Maintain my muscle? Some help?
JennNH12
Posts: 56
Hey. Pretty new around these parts. I would like to see if anyone here has any worthy advice for me. I am a female of 5'2". I have a layer of chub I am currently seeing melt away with the cardio workouts. I am very happy with that! Now, hubby is a older dude who used to body build in the 80s. His "old ways" of muscle building are just not for me. I appreciate his input on most things, but I am finding that his ways are making my arm, back and shoulder muscle bigger. I can not do that. I just want to maintain the muscle and make it stronger without adding bulk. Is there any way of doing this???? I am very active. I only recently started the cardio, but weight bearing work has been my life since 18. I worked ramp with all the big ol guys you see loading your baggage for the airlines, then went into farming and currently work my own small farm and chop and stack all the wood for the nasty NH winters. I am strong as an ox, just need to tone..maintain and make this body stronger. WITHOUT the bulk his work outs have been adding. I freaking scare adult males at the beach when I flex my arms LOL. I have these short T-rex arms to begin with. They are so short that hubby had to adjust my mini apes on my Harley by 5 inches or so! But what they lack in length they make up for in bulk. Currently I am benching 85lbs (4 reps of 10...4 times a day) I am also doing those pull downs (or whatever they are called) (4 reps of 10 4 times a day for both the back and front). Any advice? I would appreciate words of wisdom.
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Replies
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Answer to all your problems at the moment.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/0 -
Very good website. But remember you cannot add or build muscle unless you have a calorie surplus. Your body retains water in your muscle which in turn can lead to looking bigger temporarily.0
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See, I am eating healthy and all. I just think I may need some extra protein. I just never want to look like the female version of the hulk, but white. I will go check that site out now. Thank you.0
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Unless you somehow wake up tomorrow with the determination and discipline and substantial calorie surplus to force your BF% down below 17% and make it to the gym on a strict and regimented training schedule without missing any scheduled workouts - you dont have the ability or the discipline to make that happen.
Even if you wanted it to, it would take you at least a year of ridiculous workouts. And on top of all that, you control the appearance of your body by controlling the amount of padding you have on your frame over your muscles, YOU control that.
You cant accidentally wake up as a super successful power lifter.
Unless you have a magic genie.
The worst thing that can possibly happen to you is that you gain 3 and lose 3-4 pounds a month each time you level up and do harder workouts. Those weight fluctuations always go away and you wont get bigger you'll shrink.
GEEZUS. Wish I could accidentally become the hulk because I worked out for a month straight.0 -
My body has changed over the past 8 years or so.....or rather how it holds the chub vs. build muscle. Building muscle has always been easy for me. The chub is coming off at a decent pace...not to fast, not to slow. I just do not want man arms. Hubby cant understand that. Just toned, and a bit stronger. The chub takes a ton more work to get rid of these days. Oh it all used to be so much easier.0
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Guess what - you cant get man arms. Youre not a man. That is the silliest most ridiculous myth ever. i wish people would just stop thinking that.
I lifted heavy on just my arms for almost 2 hours this morning. I do it twice a week. Been at it for months! And lifting so heavy that some of the sets are only 1 rep cause it's all I can do with that weight.
In the months since Ive started, I've lost 2 inches on each arm and added over 30 pounds to all my upper body lifts. Including my heavy weight sessions for legs, Ive lost 5 inches on each thigh and 5 inches on my waist since November. EACH THIGH.
Lifting heavy and going balls to the wall in the weight room makes you smaller and a stronger cause youre female. We have different percentages of the two types of muscle fibers than men do. We cant get like that. Seriously - unless you are eating way more than you burn in a day (Im talking like 3000+ calorie minimums probably) and you have the determination of a professional female bodybuilder or powerlifter - you just cant get man arms.
Im a mesomorph, I build muscle stupid easy - I mean STUPID EASY - I mean - within two weeks of all four lifts I could see a difference.
But I eat at a deficit.
Too many girls dont realize that you actually have 100% control of how your body looks when you weight lift. Dont want paper thin skin and bulging veins and big arms? Then keep your body fat at 19 or above. No big deal. Easiest thing in the world pretty much. It's not like starting a heavy program is the same as getting on a speeding train with a one way ticket to man muscles. It's just a better way to burn all day. Its how you shape your body into a dream body - the way it is naturally supposed to look as a strong girl.
