Heavy Lifting Vs. Lean Muscle... I'm confused!
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Females will not get bulky unless they are trying REALLY hard, by that I mean taking steroids, lifting for hours every day, and eating a very careful diet with all sorts of supplements.
Doing 12-15 reps won't build muscle size, nor will it get you very strong.
If you want to look strong, that means BEING strong, by lifting heavy things, 8-10 reps or even 4-6 reps<-- better. Think about it this way: You can pick up something heavy, like a big box of books, and put it down again 4-6 times, and then you'll be tired and you won't want to pick it up any more. So your body responds by repairing the muscles so that the next time you pick it up it will be easier. If you pick up something light, on the other hand, like a gallon of milk, you could probably do that all day and your body will respond by doing pretty much nothing.
Since you're already doing 8-10 reps, I'd say start with that for a month or so, increading the resistance as soon as it feels easy. Watch your body to take note of any changes, and if you see yourself getting "bulky" by your definition, you can always back off on the weight. I REALLY doubt that's doing to happen, but you'll never know until you try.
You'll lose fat as you gain muscle, especially if you adjust your diet so you're getting percentages of carbohydrates/fat/protien = 40/30/30. But you also need to make sure you are eating enough calories because your body needs it to repair and build more muscle.
Check your library for a book called "new rules of lifting for women", they explain it quite well. That dumb little story about a box of books was all me though lol
While I agree with you for the most part, building muscle endurance (high rep lifting) isn't a pointless endeavor and has value in a variety of circumstances.
Maxing bang for your buck when focused on body recomposition, however, I think you're right.0 -
pic is relevant, right-click view image to see the whole thing
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If you gain muscle fast you should focus on higher reps (15-20). I have a couple of lady friends that do indeed get fairly bulky from P90X or bootcamp type workouts. But unless you're doing heavy lifting (3-6 reps) until failure you're not going to see major size increases. Not to say you aren't going to see just how big your muscles are from all the cardio you're doing because you'll be cutting up
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If you gain muscle fast you should focus on higher reps (15-20). I have a couple of lady friends that do indeed get fairly bulky from P90X or bootcamp type workouts. But unless you're doing heavy lifting (3-6 reps) until failure you're not going to see major size increases. Not to say you aren't going to see just how big your muscles are from all the cardio you're doing because you'll be cutting up
How do you know if you 'gain muscle fast'?0 -
If you gain muscle fast you should focus on higher reps (15-20). I have a couple of lady friends that do indeed get fairly bulky from P90X or bootcamp type workouts. But unless you're doing heavy lifting (3-6 reps) until failure you're not going to see major size increases. Not to say you aren't going to see just how big your muscles are from all the cardio you're doing because you'll be cutting up
How do you know if you 'gain muscle fast'?
Well she had said in her initial post "I already have a thicker type body style, and I tend to build muscles fast."0 -
Well she had said in her initial post "I already have a thicker type body style, and I tend to build muscles fast."
A lot of people say things like that, many are mistaken.0 -
my goal is to tone and lean out, meaning decrease the fat on top of the muscle to expose the muscle underneath. I lift as much weight as I can, while preserving good form, to only be able to do 12 to 15 reps, if I can do more reps I will increase the weight by 5lbs.
As for food I make sure to stay deficit at least 400 cals from my BMR at light activity level by the end of the day.
As a woman we can not bulk up because we do not have the testosterone to do so, women who do bulk up are taking aids and supplements to do so luv.
I hope this helps :flowerforyou:
Lifting heavy will lean you out much more quickly, particularly if you're eating on a deficit. 5-8 reps. You can throw in 12-15rep sets every third or so workout, just to change things up if you like...but it's not necessary for leaning out.If you gain muscle fast you should focus on higher reps (15-20). I have a couple of lady friends that do indeed get fairly bulky from P90X or bootcamp type workouts. But unless you're doing heavy lifting (3-6 reps) until failure you're not going to see major size increases. Not to say you aren't going to see just how big your muscles are from all the cardio you're doing because you'll be cutting up
How do you know if you 'gain muscle fast'?
Well she had said in her initial post "I already have a thicker type body style, and I tend to build muscles fast."
Which is a typical mosconception many women have about their own bodies. 90% of people in general think that they are building muscle by lifting weights, when what they're actually doing is training their existing muscle to respond to stimulus efficiently. This makes them stronger, but doesn't in fact build...anything.0 -
Well she had said in her initial post "I already have a thicker type body style, and I tend to build muscles fast."
