Myth: women can't bulk up

Leadfoot_Lewis

Give you a hint, If you are female with male features, pretty much everything besides an adams apple, you are probably taking some sort of male growth hormone. Females can not produce the same amount of testosterone as a male can, simple science.

EXACTLY.

IMO woman who whine about and defend the notion that lifting heavy weights will make a woman bulk up or "look like a man" are just plain too lazy to put in the work to train hard and look good as the result, and probably spend 2 hours a day on a treadmill "to look toned" and "not get bulky!".

That said, this topic has been beaten to death on this forum. People need to do some research and learn a thing or two about science before posting this B.S.

JNick77

Give you a hint, If you are female with male features, pretty much everything besides an adams apple, you are probably taking some sort of male growth hormone. Females can not produce the same amount of testosterone as a male can, simple science.

That said, this topic has been beaten to death on this forum. People need to do some research and learn a thing or two about science before posting this B.S.

:noway: :noway: What?!? No way, I don't believe you! I've never seen this topic 100 times in the last 6 months!! :noway: :noway:

ZombieEarhart

I'm so sick of the word "manly" being attached to muscles. Becca Swanson is a woman, she has big muscles, so big muscles are "womanly." Stop equating weakness with woman's bodies and this whole argument loses it's central, and misogynistic, idea- that strength and power are the characteristics of men, and taking them on diminishes women.

Cranquistador

This takes years upon years of specialized diet and lifting routines and bulk/cut cycles. NO ONE is going to bulk up accidentally no matter how long they lift for. NO ONE.

As it needs repeating.

Also pointless scaremongering thread is pointless

^this

vjohn04

I want to know what the difference between training like a man and training like a woman is. Can you please explain, OP? Because I didn't know there was a specific way for each gender....

Leadfoot_Lewis

:noway: :noway: What?!? No way, I don't believe you! I've never seen this topic 100 times in the last 6 months!! :noway: :noway:

It's true...I swear! We should be discussing more important things...like gaining muscle on a calorie deficit or why Planet Fitness sucks being as we never discuss those things either!

ItsCasey

I want to know what the difference between training like a man and training like a woman is. Can you please explain, OP? Because I didn't know there was a specific way for each gender....

That was my first thought when I read the OP. Train like a man? What the hell does that even mean?

I'm honestly at the point now where I just don't freaking care anymore what anyone thinks of how I train, how I eat, or pretty much anything else about me. I love lifting. I love being strong. I love eating huge meals. And I am 100% woman. So go pound sand. Thanks.

JNick77

I want to know what the difference between training like a man and training like a woman is. Can you please explain, OP? Because I didn't know there was a specific way for each gender....

That was my first thought when I read the OP. Train like a man? What the hell does that even mean?

Didn't you know that a man's hamstrings function differently from a woman's hamstrings? Also, didn't you know that a woman's biceps are only stimulated by small pink dumbbells and men's biceps are only stimulated by big dumbbells that are too heavy for them to correctly lift???

SoDamnHungry

But the point most people make is that it takes a helluva lot more time and effort for women. You won't accidentally find yourself musclebound one day.

da_bears10089

zombie thread is zombie...

TyFit08

Jillian Michaels has pointed this out, that some women can bulk up easily, and she is one of them, so she does not lift heavy weights and she has to watch what she does and how she eats so she does not bulk up.

Jillian Michaels has PCOS as do I. This means she has more testosterone than the average woman. So if you have PCOS, your muscles may develop quicker than someone else, putting in the same effort. I never heard her make those remarks. I have her Body Revolution and she does encourage going heavier if you can, but again heavier is relative. Her routines tend to promote higher reps with lower (not necessarily light) weights and they are very effective.

Yanicka1

Jillian Michaels has pointed this out, that some women can bulk up easily, and she is one of them, so she does not lift heavy weights and she has to watch what she does and how she eats so she does not bulk up.

Jillian Michaels has PCOS as do I. This means she has more testosterone than the average woman. So if you have PCOS, your muscles may develop quicker than someone else, putting in the same effort. I never heard her make those remarks. I have her Body Revolution and she does encourage going heavier if you can, but again heavier is relative. Her routines tend to promote higher reps with lower (not necessarily light) weights and they are very effective.

I have PCOS and I lift heavy. I might make muscle faster than most women......but never at a deficit.....and even with the extra testosterone, we are still way lower than men

phatguerilla

I want to know what the difference between training like a man and training like a woman is. Can you please explain, OP? Because I didn't know there was a specific way for each gender....

Not sure if this was meant as a sarcastic comment or not, but assuming its serious...

Women produce much less testosterone than men, that's one difference. Women's bone structures specifically their hips are different which can make a difference to certain exercises. Following on from that women are more susceptible to ACL injuries although you don't generally pick those up in the gym, unless something is badly wrong with a person's squat form.
De- or un-trained women often have issues with bone density too even if not diagnosed as having osteoperosis, so in the beginning this can be a problem although weight training increases bone density so in time this will be ameliorated. Also women are generally capable of doing a higher number of reps than men at percentages close to their 1rm, I'm not entirely sure why this is again but iirc it has something to do muscular and/or neural efficiencies (I realise I'm not being very clear on this point).

jonnythan

I just came here to note that this woman probably injects herself with more hormones in a day than my body produces in a month.