Check out Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz and other girls that lift heavy and tell me if you think they are all man-arms, kk?
Heavy weights will actually make you strong and keep your bones healthy so you dont get (or are less likely to get) osteoporosis. It'll give you sick arms and confidence and make you want to wear sleeveless shirts everyday. You'll be able to haul your drunk boyfriend into bed. Help you make the switch to maintenance later and ANDDDDDD you will burn calories all day, unlike cardio which stops pretty soon after youre done.
It WONT make you bulky or look like a man. It WONT make you unsexy.
This goes for any age range.
If you feel better trusting magazines that you are at home with and have been reading for a long time - check out what SHAPE said about it, Ok?
This really could be the secret puzzle piece that unlocks a whole new world for you and your body.
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights0 -
Guess what - you cant get man arms. Youre not a man. That is the silliest most ridiculous myth ever. i wish people would just stop thinking that.
I lifted heavy on just my arms for almost 2 hours this morning. I do it twice a week. Been at it for months! And lifting so heavy that some of the sets are only 1 rep cause it's all I can do with that weight.
In the months since Ive started, I've lost 2 inches on each arm and added over 30 pounds to all my upper body lifts. Including my heavy weight sessions for legs, Ive lost 5 inches on each thigh and 5 inches on my waist since November. EACH THIGH.
Lifting heavy and going balls to the wall in the weight room makes you smaller and a stronger cause youre female. We have different percentages of the two types of muscle fibers than men do. We cant get like that. Seriously - unless you are eating way more than you burn in a day (Im talking like 3000+ calorie minimums probably) and you have the determination of a professional female bodybuilder or powerlifter - you just cant get man arms.
Im a mesomorph, I build muscle stupid easy - I mean STUPID EASY - I mean - within two weeks of all four lifts I could see a difference.
But I eat at a deficit.
Too many girls dont realize that you actually have 100% control of how your body looks when you weight lift. Dont want paper thin skin and bulging veins and big arms? Then keep your body fat at 19 or above. No big deal. Easiest thing in the world pretty much. It's not like starting a heavy program is the same as getting on a speeding train with a one way ticket to man muscles. It's just a better way to burn all day. Its how you shape your body into a dream body - the way it is naturally supposed to look as a strong girl.
Check out Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz and other girls that lift heavy and tell me if you think they are all man-arms, kk?
Heavy weights will actually make you strong and keep your bones healthy so you dont get (or are less likely to get) osteoporosis. It'll give you sick arms and confidence and make you want to wear sleeveless shirts everyday. You'll be able to haul your drunk boyfriend into bed. Help you make the switch to maintenance later and ANDDDDDD you will burn calories all day, unlike cardio which stops pretty soon after youre done.
It WONT make you bulky or look like a man. It WONT make you unsexy.
This goes for any age range.
If you feel better trusting magazines that you are at home with and have been reading for a long time - check out what SHAPE said about it, Ok?
This really could be the secret puzzle piece that unlocks a whole new world for you and your body.
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights
This^ why do all females think there gonna get massive and ripped from lifting heavy, Most guys cant even build decent mass why would you.0 -
Hey. Pretty new around these parts. I would like to see if anyone here has any worthy advice for me. I am a female of 5'2". I have a layer of chub I am currently seeing melt away with the cardio workouts. I am very happy with that! Now, hubby is a older dude who used to body build in the 80s. His "old ways" of muscle building are just not for me. I appreciate his input on most things, but I am finding that his ways are making my arm, back and shoulder muscle bigger. I can not do that. I just want to maintain the muscle and make it stronger without adding bulk. Is there any way of doing this???? I am very active. I only recently started the cardio, but weight bearing work has been my life since 18. I worked ramp with all the big ol guys you see loading your baggage for the airlines, then went into farming and currently work my own small farm and chop and stack all the wood for the nasty NH winters. I am strong as an ox, just need to tone..maintain and make this body stronger. WITHOUT the bulk his work outs have been adding. I freaking scare adult males at the beach when I flex my arms LOL. I have these short T-rex arms to begin with. They are so short that hubby had to adjust my mini apes on my Harley by 5 inches or so! But what they lack in length they make up for in bulk. Currently I am benching 85lbs (4 reps of 10...4 times a day) I am also doing those pull downs (or whatever they are called) (4 reps of 10 4 times a day for both the back and front). Any advice? I would appreciate words of wisdom.
