Ladies, you will NOT bulk up by lifting heavy!

2

Replies

  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    edited November 2014
    Great progress OP.

  • greenfirearm
    greenfirearm Posts: 120 Member
    Some women might bulk up, if they have unnaturally high levels of testosterone thanks to bad genetics or steroid injection, but generally speaking the idea that women bulk up from lifting weights is a tall tale of the highest order.

    All these women I see, using weights and bulking up, must be mythical faeries or something...
  • greenfirearm
    greenfirearm Posts: 120 Member
    Sorry, I'm confused. At first you're saying weights do not create bulk, but later that muscle burns fat and the ladies should pick some up?

    Great pictures though, you're clearly an inspiration (particularly going through such a hard time!)
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Sorry, I'm confused. At first you're saying weights do not create bulk, but later that muscle burns fat and the ladies should pick some up?

    Great pictures though, you're clearly an inspiration (particularly going through such a hard time!)

    Maintaining lean body mass and becoming bulky are very different things.
  • breezyAandii
    breezyAandii Posts: 30 Member
    zarckon wrote: »
    I'm thrilled for you that you're happy with your body. However, your title is simply untrue. I did bulk up far more than I'd like by lifting weights, biking, running, and stairclimbing in a misguided effort to lose weight. I didn't lose weight. I gained muscle, just like a bodybuilder, since I was acting like one (3 - 4 hrs in the gym 4x/week, and eating to my hunger levels, which means a caloric excess).

    Our bodies all respond differently. You say you're small boned. I'm not. I'm big boned, big framed with big legs, hips, and arms. The lifting made it worse because I build muscle fast. I didn't want to be big. I wanted to be smaller.

    It would be far more helpful to explain to women that if they do not want to bulk they MUST eat a calorie deficit while lifting, or else they may become accidental body builders like me.

    ^^This!!!
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    zarckon wrote: »
    I'm thrilled for you that you're happy with your body. However, your title is simply untrue. I did bulk up far more than I'd like by lifting weights, biking, running, and stairclimbing in a misguided effort to lose weight. I didn't lose weight. I gained muscle, just like a bodybuilder, since I was acting like one (3 - 4 hrs in the gym 4x/week, and eating to my hunger levels, which means a caloric excess).

    Our bodies all respond differently. You say you're small boned. I'm not. I'm big boned, big framed with big legs, hips, and arms. The lifting made it worse because I build muscle fast. I didn't want to be big. I wanted to be smaller.

    It would be far more helpful to explain to women that if they do not want to bulk they MUST eat a calorie deficit while lifting, or else they may become accidental body builders like me.

    ^^This!!!

    nope.gif
  • Torontonius
    Torontonius Posts: 245 Member
    PwrLftr82 wrote: »

    I'd kill for those "bad genetics" right now.

    Funny you put that in quotes, when I wrote it I thought "hmm, this isn't quite what I mean".

    I think I was thinking about 50's Bulgarian female shotputters when I wrote that. Of course, that had nothing to do with genetics, it was all about the chemical enhancement. :)

    Speaking of which, you look great the way you are - cool if your goals are to add more muscle, but you really do look fantastic.
  • Catlover771
    Catlover771 Posts: 65
    edited November 2014
    Thank you for this post, I loved it and agree completely!

    Maybe this will clear it up for those of you having trouble understanding: (and NO I'm not being mean or sarcastic...come on, people, let's be SUPPORTIVE of each other, OK?)

    Sorry the pic is so small, click on it to see it better
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    zarckon wrote: »
    I'm thrilled for you that you're happy with your body. However, your title is simply untrue. I did bulk up far more than I'd like by lifting weights, biking, running, and stairclimbing in a misguided effort to lose weight. I didn't lose weight. I gained muscle, just like a bodybuilder, since I was acting like one (3 - 4 hrs in the gym 4x/week, and eating to my hunger levels, which means a caloric excess).

    Our bodies all respond differently. You say you're small boned. I'm not. I'm big boned, big framed with big legs, hips, and arms. The lifting made it worse because I build muscle fast. I didn't want to be big. I wanted to be smaller.

    It would be far more helpful to explain to women that if they do not want to bulk they MUST eat a calorie deficit while lifting, or else they may become accidental body builders like me.

    Well you can build muscle under fat, so of course you would look more bulky. You gotta strip off the fat. That's why most recommend cutting to a lean body fat before trying to bulk. However you can do that while lifting, and it's actually recommended to help preserve the muscle you do have.

    OP, you look great! I'm a heavy lifter too, and I would say with a propensity toward building muscle. You can see pictures in my profile. I've been lifting heavy for over a year and pretty much maintaining the same weight. I look way different than I did a year ago. However, I'm pretty much the same weight. In fact I weigh more but am smaller.
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
    zarckon wrote: »
    I'm thrilled for you that you're happy with your body. However, your title is simply untrue. I did bulk up far more than I'd like by lifting weights, biking, running, and stairclimbing in a misguided effort to lose weight. I didn't lose weight. I gained muscle, just like a bodybuilder, since I was acting like one (3 - 4 hrs in the gym 4x/week, and eating to my hunger levels, which means a caloric excess).

    Our bodies all respond differently. You say you're small boned. I'm not. I'm big boned, big framed with big legs, hips, and arms. The lifting made it worse because I build muscle fast. I didn't want to be big. I wanted to be smaller.

    It would be far more helpful to explain to women that if they do not want to bulk they MUST eat a calorie deficit while lifting, or else they may become accidental body builders like me.

    Lol @ accidental bodybuilders!!

  • RHPSgirl1984
    RHPSgirl1984 Posts: 436 Member
    You look great, OP!
  • Lifting doesn't make you big ladies, cupcakes do. Lifting makes you look awesome! Robyn you look great by the way, good job on all your hard work.
  • aubyshortcake
    aubyshortcake Posts: 796 Member
    I honestly don't mean this to be rude in any sort of way, but undermining someone's success because you are simply tired of the topic should have absolutely no place in these forums. sorry I'm a bit hormonal, lol! Op, great job!
  • MrsJonesFitness
    MrsJonesFitness Posts: 15 Member
    I just got to say as per science, you can only gain a certain amount of muscle per month and if you see how much less space muscle takes up, I think it was your caloric excess that made you bulky and not muscle gain... If you do get bodybuilder ripped by accident, you should submit yourself for studies
  • RHPSgirl1984
    RHPSgirl1984 Posts: 436 Member
    I honestly don't mean this to be rude in any sort of way, but undermining someone's success because you are simply tired of the topic should have absolutely no place in these forums. sorry I'm a bit hormonal, lol! Op, great job!

    +1
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,031 Member
    well done on what you have achieved, particularly with the other challenges you have had going on. I would love to have shapely arms like you have but am struggling to get them! Meanwhile my calves bulked up a couple of years ago from just C25K and have stayed that way despite doing a lot less running and are now getting bigger and bigger from Strong lifts. Not expecting to turn into a body builder in any way but would love to find a way to improve my arms in the same way that my legs do it with ease!
  • Derp_Diggler
    Derp_Diggler Posts: 1,456 Member
    You can't become an accidental bodybuilder anymore than you can become an accidental astrophysicist. Good job OP on your success.
  • gemmamummy
    gemmamummy Posts: 185 Member
    I'm finding it hard to add muscle at the mo. Good on ya OP. Jumping on the LOL wagon at the accidental bodybuilder comment!
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 682 Member
    I have such bad genes if I pick up a weight I turn into the hulk :D
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