How can I get toned with strength training without looking bulky?
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sarahlifts wrote: »
I get that. But there seems to be some rampant misunderstanding of what body fat looks like and what muscles look like. People seem to be equating low body fat with big muscles. Not only that, but thinking that it's so easy to gain muscle takes away from the amazing accomplishment of the women who work really hard to do so.
For all: If you are a woman and are worried about getting bulky, ask yourself these questions:
1. Are you eating at a calorie surplus?
2. Are you on a progressive lifting program?
3. Is your diet spot on to achieve muscle growth?
If no, you will not be gaining muscle or getting "bulky." The woman described above can expect to gain between .5-1lb of muscle per month if everything is dialed in correctly. The average woman will absolutely not gain muscle mass eating at a deficit and doing mainly cardio and lifting weights twice a week.
I have low body fat... some would say I'm bulky. Bulky is very subjective.
While I get what you are saying and totally agree. I'm not here to convince any one to lift heavy or that they wont get big. The train of thought that goes along with not wanting t get bulky or put on too much muscle or I gain muscle easily, is so uneducated and annoying. Even if you educate them on what it is they are actually seeing as you are, it wont change their mind. They do not want to look manly, have muscles like a man or their man doesn't like it.
Just hand them the 3 lb weights and let them spin their wheels for years attempting to rid themselves of batwing arms and lower tummy fat. More heavy weights for me.0 -
sarahlifts wrote: »
Loved this article.
Great article, thanks!
I want to be strong and have the function of my body in my old age. People never tell me I'm bulky in person. They comment on how small or skinny I am. That's b/c they are seeing me clothed. I show them a photo like my avatar...and then they are confused.
These big bulky women you see are way smaller that someone else who weighs the same amount as them. Muscle takes up less room than fat.
In a totally non creepy way...I think your body in your avatar is absolutely stunning
But more importantly I admire your goal
Thank you very much!
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sarahlifts wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »
I get that. But there seems to be some rampant misunderstanding of what body fat looks like and what muscles look like. People seem to be equating low body fat with big muscles. Not only that, but thinking that it's so easy to gain muscle takes away from the amazing accomplishment of the women who work really hard to do so.
For all: If you are a woman and are worried about getting bulky, ask yourself these questions:
1. Are you eating at a calorie surplus?
2. Are you on a progressive lifting program?
3. Is your diet spot on to achieve muscle growth?
If no, you will not be gaining muscle or getting "bulky." The woman described above can expect to gain between .5-1lb of muscle per month if everything is dialed in correctly. The average woman will absolutely not gain muscle mass eating at a deficit and doing mainly cardio and lifting weights twice a week.
I have low body fat... some would say I'm bulky. Bulky is very subjective.
While I get what you are saying and totally agree. I'm not here to convince any one to lift heavy or that they wont get big. The train of thought that goes along with not wanting t get bulky or put on too much muscle or I gain muscle easily, is so uneducated and annoying. Even if you educate them on what it is they are actually seeing as you are, it wont change their mind. They do not want to look manly, have muscles like a man or their man doesn't like it.
Just hand them the 3 lb weights and let them spin their wheels for years attempting to rid themselves of batwing arms and lower tummy fat. More heavy weights for me.
Amen and halleluiah.0 -
<
Not big and bulky.
310 pounds.
Lifting heavy does not make you bulky.
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hollydubs85 wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »
I get that. But there seems to be some rampant misunderstanding of what body fat looks like and what muscles look like. People seem to be equating low body fat with big muscles. Not only that, but thinking that it's so easy to gain muscle takes away from the amazing accomplishment of the women who work really hard to do so.
For all: If you are a woman and are worried about getting bulky, ask yourself these questions:
1. Are you eating at a calorie surplus?
2. Are you on a progressive lifting program?
3. Is your diet spot on to achieve muscle growth?
If no, you will not be gaining muscle or getting "bulky." The woman described above can expect to gain between .5-1lb of muscle per month if everything is dialed in correctly. The average woman will absolutely not gain muscle mass eating at a deficit and doing mainly cardio and lifting weights twice a week.
I have low body fat... some would say I'm bulky. Bulky is very subjective.
While I get what you are saying and totally agree. I'm not here to convince any one to lift heavy or that they wont get big. The train of thought that goes along with not wanting t get bulky or put on too much muscle or I gain muscle easily, is so uneducated and annoying. Even if you educate them on what it is they are actually seeing as you are, it wont change their mind. They do not want to look manly, have muscles like a man or their man doesn't like it.
Just hand them the 3 lb weights and let them spin their wheels for years attempting to rid themselves of batwing arms and lower tummy fat. More heavy weights for me.
Amen and halleluiah.
Preach it, sister! I'll take it as a compliment if I ever have someone point at me and say I'm too bulky. There will never be enough weight on the bar or muscles on my frame!
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sarahlifts wrote: »sarahlifts wrote: »
I get that. But there seems to be some rampant misunderstanding of what body fat looks like and what muscles look like. People seem to be equating low body fat with big muscles. Not only that, but thinking that it's so easy to gain muscle takes away from the amazing accomplishment of the women who work really hard to do so.
For all: If you are a woman and are worried about getting bulky, ask yourself these questions:
1. Are you eating at a calorie surplus?
2. Are you on a progressive lifting program?
3. Is your diet spot on to achieve muscle growth?
If no, you will not be gaining muscle or getting "bulky." The woman described above can expect to gain between .5-1lb of muscle per month if everything is dialed in correctly. The average woman will absolutely not gain muscle mass eating at a deficit and doing mainly cardio and lifting weights twice a week.
I have low body fat... some would say I'm bulky. Bulky is very subjective.
