What size weights to tone with?

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  • sandiki
    sandiki Posts: 454
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    Honestly, what are bulky muscles? Do you have a link or a photo of someone "bulky?"

    As a woman, I'm so tired of hearing this.

    The point of lifting weight is resistance. After a while, whatever weights you lift will become too easy. You will have to increase weights or you'll just be wasting your time.


    THIS^
  • Jenjaz1910
    Jenjaz1910 Posts: 447 Member
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    I always thought lifting heavy would cause me to get bulky (but I was wrong hand I hold my hands up to that) as previous posters have put lift heavy and eating at a sensible deficit and you'll get subtle muscle definition!! I am slowly seeing a bicep which I never could see before yet I've lost over an inch on each arm! Go heavy!! Good luck x
  • AZackery
    AZackery Posts: 2,035 Member
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    Why do so many women think they are going to bulk up from lifting some weight?? I don't get it, you do not have a man's testosterone. lifting heavy will not make you bulk up. someone else mentioned it - check out new rules of lifting for women.

    A man doesn't bulk up easy like a lot of people want others to believe. Just because a man lifts 20 pounds weights for 7 days, it doesn't mean he will bulk up. It times time for men to bulk up, just like it takes time for a woman to bulk up, but both gender can bulk up. And if either bulk up too fast, it could be the results of steroids.
  • adrian_indy
    adrian_indy Posts: 1,444 Member
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    It's already been stated, but here it its.

    Most women do not have the testosterone levels to bulk. I would say that a large chunk of men do not as well. If you want to get that tone look, eat a nice balanced diet and eat back your exercise calories. Do some cardio and lift weights, anything you lift, try for it to be heavy enough that you can do it 8-10 times. That's the most simple explanation.

    But also know that a lot of these super toned women you see, like Jillian Michaels or fitness competitors often cut carbs weeks before their photo shoots, and then dehydrate right before so you can see their definition. So what level of tone are we talking here?
  • KelliW_runner
    KelliW_runner Posts: 150 Member
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    I've been doing P90X with weights heavy enough that I can only do 8-10 reps (way heavier than all my previous workout regimes). I have seen much better results in terms of "toning" and also gain in strength. Not bulky whatsoever.

    So, to echo pretty much everyone else - lift as heavy as you can while maintaining good form.
  • VanillaBone
    VanillaBone Posts: 119 Member
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    People keep saying "You absolutely, positively WILL NOT bulk up from lifting heavy..." But when you get down to the real low body fats where you can appreciate the muscles you're building, don't your boobs disappear completely?

    Can someone show me a picture of a non-bulky female body builder who does not have breast implants?
  • Teresa652
    Teresa652 Posts: 217 Member
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    Bicep curls I use 20 lbs 8 reps

    Shoulders is 15 lbs 6 reps ( I suck at these)

    Triceps I do on the cable machine and I'm at 40 10 reps (and I have to struggle)

    I hope this helps
  • sandiki
    sandiki Posts: 454
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    I will agree... ones own body weight does wonders... do pushups ...everyday.. this alone will "tone" your upper body
  • SusanLovesToEat
    SusanLovesToEat Posts: 218 Member
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    Some people use resistance bands or do Pilates if they want to lengthen and strengthen their muscles.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    You will NOT bulk up! It takes a lot of time and effort to bulk up and build muscle. It doesn't happen overnight, and it certainly doesn't happen by lifting heavy alone, if anything lifting heavy creates a more toned look than lifting light weights, endless reps.

    What you need to do to bulk up:
    1) Lift heavy over a long period of time, specific exercises, sets/reps etc to maximise muscle growth.
    2) Eat A LOT, when I say a lot I mean, above maintenance. A purposeful amount of calories to put on weight / muscle.

    Even then, while it's hard to bulk up for anyone, men have it a lot easier than women. They have roughly 10 times to testosterone levels we have! More testosterone = easier to build muscle.

    Go youtube female weight lifters and powerlifters (not the really overweight ones, look in the smaller weight categories) and you will see they are small, look toned and athletic but definitely not bulky and they're lifting HUGE amounts of weight, because they train for strength, not size, which comes through heavy lifting. 6-8 reps is usually seen as a good point, but really anywhere up to 10-12 should be fine, just push yourself! You'll get better results in terms of toning when you work hard, and progress to heavier weights. So many times I see "light weights, low reps to tone" and it makes me so frustrated because it's just not true!!

    To "see" what I mean, I've been lifting heavy for around 2 years now. I even did a "bulking" phase to gain muscle from July to Jan this year, eating 3000+ calories a day, and did well, I did put on muscle, and fat, as well as getting loads stronger. I still wasn't "big and bulky" though.

