Women lifting heavy question

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I am sure I am going to get me some nasty remarks for this...lol. But for ME, and my preference, this is just a TINY bit too bulky.

    shutterstock_95001319_zpsb597849f.jpg


    EDITED TO ADD: I would never call anyone's preference "gross" or "disgusting". It's not my place to judge anyone, inside or out. We all strive to make ourselves whatever we wish to become, and no one has any right to knock someone else for that. I would rather not be quite so "built" as this, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Obviously she worked hard to get there, and is proud of it. We should all be able to feel that way about ourselves.

    This doesn't happen by just going to the gym and lifting some weights. This is an example of optimal dedication to body building and a body builders diet...also, very good genetics. To achieve this you would have to do body building bulking and cutting cycles. You would have to have a diet that is spot on...hitting all of your macros and calorie goals. This also takes YEARS and YEARS of such dedication, not a few weeks or months. If it were that easy, I'd have one rockin' body by now...it's just not that easy. Again, stop worrying about it and lift.

    100 reps and circuit type training is fine for muscle endurance and also burns a lot of fat (which is probably why you're seeing more "tone". But really, for optimal strength gains you need to lift heavier weights for less reps. Typical strength programs are in the 3x5 to 5x5 set and rep range. You will make awesome strength gains and get some physique improvement. More moderate weight in the 3-5 x 8-12 rep range will do more for your physique but you'll sacrifice some of your strength gains (you'll still get stronger though). Any more than 15 reps and you're doing muscular endurance.
  • Hexahedra
    Hexahedra Posts: 894 Member
    It's also worth saying that you are not going to just wake up one morning with huge muscles. There are many many days between the first day of lifting and the day you look like that model. Muscles aren't going to sneak up on you.

    Yup. In a way this kind of question is similar to the common "I've worked out for two weeks, where's the result?"
  • StormyGal8
    StormyGal8 Posts: 184 Member

    This doesn't happen by just going to the gym and lifting some weights. This is an example of optimal dedication to body building and a body builders diet...also, very good genetics. To achieve this you would have to do body building bulking and cutting cycles. You would have to have a diet that is spot on...hitting all of your macros and calorie goals. This also takes YEARS and YEARS of such dedication, not a few weeks or months. If it were that easy, I'd have one rockin' body by now...it's just not that easy. Again, stop worrying about it and lift.

    100 reps and circuit type training is fine for muscle endurance and also burns a lot of fat (which is probably why you're seeing more "tone". But really, for optimal strength gains you need to lift heavier weights for less reps. Typical strength programs are in the 3x5 to 5x5 set and rep range. You will make awesome strength gains and get some physique improvement. More moderate weight in the 3-5 x 8-12 rep range will do more for your physique but you'll sacrifice some of your strength gains (you'll still get stronger though). Any more than 15 reps and you're doing muscular endurance.

    1) I asked so I could stop worrying about it. I asked specifically if these women were doing something different than the average woman...the entire purpose of this post was to explain to me why I wouldn't bulk up. Obviously, if I was looking for excuses not to lift heavy, I would just not do it, and never ask. I just wanted to understand, scientifically, why some women get bulkier, when everything says women don't bulk up like men do. Now I understand why, so I know that, since I am not dedicating myself to bulking up, nor following a diet that would foster maximum muscle growth, that it's very unlikely a concern. Now, as well, I understand that if I see muscle developing in a way that I don't like, I can just scale back, and that will stop it.

    2) Thank you for the explanation regarding reps, and the different benefits of lifting differently. Is there any harm in doing strength training and muscular endurance at the same time? I mean, can I lift heavy one day, and then do my high rep class another, or would that be detrimental. I am finding that I am really enjoying lifting, but the ones I do in my class are light. My squats are only like 33lbs (bar included), but for 100 reps.
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member

    This doesn't happen by just going to the gym and lifting some weights. This is an example of optimal dedication to body building and a body builders diet...also, very good genetics. To achieve this you would have to do body building bulking and cutting cycles. You would have to have a diet that is spot on...hitting all of your macros and calorie goals. This also takes YEARS and YEARS of such dedication, not a few weeks or months. If it were that easy, I'd have one rockin' body by now...it's just not that easy. Again, stop worrying about it and lift.

    100 reps and circuit type training is fine for muscle endurance and also burns a lot of fat (which is probably why you're seeing more "tone". But really, for optimal strength gains you need to lift heavier weights for less reps. Typical strength programs are in the 3x5 to 5x5 set and rep range. You will make awesome strength gains and get some physique improvement. More moderate weight in the 3-5 x 8-12 rep range will do more for your physique but you'll sacrifice some of your strength gains (you'll still get stronger though). Any more than 15 reps and you're doing muscular endurance.

