Female weight training - bulking but no fat loss?! HELP

You're retaining water. Not building a lot of muscle on 1200-1400 calories. It usually goes down in about 4 weeks so be patient.

I am starting to build masculine shoulders, arms and thighs which is not a look I was going for!

Can you maybe send me your workout routine? I'm having difficulty accomplishing this as a 35 year old male so perhaps you can help me out since it is so easy for you to bulk up!

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

Honestly I think the most insulting thing about it is just this notion that somehow putting on muscle is so easy that you can just do it by accident without wanting to do it at all.

No, really, no. Even for a man eating at a caloric surplus in the prime of his life doing an intensive hypertrophy routine of constant weight lifting they will not put on a measurable amount of muscle in 3 weeks. Muscle gain is slow and hard won even in the optimum circumstances.

Ok so by the sounds of it I mean I have "gained strength". But there is definitely a visible difference in bicep, shoulder and back muscle, to the point that several of my friends have commented. This is why I am concerned, muscle, strength, whatever it is - it's starting to look masculine and I am worrying about that continuing haha!

When you push your muscles beyond what they're conditioned for (i.e., progressive overload, in strength training terms), they become inflamed and swell up -- not unlike your body's reaction to a sprain or strain, although obviously not as severe. Your body sends more resources to the muscles to heal and repair them. This is what people are talking about on this thread when they say "it's just water."

That swelling is temporary -- again, similar to a sprain or strain. If you were to stop strength training for a week or so, the swelling would begin to go down and you would look less "muscly," to use your earlier term. It's not "building muscle." It's just that what's there is inflamed.

Also as a side note, as I am in a deficit and have been for over a month... any idea why am I not losing any weight or inches?

Usually this indicates that you're not really in a deficit -- that either your intake is underestimated or your output is overestimated. I can't speak to your specific circumstances, but can tell you that if I were eating 1200-1400 calories a day and lifting heavy weights for an hour and a half a day plus doing an hour of cardio, six days a week, I wouldn't have the energy to move my fingers across a keyboard. So that's what I'd look at first -- accuracy in logging, including "cheat days" and any other anomalies.

Since you're going to say next that of course you're logging everything 100% accurately, I'll also mention that the "water" mentioned above does in fact weigh something. The swelling mentioned above could easily be masking a month's worth of actual weight loss.

Ok thanks guys, a lot of good information here (and a few sarcastic/ passive aggressive comments). I didn't really understand the difference between gaining strength and muscle, and therefore I guess kind of explained the situation wrong. But good to know this puffy feeling is just water/swelling. I'll continue with my training and hopefully I'll start losing some fat soon.

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

Honestly I think the most insulting thing about it is just this notion that somehow putting on muscle is so easy that you can just do it by accident without wanting to do it at all.

No, really, no. Even for a man eating at a caloric surplus in the prime of his life doing an intensive hypertrophy routine of constant weight lifting they will not put on a measurable amount of muscle in 3 weeks. Muscle gain is slow and hard won even in the optimum circumstances.

Yeah but I can excuse that as simple ignorance.

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

I wasn't directly calling muscle masculine. I was specifically referring to MY body and proportions, no need to take it personally. I'm all for strengthening my muscles, hence why I'm doing weight training in the first place, my main problem is that I'm not losing fat to go with it yet so feel a bit 'puffy'. But as everyone has explained, it'll just be water. But thank you for your negative goodwill

I get called manly/gross/disgusting here a lot. Or maybe it just feels like a lot. Usually by a women who is complaining or worrying about getting bulky. So I am sensitive to it. However, mostly that was an fyi-- you mentioned the sarcasm and passive aggressive responses-- that's why.

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

I wasn't directly calling muscle masculine. I was specifically referring to MY body and proportions, no need to take it personally. I'm all for strengthening my muscles, hence why I'm doing weight training in the first place, my main problem is that I'm not losing fat to go with it yet so feel a bit 'puffy'. But as everyone has explained, it'll just be water. But thank you for your negative goodwill

I get called manly/gross/disgusting here a lot. Or maybe it just feels like a lot. Usually by a women who is complaining or worrying about getting bulky. So I am sensitive to it. However, mostly that was an fyi-- you mentioned the sarcasm and passive aggressive responses-- that's why.

Well if you don't mind me creeping on your profile pics I for one thing you look very good. Fit is sexy imo.

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

I wasn't directly calling muscle masculine. I was specifically referring to MY body and proportions, no need to take it personally. I'm all for strengthening my muscles, hence why I'm doing weight training in the first place, my main problem is that I'm not losing fat to go with it yet so feel a bit 'puffy'. But as everyone has explained, it'll just be water. But thank you for your negative goodwill

I get called manly/gross/disgusting here a lot. Or maybe it just feels like a lot. Usually by a women who is complaining or worrying about getting bulky. So I am sensitive to it. However, mostly that was an fyi-- you mentioned the sarcasm and passive aggressive responses-- that's why.

Considering what I've seen of your pics, 'manly/gross/disgusting' are SO not the words that I would use to describe you - at all. :flowerforyou:

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

Honestly I think the most insulting thing about it is just this notion that somehow putting on muscle is so easy that you can just do it by accident without wanting to do it at all.

No, really, no. Even for a man eating at a caloric surplus in the prime of his life doing an intensive hypertrophy routine of constant weight lifting they will not put on a measurable amount of muscle in 3 weeks. Muscle gain is slow and hard won even in the optimum circumstances.

Now you see how people get offended when they are told "lying to themselves by not eating a deficit"? I think everyone has their own touchy spot...call it sensitive or overreacting?

For what it's worth, you'll earn zero goodwill here by calling muscle masculine. Actually scratch that. Negative goodwill.

Also, this. And calling it "bulky" will usually draw some ridicule too.

I wasn't directly calling muscle masculine. I was specifically referring to MY body and proportions, no need to take it personally. I'm all for strengthening my muscles, hence why I'm doing weight training in the first place, my main problem is that I'm not losing fat to go with it yet so feel a bit 'puffy'. But as everyone has explained, it'll just be water. But thank you for your negative goodwill

I get called manly/gross/disgusting here a lot. Or maybe it just feels like a lot. Usually by a women who is complaining or worrying about getting bulky. So I am sensitive to it. However, mostly that was an fyi-- you mentioned the sarcasm and passive aggressive responses-- that's why.

Well if you don't mind me creeping on your profile pics I for one thing you look very good. Fit is sexy imo.

:flowerforyou:

Thanks. That really wasn't me fishing for compliments. Just me admitting that I might be sensitive to that particular wording.

You need to read this. Check this girl's stats and she is your age.

Her "bulky" 142 is wayyyy hotter than her mushy 117.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

Whoa ok, just looking amazing. I'm convinced. Maybe I should stop obsessing over the scales and just keep training hard. Thank you

Eh I'm not actually offended myself, I just understand why such a cavalier "oh noes I'm putting on muscle to fast" would be irritating to someone who is actively attempting to put on muscle and finding it exceedingly hard (because it is). I was being more empathetic than having my own reaction. That said I can also empathize with those who are told that they are lying to themselves.

What I meant was that I felt look I looked bigger despite trying really hard to lose weight. Not that I've 'accidentally' turned into a body builder. It makes sense now I know about water retention and swelling, as well as the fact I probably am losing some fat which is making my muscles appear more defined.