"You won't get bulky!" they said...but I am! Please help!
Replies
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crisanderson has answered the question already.
But can all you fast bulking women send some more testosterone my way please? :happy:
me too LOL
I have PCOS & doctors tell me that my testosterone levels are above average for a woman & I always have a muscular build ever since I was a kid. I was always stronger than a lot of girls until now. Modesty aside when I was a kid, I can lift my desk chair made from heavy wood & stainless steel just like my male classmates & without their help.
However despite of this, I still have difficult time gaining muscle. I don't understand how some women think that they "bulk up" very easily. And even if you do, you still won't bulk up like a man can & even men find it difficult to gain muscle. Sorry ladies but that is the truth. It takes YEARS of consistent training plus a strict diet (plus additional "help" for the ladies) to have a body builder type of physique. Imagine if it were that easy to bulk up, then every man on this planet would be walking around with an abs, biceps, triceps etc. but no that's not what you see in real life. In fact those muscular men are hard to find. What more for a woman.0 -
Do Pump classes. They will not bulk you up at all. Do light to medium weights. Talk to the instructer before hand and they will help you out.0
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water as said before not bulk impossible
I just started lifting last month. I`m lifting HEAVY and I am up in weight (about 3pounds up) and puffy but I know it will go back down its just water not a big deal at all it will go away it just takes time. The end result after is worth the little water retention we go threw at the begining so just keep going and I would suggest going Heavy rather than light on the weights0 -
Do Pump classes. They will not bulk you up at all. Do light to medium weights. Talk to the instructer before hand and they will help you out.
Body Pump gives you exactly none of the benifits of heavy strength training.0 -
Do Pump classes. They will not bulk you up at all. Do light to medium weights. Talk to the instructer before hand and they will help you out.
Body Pump gives you exactly none of the benifits of heavy strength training.
Well Im giving her MY opinion. Im merely suggesting she try something that may help to make her leaner not bulky. For gods sake she's not in training to be a weight lifter!0 -
This is not directed at any one person...but it never ceases to amaze me how many women believe they put on muscle mass by picking up a pair of dumbbells.
What allows men to gain muscle, is testosterone (there's more to it...but this is a key factor, and without it, you WON'T). In order for men to put on that muscle, they need to eat at a caloric surplus. Men who are doing so, can expect to gain 1-3lbs a month OVER THEIR ENTIRE BODY, of which 1-1.5lbs will be muscle, unless they're on an EXTREMELY dedicated program, in which case the best they could hope for is 2lbs/month.
THIS^ I played high school football, ate a high-protein diet WAAY over maintenance, and did HEAVY lifting 3-4 x a week outside of actual practice 6 days a week. I tried, and tried to gain muscle, but you know what? The boys had more testosterone and would get ripped doing half the work I was doing. Sucks, but there you have it.
OP: Probably water weight and swollen muscles. Check it again in 4-6 weeks.
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Do Pump classes. They will not bulk you up at all. Do light to medium weights. Talk to the instructer before hand and they will help you out.
Body Pump gives you exactly none of the benifits of heavy strength training.
Well Im giving her MY opinion. Im merely suggesting she try something that may help to make her leaner not bulky. For gods sake she's not in training to be a weight lifter!
Neither am I...and neither are 95% of the women on this forum who are finding all of the health and fat burning benefits of heavy strength training.
And I understand your opinion...and it's definitely your right (which I fully respect!) to give it...just like it's mine to give mine in return.0 -
Thanks everyone, took me a bit to read through but I got a plethora of good advice and suggestions, also reasons why I'm probably totally wrong and should take a chill pill. I appreciate everyone's input! 0
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I lift heavy.
I worked out with a trainer on Saturday, and weighed myself Sunday morning and I'd put on 3.1kgs. Three kilos.
I didn't put on 3kgs worth of muscle overnight. My muscles are storing water and glycogen to repair themselves.
My thighs, lower back and biceps feel tight and swollen today. That's not man muscle making me bulky.... it's just water... it happens. Breathe. Keep on swimming.0 -
bump for later read0
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This is not directed at any one person...but it never ceases to amaze me how many women believe they put on muscle mass by picking up a pair of dumbbells.
