I want to strength train but I don't want bigger muscles! He

moserary · January 2012

I've heard a lot of talk about how exercise when losing weight needs to involve a) cardio to burn calories and b) weight training to replace fat with muscle.

Here's the problem: I don't want to build muscle. Naturally, I have big muscles. They're not strong (my grandmother probably could kick my butt in an arm wrestling contest), but they are...definitely there. When I flex my arm (at least now that I've lost some weight) I see definition, and my calves especially are huge and very defined when I flex. Man-calves, I call them. I want to keep losing weight and I feel like I should do some strength training so that my muscles will burn more fat, but I am so scared of looking like The Hulk. Plus I'm short (5'4) so bigger muscles would make me look stocky. Not a good look when one is trying to look feminine.

Can anyone help?

poseidon9447 · January 2012

Everyone will tell you different but I weight train to tone not to build muscle mass myself. I am a muscular person naturally, its in my genetics, also getting out of shape and fat is too. How I weight train is low weight and high reps, I choose a weight that I can do 12 to 15 times, with the burn starting about 12. For body building I choose weight that starts to burn around 6 reps. That is what I have read to do several places to tone or to build.

mcrowe1016 · January 2012

Do a quick google search and you will see that it is REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to bulk up.

kkmalay · January 2012

Work on your butt and legs, those muscles are the largest and burn lots of calories when you are resting after workouts and won't make your calves bigger, I have massive calves myself! It takes ages for women to get big muscles and definition looks good on a women (my opinion) I did lots of strength training a couple years ago, mainly squats, and got up to lifting my body weight, thats the best i've ever looked and you could feel all those calories burning up for hours after a workout. Go for it!!

Runnerup5 · January 2012

Muscle mass is increased when the muscles undergo microscopic tears during a workout. These tears then require an increase in blood supply to the affected muscle, which thereby leads to an increase in the size of that muscle group. Since you don't want to increase muscle mass, you will want to workout the muscles, but with little weight. You're focus is on repetitions, and not strength. This will allow your existing muscles to tone, but you won't have any of the micro-tears that will cause the muscles to increase in size.

low weight + a lot of reps = toned muscles
heavy weight + fewer reps = increase in muscle mass and girth.

Hope this helps.

Vipecap · January 2012

You will never look like the Hulk, not naturally anyway. So stop worrying about how big your muscles will get. Unless you start shooting in anabolics, HGH, and some testerone to boot, you will be fine. Just eat well and lift, and you will see your strength climb. If you are not really wanting to gain mass, don't eat over your maintenance calories and you will be just fine.

nose6 · January 2012

You could try adding in yoga. The muscle tone you get from that is more lean and stretched, in my experience. I am not sure if it could replace weight training but it might help counteract the "bulky" effect.

Helloitsdan · January 2012

Most women are capable of appx 12lbs a year eating 20% over maintenance.

>http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9XJJlEU7GSs/TwdLQAC-b4I/AAAAAAAABy8/ezBR8Q2BaOM/s1600/Carrie+Before+%26+After+Leangains+back.jpg <

This chick deadlifts 205lbs 4 times btw.

calderst · January 2012

I'm the same way-- I don't care what people say, I get bulkier when I lift heavy. I've always had wide shoulders and wide calves-- and additional muscle looks obvious on me. It's genetics. I'd imagine that's why there are several different categories in women's fitness competitions.

Luckily, I like muscle. Every 6 months or so, I tend to do 4-6 weeks of heavy lifting (4x8 or 5x5 as heavy as I can go) to boost my strength but then I drop the weight back a little and do 4x12 reps to lean back out. When I do the lower weights with more reps, I see much more definition. I've had folks tell me that it should be a struggle by the 12th rep, otherwise the weight is too light and is more cardio than muscle building. Makes sense to me, so that's the guideline I use.

