stop overdoing cardio and hit the damn weights!!!

I love the way some people say the best way to burn more calories is to add more muscle, by lifting weights. Then others say, women don't bulk -- that is, they really do not put on much muscle when they lift.

Gah! I find myself wondering about this, too. Say if a woman wasn't aware of the impact nutrition could have on her results, decides to exercise by lifting heavy weights but not drop the calories, indeed you only build muscle in a surplus. Couldn't she then get bigger, more shapely muscles, but with the fat over them just appear bulkier? With cardio only they probably just wouldn't by smaller but the look of the muscles would not really change. But when some women say this is their experience they're told to shut up and only the ones who got sexy from lifting can speak. Also when people point out women who've indeed got muscly and ripped from lifting, they're told to shut up and leave those women alone.

Bulky or not has nothing to do with why I don't lift 140lbs, just thought the information out there can tend to be a bit one sided, and perhaps we let it be since lifting is, after all pretty great for your health

Here's what you're confusing. If you're eating in a deficit and not lifting, you're losing LBM along with fat. If you're lifting and eating in a deficit you're maintaining as much LBM as you can. You're not gaining muscle, you're maintaining what you have. So yes, it is extremely difficult for a woman to gain muscle mass and/or get bulky, but by lifting you're maining that muscle mass you already have, rather than losing both fat AND muscle.

It's not necissarily that the best way to burn more calories is to add more mass (as stated, it's really....really hard for a female to put on mass due to testosterone levels), it's to maintain what you've got.

I think you've addressed a caloric deficit quite well, but what about a surplus? This is evidenced by people on here asking why they're exercising but either gaining weight or losing no weight. Also, the sub 150lb women who gain weight but get smaller would have to have built muscle, regardless of how hard it is, correct? So it makes me wonder if it's really impossible for a woman to feel "big" or "bulky" because although she may have exercising her diet is not entirely in check and the muscles have grown. Or even in other cases what if the muscle does grow or get some definition, but the fat decides not to come off that location at first? I just think there's a bit more to the, "you're stupid, women can't gain muscle" that I usually see in response to people who say weight lifting has made them look or feel bigger

Addressing improved definition in deficits; when you exercise a muscle, it will retain water post workout to facilitate repair, causing it to appear larger. Now, if you lose fat around it and continue to exercise that muscle, it will remain "larger", and appear leaner, giving the illusion of growing.

In a surplus, you completely can build muscle, but for women most will be doing very well to put on 2lbs a month of lean mass, due to the limitations of your physiology.

And finally, if you build muscle at a higher rate than fat, so say you put 8lbs of muscle in 6 months, and 4lbs of fat - by all likelihood you will also look leaner.

Hope that helps somewhat.

The scale moves slower in a weights-only routine because you burn fewer calories, leading to slower weight loss progress given the same diet.

I don't know where you got that tidbit of information, but you may want to check your source. Just saying.

You summed it up very nicely

Yay for your sister, that's awesome!

You look fantastic btw :flowerforyou:

thanks :blushing:

As others have said I get told about my weight loss all the time...what is funny I just took compare pics I lost more "weight" doing cardio/circut training eating at a deficet but I am "smaller" with only 5lbs gone in 10 weeks from lifting.

Love body recomp

I love the way some people say the best way to burn more calories is to add more muscle, by lifting weights. Then others say, women don't bulk -- that is, they really do not put on much muscle when they lift.

Gah! I find myself wondering about this, too. Say if a woman wasn't aware of the impact nutrition could have on her results, decides to exercise by lifting heavy weights but not drop the calories, indeed you only build muscle in a surplus. Couldn't she then get bigger, more shapely muscles, but with the fat over them just appear bulkier? With cardio only they probably just wouldn't by smaller but the look of the muscles would not really change. But when some women say this is their experience they're told to shut up and only the ones who got sexy from lifting can speak. Also when people point out women who've indeed got muscly and ripped from lifting, they're told to shut up and leave those women alone.

Bulky or not has nothing to do with why I don't lift 140lbs, just thought the information out there can tend to be a bit one sided, and perhaps we let it be since lifting is, after all pretty great for your health

Here's what you're confusing. If you're eating in a deficit and not lifting, you're losing LBM along with fat. If you're lifting and eating in a deficit you're maintaining as much LBM as you can. You're not gaining muscle, you're maintaining what you have. So yes, it is extremely difficult for a woman to gain muscle mass and/or get bulky, but by lifting you're maining that muscle mass you already have, rather than losing both fat AND muscle.

It's not necissarily that the best way to burn more calories is to add more mass (as stated, it's really....really hard for a female to put on mass due to testosterone levels), it's to maintain what you've got.

