PISSED. Squats & lunges made me bigger.. wtf!!

17891113

Replies

  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I would like the note that this thread is stupid, and was posted 05/09/12.
    You obviously missed the religious snatch debate on page 12.
  • eamartin
    eamartin Posts: 216 Member
    Try pilates
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    So you've built muscle in your thighs, but haven't lost the fat yet. Therefore, your thighs are bigger. If you lose the fat (through a calorie deficit, which I'm assuming you're on since you use MFP), your thighs will "slim down."

    You're just in a discouraging middle stage right now. Don't give up. I have the same problem with my upper arms.
  • honey_dew
    honey_dew Posts: 28
    If that's where most of your fat is and you add muscle to it, it's going to make you bigger. Because along with the fat, you now have muscle. You need to burn the fat and that newly gained muscle is going to help you!
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    Beware of zombie thread....this is almost a year old.
  • lotushead
    lotushead Posts: 200 Member
    bump for later
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I would like the note that this thread is stupid, and was posted 05/09/12.
    You obviously missed the religious snatch debate on page 12.

    ^This is not to be missed, very informative and entertaining!

    However, I concur with BusyLady, the OP hasn't participated in the forums since the day she began this thread, so I doubt she is even active anymore. I guess it is safe to assume that she gave up on squats and lunges and so, I am sure, she is no longer "bigger".
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    F that I'm going to convince everyone to worship my snatch instead.

    O hai
    If you're here to worship my snatch bend over and spread your...arms....and pick up that barbell...

    I already lift but I am committed to conversion. I am willing to put in the effort.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    You need to switch off the squats and try curls and inclined bench. This way all the fat stored on your chest will look a lot bigger when you bulk up with those.
    Eat at a surplus too, unless you are Kiwi shaped, then you are going to want to switch to plan B.

    walking-dead-meme-2.jpg
  • criticalsasss
    criticalsasss Posts: 2 Member
    This is literally the dumbest post I've ever seen, and it getting bumped/resurrected caused it to show up on my feed and caused me to waste like 5 minutes shaking my head at the thigh-shaming nonsense.
    It's a joke, right? In which case - good one :)
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    So you've built muscle in your thighs, but haven't lost the fat yet. Therefore, your thighs are bigger. If you lose the fat (through a calorie deficit, which I'm assuming you're on since you use MFP), your thighs will "slim down."

    You're just in a discouraging middle stage right now. Don't give up. I have the same problem with my upper arms.

    That is simply not true for everyone. Some women store a disproportionately large amount of fat in their butt and hips and they're never going to lose. They therefore have to work with their genetics, which means avoid direct weight resistance on those areas.

    Likewise, there are some women who store a lot of fat in their upper arms and no matter how much weight they lose their arms are going to look bigger than they'd like. Consequently, they should not do the kinds of exercises that people with thin arms do to get big guns.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I would like the note that this thread ... was posted 05/09/12.

    People are always being criticized for not searching for previous threads. So I guess you can't win here.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Muscles are bigger so what did you think would happen? Cardio is better for losing fat.

    Absolutely. Why is that so hard for some people to understand, in addition to the fact that the people concerned about getting bigger are extreme pear shapes, no matter how much weight they lose, they're always going to store more fat in their lower body than they'd like?
  • ercarroll311
    ercarroll311 Posts: 295 Member
    Am I the only woman who likes seeing a size increase that isn't caused by eating Big Macs? I've always liked my curvy figure, and liek it even more when it's toned!

    That said, I don't feel that I see a size increase from lunges, only squats with weight. Maybe do without weights and see how that goes, or if that's what youre already doing, I'd say more cardio, calorie cutting (not 1200 though...), but keep up some strength exercises. HIIT is supposed to be good too, though I don't have much personal experience with it.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    I would like the note that this thread ... was posted 05/09/12.

    People are always being criticized for not searching for previous threads. So I guess you can't win here.

    People are also still trying to give the OP specific advice, who is not going to see it because she hasn't been active since she posted her question.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I would like the note that this thread ... was posted 05/09/12.

    People are always being criticized for not searching for previous threads. So I guess you can't win here.

    Finally!!! mfpcopine and I agree on something! Marking this date down on my calendar! May we live in synchronous agreement from here on after.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Muscles are bigger so what did you think would happen? Cardio is better for losing fat.

    Absolutely. Why is that so hard for some people to understand, in addition to the fact that the people concerned about getting bigger are extreme pear shapes, no matter how much weight they lose, they're always going to store more fat in their lower body than they'd like?

    Welp......that didn't last long. Anybody got any whiteout?
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    I would like the note that this thread ... was posted 05/09/12.

    People are always being criticized for not searching for previous threads. So I guess you can't win here.

    Finally!!! mfpcopine and I agree on something! Marking this date down on my calendar! May we live in synchronous agreement from here on after.

    Which date? Today 04/08/2013 or the date 05/09/12, please be more specific.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    That is simply not true for everyone. Some women store a disproportionately large amount of fat in their butt and hips and they're never going to lose. They therefore have to work with their genetics, which means avoid direct weight resistance on those areas.

