Women Bulking with Weights

moe5474
moe5474 Posts: 162
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I'm at a loss. I followed my gym owner's advice to hit the weights really heavy (think large sets of squats with 50-60 lbs) and I've done nothing but bulk and get bigger. I've given it 4 months and have made sure to eat clean, whole foods netting in between 1400-1600 calories/day.

I'm 5'8 150 lbs and 26 years old for reference. I have 23% body fat and that hasn't changed in the last 4 months either. I have gained 4 lbs in the last few months and my measurements have increased.

I've always been told women can't bulk, but that's all I've done :(

I talked to another trainer at the gym today who said that because I have a large frame (fingers don't even come near touching when I wrap them around my wrist) that I need to lay off the heavy weights. Yes, do weight training but use lighter weights and focus on 20 minutes weights and 40-60 minutes cardio/day.

Any insight from others out there?? I keep hearing I shouldn't be bulking but I am and I don't like it.....

My goal is 140 or to come down to 20% BF from my current 23% BF.

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Bulking would mean you're eating in a caloric surplus. So maybe you're underestimating food intake?

    Also don't listen to the trainer that said lift light weights, continue to lift heavy to retain lbm while dieting down
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    That's not really that heavy, definitely not heavy enough to truly bulk. And as the OP said, you'd have to be eating at a surplus to bulk. Are you confusing bulking with water weight? Perhaps you have been holding on to a lot - some women can hold an excess of 10 pounds or even more in water weight after starting a new routine.
  • moe5474
    moe5474 Posts: 162
    Bulking would mean you're eating in a caloric surplus. So maybe you're underestimating food intake?

    Also don't listen to the trainer that said lift light weights, continue to lift heavy to retain lbm while dieting down

    I've already tried to make sure I'm not doing this by weighing/measuring al my food :( When I don't eat back some or all of my exercise calories I'm too weak to work out or an so darn hungry I go overboard and eat everything in sight.

    I've had my BMR tested and it was 1330. I am pretty sedentary without exercise and they estimated that I probably burned 1800 calories on average a day.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I'm gonna go ahead and say you're either a. eating more calories than you think you are, or b. you may need to add some cardio into the mix. My measurements went up a teeny bit before they went down when I began strength training, but with the combo of strength training (and I agree, 50-60 lbs squats aren't very heavy if you've been lifting for a few months...I generally squat well over 100lbs), a calorie deficit, and some cardio mixed in there (maybe 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes), you WILL see your body fat % go down. Mines gone from 36% to 28% in about 6 months, and still going. Try re-calculating your calorie needs and go from there.
  • moe5474
    moe5474 Posts: 162
    I'm gonna go ahead and say you're either a. eating more calories than you think you are, or b. you may need to add some cardio into the mix. My measurements went up a teeny bit before they went down when I began strength training, but with the combo of strength training (and I agree, 50-60 lbs squats aren't very heavy if you've been lifting for a few months...I generally squat well over 100lbs), a calorie deficit, and some cardio mixed in there (maybe 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes), you WILL see your body fat % go down. Mines gone from 36% to 28% in about 6 months, and still going. Try re-calculating your calorie needs and go from there.

    I guess I'll try increasing my cardio and seeing where it goes from there. I do 30-40 minutes 5 days a week, but may try bumping it up to 40-60 minutes.

    And I feel like I'm pretty stringent about logging calories, although lately I've been using another iphone app versus MFP to do so. Maybe I'll switch back to this one :)
  • alexis831
    alexis831 Posts: 469 Member
    I'm gonna go ahead and say you're either a. eating more calories than you think you are, or b. you may need to add some cardio into the mix. My measurements went up a teeny bit before they went down when I began strength training, but with the combo of strength training (and I agree, 50-60 lbs squats aren't very heavy if you've been lifting for a few months...I generally squat well over 100lbs), a calorie deficit, and some cardio mixed in there (maybe 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes), you WILL see your body fat % go down. Mines gone from 36% to 28% in about 6 months, and still going. Try re-calculating your calorie needs and go from there.

    Ditto... I don't see you logging anything. I think you are prob under estimating your calories and over estimating your workouts.
  • alexis831
    alexis831 Posts: 469 Member
    I'm gonna go ahead and say you're either a. eating more calories than you think you are, or b. you may need to add some cardio into the mix. My measurements went up a teeny bit before they went down when I began strength training, but with the combo of strength training (and I agree, 50-60 lbs squats aren't very heavy if you've been lifting for a few months...I generally squat well over 100lbs), a calorie deficit, and some cardio mixed in there (maybe 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes), you WILL see your body fat % go down. Mines gone from 36% to 28% in about 6 months, and still going. Try re-calculating your calorie needs and go from there.

    I guess I'll try increasing my cardio and seeing where it goes from there. I do 30-40 minutes 5 days a week, but may try bumping it up to 40-60 minutes.

    And I feel like I'm pretty stringent about logging calories, although lately I've been using another iphone app versus MFP to do so. Maybe I'll switch back to this one :)

    1, start logging in MFP, 2 MFP over estimates my calories burned almost by 50% so get a HRM or don't eat them back, 3 cardio needs to be around 3x a week and weights at 3x a week. 4 DON'T PANIC! You will get there. 5 don’t binge like you said. With a binge day here or there you could be over your intake weekly. Don’t know until we see your diary.
  • moe5474
    moe5474 Posts: 162
    I'm gonna go ahead and say you're either a. eating more calories than you think you are, or b. you may need to add some cardio into the mix. My measurements went up a teeny bit before they went down when I began strength training, but with the combo of strength training (and I agree, 50-60 lbs squats aren't very heavy if you've been lifting for a few months...I generally squat well over 100lbs), a calorie deficit, and some cardio mixed in there (maybe 3-4 times a week, 30-45 minutes), you WILL see your body fat % go down. Mines gone from 36% to 28% in about 6 months, and still going. Try re-calculating your calorie needs and go from there.