A lot of people say things like that, many are mistaken.
All you can do is offer your opinion on the info that's given.0 -
<----not bulky yet and I lift heavy low reps.0
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<----not bulky yet and I lift heavy low reps.
<
lift heavy and do not look like that when I do not flex lol0 -
Well she had said in her initial post "I already have a thicker type body style, and I tend to build muscles fast."
A lot of people say things like that, many are mistaken.
All you can do is offer your opinion on the info that's given.
Even so, it wasn't accurate. What determines bulk vs leaning out (as far as fat goes, not talking about hypertrophy), isn't reps or weight, it's diet. Muscle endurance has a different metabolic and hormonal effect than heavy strength training.0 -
<---- Heavy lifting has obviously made me bulky... and masculine.0
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<---- Heavy lifting has obviously made me bulky... and masculine.
Yep looking all manly like me and all my other amazing Girl crushes on my friends list.
Sass 0 -
building muscle endurance (high rep lifting) isn't a pointless endeavor and has value in a variety of circumstances.
I agree. But the way I see it, you don't need weights to do this, you'd be better off swimming or biking or rowing.0 -
I agree. But the way I see it, you don't need weights to do this, you'd be better off swimming or biking or rowing.
Definitely a fair point.0 -
trust me, you won't build significant muscle doing p90x
This^^ I was doing P90x for the first 60 days and was losing the weight but wasn't happy with the muscle definition. I switch over to weight training the last 30 days and the definition is starting to show. I know I'm not going to get much gains since I'm eating at a deficit but I'ts a small deficit so I'm not losing much lean muscle.0 -
Which is a typical mosconception many women have about their own bodies. 90% of people in general think that they are building muscle by lifting weights, when what they're actually doing is training their existing muscle to respond to stimulus efficiently. This makes them stronger, but doesn't in fact build...anything.
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Wait. WHAT? Why aren't people building muscle?0 -
Which is a typical mosconception many women have about their own bodies. 90% of people in general think that they are building muscle by lifting weights, when what they're actually doing is training their existing muscle to respond to stimulus efficiently. This makes them stronger, but doesn't in fact build...anything.
Wait. WHAT? Why aren't people building muscle?
Because most of us are in a calorie deficit which makes it impossible to gain muscle (few exceptions lets not start that debate here) ; )
Also some people think they are getting bigger muscles when actually they are just loosing fat around the muscle and the muscle is becoming visible.0 -
Which is a typical mosconception many women have about their own bodies. 90% of people in general think that they are building muscle by lifting weights, when what they're actually doing is training their existing muscle to respond to stimulus efficiently. This makes them stronger, but doesn't in fact build...anything.
Wait. WHAT? Why aren't people building muscle?
I'm not sure what you mean? If your question was serious, the answer is that unless you're very overweight and/or new to lifting...if you're on a calorie deficit, your body doesn't have the supplies necessary to actually ADD muscle. What it WILL do though, with the addition of weight training (or even cardio, endurance training, etc), is train the muscles being used to respond more efficiently to neural stimulus. This improves strength...but doesn't actually add any muscle.
For example...in February I ripped my right lower biceps tendon off of my forearm (my biceps was only connected at my shoulder). For two weeks before the surgery to reconnect it...it wasn't being used properly. Additionally, for two weeks after the surgery...it was partially immobilized. There was a VERY small amount of atrophy (loss of muscle), but since it was still partially 'mobile' the entire time, there wasn't much. What DID happen though, is the muscle got very, very soft. It felt like fat. It looked substantially smaller, and wouldn't flex properly...only with very extreme concentration, and even then it wasn't hard...just slightly less...soft. Within a couple weeks of returning to strength training, the muscle began working again, it firmed up very quickly, flexes properly, and isn't noticeably smaller than my other arm. You don't build ANY muscle in two weeks. What happened, was that my brain and biceps basically reeducated themselves on what they needed to do, and began doing it.
With overweight people, or people who lead a very sedentary lifestyle, those muscles may NEVER have needed to have any real efficiency. So when the stress is put on them with exercise, they adapt (VERY QUICKLY) by firming up and becoming stronger, and even sometimes appearing slightly larger (part of this is swelling with water/glycogen to assist with repair). That's why strength gains come so quickly initially, then usually levels off. You're actually JUST finally beginning to use what muscle you have to its potential. This is also part of why people tend to believe they put on muscle very quickly. Which is simply false.
Understand also, this is a simplified explanation...but it will give you a relatively accurate mental image so you understand what's going on.0
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