    I am one of those women, and I squat and deadlift heavy. Does this mean I'm set to look like reverse Popeye? It's true that the last place I will see a visual reduction of size is in my "problem area" of my hips and thighs (I hate that term btw, it's not a "problem" if it's in my ****ing genetics, thank you) and I may have to get to the low end of a healthy body fat % to see them even out with the rest of me, but that's just how it is. Plus, the difference in how my butt looks is enough to keep me going.

    It's only a problem if your mind makes it one for no good reason. Have fun stressing out about your inch gained!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    SMARTEN UP:
    You cannot continuously grow a muscle on a calorie deficit. These things are shrinking over time, not growing, despite the occasional inch or 2 gained over a few days that disappears. That's not muscle appearing and disappearing. You get that with cardio too btw just in different areas.
    Bodys repair by sending glycogen to said areas...if you exercise, your body is going to try to help you, yes, you'll increase an inch in that area for a day or two, it's helping you look better and shrink, you're getting firmer, you're looking better, you're shrinking over time, you're getting stronger, get over it.
    Your muscles are not going to grow an inch in a few weeks...they're shrinking.
    Cardio is not the best way to lose fat, it is the best way to create a large calorie deficit in a short amount of time, thus perhaps the best weigh to lose WEIGHT (both muscle and fat). I love my hiking, and I do long ones, but when I lose weight with just cardio I lose a chunk of muscle to. Yep it takes strength to hike up a mountain for 20km, but that'll only get you so far. Progressive resistance training ensures that the weight I'm losing is going more towards fat, but I'm not going to give up either as I enjoy both now...even though I despised lifting at first.

    I have skinny thighs (21 inches). I'm also a 'pear' who carries all my weight in my hips and but. I've gained 10 pounds since I last measured and I lift...and I'm on a calorie SURPLUS...and my legs are still 21 inches. Squats don't make you fat on a calorie deficit *boggle*.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    OP hasn't even been active for 11 months. Too bad. Would have been interesting to hear if her perspective/thinking had changed or not.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    SMARTEN UP:
    You cannot continuously grow a muscle on a calorie deficit. These things are shrinking over time, not growing, despite the occasional inch or 2 gained over a few days that disappears. That's not muscle appearing and disappearing. You get that with cardio too btw just in different areas.
    Bodys repair by sending glycogen to said areas...if you exercise, your body is going to try to help you, yes, you'll increase an inch in that area for a day or two, it's helping you look better and shrink, you're getting firmer, you're looking better, you're shrinking over time, you're getting stronger, get over it.
    Your muscles are not going to grow an inch in a few weeks...they're shrinking.
    Cardio is not the best way to lose fat, it is the best way to create a large calorie deficit in a short amount of time, thus perhaps the best weigh to lose WEIGHT (both muscle and fat). I love my hiking, and I do long ones, but when I lose weight with just cardio I lose a chunk of muscle to. Yep it takes strength to hike up a mountain for 20km, but that'll only get you so far. Progressive resistance training ensures that the weight I'm losing is going more towards fat, but I'm not going to give up either as I enjoy both now...even though I despised lifting at first.

    I have skinny thighs (21 inches). I'm also a 'pear' who carries all my weight in my hips and but. I've gained 10 pounds since I last measured and I lift...and I'm on a calorie SURPLUS...and my legs are still 21 inches. Squats don't make you fat on a calorie deficit *boggle*.

    QFT x 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Muscles are bigger so what did you think would happen? Cardio is better for losing fat.

    Absolutely. Why is that so hard for some people to understand, in addition to the fact that the people concerned about getting bigger are extreme pear shapes, no matter how much weight they lose, they're always going to store more fat in their lower body than they'd like?

    So what does storing more fat have to do with resistance training your lower body? Resistance training doesn't make you store more fat, nor does it prevent fat loss.

    Now if you are REALLY concerned about the actual measurement and not the tone, health or appearance, then yes you'd want to skip resistance training on your lower body so that you have as little muscle there as possible.
  • assblaster69
    assblaster69 Posts: 47 Member
    What? So if i lift something with my arms will they get bigger too? Why didnt anyone tell me, its hard for me to use my own brain
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Muscles are bigger so what did you think would happen? Cardio is better for losing fat.

    Absolutely. Why is that so hard for some people to understand, in addition to the fact that the people concerned about getting bigger are extreme pear shapes, no matter how much weight they lose, they're always going to store more fat in their lower body than they'd like?

    Welp......that didn't last long. Anybody got any whiteout?