    I guess I'll try increasing my cardio and seeing where it goes from there. I do 30-40 minutes 5 days a week, but may try bumping it up to 40-60 minutes.

    And I feel like I'm pretty stringent about logging calories, although lately I've been using another iphone app versus MFP to do so. Maybe I'll switch back to this one :)

    1, start logging in MFP, 2 MFP over estimates my calories burned almost by 50% so get a HRM or don't eat them back, 3 cardio needs to be around 3x a week and weights at 3x a week. 4 DON'T PANIC! You will get there. 5 don’t binge like you said. With a binge day here or there you could be over your intake weekly. Don’t know until we see your diary.

    Thanks! I'll go back to logging here instead of elsewhere. I already use a HRM, but maybe I'll try not eating QUITE as many exercise calories back.

    Trying not to panick...it's just frustrating. But hey, it's a journey, right??? :)
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    Bulking would mean you're eating in a caloric surplus. So maybe you're underestimating food intake?

    Also don't listen to the trainer that said lift light weights, continue to lift heavy to retain lbm while dieting down

    I've already tried to make sure I'm not doing this by weighing/measuring al my food :( When I don't eat back some or all of my exercise calories I'm too weak to work out or an so darn hungry I go overboard and eat everything in sight.

    I've had my BMR tested and it was 1330. I am pretty sedentary without exercise and they estimated that I probably burned 1800 calories on average a day.

    1800 seems low, especially since you say you are working out 5 days a week for at least half an hour. Did they take into account your exercise regimen when they calculated your TDEE?

    Also, if you are netting between 1400-1600 calories per day, how many total calories are you eating?
  • halejr23
    halejr23 Posts: 294
    If your normal eating routine mimics what you show today you might be relying too much on bars. Try replacing bars with natural foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts. A medium apple is around 80 calories and will fill you up as much as a bar. Maybe cut down to 1 bar a day as an afternoon filler and eat more fruits and vegetables. Just a suggestion ...
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    Bump
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    You also might be overestimating cals burned in exercise.
  • moe5474
    moe5474 Posts: 162
    If your normal eating routine mimics what you show today you might be relying too much on bars. Try replacing bars with natural foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts. A medium apple is around 80 calories and will fill you up as much as a bar. Maybe cut down to 1 bar a day as an afternoon filler and eat more fruits and vegetables. Just a suggestion ...

    Totally forgot to erase that.....I use another iphone app to log my calories, but was using MFP to show my sister this morning that she is eating way too many bars and is therefore sacrificing nutrients.

    I know that was probably confusing. So sorry!

    I'm going to make the switch back to MFP to keep tabs on my calories so others can see them in the future
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Okay, I'm at a loss. I followed my gym owner's advice to hit the weights really heavy (think large sets of squats with 50-60 lbs) and I've done nothing but bulk and get bigger. I've given it 4 months and have made sure to eat clean, whole foods netting in between 1400-1600 calories/day.

    I'm 5'8 150 lbs and 26 years old for reference. I have 23% body fat and that hasn't changed in the last 4 months either. I have gained 4 lbs in the last few months and my measurements have increased.

    I've always been told women can't bulk, but that's all I've done :(

    I talked to another trainer at the gym today who said that because I have a large frame (fingers don't even come near touching when I wrap them around my wrist) that I need to lay off the heavy weights. Yes, do weight training but use lighter weights and focus on 20 minutes weights and 40-60 minutes cardio/day.

    Any insight from others out there?? I keep hearing I shouldn't be bulking but I am and I don't like it.....

    My goal is 140 or to come down to 20% BF from my current 23% BF.

    If you are weighing and measuring your food and KNOW for a fact that you are in a deficiet, go to the Dr and get blood work done to see if you have excess testosterone.

    Testosterone dominance in women CAN make a woman bulk up more like men do.

    I have this issue now and for being short I have a LOT of muscle mass.
  • moe5474
    moe5474 Posts: 162
    Okay, I'm at a loss. I followed my gym owner's advice to hit the weights really heavy (think large sets of squats with 50-60 lbs) and I've done nothing but bulk and get bigger. I've given it 4 months and have made sure to eat clean, whole foods netting in between 1400-1600 calories/day.

    I'm 5'8 150 lbs and 26 years old for reference. I have 23% body fat and that hasn't changed in the last 4 months either. I have gained 4 lbs in the last few months and my measurements have increased.

    I've always been told women can't bulk, but that's all I've done :(

    I talked to another trainer at the gym today who said that because I have a large frame (fingers don't even come near touching when I wrap them around my wrist) that I need to lay off the heavy weights. Yes, do weight training but use lighter weights and focus on 20 minutes weights and 40-60 minutes cardio/day.

    Any insight from others out there?? I keep hearing I shouldn't be bulking but I am and I don't like it.....

    My goal is 140 or to come down to 20% BF from my current 23% BF.

    If you are weighing and measuring your food and KNOW for a fact that you are in a deficiet, go to the Dr and get blood work done to see if you have excess testosterone.

    Testosterone dominance in women CAN make a woman bulk up more like men do.

    I have this issue now and for being short I have a LOT of muscle mass.

    I have thought about this possibility. Might be going to the doc soon....

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