3dogsrunning · January 2012

You won't replace muscle with fat. You will not gain muscle on a calorie deficit with two exceptions, " The first of those is in overfat beginners. I want to really stress the term overfat in the above sentence...A second situation where this phenomenon occurs readily is folks returning from a layoff."
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

Like someone else said, it is really really hard for a woman to gain muscle and near impossible to do so while not trying, even if you lift heavy weights.
I am lifting heavy, I am also eating a calorie deficit (with an emphasis on trying to preserve as much muscle mass as I can). I have not gotten bigger muscles. I have gotten more definition and lost inches.

Here is a thread with some links on it explaining why women should not be afraid to strength train or lift heavy
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/339135-article-for-why-women-should-lift-heavy?hl=why+women+should+lift+heavy#posts-4563743

MzBug · January 2012

It all kind of depends on if you want muscle tone or lifting strength. If you don't want to use weights...don't. There are other options....yoga, pilates, resistance bands, body weight exercises, swimming... all of those will give you good all over muscle tone.

Galletakek · January 2012

5'3 i have wide shoulders... and i lift heavy.... im pretty curvy ... and as much as i would love to have huge legs like the hulk... its just impossible unless you are taking something..... We don't have the genetics to get big like that. You can look at some of my pics.. I don't think i look like a man lol.. i hope not ..

jimmynorton24 · January 2012

5'3 i have wide shoulders... and i lift heavy.... im pretty curvy ... and as much as i would love to have huge legs like the hulk... its just impossible unless you are taking something..... We don't have the genetics to get big like that. You can look at some of my pics.. I don't think i look like a man lol.. i hope not ..

said perfectly!!!! the only ones that get big muscles are the ones that try to and it aint easy!! so lifting weights will not cause you this problem,, there is no better weight to lose weight and get fit then weight lifting, burns more calories ans not just in gym but lean muscle is constantly burning calories to maintain!

psychochillie · January 2012

In general, women lack the level of testosterone needed to bulk up muscle. It's more likely to be excess fat sitting on top of the muscle that is the bulk. If you find out your body fat percentage that might confirm this.

If you genuinely think you have a lot of muscle bulk, then perhaps a blood test for your testosterone levels might show you they are high. But if you have high testosterone you would probably have other side effects too - like a like a lot of body hair, facial hair, extra high libido, etc. High testosterone could probably be corrected through dietary changes.

knittnponder · January 2012

I want to be like her when I grow up. She lifts heavy (only a 315 pound deadlift!) Read the whole article and you'll see her "now" picture roughly 1/3 of the way down the page. Prepare to be amazed!

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

beckylawrence70 · January 2012

ya, ur not gonna get big, u need alot of testosterone for that, nuttn I'd even worry about......

Sublog · January 2012

I've heard a lot of talk about how exercise when losing weight needs to involve a) cardio to burn calories and b) weight training to replace fat with muscle.

Here's the problem: I don't want to build muscle. Naturally, I have big muscles. They're not strong (my grandmother probably could kick my butt in an arm wrestling contest), but they are...definitely there. When I flex my arm (at least now that I've lost some weight) I see definition, and my calves especially are huge and very defined when I flex. Man-calves, I call them. I want to keep losing weight and I feel like I should do some strength training so that my muscles will burn more fat, but I am so scared of looking like The Hulk. Plus I'm short (5'4) so bigger muscles would make me look stocky. Not a good look when one is trying to look feminine.

Can anyone help?

You are NOT going to gain muscles by lifting weights 1.) At a calorie deficit, and 2.) As a woman who's relatively thin. Not going to happen unless you are taking steroids and bustin butt at the gym.

Scorpioangel · January 2012

I work out with weights and have lots of definition. Check out my picture in my banner. I don't think that working with weights will make you manly

ninerbuff · January 2012

I've heard a lot of talk about how exercise when losing weight needs to involve a) cardio to burn calories and b) weight training to replace fat with muscle.

Here's the problem: I don't want to build muscle. Naturally, I have big muscles. They're not strong (my grandmother probably could kick my butt in an arm wrestling contest), but they are...definitely there. When I flex my arm (at least now that I've lost some weight) I see definition, and my calves especially are huge and very defined when I flex. Man-calves, I call them. I want to keep losing weight and I feel like I should do some strength training so that my muscles will burn more fat, but I am so scared of looking like The Hulk. Plus I'm short (5'4) so bigger muscles would make me look stocky. Not a good look when one is trying to look feminine.

