How many women on here are lifting weights????????

Blueeyes1117
Blueeyes1117 Posts: 51 Member
edited November 12 in Success Stories
Ok so, as many women i am one of those that is scared to be lifting weights due to i'm afraid of bulking up. I have however been giving it a go for the past two weeks but even though i have been i'm still freaking myself out about it. I'm so worried about the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" deal! I want to see the number on the scale DROP not increase!! Anyways, i'd love to hear different things about lifting weights and if possible see pictures of women who have used strength training to help them to achieve their goals. I'm so... confused when it comes to strength training. Confused and very nervous about getting big instead of skinny and toned. HELP ME PLEASE UNDERSTAND!!! :) Thanks to all who respond ahead of time :)
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Replies

  • zafferFL
    zafferFL Posts: 402
    maybe you should post this in "fitness and exercise" ?
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
    ya I agree with alex. but to answer your question, if you look thru my pics, the one where I am standing in jeans before using weights and losing 16 lbs. then bikini pic is with weights. i just put on jeans yesterday that i didnt wear for three yrs. i weigh 5 lbs more than i did then but the jeans were too big because my muscles are more compact
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Women do not and cannot bulk up because we don't have the testosterone for it. So lift weights, go heavy, and enjoy the results. Remember muscle takes up less space than fat on your body. You'll be smaller, and that's a good thing! And that's especially important if your weight loss stalls.
    Muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your calorie burn, and the bigger the deficit you can create by eating the same amount of food!
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    Women do not and cannot bulk up because we don't have the testosterone for it. So lift weights, go heavy, and enjoy the results. Remember muscle takes up less space than fat on your body. You'll be smaller, and that's a good thing! And that's especially important if your weight loss stalls.
    Muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your calorie burn, and the bigger the deficit you can create by eating the same amount of food!

    Allllll of this. I lift weights, and I LOVE how it makes me feel and look! I've only lost about 10 lbs total, but I've lost 2 pants sizes since starting strength training! Can't recommend it enough :)
  • Blueeyes1117
    Blueeyes1117 Posts: 51 Member
    Sorry :/ i'm a little dump founded when it comes to posting topics. Thank you :)
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    Women do not and cannot bulk up because we don't have the testosterone for it. So lift weights, go heavy, and enjoy the results. Remember muscle takes up less space than fat on your body. You'll be smaller, and that's a good thing! And that's especially important if your weight loss stalls.
    Muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your calorie burn, and the bigger the deficit you can create by eating the same amount of food!

    yep this exactly. I lifted weights with Jillian Michaels ripped in 30 about halfway through my weight loss and my body SHRANK like crazy! do it!!!!!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    first off, muscle does not weigh more than fat. a pound is a pound. muscle takes up less space than fat though.
    secondly. it is not possible for you to bulk up. you don't have the testosterone for it (as someone else said). Lifting heavy is great.

    I have been lifting for close to a year. I have not bulked up (because it's not possible since I'm not roided out!) but I have noticed significant toning going on which was the idea. :)
  • BodyRockerVT
    BodyRockerVT Posts: 323 Member
    <
    I lift. Not even slightly bulky just toning up.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    Unless you have a genetic anomoloy, it is IMPOSSIBLE for you (a female) to bulk up.

    Impossible.

    Now, you seem to be concerned about the scale but would you rather a) look better or b) see a smaller number but look worse? I'm all for A.

    Google "Stacy+Nerd Fitness" for more proof that lifting is so advantageous for you.


    My personal experience: I've been lifting since August and have only lost weight and inches...i look 10x better than I did even at a lower weight because muscle makes you look better. A great place to start is to check out the New Rules of Lifting for Women book. There is a program in there and lots of useful info. I've written a few blogs on this as well as have others on this site.
  • jshebat
    jshebat Posts: 1 Member
    I lift. I love it. I've read that 1 lb of muscle is 1/10th the size of 1 lb. of fat and ..... burns 4 times more calories. I don't have a reference, but I believe it.
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
    I look better, not worse.

    Keep doing it. It's fun. It's healthy. You won't bulk up if you stay away from the juice. :flowerforyou:
  • Blueeyes1117
    Blueeyes1117 Posts: 51 Member
    Thanks to all of your reply's definitely gives me a different outlook on lifting weights. I appreciate all or your replys :)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I do, and I'm only getting smaller. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/474504-seven-months-of-admittedly-inconsistent-strength-training
  • angied80
    angied80 Posts: 713 Member
    Women do not and cannot bulk up because we don't have the testosterone for it. So lift weights, go heavy, and enjoy the results. Remember muscle takes up less space than fat on your body. You'll be smaller, and that's a good thing! And that's especially important if your weight loss stalls.
    Muscle takes more calories to maintain than fat. Therefore, the more muscle you have on your body, the higher your calorie burn, and the bigger the deficit you can create by eating the same amount of food!

    Allllll of this. I lift weights, and I LOVE how it makes me feel and look! I've only lost about 10 lbs total, but I've lost 2 pants sizes since starting strength training! Can't recommend it enough :)

    ^ All of this. I have been lifing for a solid 9 months TRYING to gain muscle. You will build muscle but pretty girly muscles.. Otherwise, I would be skinny fat.. and who wants THAT!
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
    And here's Staci.

    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • amyy902
    amyy902 Posts: 290 Member
    you should be including resistance work in your programme. you wont buklk you dont have enough testostrone to bulkk. im a PT and im tiny. i mix resistance work in with my work outs amd i do all my clients. and muscle dosnt weigh more than fat, a pound is a pound. muscle is denser than fat, thus meaning a pound of muscle takies up less room than a pound of fat in theory. and your bodys smart, you'll loose fat before you build muscle. and dont train for hypertrophy train for resistance = light weights lots of reps.
  • Mehagon
    Mehagon Posts: 83
    I lift weights 6 days a week usually. Let me give you some advice. . . don't worry about the scale!!! Weight is just a number and you don't wear it around your neck . Just go off of how you feel and how your clothes are fitting. . . trust me you'll be much happier and have a healthier frame of mind!!! Also, don't worry about bulking up. . .you will not look like a man and bulk up unless you are taking something. All lifting weights will do is tone your muscles, make things tighter and make you feel better about yourself!
  • Coco_puff901
    Coco_puff901 Posts: 54 Member
    I just started and I love it. My gym offers a weight training class, so I'm starting with that and starting out light, but it's addicting ! Good luck !
  • thatsnumberwang
    thatsnumberwang Posts: 398 Member
    I'm a lady, and I've been trying to build muscle for two months. I've been lifting really heavy weights three times a week, eating over 2000 calories a day (sometimes 2500 or more), having protein shakes after my workout and lots of protein during the day, and cutting WAY down on cardio. I haven't bulked up *anywhere* - despite my best efforts. So I think your risk of bulking up by accident is probably pretty small. :-) Good luck with the lifting, though!
  • jenhowse1
    jenhowse1 Posts: 49
    I lift - not as heavy as some but I'm working on it - managed 1.5x body weight deadlift now. Was so chuffed when I managed that!

    <---- as you can see I'm really huge and bulky!
  • worldhurdler
    worldhurdler Posts: 153 Member
    I have been lifting weights for almost 4 years (yes, I lift heavy); you're welcome to click through my profile photos and see the difference between before/after. I can honestly say that I LOVE my arms and back; something that wasn't the case in high school when I was the same weight but predominately a runner. I wish you could see more in my legs, but that's where all my body fat resides so....maybe eventually =)
  • lmoore9107
    lmoore9107 Posts: 38 Member
    I too am new at it and just purchased a couple 10lb dumbbells (I know I'm weak) over the weekend to started strength training...I can feel the burn in my arms.....can't wait till I can go to bigger weights!
  • carolynne0007
    carolynne0007 Posts: 2 Member
    I do a weight class once a week and lift as heavy as I can. I also do free weights. I pay particular attention to triceps which are hard to start off with but worth the effort. I am not bulky and I don't carry a lot of body fat but my arms are very toned. It doesn't take a huge amount of effort just be regular and push yourself a little.
  • Ladyiianae
    Ladyiianae Posts: 271 Member
    ME ME ME ME ME ME ME....HELL YA ME!
  • CLTRocks
    CLTRocks Posts: 10
    I have been circuit training with weight for about 5 months and love it. About a year ago I lost 25 lbs and hated the extra flab left on my arms, its so much better since I've been weight training, so that is a big plus. Also muscle burns more calories than fat, which will help you maintain your weight as you get older. And i just feel so good when I can increase the amount I can lift and feel that muscle soreness the next day-I love that! I think you should keep it up-it takes quite a bit to bulk up, don't forget to eat enough protein-you can't build muscle without it.
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
    I have been doing weights at physical therapy for 2 months now. I go there twice a week and do some weights at home. I only do arm and back strengthening exercises, because my injury is in my shoulder. Anyway, this is the only exercise I have been doing for 2 months, besides walking to class. And I have lost so much weight (~7lbs). I have been keeping track of my food for 2 years and this small amount of weight lifting has helped me so much.
  • ahealthy4u
    ahealthy4u Posts: 442 Member
    I love lifting weights one of my favorite books I just picked up a while back has a lot of great information in it! The busy Woman's guide to Building a Sleek Physique In a Limited Amount of Time. Fast Lane to Fitness.
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    I lift! No amount of cardio exercises or DVDs (including 30DS) have gotten me the results that lifting has. Go for it! What have you got to lose? :smile:
  • Blueeyes1117
    Blueeyes1117 Posts: 51 Member
    I look better, not worse.

    Keep doing it. It's fun. It's healthy. You won't bulk up if you stay away from the juice. :flowerforyou:

    lol Thank you bunches.
  • ShrinkingSusan
    ShrinkingSusan Posts: 41 Member
    Just do it! Your body will thank you and you will NOT BULK UP! Women, as many have stated, lack the testosterone needed for bulking.
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