They only way you will get bulky is if you're in a calorie surplus. Weight training is great for weight loss it has worked wonders for me!
In my workouts I use bodybuilding techniques, but not so much now because I'm cutting right now and I am only concerned about becoming lean and not losing my mass and strength.
The bodybuilding mentality is to pretty much use lots and lots of volume and doing higher rep exercise usually between 8-12 (sometimes up to 15) and take short rests between sets and beat the crap out of the muscle. When you use this kind of volume and rep scheme in a bodybuilding type routine you induce Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy. To put it simply you are quite literally pump your muscle and making look bigger which is what I assume your husband and most bodybuilders are going for. Which in fact will make you muscles seem bigger. But like I said do not fret because the only way this will have a lasting effect is if you're in a caloric surplus.
All you want to do is have firm and tighter muscles right? And you don't want the bulky look, correct? Stay in a caloric deficit try to have around 1 gram of protein per body weight (depending on your weight, age, and workout intensity your protein intake may have to be slightly adjusted and i mean SLIGHTLY). Next, try the basics! Do squats, deadlifts, bench press, and rows! Focus on the larger compound exercises that use your whole body. This is ideal for beginners. Use a set and rep scheme like this:
Squat 5x5
Deadlift 7x4
Bench 7x3
You get the idea!
Using a lower rep scheme will make you muscles stronger through something called myofibrillar hypertrophy which is the actually tearing of the muscles fibers to make the harder, stronger, denser, firmer, and sexier than doing a bulk workout. This type of hypertrophy adds layers to your muscles and makes them strong BUT you will still see a size gain in you muscles from myofbirillar hypertrophy but not nearly as much as would doing a bodybuilding scheme that induces sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
I hope all of this helps. I apologize its a long read but it was necessary. Add me sometime if you have any more questions.0 -
simplest answer would be, if you never try to lift heavier weights than you currently lift, for more reps than you currently lift (i.e. you dont progress your weights), then your muscle growth will trail off and maintain.0
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Guess what - you cant get man arms. Youre not a man. That is the silliest most ridiculous myth ever. i wish people would just stop thinking that.
I lifted heavy on just my arms for almost 2 hours this morning. I do it twice a week. Been at it for months! And lifting so heavy that some of the sets are only 1 rep cause it's all I can do with that weight.
In the months since Ive started, I've lost 2 inches on each arm and added over 30 pounds to all my upper body lifts. Including my heavy weight sessions for legs, Ive lost 5 inches on each thigh and 5 inches on my waist since November. EACH THIGH.
Lifting heavy and going balls to the wall in the weight room makes you smaller and a stronger cause youre female. We have different percentages of the two types of muscle fibers than men do. We cant get like that. Seriously - unless you are eating way more than you burn in a day (Im talking like 3000+ calorie minimums probably) and you have the determination of a professional female bodybuilder or powerlifter - you just cant get man arms.
Im a mesomorph, I build muscle stupid easy - I mean STUPID EASY - I mean - within two weeks of all four lifts I could see a difference.
But I eat at a deficit.
Too many girls dont realize that you actually have 100% control of how your body looks when you weight lift. Dont want paper thin skin and bulging veins and big arms? Then keep your body fat at 19 or above. No big deal. Easiest thing in the world pretty much. It's not like starting a heavy program is the same as getting on a speeding train with a one way ticket to man muscles. It's just a better way to burn all day. Its how you shape your body into a dream body - the way it is naturally supposed to look as a strong girl.
Check out Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz and other girls that lift heavy and tell me if you think they are all man-arms, kk?
Heavy weights will actually make you strong and keep your bones healthy so you dont get (or are less likely to get) osteoporosis. It'll give you sick arms and confidence and make you want to wear sleeveless shirts everyday. You'll be able to haul your drunk boyfriend into bed. Help you make the switch to maintenance later and ANDDDDDD you will burn calories all day, unlike cardio which stops pretty soon after youre done.
It WONT make you bulky or look like a man. It WONT make you unsexy.
This goes for any age range.
If you feel better trusting magazines that you are at home with and have been reading for a long time - check out what SHAPE said about it, Ok?
This really could be the secret puzzle piece that unlocks a whole new world for you and your body.