What allows men to gain muscle, is testosterone (there's more to it...but this is a key factor, and without it, you WON'T). In order for men to put on that muscle, they need to eat at a caloric surplus. Men who are doing so, can expect to gain 1-3lbs a month OVER THEIR ENTIRE BODY, of which 1-1.5lbs will be muscle, unless they're on an EXTREMELY dedicated program, in which case the best they could hope for is 2lbs/month.
This is what 1.5lbs of muscle looks like with a garlic clove for scale:
Now, you're a woman, you have a substantial percentage LESS testosterone than any average male does, even if you have HIGHER testosterone than any average woman. WORST CASE, if you had the SAME levels of testosterone as an AVERAGE man, the above picture is all you're going to gain, lifting HARD, eating a CRAPLOAD (no, not at maintenance).
And remember, that's spread over your ENTIRE body.
I'm sorry ladies, I love you all...and I absolutely hate telling you you're wrong (unless you called me a know it all of course)...but in this case...you are
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All other replies should be deleted. This is the answer to any weight lifting question by women.0 -
I *HAVE* gained muscle (1 inch in each arm over my lowest measurement and 1/2 inch on each thigh) on a deficit... but it has taken over a year for it to happen...0
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Do Pump classes. They will not bulk you up at all. Do light to medium weights. Talk to the instructer before hand and they will help you out.
Body Pump gives you exactly none of the benifits of heavy strength training.
Well Im giving her MY opinion. Im merely suggesting she try something that may help to make her leaner not bulky. For gods sake she's not in training to be a weight lifter!
Most of the women here that lift heavy are not training to be power lifters. Lifting heavy will not make women bulk unless they are on a surplus, put hours and hours in the gym, are genetically predisposed and/or are taking 'supplements'.0 -
Most of the women here that lift heavy are not training to be power lifters. Lifting heavy will not make women bulk unless they are on a surplus, put hours and hours in the gym, are genetically predisposed and/or are taking 'supplements'.
And even if they're one of the "genetically gifted" ones, still they won't bulk up like a man can unless they're on roids. Again sorry but its just not possible. The ones who say they bulk up more easily when compared to a lot of women but compared to a man, NO. And note that those people who have this type of genetics are VERY RARE to find. So for an average woman, it will take her one in a million chance to be one of those people. Mostly we assume a pound gained or getting a bigger thighs, arms or butt from muscle gain but it is mostly water or sometimes bones (yes our bones are becoming more dense when we lift weights). Doctors assessed me that I have an above average testosterone levels for a woman & its one of the major contributors which is why my reproductive system is not functioning properly (I'm not proud to admit it but its true). However I'm still struggling to build muscle even on a calorie surplus & a protein intake of 1g per lb. of my body weight.0 -
I was going t chime in on this one but looks like its already had it answered... Good luck0
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I just wonder why none of the women who believe they are one of the genetic anomolies ever actually utilise that gift by becoming lifters? I have attended both powerlifting and olympic competitions and watched some ELITE lifters and not one had a physique that looked 'bulky' or 'manly'. I am not going to tell you that you don't know your own body (others have done that quite well), I will just say that rather than setting you sights on skinny jeans, set them on Olympic gold 0
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Most of the women here that lift heavy are not training to be power lifters. Lifting heavy will not make women bulk unless they are on a surplus, put hours and hours in the gym, are genetically predisposed and/or are taking 'supplements'.
And even if they're one of the "genetically gifted" ones, still they won't bulk up like a man can unless they're on roids. Again sorry but its just not possible. Doctors assessed me that I have an above average testosterone levels for a woman & its one of the major contributors which is why my reproductive system is not functioning properly (I'm not proud to admit it but its true). However I'm still struggling to build muscle even on a calorie surplus & a protein intake of 1g per lb. of my body weight.
I like you! I'm always afraid to say "that's physically impossible" because I know that PCOS can be a different situation and I don't know enough about it to know what is or isn't possible, but it seems it is impossible, regardless.
Thanks! I hope you grow lots of sexy lady muscles!0 -
As Mack from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia would say, "Cultivating lean muscle mass" is not easy to do. You need actually press hard and keep on it for many, many years. With women it is even harder. A few weeks of weight training isn't going to make your legs gigantic. Like others have said - be patient and persevere. There is nothing wrong with having athletic legs. Good luck!0
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Most of the women here that lift heavy are not training to be power lifters. Lifting heavy will not make women bulk unless they are on a surplus, put hours and hours in the gym, are genetically predisposed and/or are taking 'supplements'.
And even if they're one of the "genetically gifted" ones, still they won't bulk up like a man can unless they're on roids. Again sorry but its just not possible. Doctors assessed me that I have an above average testosterone levels for a woman & its one of the major contributors which is why my reproductive system is not functioning properly (I'm not proud to admit it but its true). However I'm still struggling to build muscle even on a calorie surplus & a protein intake of 1g per lb. of my body weight.
I like you! I'm always afraid to say "that's physically impossible" because I know that PCOS can be a different situation and I don't know enough about it to know what is or isn't possible, but it seems it is impossible, regardless.
Thanks! I hope you grow lots of sexy lady muscles!
Thanks & I hope so :flowerforyou:
So far I only gained 2 lbs. after a year of heavy weight lifting & I don't even know if its from muscles or bones but I keep on losing inches. Yes PCOS is really tough & in fact it took me 3 long years just to lose those 50 pounds (22 kilos) or its like 0.3 lb. lost per week & that's me being generous to myself.0 -
I don't have a source offhand (I'm sure you can google it) but I read recently that women naturally have approx. 1/16 of the testosterone of men, meaning it is 16x harder to gain muscle mass for the average healthy woman than man. Just a fun fact to throw at this conversation.0
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And personally (I've been personally training people since '99) since I employ heavy lifting for all my female clients under the age of 50, I haven't had any yet get "bulky" when on calorie deficit and I've trained well over a couple of hundred females during that time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
And personally (I've been personally training people since '99) since I employ heavy lifting for all my female clients under the age of 50, I haven't had any yet get "bulky" when on calorie deficit and I've trained well over a couple of hundred females during that time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
but don't you know that some women are different!? :flowerforyou:0 -
"Did you take measurements? It's absolutely impossible for your measurements to go up while you are in a calorie deficit. So most likely you aren't in a calorie deficit."
Wrong. I am smaller everywhere else but my legs. My legs have grown considerabley and I AM at a calorie deficit. It is not water. It is muscle. I have lost weight and built muscle. My pants are now loose in the waist and hips and tight in the legs. Everybody is different and not every piece of wisdom (real or imagined) on these boards applys to everyone.0 -
but don't you know that some women are different!? :flowerforyou:
Yes there are some women who are genetically gifted who gain muscle easier than OTHER WOMEN but compared to a man, NO. There seems to be a lot of confusion especially on women that just because they gain muscle more easily than other women, they automatically assume that they can have bulky muscles like a man. We simply don't have equal amounts of testosterone levels to a man to build large muscles unless we take steroids. Also to be honest, these types of women are very RARE & even guys are having a hard time to gain muscles.
Whenever we gain muscle, we also gain some fat along with it which makes us look a bit bigger & thus we assume that we "bulk" easily. We cannot totally avoid gaining fat especially when we are in surplus but once you burn the fat while maintaining muscle, you will look smaller & more defined, not bulky. Which is the reason why body builders, bikini & fitness competitors do the bulk/cut cycle.
Genetics can influence us on muscle gain but its not the end all-be all. In fact it is just one of the factors & it should be COMBINED WITH A CLEAN DIET & TRAINING. Diet is still the main key here. Even if you're one of the "blessed" women in terms of gaining muscle but if you continue to eat crap then nothing will happen to your body except to gain more fat & possibly a clogged arteries or a high LDL cholesterol level (the bad kind).0 -
"Did you take measurements? It's absolutely impossible for your measurements to go up while you are in a calorie deficit. So most likely you aren't in a calorie deficit."Wrong. I am smaller everywhere else but my legs. My legs have swolen considerabley and I AM at a calorie deficit. It is not muscle. It is water, plus a small amount of gain because of my legs going from no real exercise to regular exercise and through an improved neuromuscular response. I have lost weight and maintained muscle. My pants are now loose in the waist and hips and tight in the legs. Nobody is different, though not every piece of wisdom (real or imagined) on these boards applies to everyone.
I fixed it for you. You are not a different species.0 -
"Did you take measurements? It's absolutely impossible for your measurements to go up while you are in a calorie deficit. So most likely you aren't in a calorie deficit."