Can anyone help?

Definition of muscle is solely dependent on your percentage of body fat. The more body fat you lose the more muscular you'll look. So you need to decide if you don't want to look muscular, that the weight you want to lose is within reason. You don't want to lose muscle.
You can't build muscle on a calorie deficit, so getting bigger isn't an issue.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff · January 2012

Everyone will tell you different but I weight train to tone not to build muscle mass myself. I am a muscular person naturally, its in my genetics, also getting out of shape and fat is too. How I weight train is low weight and high reps, I choose a weight that I can do 12 to 15 times, with the burn starting about 12. For body building I choose weight that starts to burn around 6 reps. That is what I have read to do several places to tone or to build.

High reps build muscle endurance if that is what you're looking for. You can still "tone up" muscle with heavy weight and low to moderate reps (6-8) and not build muscle as long as you're in calorie deficit.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff · January 2012

Muscle mass is increased when the muscles undergo microscopic tears during a workout. These tears then require an increase in blood supply to the affected muscle, which thereby leads to an increase in the size of that muscle group. Since you don't want to increase muscle mass, you will want to workout the muscles, but with little weight. You're focus is on repetitions, and not strength. This will allow your existing muscles to tone, but you won't have any of the micro-tears that will cause the muscles to increase in size.

low weight + a lot of reps = toned muscles
heavy weight + fewer reps = increase in muscle mass and girth.

Hope this helps.

This is a myth. While you do need higher resistance to encourage hypertrophy, it's calorie surplus that encourages muscle growth. You can't grow muscle without surplus protein and calories. So you can lift heavy and low to moderate reps and not worry about gaining muscle if you're on a calorie deficit.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Aviendha_RJ · January 2012

Do a quick google search and you will see that it is REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to bulk up.
[/quote

In fact, for women it's just about damned near impossible. Women AREN'T DESIGNED to bulk up. It's not in our make-up. If you have muscular legs, cool. Send some this way! I can't make it down the hill on a snowboard the second run of the day without my legs shaking & me feeling like I'm going to die.

I'm learning to snowboard to TONE UP.

I know some women who go to the gym just to bench press... THE BAR. Yep. They don't even add weights. It's not about bulking up, because for a woman you'd need to work out HARDCORE & chug protein shakes all day to do it. But strength & tone is what they go for.

Good luck!

ninerbuff · January 2012

You could try adding in yoga. The muscle tone you get from that is more lean and stretched, in my experience. I am not sure if it could replace weight training but it might help counteract the "bulky" effect.

Muscle length is set at birth. You cannot lengthen or "stretch a muscle" to a longer lengthen without injury or surgery. Yoga can help to strengthen muscle though. And leaness comes from low body fat percentages.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff · January 2012

It all kind of depends on if you want muscle tone or lifting strength. If you don't want to use weights...don't. There are other options....yoga, pilates, resistance bands, body weight exercises, swimming... all of those will give you good all over muscle tone.

I agree here. If it is muscle tone and strength, you can do it with body exercises and yoga and pilates.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

adjones5 · January 2012

I have a similar problem. My dad is an enormous man and was a collegiate football and hockey player and I inherited his muscley genes. What I have learned from past experience is that I just need to make sure that I'm in a calorie deficit and I'm fine. Running and ballet have also helped me decrease body fat without building too much muscle. Best of luck.

ninerbuff · January 2012

5'3 i have wide shoulders... and i lift heavy.... im pretty curvy ... and as much as i would love to have huge legs like the hulk... its just impossible unless you are taking something..... We don't have the genetics to get big like that. You can look at some of my pics.. I don't think i look like a man lol.. i hope not ..

Yeah, you're awesome!!

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

adjones5 · January 2012

It is not physically impossible for a woman to have the genetics to gain large muscles quickly. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Unless some of the women in my family are aliens.

