Question

Graelwyn75

I recently started stronglifts (well, about a week ago) and am up to deadlifting 30kg, squatting 20kg and overhead lifting 15kg.
The thing is, I have seen many females who lift weights, develop that V shape to their backs, with quite broad shoulders and lats, and this is something I want to avoid as I have a naturally medium-large build to begin with.

Am I likely to develop a broader back from this programme?
Are there any specific movements I should avoid if I wish to avoid this ?

tameko2

Avoid isolation work, which you aren't doing. Otherwise, body shape is mostly genetic. However I think I know vaguely what you are talking about and it tends to come from people doing too much shoulder and arm isolation work and not balancing lower body work?

But if you mean like, how do you avoid having a lean muscular version of your natural shape, if your natural shape happens to be somewhat broad shouldered? Not much you can do. You get the shape you've got.

Graelwyn75

No, I mean, I have seen photos of female weight lifters, viewed from the back, and their upper torsos look extremely broad, like a V shape tapering down toward their waist, and they are not immensely built. I have also read experiences of a few that their tops got tighter from their lats developing quite a lot (though not many seemed bothered by it).

I get a balance as I cycle uphill a lot, do some leg presses, squats and also very high intensity stationary bike (as in, I have to exert a lot of effort to move the pedals).

tameko2

I just looked at your profile - you are VERY thin, and pear shaped based on your measurements?

You really have *nothing* to worry about. you aren't going to end up looking like what you're talking about no matter what you do. I mean, as long as you don't use steroids. So, don't do that ok? you might gain some size on your shoulders and chest but you're already so small there that I don't think it will give you a shape you don't like and .... honestly, like I Said. the shape you get is the one you are born with. Be healthy and enjoy what you do to stay active, and learn to love whatever you get out of that.

But, speaking of other ladies pictures, maybe you could gvive me some examples? A lot of times its purely camera angle -
for example - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/photos/view/18358448 in one of Sara's pictures she looks narrow hipped and broad shouldered, but you can see from her others that she is not.

Alternately someone like amber here, who has wide shoulders naturally, but I don't think its quite the V that you are talking about?

Alllso - if you're talking about fitness models at peak leanness (like 11%) they tend to lose all the fat on their hips and butt at that weight, and lose some of that lower body 'curve' -- there's an easy solution. Don't diet down that far. Stay around 16-17%.

tameko2

hmmm just looked at your pictures too. You're already pretty lean and you don't have much lean mass. What are your goals here?

Graelwyn75

hmmm just looked at your pictures too. You're already pretty lean and you don't have much lean mass. What are your goals here?

Pretty much maintain my weight, maybe lose a few more Ibs then add some muscle, no idea what my fat% is to be honest, I have added some fat as I gained about 7 Ibs since last October/November due to binging behaviours(all sugary, fatty food, of course). They do have a bodpod locally, but not yet got round to having that done.

I simply know that I picked up the barbell one day, and got a real high from lifting even though I had thus far avoided it. I also do cardio. My bottom half is pretty solid from a lot of cycling but my upper half is not, basically.

Here is an example of what I mean.



Whereas this is more the sort of look I would wish to aim for, as far as my genetics allow me, obviously.

xidia

I'd suggest not trying to lose any more fat, given your weight and height. For comparison, I'm 5'4", 139lbs (and I do have fat to lose!) but my thighs are 22", my upper arm is 10.75" and none of that is fat. I do carry my fat around my torso and butt (36/30/37.5 right now).

I'd suggest eating at maintenance or above with lots of protein, and start lifting. Chances are any residual fat you're carrying will burn off, and you'll find you tone up quickly.

tameko2

I would also suggest not trying to lose anymore - you're going to get better results from doing a bulk now and then a cut later (do a slow bulk, just add 200 extra calories/day or so).

In terms of that picture, the first lady is flexed and curved backwards pretty hard and I think its distorting the way she looks shapewise,

Graelwyn75

I will bear these suggestions in mind, although I am not actually underweight or anything.
How long does a bulk generally last, how much weight would I look to gain, and what rules/guidance would there be in terms of food intake, aside from extra calories? I already eat 100g plus protein a day.

tameko2

I will bear these suggestions in mind, although I am not actually underweight or anything.
How long does a bulk generally last, how much weight would I look to gain, and what rules/guidance would there be in terms of food intake, aside from extra calories? I already eat 100g plus protein a day.

You aren't underweight by BMI standards, but if you want the sculpted look for a fitness model (like Margret Gnarr omg so hot ), you're going to need to add some muscle to your body and you won't be able to add much without a bulk.

You wouldn't need to eat more protein, you could fill in the rest with carbs or fat, whichever you like. If you did a 4 month slow bulk at 200 extra cals a day, you'd be looking at about 7 pounds of gain, although its not an EXACT science. It would probably be about 4lbs muscle and 3 lbs of fat. It could be less, as sometimes when people eat more their bodies increase their metabolisms to keep up with the burn, and therefore they don't gain as much as they think they should. If that happens, at your 4 week evaluation you'll just push a little higher. Then you could evaluate if you want to keep going, try to drop that 3lbs of at and then bulk again, eat maintenance for a while, whatever.

For the record, a supaa hot lady like Margret weighs 60kg (132) and is 5'4" -- I'm using her as an example because I don't know who the girl in your picture is. For reference this is Margret: http://www.cutandjacked.com/CutAndJacked-Interview-Margret-Gnarr (There is a link to her training routing there, but please do not think that you should undertake it yet- that's an advanced routine that you shouldn't look at until you've got a good 6-12 months of solid beginner and intermediate work under your belt)

Given how tall you are, I think you should expect to weigh a BIT more than that to get that super fit muscular but lean look. Maybe somewhere in the 138 - 142 range although it does depend a lot on you.

I'd probably do like 3-4 weeks of SL and just eat maintenance to see what happens when you do that, then think about a bulk. also if you hit a lot of stalls during that time, I'm DEFINITELY up your cals by about 200/day, not as a bulk but with the assumption that you're actually undereating at that point.

Also, expect around 4lbs of water weight gain, so factor that in as normal. But basically, try it, no matter what you do stick with the same plan for 4 weeks minimum before you reevaluate. But to answer your original question - I feel pretty confident that you won't get that shape, and I am 1000000% confident that even if you were prone to going that direction, you wouldn't get it in 6 months, OR a year, or two years. I've been lifting for ...about 18 months? And I don't have that shape at all.

Its VERY tough for women to put on shoulder muscle. Most of the ones you see that have it, are using steroids. Period. And 100% of them are doing a ton of shoulder isolation work, which you will not be doing.

Graelwyn75

I will bear these suggestions in mind, although I am not actually underweight or anything.
How long does a bulk generally last, how much weight would I look to gain, and what rules/guidance would there be in terms of food intake, aside from extra calories? I already eat 100g plus protein a day.

You aren't underweight by BMI standards, but if you want the sculpted look for a fitness model (like Margret Gnarr omg so hot ), you're going to need to add some muscle to your body and you won't be able to add much without a bulk.

You wouldn't need to eat more protein, you could fill in the rest with carbs or fat, whichever you like. If you did a 4 month slow bulk at 200 extra cals a day, you'd be looking at about 7 pounds of gain, although its not an EXACT science. It would probably be about 4lbs muscle and 3 lbs of fat. It could be less, as sometimes when people eat more their bodies increase their metabolisms to keep up with the burn, and therefore they don't gain as much as they think they should. If that happens, at your 4 week evaluation you'll just push a little higher. Then you could evaluate if you want to keep going, try to drop that 3lbs of at and then bulk again, eat maintenance for a while, whatever.

For the record, a supaa hot lady like Margret weighs 60kg (132) and is 5'4" -- I'm using her as an example because I don't know who the girl in your picture is. For reference this is Margret: http://www.cutandjacked.com/CutAndJacked-Interview-Margret-Gnarr (There is a link to her training routing there, but please do not think that you should undertake it yet- that's an advanced routine that you shouldn't look at until you've got a good 6-12 months of solid beginner and intermediate work under your belt)

Given how tall you are, I think you should expect to weigh a BIT more than that to get that super fit muscular but lean look. Maybe somewhere in the 138 - 142 range although it does depend a lot on you.

I'd probably do like 3-4 weeks of SL and just eat maintenance to see what happens when you do that, then think about a bulk. also if you hit a lot of stalls during that time, I'm DEFINITELY up your cals by about 200/day, not as a bulk but with the assumption that you're actually undereating at that point.

Also, expect around 4lbs of water weight gain, so factor that in as normal. But basically, try it, no matter what you do stick with the same plan for 4 weeks minimum before you reevaluate. But to answer your original question - I feel pretty confident that you won't get that shape, and I am 1000000% confident that even if you were prone to going that direction, you wouldn't get it in 6 months, OR a year, or two years. I've been lifting for ...about 18 months? And I don't have that shape at all.

Its VERY tough for women to put on shoulder muscle. Most of the ones you see that have it, are using steroids. Period. And 100% of them are doing a ton of shoulder isolation work, which you will not be doing.

Thanks for the advice
I would probably have to go over maintenance because basically, I haven't even been logging everything I drink(including hot chocolates) or even eat, and since my calories are only set at 1/2 ib loss anyway, I have probably been eating at maintenance anyway and still losing. I actually would have to work out what I maintain at, with the exercise I do. For my weight, it would usually be 1700 net or somesuch, but I am guessing my maintenance is possibly closer to 1900 net. Always been too nervous to find out for sure by simply eating and not exercising at all, lol. I always thought my history, coupled with the fact I have an underactive thyroid would have given me a pretty low metabolic rate, but I think because I have to work hard when I do cardio (due to having COPD) I possibly burn more than someone else doing the same cardio workout since I have to put more effort into breathing.