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights
everything you have said in those whole post is nothing short of amazing. Andrea Ager is a crossfit elite and she is ripped. A ridiculously low BF% and she eats a HUGE amount of food every day to get her body where it needs to be for her competitions. I'm talking like a pound of bacon EVERY DAY. While i would NOT mind at all having the muscle that she has, i know it won't happen for me because i'm eating below my TDEE.
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Guess what - you cant get man arms. Youre not a man. That is the silliest most ridiculous myth ever. i wish people would just stop thinking that.
I lifted heavy on just my arms for almost 2 hours this morning. I do it twice a week. Been at it for months! And lifting so heavy that some of the sets are only 1 rep cause it's all I can do with that weight.
In the months since Ive started, I've lost 2 inches on each arm and added over 30 pounds to all my upper body lifts. Including my heavy weight sessions for legs, Ive lost 5 inches on each thigh and 5 inches on my waist since November. EACH THIGH.
Lifting heavy and going balls to the wall in the weight room makes you smaller and a stronger cause youre female. We have different percentages of the two types of muscle fibers than men do. We cant get like that. Seriously - unless you are eating way more than you burn in a day (Im talking like 3000+ calorie minimums probably) and you have the determination of a professional female bodybuilder or powerlifter - you just cant get man arms.
Im a mesomorph, I build muscle stupid easy - I mean STUPID EASY - I mean - within two weeks of all four lifts I could see a difference.
But I eat at a deficit.
Too many girls dont realize that you actually have 100% control of how your body looks when you weight lift. Dont want paper thin skin and bulging veins and big arms? Then keep your body fat at 19 or above. No big deal. Easiest thing in the world pretty much. It's not like starting a heavy program is the same as getting on a speeding train with a one way ticket to man muscles. It's just a better way to burn all day. Its how you shape your body into a dream body - the way it is naturally supposed to look as a strong girl.
Check out Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz and other girls that lift heavy and tell me if you think they are all man-arms, kk?
Heavy weights will actually make you strong and keep your bones healthy so you dont get (or are less likely to get) osteoporosis. It'll give you sick arms and confidence and make you want to wear sleeveless shirts everyday. You'll be able to haul your drunk boyfriend into bed. Help you make the switch to maintenance later and ANDDDDDD you will burn calories all day, unlike cardio which stops pretty soon after youre done.
It WONT make you bulky or look like a man. It WONT make you unsexy.
This goes for any age range.
If you feel better trusting magazines that you are at home with and have been reading for a long time - check out what SHAPE said about it, Ok?
This really could be the secret puzzle piece that unlocks a whole new world for you and your body.
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights
Don't know who you are but I ???? you. Excellent post.0 -
My body has changed over the past 8 years or so.....or rather how it holds the chub vs. build muscle. Building muscle has always been easy for me. The chub is coming off at a decent pace...not to fast, not to slow. I just do not want man arms. Hubby cant understand that. Just toned, and a bit stronger. The chub takes a ton more work to get rid of these days. Oh it all used to be so much easier.
Why do you think you've built muscle? Because you got stronger?
You don't have to build muscle to get stronger, in fact, you can get stronger and not even use all your existing muscle. Body won't have to build more until you've used all your existing. And as mentioned, in a deficit, not likely.
Now go into a deep deficit eating diet, and that unneeded muscle is at risk of being lost.
That is most likely why it is harder to get rid of the fat this time, you actually have less muscle mass than you used to years ago.
And your slow loss, is that because you purposely picked a reasonable deficit to only lose a little bit?
Or that is what you have ended up with because your body has slowed down due to under-eating for your level of activity?
Or would you know the difference?
And not sure how much to read into this - "The chub takes a ton more work to get rid of these days. Oh it all used to be so much easier."
Does that mean you are back at doing this again, from times past? Or recent issue that has caused the gain to get rid of again?
Because if this is yet another cycle of needing to lose weight, you might think about if past methods really worked all that well, if you are yet again at the point to have to lose.
But then again, that may not be a reference to yo-yo dieting.0 -
Guess what - you cant get man arms. Youre not a man. That is the silliest most ridiculous myth ever. i wish people would just stop thinking that.
I lifted heavy on just my arms for almost 2 hours this morning. I do it twice a week. Been at it for months! And lifting so heavy that some of the sets are only 1 rep cause it's all I can do with that weight.
In the months since Ive started, I've lost 2 inches on each arm and added over 30 pounds to all my upper body lifts. Including my heavy weight sessions for legs, Ive lost 5 inches on each thigh and 5 inches on my waist since November. EACH THIGH.