I think you've addressed a caloric deficit quite well, but what about a surplus? This is evidenced by people on here asking why they're exercising but either gaining weight or losing no weight. Also, the sub 150lb women who gain weight but get smaller would have to have built muscle, regardless of how hard it is, correct? So it makes me wonder if it's really impossible for a woman to feel "big" or "bulky" because although she may have exercising her diet is not entirely in check and the muscles have grown. Or even in other cases what if the muscle does grow or get some definition, but the fat decides not to come off that location at first? I just think there's a bit more to the, "you're stupid, women can't gain muscle" that I usually see in response to people who say weight lifting has made them look or feel bigger

Whey they are exercising and gaining weight can come from multiple sources. Water retention, incorrect caloric burn estimation/eating too much, possibly some noob gains

A professional body building female would struggle to put on much more than 2lbs of muscle in 4-6 weeks. Unless the 150 lb female is spending the same amount of time a said professional body building female is, the amount of muscle they're going to "pack" on that will actually affect the scale is going to take months, if not years to develop. The other factor against women "bulking" is it takes a fair amount of testosterone. It's hard enough for a male to put on substantial muscle mass with the testosterone levels we have. A woman has 1/10th - 1/16th the level of a male.

I have a feeling that you are more of a "I'm gonna believe what I want to believe" type and most of this (and other posts) will go out the window.

EDIT: From the threads I've seen/taken part in most individuals who come on here and state they started exercising and gaining weight are A) Usually in the first week or two and retaining water. Overestimating caloric burn and eating in a surplus.

Lift your weights. I'll do my cardio, but if the zombies start chasing us I'm tripping you.

Go ahead but when we can "pull ourselves up" over that fence you will wish you had done more then just cardio.

I'll be long gone before you get over that fence. You gonna have to stop moving in order to get over it, while I'll just use my ability to outrun to keep going with no chance of being caught.

I'm all set for zombs.

Lift your weights. I'll do my cardio, but if the zombies start chasing us I'm tripping you.

Go ahead but when we can "pull ourselves up" over that fence you will wish you had done more then just cardio.

I'll be long gone before you get over that fence. You gonna have to stop moving in order to get over it, while I'll just use my ability to outrun to keep going with no chance of being caught.

I'm all set for zombs.

So your saying the fence is going to magically move out of your way, one way or another your still gonna have to climb over it

Fences do have an end to it & if you have backed yourself into a corner with zombs chasing you...stopping to climb a fence is NOT going to save you.

another thread with this same topic...really? okay, I'm in lol

Lift your weights. I'll do my cardio, but if the zombies start chasing us I'm tripping you.

Go ahead but when we can "pull ourselves up" over that fence you will wish you had done more then just cardio.

I'll be long gone before you get over that fence. You gonna have to stop moving in order to get over it, while I'll just use my ability to outrun to keep going with no chance of being caught.

I'm all set for zombs.

So your saying the fence is going to magically move out of your way, one way or another your still gonna have to climb over it

Fences do have an end to it & if you have backed yourself into a corner with zombs chasing you...stopping to climb a fence is NOT going to save you.

The end of that fence could be miles and miles away. While your trying to find the end by running along the fence the zombies are getting closer and closer, while we are over the fence already safe and having drinks laughing at the runner

Miles is nothing to a runner who has done cardio. Zombs are not fast, they shamble at best. I'm already gone by the time you get to the fence. I'm not heading towards a fence in the 1st place. Wonder how you are having drinks though. I'm busy surviving nicely. If you can still see me then that means you are not past that fence cause you have used all your 'strength' up to get over the fence & you are still gonna have to run. Haha

i understand cardio is important(depending on what kind you're doing), but where are women getting the idea that lifting weights will make them aminly and bulky from? for the ladies that do lift...can you PLEASE share with us how lifting weights have made a difference to your physique and health?

The title of this post and the content don't really 'jive'.

If you want to tell women that lifting weights won't likely turn them into hulk monsters, okay, that's cool.

But there's no one MFPer. Different people have different goals, abilities, lifestyles and tastes. There's really no "one size fits all" and there's no need to try to control anyone else.

I don't lift because I don't like it and I'd prefer using my own resistance.

I'm perfectly fine with the fact that you won't be attracted to me.

The content and the title jive just fine - he said to stop OVERdoing cardio, not completely STOP cardio...

I love weights, I love cardio, I do both and I'm happy with my athletic performance. To tell someone to stop doing some form of exercising to do another, just because the person saying so prefers it is kind of ridiculous. I'd never tell anyone what to, especially if is working for them.

Instead, I prefer to direct my energy to promote exercising in general to those who are sedentary and not try to change those who aren't. Then again, that's just the way I am.