Wrong. I am smaller everywhere else but my legs. My legs have grown considerabley and I AM at a calorie deficit. It is not water. It is muscle. I have lost weight and built muscle. My pants are now loose in the waist and hips and tight in the legs. Everybody is different and not every piece of wisdom (real or imagined) on these boards applys to everyone.
Unless you have had a DEXA scan it is impossible to make that statement with any sense of accuracy. Only a DEXA scan can tell you whether you have actually gained muscle. Water retention in muscle will increase inches. As the muscles in legs are larger, they will retain more water.0 -
:laugh: well done!"Did you take measurements? It's absolutely impossible for your measurements to go up while you are in a calorie deficit. So most likely you aren't in a calorie deficit."Wrong. I am smaller everywhere else but my legs. My legs have swolen considerabley and I AM at a calorie deficit. It is not muscle. It is water, plus a small amount of gain because of my legs going from no real exercise to regular exercise and through an improved neuromuscular response. I have lost weight and maintained muscle. My pants are now loose in the waist and hips and tight in the legs. Nobody is different, though not every piece of wisdom (real or imagined) on these boards applies to everyone.
I fixed it for you. You are not a different species.0 -
This is not directed at any one person...but it never ceases to amaze me how many women believe they put on muscle mass by picking up a pair of dumbbells.
What allows men to gain muscle, is testosterone (there's more to it...but this is a key factor, and without it, you WON'T). In order for men to put on that muscle, they need to eat at a caloric surplus. Men who are doing so, can expect to gain 1-3lbs a month OVER THEIR ENTIRE BODY, of which 1-1.5lbs will be muscle, unless they're on an EXTREMELY dedicated program, in which case the best they could hope for is 2lbs/month.
This is what 1.5lbs of muscle looks like with a garlic clove for scale:
Now, you're a woman, you have a substantial percentage LESS testosterone than any average male does, even if you have HIGHER testosterone than any average woman. WORST CASE, if you had the SAME levels of testosterone as an AVERAGE man, the above picture is all you're going to gain, lifting HARD, eating a CRAPLOAD (no, not at maintenance).
And remember, that's spread over your ENTIRE body.
I'm sorry ladies, I love you all...and I absolutely hate telling you you're wrong (unless you called me a know it all of course)...but in this case...you are.
All I got from this is I need a grill to put that puppy on!! YUMMY
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"Did you take measurements? It's absolutely impossible for your measurements to go up while you are in a calorie deficit. So most likely you aren't in a calorie deficit."Wrong. I am smaller everywhere else but my legs. My legs have swolen considerabley and I AM at a calorie deficit. It is not muscle. It is water, plus a small amount of gain because of my legs going from no real exercise to regular exercise and through an improved neuromuscular response. I have lost weight and maintained muscle. My pants are now loose in the waist and hips and tight in the legs. Nobody is different, though not every piece of wisdom (real or imagined) on these boards applies to everyone.
I fixed it for you. You are not a different species.
No you are wrong and I don't appreciate you telling me I don't know my own body. I have muscle in my legs and other places too. My legs are bigger than when I started. I do weigh less than when I started. My legs are not swollen. They look quite nice actually and my cellulite is gone. In addition to that, almost everything that used to jiggle on my body is now firm. My body fat percentage has dropped. I strength train and do cardio for my workouts. I do eat fewer calories than before and I do eat much healthier food. My daughter has the exact same body type as I do and her legs are also bigger and she weighs less.0 -
"Did you take measurements? It's absolutely impossible for your measurements to go up while you are in a calorie deficit. So most likely you aren't in a calorie deficit."
Wrong. I am smaller everywhere else but my legs. My legs have grown considerabley and I AM at a calorie deficit. It is not water. It is muscle. I have lost weight and built muscle. My pants are now loose in the waist and hips and tight in the legs. Everybody is different and not every piece of wisdom (real or imagined) on these boards applys to everyone.
You just said that you lost weight & built muscle? LMAO... Sorry but you can't lose weight when you just gained muscle. Have you noticed in a lot of forums where people said they lose inches but not on the pounds? That's LBM gain for you. Its one of the many reasons that we sometimes see a drop on inches but the scale's not moving.0
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