Cindyinpg

likitisplit

I want to know what the difference between training like a man and training like a woman is. Can you please explain, OP? Because I didn't know there was a specific way for each gender....

Not sure if this was meant as a sarcastic comment or not, but assuming its serious...

Women produce much less testosterone than men, that's one difference. Women's bone structures specifically their hips are different which can make a difference to certain exercises. Following on from that women are more susceptible to ACL injuries although you don't generally pick those up in the gym, unless something is badly wrong with a person's squat form.
De- or un-trained women often have issues with bone density too even if not diagnosed as having osteoperosis, so in the beginning this can be a problem although weight training increases bone density so in time this will be ameliorated. Also women are generally capable of doing a higher number of reps than men at percentages close to their 1rm, I'm not entirely sure why this is again but iirc it has something to do muscular and/or neural efficiencies (I realise I'm not being very clear on this point).

It's because they tend to have more slow twitch fibers. Women also tend to recover faster.

But what does this mean in terms of "training like a man" and "training like a woman"? What is the difference in the way they should train?

From what you are saying, women should do higher reps closer to their 1rm. Will this make them less bulky than doing fewer reps (eg "training like a man)?

phatguerilla

I want to know what the difference between training like a man and training like a woman is. Can you please explain, OP? Because I didn't know there was a specific way for each gender....

Not sure if this was meant as a sarcastic comment or not, but assuming its serious...

Women produce much less testosterone than men, that's one difference. Women's bone structures specifically their hips are different which can make a difference to certain exercises. Following on from that women are more susceptible to ACL injuries although you don't generally pick those up in the gym, unless something is badly wrong with a person's squat form.
De- or un-trained women often have issues with bone density too even if not diagnosed as having osteoperosis, so in the beginning this can be a problem although weight training increases bone density so in time this will be ameliorated. Also women are generally capable of doing a higher number of reps than men at percentages close to their 1rm, I'm not entirely sure why this is again but iirc it has something to do muscular and/or neural efficiencies (I realise I'm not being very clear on this point).

It's because they tend to have more slow twitch fibers. Women also tend to recover faster.

But what does this mean in terms of "training like a man" and "training like a woman"? What is the difference in the way they should train?

From what you are saying, women should do higher reps closer to their 1rm. Will this make them less bulky than doing fewer reps (eg "training like a man)?

Well if women tend to recover faster then its possible to tailor their programmes with that in mind, using higher rep top sets even when going for strength and using a bit more volume. To recruit as much of the slow twitch fibres as possible higher reps should probably also be preferred. Sets of 8 for strength instead of 5 as is generally prescribed for men for instance, or instead of 3x5 using 5x5 or even more sets than that. That would be a different way of training. Having less testosterone and more slow twitch fibres is what will make women less bulky than men, as the fast twitch fibres have better/more potential for growth, although slow twitch will grow in time too.

Trechechus

I love all these body-shaming threads. Let the ladies who want muscles get muscles. If you don't want them shut up and work on your own krap.

MN_Nice

Zzzzzzzzz

TyFit08

Jillian Michaels has pointed this out, that some women can bulk up easily, and she is one of them, so she does not lift heavy weights and she has to watch what she does and how she eats so she does not bulk up.

Jillian Michaels has PCOS as do I. This means she has more testosterone than the average woman. So if you have PCOS, your muscles may develop quicker than someone else, putting in the same effort. I never heard her make those remarks. I have her Body Revolution and she does encourage going heavier if you can, but again heavier is relative. Her routines tend to promote higher reps with lower (not necessarily light) weights and they are very effective.

I have PCOS and I lift heavy. I might make muscle faster than most women......but never at a deficit.....and even with the extra testosterone, we are still way lower than men

True we are still lower then men. A PCOS woman shouldn't limit her strength training to high reps, low weight due to high testosterone levels. But since a PCOS woman may build muscle quicker than the average woman, then she may need to adjust her program and diet to ensure that she gets the results she wants, whether that be a more muscular build or a softer look. I am tall and thin on the top. My upper body isn't as strong as I would like for it to be, but somehow even with minimal effort I will see muscle definition. This bothered me a great deal when I was a teenager because I didn't find broad shoulders on a tall woman the most feminine look. It's not a big deal to me now, but if my arms start to look bigger than I would like, of course I would reevaluate my routine and diet. People throw around the word bulky a lot, but I think what many are trying to express is more muscle definition than they would like. Just as some men are okay with working out to the point where they have no neck and other men don't desire that look, there are women who want visible muscles while not flexing and other women who don't. Whatever you choose just do it in a healthy way

james6998

:noway: :noway: What?!? No way, I don't believe you! I've never seen this topic 100 times in the last 6 months!! :noway: :noway:

It's true...I swear! We should be discussing more important things...like gaining muscle on a calorie deficit or why Planet Fitness sucks being as we never discuss those things either!

I have actually gained muscle eating a calorie deficit. 2lbs in the past 8 weeks actually. Dropped my BF% by 1.5%

Pmagnanifit

Sigh I've been trying to get bulky for nine months... Even though I lift heavier each weak I can't get bigger

crandos

What makes you think she didnt take anything to increase her strenght to deadlift that much?

Danny_Boy13

Avoiding lifting because you fear you'll look like her is like being afraid to read a book or you'll turn into Stephen Hawking.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: