muscles no thanks

bcattoes

If you want to see what happens to real women (not body builders or steroid takers) who pump iron take a look at this:

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

I showed my wife this article and she said: "I want to be her!!!" Now my wife gets up with me at 6am several days a week for strength training.

I've seen that posted so many times, but the pic of her at 117 doesn't really look that different then the others, but then it's completely blurry and she's not showing her abs, which look to be flat. She looks good in all of the post weight loss pics. I think she's done a great job, but my personal preference would to have the belly in the 131 lb pic rather than the 142 lb pic.

And she didn't lose the weight by lifting heavy.

scorpio516

The choice isn't being all muscled up vs being slender vs being fat. To avoid gaining muscle don't eat at a surplus while lifting heavy. Isn't it that simple? It actually takes work to gain muscle. You should still do weight bearing exercises though because it is good for you and will have the added bonus of making you look better.

That'll still gain muscle. Your heart is a muscle.

If you don't want to gain any muscle at all, never leave bed.

Anytime you elevate your heart rate, you are gaining muscle to your heart muscle.

bcattoes

The choice isn't being all muscled up vs being slender vs being fat. To avoid gaining muscle don't eat at a surplus while lifting heavy. Isn't it that simple? It actually takes work to gain muscle. You should still do weight bearing exercises though because it is good for you and will have the added bonus of making you look better.

That'll still gain muscle. Your heart is a muscle.

If you don't want to gain any muscle at all, never leave bed.

Anytime you elevate your heart rate, you are gaining muscle to your heart muscle.

That's silly. Staying in bed all day will not gain muscle but it will lose muscle and the OP didn't say anything about wanting to lose what she has. Also, doing aerobic exercise for heart does not make your heart any larger. You aren't gaining heart muscle, you are just making what you have work more efficiently. Same with other muscles. If you work them you can keep them. It's not all black and white - gain or lose. There is an inbetween called maintaining muscle.

BeebsAbs

This....beat me to it.....same thing I was going to say.

yeah the whole steroid thing never appealed to me, im a small guy but i have visible gains from just working hard and eating right (not all the time but 80% of the time im eating well)
look at my DP most of that muscle has been put on in the last 4 weeks!
i was really scrawny before now work clooeagues are saying that my shoulders are wider and arms are bigger.
So Steroids are the lazy mans way of getting the muscle fast

My advise is just whey poweder and good old creatine!

lol@ lazy. taking testosterone enhances your ability to recuperate, it doesnt just make them bigger automatically. you have to train 3x as hard. you get bigger faster, but you sure as hell arent "taking the easy way out" by doing it.

Fed govt has peoples view on them so messed up. They are illegal because of baseball and baseball only. should they be allowed in professional sports? no. but one guy taking them isnt hurting somebody else, and nobody is robbing a grandmother to go out and buy some. England was smart enough to realize they dont pose any public health threat whatsoever. I feel like the same people who equate steroids with cheating are the same ones that would have fell for the reefer madness propaganda film from the 50's.

wow i go to work and theres pages to catch up on!
coming from England i strongly disagree, there are athletes (sprinters etc) who have been banned for the use of steriods!
Just realise (yes spelled with an S) that its not all about America and Baseball, don't get me wrong i enjoy watching baseball.

Its just the view of most people here that the use of steroids is stupid. The chosen words of "taking the easy way out" were because as you sai you do get bigger and stronger faster. Its more of a vanity thing to take steroids. The types of people who take these are your real vain guys who think they are the *kitten* and the real unconfident guys who want to be the ideal picture for the ladies. But as soon as they stop using.......just like a balloon all that stretched skin and massive muscle depetion.
I just don't see the point in using them

runmybunsoff

stronger people live longer, and not just because they can move the refrigerator that fell on them.

Just FYI I am totally pro-muscle, should have pointed that out earlier. Thanks!

monty619

how can I avoid gaining muscles?

aviding muscle gain is like avoiding success

chiln69

I agree! Everyone has muscle under the fat. Loose the fat and the muscle is there waiting for its debut!

mrsnathanandrew

Why would you not want muscle? Having muscle helps you stay strong, fit, and have a higher metabolism than you would without. You're never going to look bulky without some serious intentional effort. I'd rather not be weak and atrophied when I get to my goal.

*never look bulky ever, shes a woman. its not possible, without needles.

I think her definition of bulky is different from yours. Her vision of bulky is indeed possible with a well intentioned calorie surplus and heavy lifting for an extended period of time. I know it's hard for you to grasp, but people can do this without the aid of performance enhancing drugs.

OP, at a calorie deficit, you will not gain muscle. However, it would behoove you to maintain what you have.

no, it isnt. a woman cannot get the body of a man, period.

^^ True story, woman don't have anywhere near the amount of testosterone to produce muscles like a man, but I do agree that I don't believe the OP's idea of being bulky is the same as when guys talking about being bulky.

DyanCB

There are quite a few woman like the first pic. Female bodybuilding is becoming more and more popular. Personally Im not into it, and I'd rather be like the girl in the 2nd picture!

I have to disagree here. Female bodybuilding is on the decline. Bikini, Figure and Fitness competitions are definitely overtaking female bodybuilding.
When Rachel McLish, Kiki Elomaa, Diana Dennis, etc. did it back in the 80's it was cool because they still looked feminine, but todays female bodybuilders look and sound like males. Here's a pic of Rachel McLish in her prime.



A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This was when the sport was brand, spanking new and CLEAN! I love Rachel and Corey Everson. Where are they now???

dotido

Thanks to everyone with answers that were nice and meant to help.


To everyone else who was just rude, sarcastic and hurtful... I have learned my lesson not to ask a question on MFP.

jetscreaminagain

Thank you briansharpe I won't take any steroids. I was hit by a car so can't do any lifting because of I have a shattered disk in my spine and tendonitis in my right shoulder.

Hello mandyloo, but if I want to lose fat don't I have to exercise?

Thanks for your responses!

Hate to break it to you, but if you were to have better muscle tone and strength, it might well help you with that back problem. Better muscle strength helps lots of orthopedic problems and prevents others.

dotido

jetscreaminagain: no need to hate to break to me , sounds like good advice to me! Thank you!

Testosterone

This....beat me to it.....same thing I was going to say.

yeah the whole steroid thing never appealed to me, im a small guy but i have visible gains from just working hard and eating right (not all the time but 80% of the time im eating well)
look at my DP most of that muscle has been put on in the last 4 weeks!
i was really scrawny before now work clooeagues are saying that my shoulders are wider and arms are bigger.
So Steroids are the lazy mans way of getting the muscle fast

My advise is just whey poweder and good old creatine!

lol@ lazy. taking testosterone enhances your ability to recuperate, it doesnt just make them bigger automatically. you have to train 3x as hard. you get bigger faster, but you sure as hell arent "taking the easy way out" by doing it.

Fed govt has peoples view on them so messed up. They are illegal because of baseball and baseball only. should they be allowed in professional sports? no. but one guy taking them isnt hurting somebody else, and nobody is robbing a grandmother to go out and buy some. England was smart enough to realize they dont pose any public health threat whatsoever. I feel like the same people who equate steroids with cheating are the same ones that would have fell for the reefer madness propaganda film from the 50's.

wow i go to work and theres pages to catch up on!
coming from England i strongly disagree, there are athletes (sprinters etc) who have been banned for the use of steriods!
Just realise (yes spelled with an S) that its not all about America and Baseball, don't get me wrong i enjoy watching baseball.

Its just the view of most people here that the use of steroids is stupid. The chosen words of "taking the easy way out" were because as you sai you do get bigger and stronger faster. Its more of a vanity thing to take steroids. The types of people who take these are your real vain guys who think they are the *kitten* and the real unconfident guys who want to be the ideal picture for the ladies. But as soon as they stop using.......just like a balloon all that stretched skin and massive muscle depetion.
I just don't see the point in using them

they are legal in britain. they are illegal in america, because of baseball. britain allows personal use of them. they dont have a place in competitive sports, but if somebody isnt competing, its their body to do what they like with. I think if the entire populations consensus was what you portray, they wouldnt have been removed from the illegal substances list.