    I was gonna say...
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    SMARTEN UP:
    You cannot continuously grow a muscle on a calorie deficit. These things are shrinking over time, not growing, despite the occasional inch or 2 gained over a few days that disappears. That's not muscle appearing and disappearing. You get that with cardio too btw just in different areas.
    Bodys repair by sending glycogen to said areas...if you exercise, your body is going to try to help you, yes, you'll increase an inch in that area for a day or two, it's helping you look better and shrink, you're getting firmer, you're looking better, you're shrinking over time, you're getting stronger, get over it.
    Your muscles are not going to grow an inch in a few weeks...they're shrinking.
    Cardio is not the best way to lose fat, it is the best way to create a large calorie deficit in a short amount of time, thus perhaps the best weigh to lose WEIGHT (both muscle and fat). I love my hiking, and I do long ones, but when I lose weight with just cardio I lose a chunk of muscle to. Yep it takes strength to hike up a mountain for 20km, but that'll only get you so far. Progressive resistance training ensures that the weight I'm losing is going more towards fat, but I'm not going to give up either as I enjoy both now...even though I despised lifting at first.

    I have skinny thighs (21 inches). I'm also a 'pear' who carries all my weight in my hips and but. I've gained 10 pounds since I last measured and I lift...and I'm on a calorie SURPLUS...and my legs are still 21 inches. Squats don't make you fat on a calorie deficit *boggle*.

    ♥ freakin ♥♥!!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    SMARTEN UP:
    You cannot continuously grow a muscle on a calorie deficit. These things are shrinking over time, not growing, despite the occasional inch or 2 gained over a few days that disappears. That's not muscle appearing and disappearing. You get that with cardio too btw just in different areas.
    Bodys repair by sending glycogen to said areas...if you exercise, your body is going to try to help you, yes, you'll increase an inch in that area for a day or two, it's helping you look better and shrink, you're getting firmer, you're looking better, you're shrinking over time, you're getting stronger, get over it.
    Your muscles are not going to grow an inch in a few weeks...they're shrinking.
    Cardio is not the best way to lose fat, it is the best way to create a large calorie deficit in a short amount of time, thus perhaps the best weigh to lose WEIGHT (both muscle and fat). I love my hiking, and I do long ones, but when I lose weight with just cardio I lose a chunk of muscle to. Yep it takes strength to hike up a mountain for 20km, but that'll only get you so far. Progressive resistance training ensures that the weight I'm losing is going more towards fat, but I'm not going to give up either as I enjoy both now...even though I despised lifting at first.

    I have skinny thighs (21 inches). I'm also a 'pear' who carries all my weight in my hips and but. I've gained 10 pounds since I last measured and I lift...and I'm on a calorie SURPLUS...and my legs are still 21 inches. Squats don't make you fat on a calorie deficit *boggle*.

    ♥ freakin ♥♥!!
    Weights, you'll triumph 'cause "dey tone ya". You might feel like you're taking up the volume of 675cc but really you're only taking up 600 :wink:

    </biker>
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    SMARTEN UP:
    You cannot continuously grow a muscle on a calorie deficit. These things are shrinking over time, not growing, despite the occasional inch or 2 gained over a few days that disappears. That's not muscle appearing and disappearing. You get that with cardio too btw just in different areas.
    Bodys repair by sending glycogen to said areas...if you exercise, your body is going to try to help you, yes, you'll increase an inch in that area for a day or two, it's helping you look better and shrink, you're getting firmer, you're looking better, you're shrinking over time, you're getting stronger, get over it.
    Your muscles are not going to grow an inch in a few weeks...they're shrinking.
    Cardio is not the best way to lose fat, it is the best way to create a large calorie deficit in a short amount of time, thus perhaps the best weigh to lose WEIGHT (both muscle and fat). I love my hiking, and I do long ones, but when I lose weight with just cardio I lose a chunk of muscle to. Yep it takes strength to hike up a mountain for 20km, but that'll only get you so far. Progressive resistance training ensures that the weight I'm losing is going more towards fat, but I'm not going to give up either as I enjoy both now...even though I despised lifting at first.

    I have skinny thighs (21 inches). I'm also a 'pear' who carries all my weight in my hips and but. I've gained 10 pounds since I last measured and I lift...and I'm on a calorie SURPLUS...and my legs are still 21 inches. Squats don't make you fat on a calorie deficit *boggle*.

    ♥ freakin ♥♥!!
    Weights, you'll triumph 'cause "dey tone ya". You might feel like you're taking up the volume of 675cc but really you're only taking up 600 :wink:

    </biker>

    LOL!!

    You my dear...are a gem lol.
  • DuchessOfDark
    DuchessOfDark Posts: 5 Member
    Am I right in saying then, after digesting this thread, that my recent glute focused bodyweight exercise routine (bridges/hip thrusts) a long with weight training/heavier kettlebells that has made my trousers TIGHT around my lifted but large butt and thighs could be down to a temp water retention?

    Any wise comfort appreciated. :-)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Am I right in saying then, after digesting this thread, that my recent glute focused bodyweight exercise routine (bridges/hip thrusts) a long with weight training/heavier kettlebells that has made my trousers TIGHT around my lifted but large butt and thighs could be down to a temp water retention?

    Any wise comfort appreciated. :-)

    Yes - assuming you are in a deficit.

    My jeans are distinctly tighter even immediately after a squat session. Some of the water retention may not be temporary per se however - if you keep doing resistance training, you will effectively always have some of the glycogen/water retention as your muscles will always repairing themselves.
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