HeidiMightyRawr · January 2012

Muscle mass is increased when the muscles undergo microscopic tears during a workout. These tears then require an increase in blood supply to the affected muscle, which thereby leads to an increase in the size of that muscle group. Since you don't want to increase muscle mass, you will want to workout the muscles, but with little weight. You're focus is on repetitions, and not strength. This will allow your existing muscles to tone, but you won't have any of the micro-tears that will cause the muscles to increase in size.

low weight + a lot of reps = toned muscles
heavy weight + fewer reps = increase in muscle mass and girth.

Hope this helps.

This is not true. When you see female olympic weightlifters or powerlifters (in the lower BW categories) they usually look anything but bulky. You can see definition but it's not much at all. They lift extremely heavy weights all the time for low reps.
Now take bodybuilders who usually do 8-10 reps I think (not sure exact but it's about that) that is around the optimum to build actual muscle mass. Higher and it gets in endurance, lower and it's more strength.

To the OP, don't be afraid to lift heavy weights. It's all relative to what you can do anyway. As a woman you have less testosterone and will find it really hard to bulk up, especially on a deficit. I have lifted heavy for ages, and the only time I got bigger muscles than I might normally find attractive (they're still not that bad) is when I spent nearly 6 months on a surplus of 3000+ calories a day. Even then it's only when I flex, which nobody walks around doing 24/7 anyway. I gained around 16lbs. Probably 6lbs max is muscle, the rest, fat, making my muscles appear bulkier than they actually are.
All women who do have huge muscle have usually: a) taken steroids b) worked for years training specifically to get bigger, and eating a diet (surplus) that is designed to do that to.

You say you have naturally big muscles, which is fair enough but I doubt they will get much bigger, if anything, the fat covering them still may be making them appear bigger than they are. Fat is much better at making people big than muscle is. The lower bf you go, the smaller your arms/legs will appear, although around 18-20% and less is when they can become really defined, so if you don't want that either, stay around 20%.
When you start to strength train you may appear bigger at first, a lot is water, needed to help repair your muscles. That will ease off. Also your muscles may grow a little bit since you're new to lifting (but will appear smaller after shedding fat too) Even then, the muscle you build originally, it does not continue to grow at that rate forever, it slows down and after a while of lifting you won't be able to even gain any while on a deficit.

Hope this helps

realised I've rambled on a bit - just hate it when I see loads of untrue stuff floating about haha

jetscreaminagain · January 2012

There's truth toward the end of this thread and lots of bad advice toward the beginning.

Here's the deal. Fat makes me bulky. Lifting heavy doesn't. It's pretty easy to kid yourself about that. I thought I had massive muscular calves. I was afraid my popeye calves would get worse. Guess what? They're a lot smaller and more defined: my massive muscular calves were actually piled with fat. Try not to fool yourself, but I'm a fool telling you that.

There are lots of threads on results of heavy lifting in women. Search the forums. One recent one was titled something about GINORMOUS man muscles. And sunshine88 lifts heavy as well as contributing to those threads, so you could search her threads.

But in case you won't go look, here's my results so far. Two years ago, my starting point when I thought I still looked like two years ago, and then after six months :

calderst · January 2012

I've been thinking a lot about this conversation since posting yesterday.... I think part of the controversy is when some of us say "I get bulky" or "I feel like the hulk".... some of it is simply that we feel bigger but others may not see it that way. I know most people just see me as muscley-- not as "big." Yet to me, it feels big/bulky. I'm not very big (size 2-4) but bc of the way my body is composed, I think sometimes my muscles look more masculine than feminine. Luckily I still have some of the necessary curves to balance it out, but sometimes I see pics of my arms and I worry they are too muscular. I sometimes get teased by the guys at work ("hey Popeye....") but most people are complimentary-- but that doesn't mean I'm not going to sometimes worry about it. So, I understand your concern. Know, though, that other people aren't going to necessarily see you the way you see yourself. Find the balance that works best for you. If after lifting for a month, you don't like the results-- change it up.

I want to strength train but I don't want bigger muscles! He

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