    1) I asked so I could stop worrying about it. I asked specifically if these women were doing something different than the average woman...the entire purpose of this post was to explain to me why I wouldn't bulk up. Obviously, if I was looking for excuses not to lift heavy, I would just not do it, and never ask. I just wanted to understand, scientifically, why some women get bulkier, when everything says women don't bulk up like men do. Now I understand why, so I know that, since I am not dedicating myself to bulking up, nor following a diet that would foster maximum muscle growth, that it's very unlikely a concern. Now, as well, I understand that if I see muscle developing in a way that I don't like, I can just scale back, and that will stop it.

    2) Thank you for the explanation regarding reps, and the different benefits of lifting differently. Is there any harm in doing strength training and muscular endurance at the same time? I mean, can I lift heavy one day, and then do my high rep class another, or would that be detrimental. I am finding that I am really enjoying lifting, but the ones I do in my class are light. My squats are only like 33lbs (bar included), but for 100 reps.

    For what it is worth, I lift heavy two days a week (M and F) and do a class for endurance on W. In between I do moderate cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. I am still eating at a deficit and have lost a lot of weight and lots of BF following this schedule, but only added moderate muscle mass in the very beginning (~5-7 lbs.).
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Woman who truly get bulky...1) are genetic outliers; 2) have a spot on body building diet and eat a surplus of calories (it is scientifically impossible to build any significant muscle mass at a calorie deficit); 3) Do a lot more than hit the weight room for 30 minutes to an hour a few times per week...these people pretty much live in the gym; 4) take a lot of supplements, including hormones like testosterone; 5) are often on steroids or other HGH supplements. Also, these women work out to body build for YEARS....not a few months or something.

    Stop worrying about something that is NOT going to happen to you in a million years. A dude with reasonably good genetics who has a spot on diet and really hits the weight room hard will maybe...possibly...if he's lucky put on about 6 Lbs of actual muscle mass in a year...if he's lucky. Unless you're some kind of genetic outlier, it's not going to happen so stop the madness and stop doing 100 reps of stuff.

    /thread
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,194 Member
    Here's me lifting heavy for >16 months, actually:

    16monthprogress_zps0e13ec29.jpg

    I think it is REALLY HARD for women to get "bulky"....if they aren't using drugs to get there!

    It would be GREAT if all the "misinformation" about women lifting heavy would just go away....
  • StormyGal8
    StormyGal8 Posts: 184 Member
    For what it is worth, I lift heavy two days a week (M and F) and do a class for endurance on W. In between I do moderate cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. I am still eating at a deficit and have lost a lot of weight and lots of BF following this schedule, but only added moderate muscle mass in the very beginning (~5-7 lbs.).

    Do you find you are getting stronger?
    This is sort of what I was thinking of maybe doing, if I can manage to fit it all in...lol Do you rest on weekends?
  • Beeps2011
    Beeps2011 Posts: 12,194 Member
    And here's nearly 17 months of progress.....

    17monthprogresschat_zpsf36388d2.jpg
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 628 Member
    Here's me lifting heavy for >16 months, actually:

    16monthprogress_zps0e13ec29.jpg

    I think it is REALLY HARD for women to get "bulky"....if they aren't using drugs to get there!

    It would be GREAT if all the "misinformation" about women lifting heavy would just go away....

    Whoop! Whoop! Go Venus!!! :wink:
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 628 Member
    And here's nearly 17 months of progress.....

    17monthprogresschat_zpsf36388d2.jpg

    Love it!!!
  • karllundy
    karllundy Posts: 1,490 Member
    For what it is worth, I lift heavy two days a week (M and F) and do a class for endurance on W. In between I do moderate cardio on Tuesday and Thursday. I am still eating at a deficit and have lost a lot of weight and lots of BF following this schedule, but only added moderate muscle mass in the very beginning (~5-7 lbs.).

    Do you find you are getting stronger?
    This is sort of what I was thinking of maybe doing, if I can manage to fit it all in...lol Do you rest on weekends?

    Yes, slowly adding weight during both heavy lifting and endurance sessions. I generally don't go to the gym on weekends, but sometimes do a small amount of cardio (bike or run) outside.
  • SpazQ
    SpazQ Posts: 104
    I am sure I am going to get me some nasty remarks for this...lol. But for ME, and my preference, this is just a TINY bit too bulky.

    shutterstock_95001319_zpsb597849f.jpg


    This won't happen without an extreme amount of effort and very careful (bulk and cut cycles) diet.

    ^^This, also keep in mind that this woman probably competes, is show-ready in this picture and is flexing. On a normal day, outside of competition, not even she looks like this. Never mind, that this is a professional photo, likely photo-shopped a bit.

    this!

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