Woman trying (and failing) to get bulky - wahhhhh!

BinaryPulsar

What's the difference between what you're doing now and bodybuilding?

ETA: I thought lifting heavy was what bodybuilders did to gain muscle.

Sort of - they definitely have a lot in common. The point of powerlifting is to develop strength; the point of bodybuilding is to develop an eye-popping physique. Obviously, you will develop muscle when you are lifting heavy, but not the way you would if you were deliberately targeting certain body parts and groups for muscle development. Powerlifting programs focus on compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, rows) whereas bodybuilding programs fall more along the line of the old split schedule, i.e., doing chest/legs on one day, back/biceps on another, etc. Make sense?

Actually you're looking for hypertrophy and to do that you're gonna have to do some volume training. Reps between 8-12 and 16-24 sets per bodypart (that's 4 exercises for 4-6 sets). And weight should be progressive in resistance.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Can a person train like this (on the same body parts) 3 days a week. Or are longer rest periods needed? This is probably a silly question.

3 times per body part per week would be a bit much. 2 times a week as long as your recovery is sufficient should be fine. Personally myself (because of how much time I've actually put in) I train each body part just once a week now.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Thanks!

DawnEH612

Ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph. You, my dear, are an ectomorph. You will have to work very hard to put on muscle. I, however, am a mesomorph. I bulk up walking my dog :laugh:

We all just have to adjust for our body types. I suggest researching how to put on muscle for your body type and utilize those strategies.

Like this post said.. Work with your body type and try to embrace those body type characteristics. Try as I might to be long, lean and lanky, it will never happen, that'd be like an elephant???? trying to be a gazelle ????! I don't care how much you change the elephants diet or how much exercise you make it do, it will never make it look like a gazelle. Instead, if the elephant focused on being the best looking elephant ????????????it could be, well, then.. Watch out!

DawnEH612

Thanks, everybody! I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek with my post; women often express concern on the forums that they will get bulky if they lift heavy weights, and my physique is testament to the fact that it isn't true -- and in fact, you can actively be TRYING to add some muscle and not be successful! :bigsmile: The women you see winning bodybuilding awards have worked really, REALLY hard to develop the bodies they have -- it's not something just happens overnight by accident.

Cheers!

This is SOOO true!

MireyGal76

I just wanted to tell you that I think you're awesome and you totally rock! Sexy, gorgeous, funny. You'll get there. . Just keep pushing... and eat eat eat!

Xo

grantdumas7

Just a suggestion do an upper/lower body split. Day 1 upperbody, Day 2 lowerbody, Day 3 rest, Day 4 Upper, Day 5 Lower, Day 6 and 7 rest. This will give your bodyparts more rest and will allow you to train them with more volume (setsxreps).

weese17

I just wanted to tell you that I think you're awesome and you totally rock! Sexy, gorgeous, funny. You'll get there. . Just keep pushing... and eat eat eat!

Xo

Aww, thank you! And you KNOW that eating ain't my problem, lady! :bigsmile: :bigsmile: