HALP! Heavy Lifting Made Me SUPAH Bulky!!!

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Replies

  • Titanuim
    Titanuim Posts: 337 Member
    I love this thread so much, it has kept me inspired to keep lifting. It is pretty much the only exercise I do and it has completely transformed my body composition and self confidence.

    I went from a size 14 (UK) to a size 8 in the past year and lost 15kg. I can't recommend weightlifting for women enough.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Here is where people go wrong, and I will probably step on some toes here:

    If you are 5'2", then you probably don't want to weigh 135 lbs. that is just a barely normal BMI, and with the new BMI calculator, it would be overweight.
    No toes stepped on but you are mostly wrong with this...BMI is not a good measurment for individuals. It is an antiquated measurment designed in the 1800 to dispere foods during tight times. If a 5ft 2 woman weights 135lbs and lifts she will be "smaller" then a woman who is 5 ft 2 and 125lbs and doesn't lift.

    A healthy SLIM weight for someone 5'2" will probably be under 125 ( I am 5'2" and have weighed from 105 lbs as a teen to 156 lbs at my heaviest. I don't start looking good until I am under 130, and I am not happy until 125). So many of you taller folks just can't get your mind around the fact that small folks can't weigh as much as larger. At around 110, I still had curves. . .
    It's not about "curves" it's about not being soft...at 130 my very tiny sister is not soft but is very curvy. But my friend who is 125 and same height is very soft and curvy.

    Anyway, a BMR of a 125 lb 5'2" 40 something woman is pretty darn near 1200.
    depends on the woman, my sisters is 1387 but BMR really has nothing to do with this its TDEE which is important and her's is 2400.
    Also the woman who started this whole little conversation says she ate more when lifting. Which is appropriate.
    Yes but she still didn't eat at a surplus which is what you need for muscle gains...
    So before you jump on someone at least get your facts straight.

    The research I am doing (online of course, so it has about as much credibility as this site does), says that for certain body types and certain hormonal situations, lifting can increase bulk. This seems to be in the minority, but some research does indicate this.
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    That's all I have to say about that.

    Personally I like to follow a circuit training regimen which includes a bit of cardio and is very fast moving. During the lifting portion, I use the heaviest weights possible, and increase as I continue to get stronger. I also do a couple of cardio only workouts a week. (I love running, biking, and swimming). It is working.

    So yes, I totally support women lifting. I just get tired of seeing smaller women jumped on in the forums because they appropriately eat less than larger women.

    Some of you beautiful tall girls probably have more lean body mass than we petite girls have total body weight!

    Probably can't post my current "in progress" pic and I didn't take a before, but I will try. The profile picture is me, if you want to look with a magnifying glass, and my in progress is on my profile.

    Again this post is to celebrate woman who lift and what they have accomplished not spreading crap about getting bulking eating at a deficet.

    So you will have to excuse "us" if we get a little frustrated when other people come on here and try to scare of new lifters with horror stories of getting "bulky"....which is a myth and this thread is trying to dispell.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    nudge
  • cedarblack
    cedarblack Posts: 63 Member
    You ladies look amazing!
    I haven't looked through all of the threads so I'm not sure if this has been asked/answered but I tend to gain muscle very easily, would I be more likely to actually bulk up or does the amount of weight used matter more than how easily you can build muscle? I don't want to get too bulky but I would love to see similar results to all of you.

    You most likely aren't gaining muscle easily. You're either retaining water in your muscles (glycogen), which makes them puffy after working them, or you're reducing body fat %, which highlights muscle definition (a.k.a, "looks like lots of muscles," not actually bulky).

    Unless you have a hormonal issue (specifically testosterone) and are eating at an insane surplus, you are not going to bulk up from lifting weights. Genetics can play a role, and you'll see certain stubborn women swear up and down that they instantly look "huge" after lifting weights, but it is almost always the two issues I mentioned earlier. It is very, very difficult for a woman to gain a sizable (noticeable) quantity of muscle in a year... let alone the few months some people only put in.

    ^Aaaaall of this^
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
    Here is where people go wrong, and I will probably step on some toes here:

    If you are 5'2", then you probably don't want to weigh 135 lbs. that is just a barely normal BMI, and with the new BMI calculator, it would be overweight.
    No toes stepped on but you are mostly wrong with this...BMI is not a good measurment for individuals. It is an antiquated measurment designed in the 1800 to dispere foods during tight times. If a 5ft 2 woman weights 135lbs and lifts she will be "smaller" then a woman who is 5 ft 2 and 125lbs and doesn't lift.

    A healthy SLIM weight for someone 5'2" will probably be under 125 ( I am 5'2" and have weighed from 105 lbs as a teen to 156 lbs at my heaviest. I don't start looking good until I am under 130, and I am not happy until 125). So many of you taller folks just can't get your mind around the fact that small folks can't weigh as much as larger. At around 110, I still had curves. . .
    It's not about "curves" it's about not being soft...at 130 my very tiny sister is not soft but is very curvy. But my friend who is 125 and same height is very soft and curvy.

    Anyway, a BMR of a 125 lb 5'2" 40 something woman is pretty darn near 1200.
    depends on the woman, my sisters is 1387 but BMR really has nothing to do with this its TDEE which is important and her's is 2400.
    Also the woman who started this whole little conversation says she ate more when lifting. Which is appropriate.
    Yes but she still didn't eat at a surplus which is what you need for muscle gains...
    So before you jump on someone at least get your facts straight.

    The research I am doing (online of course, so it has about as much credibility as this site does), says that for certain body types and certain hormonal situations, lifting can increase bulk. This seems to be in the minority, but some research does indicate this.
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    That's all I have to say about that.

    Personally I like to follow a circuit training regimen which includes a bit of cardio and is very fast moving. During the lifting portion, I use the heaviest weights possible, and increase as I continue to get stronger. I also do a couple of cardio only workouts a week. (I love running, biking, and swimming). It is working.

    So yes, I totally support women lifting. I just get tired of seeing smaller women jumped on in the forums because they appropriately eat less than larger women.

    Some of you beautiful tall girls probably have more lean body mass than we petite girls have total body weight!

    Probably can't post my current "in progress" pic and I didn't take a before, but I will try. The profile picture is me, if you want to look with a magnifying glass, and my in progress is on my profile.

    Again this post is to celebrate woman who lift and what they have accomplished not spreading crap about getting bulking eating at a deficet.

    So you will have to excuse "us" if we get a little frustrated when other people come on here and try to scare of new lifters with horror stories of getting "bulky"....which is a myth and this thread is trying to dispell.

    Funny, if you read my post you will see that I support lifting. I do it 4 days a week, and I know it is important for health as much as for vanity. I just don't support belittling and bullying.

    The hormonal issues I mentioned include pcos/pcod, which are mentioned and explained much better by cedarblack above. That situation will not affect most people, but I was just mentioning it as another bit of information. We are not one-size-fits-all.
  • DianeinCA
    DianeinCA Posts: 307 Member
    In to say Thumbs Up! and thanks for the kick in the behind to get me back to the gym and lifting.
  • Annice22
    Annice22 Posts: 24 Member
    Bump
  • Homemaker57
    Homemaker57 Posts: 106 Member
    I already had decided to start lifting, but now I've decided to also take before pics. :) Starting 5x5 tomorrow, with hubby's help for form and intimidating factors.

    One question though, and this probably sounds really stupid: Do any of you lovely lifters ever feel self conscious working out with all the men around... not because you're intimidated or think they will think negatively of you, but the opposite? I mean, let's just be honest - my husband *loves* to watch me squat. And I think that's great. But hen I go alone I feel self conscious that other guys might be watching, and I guess as a married woman I just don't want that kind of attention... I dunno. Like I said, that's probably stupid. I guess I just think I'm so dang sexy all the guys are leering at me. *rolls eyes*
  • ifaber
    ifaber Posts: 195 Member
    Amazing everyone!!! All 3 threads!!! Can't wait to share my heavy lifting progress!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    I already had decided to start lifting, but now I've decided to also take before pics. :) Starting 5x5 tomorrow, with hubby's help for form and intimidating factors.

    One question though, and this probably sounds really stupid: Do any of you lovely lifters ever feel self conscious working out with all the men around... not because you're intimidated or think they will think negatively of you, but the opposite? I mean, let's just be honest - my husband *loves* to watch me squat. And I think that's great. But hen I go alone I feel self conscious that other guys might be watching, and I guess as a married woman I just don't want that kind of attention... I dunno. Like I said, that's probably stupid. I guess I just think I'm so dang sexy all the guys are leering at me. *rolls eyes*

    Nope!! I don't think I'm seen as a woman in the gym, I'm just seen as another lifter. The people at our gym are more often than not somehow connected to competing, and everyone is there to train hard! If people are watching, it's because they're impressed by what you're doing...not because you're a woman. IMO anyway!! Competing kind of takes a lot of sexuality out of the body and it's more admiration of someone's physique!!

    Anyway!! So much fitspiration on this page, ladies!!
  • rieann84
    rieann84 Posts: 511 Member
    Not really.. I think everyone else at the gym is just focused on their own workout.

    If you feel self conscious, maybe wear baggier pants?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    One question though, and this probably sounds really stupid: Do any of you lovely lifters ever feel self conscious working out with all the men around... not because you're intimidated or think they will think negatively of you, but the opposite? I mean, let's just be honest - my husband *loves* to watch me squat. And I think that's great. But hen I go alone I feel self conscious that other guys might be watching, and I guess as a married woman I just don't want that kind of attention... I dunno. Like I said, that's probably stupid. I guess I just think I'm so dang sexy all the guys are leering at me. *rolls eyes*

    I love the attention. Sorry attention *kitten* here. :)
  • archaichoney
    archaichoney Posts: 132 Member
    One question though, and this probably sounds really stupid: Do any of you lovely lifters ever feel self conscious working out with all the men around... not because you're intimidated or think they will think negatively of you, but the opposite? I mean, let's just be honest - my husband *loves* to watch me squat. And I think that's great. But hen I go alone I feel self conscious that other guys might be watching, and I guess as a married woman I just don't want that kind of attention... I dunno. Like I said, that's probably stupid. I guess I just think I'm so dang sexy all the guys are leering at me. *rolls eyes*

    Honestly, most dudes are probably just impressed that you're working out like that! I think the attention is entertaining though. Especially when you're doing stiff leg deadlifts in tight tights. And even more so when handsome men go out of their way to say hello to you :P
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    OMG you're so inspirational, your journey is amazing
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I already had decided to start lifting, but now I've decided to also take before pics. :) Starting 5x5 tomorrow, with hubby's help for form and intimidating factors.

    One question though, and this probably sounds really stupid: Do any of you lovely lifters ever feel self conscious working out with all the men around... not because you're intimidated or think they will think negatively of you, but the opposite? I mean, let's just be honest - my husband *loves* to watch me squat. And I think that's great. But hen I go alone I feel self conscious that other guys might be watching, and I guess as a married woman I just don't want that kind of attention... I dunno. Like I said, that's probably stupid. I guess I just think I'm so dang sexy all the guys are leering at me. *rolls eyes*

    Check out this thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1169757-i-am-the-woman-in-the-freeweights-section-of-the-gym
  • Kabuhtu
    Kabuhtu Posts: 85 Member
    IN for this. Started lifting a few weeks ago and am very scared.
    Not that I will get bulky, but that I wont lose fat. But I am going
    to do it! hopefully I prove myself wrong! :/
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    I finally have a pic for this thread...YAH and it needs a bump anyway. Keep in mind still a work in progress.

    cc314cf6-b3d3-4375-b707-c46598bf8009_zpse948495c.jpg

    1st Pic June 17th, 2nd pic 1 round of 30DS, 2nd pic 10 weeks into heavy lifting, last pic 21 weeks in...

    This is my fav tho, 1st pic May 2013....2nd Pic Jan 22 2014, after 21 weeks of lifting include doing a set of 5x5 squats at 155lbs the day this pic was taken.

    b4ea3a0b-3ab6-4365-a198-c82b61b9a308_zps992f416c.jpg

    But of course my profile pic top left is me "bulky" at 205, low left is me at 175...LBD is me at 165...lifting and a size 9....10 weeks after that pic I am a size 8 and 3lbs down
    337cf4fe-0b1f-4ec4-a6ec-d2e551f7d567_zpse8037836.jpg
  • kjo9692
    kjo9692 Posts: 430 Member
    Are there other things that one can do that don't require going to a gym? I'm on a budget and going to a gym is not an option for me right now. Right now I'm only doing cardio because it's free :laugh:
  • harphy
    harphy Posts: 290 Member
    Are there other things that one can do that don't require going to a gym? I'm on a budget and going to a gym is not an option for me right now. Right now I'm only doing cardio because it's free :laugh:

    Certainly! Type calisthenics in Google. It's great for start but for awesome results you really need heavy weights. Ask around if someone could lend you a pair of dumbbells? Most of home gym's equipment serves mostly to catch cobwebs and dust...
  • dellashanks
    dellashanks Posts: 207 Member
    Bump because I hate cardio and love to lift things. Love all the inspiration~ You ladies look fantastic. Can't wait to join you.
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