HALP! Heavy Lifting Made Me SUPAH Bulky!!!

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Replies

  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
    Can some one help me out please? So from December 2018 to Feb 2019 I did a reverse diet and just forgot about dieting. I still carried on lifting weights and I gained abit of fat too. The problem is I’ve gained muscle on my already muscly thighs 😫 it’s come to the point where UK size 12 trousers are super tight on me and I never found size 12 tight! I used to fit into size 10 trousers and I don’t want to buy new ones because I just don’t want buy more clothes and I can’t afford to either. I just want to be smaller. I know I’ve gained fat around my thighs but I’ve also gained muscle. How do I go about losing this muscle? I’m thinking of stopping leg days and doing lots of cardio/walking and Pilates to get rid of the muscle. Thoughts? I really don’t like the way my thighs look and I know that they can be smaller like they were in the past.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited June 2019
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    Can some one help me out please? So from December 2018 to Feb 2019 I did a reverse diet and just forgot about dieting. I still carried on lifting weights and I gained abit of fat too. The problem is I’ve gained muscle on my already muscly thighs 😫 it’s come to the point where UK size 12 trousers are super tight on me and I never found size 12 tight! I used to fit into size 10 trousers and I don’t want to buy new ones because I just don’t want buy more clothes and I can’t afford to either. I just want to be smaller. I know I’ve gained fat around my thighs but I’ve also gained muscle. How do I go about losing this muscle? I’m thinking of stopping leg days and doing lots of cardio/walking and Pilates to get rid of the muscle. Thoughts? I really don’t like the way my thighs look and I know that they can be smaller like they were in the past.

    If you gained weight, unless you were deliberately trying to bulk, while you may have gained some muscle, most likely most of that is fat. First I would focus on losing the fat since this will reduce the size the most, however if you don't want to build or retain muscle in your legs don't focus too much progressive quad dominant movements such as squats or leg press. However I would not recommend stopping leg days altogether as you will start to lose glute muscles (they are a very use it or lose it type of muscle) and that is one area where you don't want to lose muscle not only for aesthetics but strength, posture as well.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    Can some one help me out please? So from December 2018 to Feb 2019 I did a reverse diet and just forgot about dieting. I still carried on lifting weights and I gained abit of fat too. The problem is I’ve gained muscle on my already muscly thighs 😫 it’s come to the point where UK size 12 trousers are super tight on me and I never found size 12 tight! I used to fit into size 10 trousers and I don’t want to buy new ones because I just don’t want buy more clothes and I can’t afford to either. I just want to be smaller. I know I’ve gained fat around my thighs but I’ve also gained muscle. How do I go about losing this muscle? I’m thinking of stopping leg days and doing lots of cardio/walking and Pilates to get rid of the muscle. Thoughts? I really don’t like the way my thighs look and I know that they can be smaller like they were in the past.

    If you gained weight, unless you were deliberately trying to bulk, while you may have gained some muscle, most likely most of that is fat. First I would focus on losing the fat since this will reduce the size the most, however if you don't want to build or retain muscle in your legs don't focus too much progressive quad dominant movements such as squats or leg press. However I would not recommend stopping leg days altogether as you will start to lose glute muscles (they are a very use it or lose it type of muscle) and that is one area where you don't want to lose muscle not only for aesthetics but strength, posture as well.

    I was in a calorie surplus because I wasnt sure exactly what my maintenance calories were. I have high testosterone (PCOS) so build muscle faster than other women. I know it’s fat too which I intend on losing. Pilates does glute movements. I’m going to stop lifting heavy except for upper body because I’m weaker there. I’m just going to to do body weight/high rep work from now on. Lifting heavy did not suit my body.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    Can some one help me out please? So from December 2018 to Feb 2019 I did a reverse diet and just forgot about dieting. I still carried on lifting weights and I gained abit of fat too. The problem is I’ve gained muscle on my already muscly thighs 😫 it’s come to the point where UK size 12 trousers are super tight on me and I never found size 12 tight! I used to fit into size 10 trousers and I don’t want to buy new ones because I just don’t want buy more clothes and I can’t afford to either. I just want to be smaller. I know I’ve gained fat around my thighs but I’ve also gained muscle. How do I go about losing this muscle? I’m thinking of stopping leg days and doing lots of cardio/walking and Pilates to get rid of the muscle. Thoughts? I really don’t like the way my thighs look and I know that they can be smaller like they were in the past.

    If you gained weight, unless you were deliberately trying to bulk, while you may have gained some muscle, most likely most of that is fat. First I would focus on losing the fat since this will reduce the size the most, however if you don't want to build or retain muscle in your legs don't focus too much progressive quad dominant movements such as squats or leg press. However I would not recommend stopping leg days altogether as you will start to lose glute muscles (they are a very use it or lose it type of muscle) and that is one area where you don't want to lose muscle not only for aesthetics but strength, posture as well.

    I was in a calorie surplus because I wasnt sure exactly what my maintenance calories were. I have high testosterone (PCOS) so build muscle faster than other women. I know it’s fat too which I intend on losing. Pilates does glute movements. I’m going to stop lifting heavy except for upper body because I’m weaker there. I’m just going to to do body weight/high rep work from now on. Lifting heavy did not suit my body.

    Oh I have PCOS too but I haven't had that easy muscle building side effect unfortunately, three bulk cycles later and I barely look like I lift :D

    Hey you do what works at the end of the day. As long as you are challenging yourself overtime.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Bump
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    I’m curious about what everyone considers “bulky”...I’ve been trying to build some muscle and I can see I’ve gotten some results in my back/arms, though as my husband says, “You’ve got nothing on Barclay Stockett” (I totally wouldn’t mind having shoulders/back like her!). Yet my mom thinks I look too big, and in certain styles (handkerchief tops that emphasize the breadth of the shoulders, super dainty spaghetti straps) I do look a bit buff, but I wouldn’t consider myself bulky. But clearly others do. Maybe I would have a year or two ago as well.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    mom23mangos wrote: »
    It's totally subjective. Ask 100 people and you'll get 100 different answers. My husband thinks any visible musculature is bulky, when to me that's just lean. I think I'd maybe classify Stefi Cohen as bulky. I think most people think of the classic, roided out, top bodybuilding competitors where their heads look disproportionate to their bodies.

    This would be an example to me.

    rgmmkbued83f.png

    It look a crap ton of work to get that (not knocking anyone) and probably a lot of pharmaceutical help. But this thread is to show that most natural lifting women will not end up like this by accident.

    Gotcha, that’s what I’m thinking, but I’m thinking some definitions might be considerably smaller. Which is my general response to “I’m going to get bulky”—you’re not going to look like a professional bodybuilder.

    A friend I’m introducing to lifting asked how to not get bulky... I told her that was unlikely, since I am working my butt off lifting 5x a week (3 upper body sessions),plus climbing and kayaking another time or three a week, and after 4 years of lifting (4ish months of emphasizing upper body) I have, well, about my profile pic’s worth of muscle to show for progressively adding more weight or reps each week...I haven’t hulled out yet, so she’ll be fine running New Rules twice a week.
  • Hey_Dana
    Hey_Dana Posts: 9 Member
    <3 Love it! Thanks for the smile and the inspiration!
  • creationscrown
    creationscrown Posts: 298 Member
    edited August 2019
    mom23mangos wrote: »
    It's totally subjective. Ask 100 people and you'll get 100 different answers. My husband thinks any visible musculature is bulky, when to me that's just lean. I think I'd maybe classify Stefi Cohen as bulky. I think most people think of the classic, roided out, top bodybuilding competitors where their heads look disproportionate to their bodies.

    This would be an example to me.

    rgmmkbued83f.png

    It look a crap ton of work to get that (not knocking anyone) and probably a lot of pharmaceutical help. But this thread is to show that most natural lifting women will not end up like this by accident.

    Hahahaha!! Oh you! Mom23mangos you kill me, so funny!!
  • WSwalknLAC9000
    WSwalknLAC9000 Posts: 57 Member
    You do look awesome, but I would have loved to see an after pic from the same angle as the beginning pic. Keep up the great work!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    Bump
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,092 Member
    Wow how did I miss this thread? Quiksylver how much was that deadlift?

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