hypothetical question because for almost every thread I've read it's always "You don't get bulky eating at a deficit" So I was curious as to what happens when eating at a surplus. The lack of testosterone answer makes sense though

KristalDawnO

Wasn't being condescending. Truth is - with the surplus you're eating, you will gain weight. Every pound gained is 3,200 extra calories. Sounds like you're well on your way.

victoria4321

To be frank, those lifts are not heavy for a girl lifter and thus you're eating way too much. I would view 60kg bench, 80kg squat and a 90kg deadlift as very strong lifts for a girl.

Here's a link to a girl lifter on menshealth that you may find useful.

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/community/forums/thread/1300382

I'd structure your workout like this:

A
Squats 3 x 15
RDL
Wk 1 Barbell BOR Wk 2 One arm DB row
Wk 1 Incline Bench Wk 2 Flat DB press
Core: supermans/hanging leg raises/Russian twists (superset)

B
Deadlifts 5 x 5
Bulgarian split squats
Wk 1 Pull ups Wk 2 Chin ups
Wk1 Clean and press Wk 2 Standing OHP
Isos: dips and curls (superset)

Both free weights and machines are useful. However, if you're a beginner, free weights are better. Machines can be good when you're more advanced to isolate muscles for hypertrophy. The advantage of free weights for you is that they will use more calories by engaging the core more, and also engage stabilizing muscles for overall strength gains and, ultimately, injury prevention.

That makes sense. I only did machines first because they have instructions on the machines lol. I'm not saying my lifts are strong or saying I'm a big time lifter. I was more curious as to what happens to all the big heavy lifters who don't follow a lower calorie diet. I just want to make sure of things before I lower my reps and increase weight.

I also don't gain any weight eating that much either or at least I haven't gained any in the past month. I just won't lose any at that many cals. A few months ago I was losing at around 2200-2500 calories a day. That's just total calories, not net. I definitely probably ate way more than that also when I played soccer or ran track too. I just didn't count calories, but I weighed less at the time.

PositivelyFlawed

First of all, ignore the arrogant who are saying you aren't lifting heavy because you aren't doing their notion of heavy. Heavy is different for every person.

Secondly, if you're going to be lifting heavy I highly recommend an organized program rather than doing it on your own. My husband is having great success with Stronglifts 5x5 - many others on this site are on this lifting regiment. For myself, I am getting into New Rules of Lifting for women which uses a combination of weights and body to build muscle. The book isn't too expensive and their is a companion forum with a ton of info.

Thirdly, you are definitely eating a ton of calories. You'll need to calculate TDEE and BMR to figure out where your number lies. I eat to my BMR at least and then eat back at least 50-60% exercise calories, sometimes a bit more than that if I'm hungry. The 50% is simply because I don't have an HRM and it accounts for error.

Lastly, you won't bulk, as stated unless you are on steroids. Women don't have the testosterone Strong is the new skinny so don't worry about strong legs! As for 35in hips, that is not big, but if you are small on top work on building muscle to tone it up!

Feel free to add me or msg me if you want to chat more! Good luck!

victoria4321

Wasn't being condescending. Truth is - with the surplus you're eating, you will gain weight. Every pound gained is 3,200 extra calories. Sounds like you're well on your way.

All this before knowing what I even do during the day or my activity level? Okay. Not saying your logic is wrong but I'm not eating 2000 calories on top of my regular calories. I should probably reword my original post to make that a little more clear maybe. I'm eating that much in total. I'd probably get sick trying a 3200 calorie surplus.

warmachinejt

Would that make women bulky? I know I always hear its not possible eating at a deficit, but I often eat way over. Over as in 2000-3000 calories total in a day kind of over.

yes but it's not as easy as most women think. You''ll either get fat...or gain very little muscle and a whole bunch of fat. You have to eat a lot of protein and maintain a small amount of extra calories over the bmr or else gains will be fat mostly (from my own experience). Losing weight is much easier than gaining muscle. At least twice as easy.

KristalDawnO

It's all cumulative. Look at the calories you're eating over and beyond what your body is burning/needs. If you want to feed your muscles, maybe check into getting some protein supplements - such as Isopure. It's good stuff, and will help with repair. You won't be as hungry either. Good luck, and don't go too heavy too fast. The high reps/lower weight is where you'll make your gains. You may also want to check into a percentage chart. You'll be able to structure your workouts based on a percentage of your max.

victoria4321

It's all cumulative. Look at the calories you're eating over and beyond what your body is burning/needs. If you want to feed your muscles, maybe check into getting some protein supplements - such as Isopure. It's good stuff, and will help with repair. You won't be as hungry either. Good luck, and don't go too heavy too fast. The high reps/lower reps is where you'll make your gains.

Thank you I eventually want to make strength gains I just wanted to make sure it'll be just that and not size lol. As for supplements I'm not too into them really. I try to eat natural and whole foods as much as possible.

HeidiMightyRawr

If you consistently eat over your maintenance while you have a good strength training routine, involving heavy lifting, you could say that yes you will "bulk up"

However, it happens over a long period of time, fat AND muscle. It won't happen overnight, you will see your body changing and can make adjustments if you so wish. Most bulk actually comes from fat.

Personal experience, I did a purposeful bulk from July to December last year. I gained 16lbs and ended up back at my MFP starting weight, but t-shirts that were tight around the arms/shoulders were now loose, and I did more heavy lifting than ever before!! My bf was also 5% less! (I ate 2800 NET calories each day while bulking) Now I'm focusing on cutting, losing fat while maintaining muscle.