    My arms, as of 5 minutes ago:
    DSCF3077.jpg

    ...and a similar one but with my biceps flexing a little so it looks even more "bulky":
    DSCF3078.jpg

    I have a few videos on youtube of my most recent lifts, so you can see what lifting heavy for me is. I know women who lift way more than me though, and still don't look bulky! My youtube account name is "heidi9410"

    ETA: Pics came out MASSIVE when I posted, anyone know how to fix this?
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    What most women mean by "toned" is lean muscle with fairly little fat. I would use the heaviest weights you can handle and work up to 4 to 5 sets of 5 reps each.

    One caveat, however: Fat distribution is genetically determined. If you are close or at your ideal weight and body fat percentage and have areas of your body that have a disproportionate amount of fat, and are concerned about looking bigger in those areas, I would do only body weight exercises. Some weight exercises will make you look bigger, and since you can't spot reduce and are already at your lowest body fat %, you won't be able to lose that fat.

    Note: I didn't say that you would "bulk up" like a bodybuilder. That would take a lot of work, a certain kind of genotype, and probably steroids. But you might get "bigger."
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    I put on half a pound of muscle!

    Now I'm huge!

    Lol
  • Curlytop539
    Curlytop539 Posts: 6
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    Two of the greatest words of advise from my trainer was. Unless you are in competition weight training WOMEN will not BULK up to the extent that you imagine you will do by your typical gym style work out- don't be afraid of weight!

    Two- most women are doing aerobic exercise with their weight training. Meaning by not using the correct weight to challenge the muscle you are under working them.

    Good way to gage a correct weight. Do three sets of 8/10. By the lasts sets last two reps you shouldbe pushing yourself/ challenging the muscle. If not......next time add weight to that exercise.

    Hope that makes sense!
  • adamsilva
    adamsilva Posts: 261 Member
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    God that word "toned" makes me angry. what every your lifting. lift heavier. diet accordingly. bulk = eat more then calculated daily cal intake thus do opposite.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Fat is bulky. Muscle is NOT bulky. Don't want to be bulky? Lift heavy weights, and lower your body fat percentage. That's all.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Honestly, what are bulky muscles? Do you have a link or a photo of someone "bulky?"

    As a woman, I'm so tired of hearing this.

    The point of lifting weight is resistance. After a while, whatever weights you lift will become too easy. You will have to increase weights or you'll just be wasting your time.

    I could link to some photos of some very pear-shaped women with very bulky or big thighs, but that would be rude. I also think that these women need their large legs because of the kind of weight work they do and they're perfectly happy with their shapes. Looking conventionally attractive is not everything. But if a woman questions whether she could look big, I tell the truth: Some women can, depending on their builds.

    If you have an overall slender build, you probably will build up muscle in a proportionate manner. If you are not evenly proportioned, particularly, if you are pear-shaped, you may need to look at how you work out in order to avoid increasing the illusion of being even more bottom-heavy.

    How a woman looks is her choice, but it's silly to suggest that every woman who lifts weights is going to look like a fitness model. They tend to be a particular type: athletic and pleasantly muscular, but not stocky.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    have you heard of staci?? i dare you to call her bulky...

    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    on the left she is 13 1lbs. on the right, she is 142 lbs. and she can dead lift more then i weigh.

    Screen-Shot-2011-07-21-at-92311-AM.jpg
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    Most women will not bulk up, even if they lift heavy. Our bodies do not have enough testosterone to do so. You'r better off lifting medium to heavy, since light at low reps doesn't d much in my experience.
  • kylesmommy89
    kylesmommy89 Posts: 356 Member
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    First off, let me say that I am definitely not against lifting heavy...I can't wait to try it actually! I have seen and heard amazing things about it. I just don't have access to a gym and I haven't found a weight set cheap enough for my home.

    Now, I might get my head bit off here, but you don't HAVE to lift heavy to get toned. You CAN use small weights. All that I have done is use "barbie weights" with Jillian Michaels(I can't sing her praises enough!) videos and a spin class at my school. I started out with 3lbs and worked my way up to 8. I went from "skinny fat" to pretty toned like this and in a short period of time. My before and afters are on my profile if you want to take a look! Hope this helps and good luck on your journey!!
  • dawnschrecengost66
    dawnschrecengost66 Posts: 30 Member
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    Hi, I'm new here to posting, but my two cents what it's worth, echoes everyone elses.

    I'm doing P90X now, and I use 20 lbs for just about everything. There are a couple things I should up to 25 lbs, but haven't gone to buy them yet, so if I'm doing something that seems a little easy, I finish it, press pause, and sometimes do an extra couple of reps than the DVD recommends, or I get on my sons weight bench and do some supplemental until i feel more of a burn.

    Obviously I should just go buy a few heavier weights, but haven't yet.

    Like one of the other posters commented, I've lost several inches on each arm, and starting to see a bit of definition now, but you have to get rid of the layer of excess and have a base muscle before you can expect to have anything visible, or anything to tone.

    Good Luck !

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