Lifting heavy and going balls to the wall in the weight room makes you smaller and a stronger cause youre female. We have different percentages of the two types of muscle fibers than men do. We cant get like that. Seriously - unless you are eating way more than you burn in a day (Im talking like 3000+ calorie minimums probably) and you have the determination of a professional female bodybuilder or powerlifter - you just cant get man arms.
Im a mesomorph, I build muscle stupid easy - I mean STUPID EASY - I mean - within two weeks of all four lifts I could see a difference.
But I eat at a deficit.
Too many girls dont realize that you actually have 100% control of how your body looks when you weight lift. Dont want paper thin skin and bulging veins and big arms? Then keep your body fat at 19 or above. No big deal. Easiest thing in the world pretty much. It's not like starting a heavy program is the same as getting on a speeding train with a one way ticket to man muscles. It's just a better way to burn all day. Its how you shape your body into a dream body - the way it is naturally supposed to look as a strong girl.
Check out Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz and other girls that lift heavy and tell me if you think they are all man-arms, kk?
Heavy weights will actually make you strong and keep your bones healthy so you dont get (or are less likely to get) osteoporosis. It'll give you sick arms and confidence and make you want to wear sleeveless shirts everyday. You'll be able to haul your drunk boyfriend into bed. Help you make the switch to maintenance later and ANDDDDDD you will burn calories all day, unlike cardio which stops pretty soon after youre done.
It WONT make you bulky or look like a man. It WONT make you unsexy.
This goes for any age range.
If you feel better trusting magazines that you are at home with and have been reading for a long time - check out what SHAPE said about it, Ok?
This really could be the secret puzzle piece that unlocks a whole new world for you and your body.
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-reasons-why-you-should-lift-heavier-weights
everything you have said in those whole post is nothing short of amazing. Andrea Ager is a crossfit elite and she is ripped. A ridiculously low BF% and she eats a HUGE amount of food every day to get her body where it needs to be for her competitions. I'm talking like a pound of bacon EVERY DAY. While i would NOT mind at all having the muscle that she has, i know it won't happen for me because i'm eating below my TDEE.
I want to look like that!! ^0 -
Telling her that she's not going to get bulky when she already feels she is getting bulky is not helpful. She may not meet your idea of bulky but she meets her idea. For her that's what matters. These are the two things to do :
1) Eat less. Building muscle requires energy. Cutting your intake should reduce muscle growth.
2) Reduce reps and increase weights. High rep programs tend to encourage muscle size. Lifting less reps(such as 5 sets of 5 reps), at higher weights, will encourage less size growth, but more strength increase.
Hope this helps.0 -
what can I say, the only thing I love more than what heavy lifting and 5-3-1 is doing to my body.... is actually doing the work. I love the work. It's made me both a mental warrior and physical force and... cut my bf% from like 44-46 to 21.0 -
Telling her that she's not going to get bulky when she already feels she is getting bulky is not helpful. She may not meet your idea of bulky but she meets her idea. For her that's what matters. These are the two things to do :
1) Eat less. To put on muscle you need extra calories. Cutting your intake should reduce muscle growth.
2) Reduce reps and increase weights. High rep programs tend to encourage muscle size. Lifting less reps(such as 5 sets of 5 reps), at higher weights, will encourage less size growth, but more strength increase.
Hope this helps.
Not to be offensive but i really doubt its a muscle mass problem making her feel "bulky" the only bulky females ive ever seen are on a **** load of PEDs. drop the BF%0 -
Telling her that she's not going to get bulky when she already feels she is getting bulky is not helpful. She may not meet your idea of bulky but she meets her idea. For her that's what matters. These are the two things to do :
1) Eat less. Building muscle requires energy. Cutting your intake should reduce muscle growth.
2) Reduce reps and increase weights. High rep programs tend to encourage muscle size. Lifting less reps(such as 5 sets of 5 reps), at higher weights, will encourage less size growth, but more strength increase.
Hope this helps.
I said the same thing you did AND reassured her that she can control the manly look with her nutrition.
I didnt do anything mean NOR did I play along with what she thinks. I was VERY helpful. You must have just barely skimmed what I said.
Everyone who is deep into the whole fitness transformation KNOWS that what you think and what is actually happening are rarely the same thing.0
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