Diet is key, if you don't watch what you eat while lifting, and end up eating in a surplus, you will gain weight.

gmjminsz

@ellivort

1. The OP is not lifting heavy and certainly not in relation to the calories consumed. It's not constructive to write 'Good job keep it up champ' to everyone as that simply lowers people's goals. For example, I've stated some weights that girls can achieve and could be a realistic goal for the OP over the long-term.

As for arrogance, that is simply irrelevant. Your lifts to body weight ratio determines if you're lifting heavy, e.g. Bench - 1.5 x body weight; squats 2 x BW; deads 3 x BW. These are fairly standard goals.

2. Stronglifts - good call. Solid programme, but IMO it's push orientated and, frankly, a bit boring. The routine I've suggested includes an upper body push and pull, and a lower body push and pull with some ISOs. Nevertheless, stronglifts is solid.

3. Good point about diet and nice mention of TDEE - never heard of that so just googled it.

@OP - good luck.

tigersword

First of all, ignore the arrogant who are saying you aren't lifting heavy because you aren't doing their notion of heavy. Heavy is different for every person.

There's no arrogance in this thread. Lifting 15 reps per set is not heavy. Lifting 5-8 reps per set is heavy.

Elizabeth_C34

If you consistently eat over your maintenance while you have a good strength training routine, involving heavy lifting, you could say that yes you will "bulk up"

However, it happens over a long period of time, fat AND muscle. It won't happen overnight, you will see your body changing and can make adjustments if you so wish. Most bulk actually comes from fat.

Personal experience, I did a purposeful bulk from July to December last year. I gained 16lbs and ended up back at my MFP starting weight, but t-shirts that were tight around the arms/shoulders were now loose, and I did more heavy lifting than ever before!! My bf was also 5% less! (I ate 2800 NET calories each day while bulking) Now I'm focusing on cutting, losing fat while maintaining muscle.

Diet is key, if you don't watch what you eat while lifting, and end up eating in a surplus, you will gain weight.

This is dead on.

If you are binging on food, it might be time to do some serious adjustment to your diet and what you eat. Focus on this as a goal.

Start including more protein, less carbs, and more fiber. This won't affect how fast you lose but it will help keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied during the day.

Elizabeth_C34

First of all, ignore the arrogant who are saying you aren't lifting heavy because you aren't doing their notion of heavy. Heavy is different for every person.

There's no arrogance in this thread. Lifting 15 reps per set is not heavy. Lifting 5-8 reps per set is heavy.

This too.

15 reps is endurance training. Going up on the weight (no matter where you are) so that you can only do 5-8 reps to failure is the definition of lifting heavy.

Rae6503

I ate about 3000 calories while lifting heavy for 4 months. I gained 10lbs, probably 5 fat, 5 muscles. My before and afters are in my profile picture. I would not consider myself "bulky".

victoria4321

First of all, ignore the arrogant who are saying you aren't lifting heavy because you aren't doing their notion of heavy. Heavy is different for every person.

There's no arrogance in this thread. Lifting 15 reps per set is not heavy. Lifting 5-8 reps per set is heavy.

This too.

15 reps is endurance training. Going up on the weight (no matter where you are) so that you can only do 5-8 reps to failure is the definition of lifting heavy.

Clearly some people read what they want to see and not the whole thread. I said I plan to lift heavier and I'm doing higher reps so I can have good form first. I was asking the initial question not in relation to myself right now but what could possibly happen in the future. I wanted to hear from people with experience lifting. Someone just asked what my current routine was so I shared that answer.

victoria4321

I ate about 3000 calories while lifting heavy for 4 months. I gained 10lbs, probably 5 fat, 5 muscles. My before and afters are in my profile picture. I would not consider myself "bulky".

You look great btw! This is all I was curious about. I wanted to hear from someone who's actually done it and eats food.

Elizabeth_C34

First of all, ignore the arrogant who are saying you aren't lifting heavy because you aren't doing their notion of heavy. Heavy is different for every person.

There's no arrogance in this thread. Lifting 15 reps per set is not heavy. Lifting 5-8 reps per set is heavy.

This too.

15 reps is endurance training. Going up on the weight (no matter where you are) so that you can only do 5-8 reps to failure is the definition of lifting heavy.

Clearly some people read what they want to see and not the whole thread. I said I plan to lift heavier and I'm doing higher reps so I can have good form first. I was asking the initial question not in relation to myself right now but what could possibly happen in the future. I wanted to hear from people with experience lifting. Someone just asked what my current routine was so I shared that answer.

Working on your form with lighter weight is the best thing you can do when starting lifting so, it's a good thing. It's just not really "lifting heavy" by definition is all. If you want, you can changup your last sets so that it's a heavy lift set. So 2 sets at higher reps/lower weight, then do one set at 5-8 reps with heavier weights. That might be worth doing so you can continue to work on your form at the higher weights. Form tends to break down quite a bit the closer you get to your max lifts.

I'm not sure why you are so defensive, but I really don't see anyone attacking you here.

Oh, and I lift heavy 3x per week. Have for a long time now.

gmjminsz

@OP - if you're interested reading about big calories + lifters, go on to tnation.com and site search Dave Tate and Jim Wendler. Both power lifters with years of experience. Really interesting articles, and both have influenced my attitude to lifting.

For strength gains, Wendler's 5/3/1 is the best protocol I've done. It's an intermediate routine and simple. Very good strength gains, but you don't necessarily get massive if you don't want to.