While I get what you are saying and totally agree. I'm not here to convince any one to lift heavy or that they wont get big. The train of thought that goes along with not wanting t get bulky or put on too much muscle or I gain muscle easily, is so uneducated and annoying. Even if you educate them on what it is they are actually seeing as you are, it wont change their mind. They do not want to look manly, have muscles like a man or their man doesn't like it.
Just hand them the 3 lb weights and let them spin their wheels for years attempting to rid themselves of batwing arms and lower tummy fat. More heavy weights for me.
You're right. I think I was a bit hangry when I wrote that
And I agree with Rabbit; you look fab!0 -
My brain hurts from this thread. I don't see how "bulky" can be subjective, in the context being discussed. Lean with visible muscle, cannot be perceived as "bulky". Bulk, by definition, means mass. Madonna and Jessica, in no way, have a high level of mass. In fact, their musculature is visible on account of removing unwanted mass (fat). Now, if you want to argue that you don't like the appearance of a woman with low body fat, sure, people are attracted to different things, and that is a valid discussion. But choosing to call lean, low body fat women "bulky" is a failed choice of words, and is probably what leads to these debates. Terminology matters.0
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cmcdonald525 wrote: »Take a look at this thread. ALL of it
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/977538/halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky
^^^^This and Youtube has a lot of good yoga instruction and body weight exercises, no equipment required.0 -
This thread is enlightening. It is interesting to read everyone's very different opinions on what 'bulky' is to them. Very subjective.
I am a distance runner and am very lean so my arms look similar to Madonna's. Skinny - not bulky. I'd like to look like Lolo Jones, she's hot! But the problem is, I hate everything but running. *sigh0 -
This thread is enlightening. It is interesting to read everyone's very different opinions on what 'bulky' is to them. Very subjective.
I am a distance runner and am very lean so my arms look similar to Madonna's. Skinny - not bulky. I'd like to look like Lolo Jones, she's hot! But the problem is, I hate everything but running. *sigh
Bulky is not really subjective. People just use that word wrong like toning my body.0 -
mantium999 wrote: »My brain hurts from this thread. I don't see how "bulky" can be subjective, in the context being discussed. Lean with visible muscle, cannot be perceived as "bulky". Bulk, by definition, means mass. Madonna and Jessica, in no way, have a high level of mass. In fact, their musculature is visible on account of removing unwanted mass (fat). Now, if you want to argue that you don't like the appearance of a woman with low body fat, sure, people are attracted to different things, and that is a valid discussion. But choosing to call lean, low body fat women "bulky" is a failed choice of words, and is probably what leads to these debates. Terminology matters.
YES. Stop saying you want "toned, not bulky" when what you mean is "I prefer a little layer of body fat for aesthetic reasons." You don't dislike muscle. You like some fat. Own it.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »What is going on in this thread?
Low body fat now = bulky? Have I wandered into Bizarro world?
Not what people were saying. Just that some don't like muscles showing too much on women.sarahlifts wrote: »
My definition of bulky doesn't = low body fat but I am glad that *that* definition of bulky came up in this thread. I think that a lot of people reflexively spout "you're a woman, you won't get bulky" without finding out what people consider bulky to mean.
Agreed. For me Madonna is too bulky.
Madonna got thinner arms than you.
Oh snap. *gigglesnort*0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »Bulky is not really subjective. People just use that word wrong like toning my body.
Agreed. By definition, it should not be subjective, but this thread is proving the contrary. For some, bulky=any visible muscle, no matter if it is due to increased mass or low body fat.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »Bulky is not really subjective. People just use that word wrong like toning my body.
Agreed. By definition, it should not be subjective, but this thread is proving the contrary. For some, bulky=any visible muscle, no matter if it is due to increased mass or low body fat.
So what they should say is not I don't want to lift to get bulky. They should say I do not want my body fat% getting low enough to see muscles which depends on nutrition and not really exercise.
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yopeeps025 wrote: »Bulky is not really subjective. People just use that word wrong like toning my body.
Agreed. By definition, it should not be subjective, but this thread is proving the contrary. For some, bulky=any visible muscle, no matter if it is due to increased mass or low body fat.
That's the problem with these chats. Bulky does not equal visible muscle. There should not be a contrary. Those who think it does, confuse the topic, and it typically takes pages of comments to clear up the confusion, at which point, the person who doesn't understand proper terminology has long since left the thread, and no education actually occurs. Red and blue are both colors, lean and bulky are both body types, but in both cases, the 2 can't be properly interchanged.0 -
Your average male's testosterone is 15x your average woman's. The amount of variance in women who don't actually have some kind of tumor or other serious medical issue isn't going to be enough to change how much muscle you build.especially if they have more male type hormones in their system, which I have been tested to have - too much androgen and DHEA and testosterone. So, I agree w/ you, @sunnydays851 - Cathe Friedrich is another one - I don't want to be that bulky either. My thigh muscles get bulky, so I try to avoid leg weights, which are the main things that are supposed to thin your legs - in normal women i guess. When I used to work out, my arms would get a little too muscular too, without trying very hard. People would comment I was buff or looked like I could kick their *kitten*. Now you see, in my photos with my saggy arms I have now - it's either that or a buff fest!
It also would be less likely to affect your thighs - upper body muscles are the ones that tend to have the most androgen receptors.0 -
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What is going on in this thread?
Low body fat now = bulky? Have I wandered into Bizarro world?
Not what people were saying. Just that some don't like muscles showing too much on women.sarahlifts wrote: »
My definition of bulky doesn't = low body fat but I am glad that *that* definition of bulky came up in this thread. I think that a lot of people reflexively spout "you're a woman, you won't get bulky" without finding out what people consider bulky to mean.
Agreed. For me Madonna is too bulky.
I wouldn't call her bulky. She's defined.
To me, bulk implies mass. I'm weak and I could snap her like a dry twig.
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