A female that bulks up...

F

Fire Girl

0
Hi... this is my first post so be gentle!

Ok, I know this is not a common female problem but when I lift weights I bulk up. Yes it is hard strong muscle, but I look like a wrestler. I am not all the interested in intimidating men or anyone else. I do like feeling strong and fit but I would be prefer to look lean and hard as opposed to bulky and hard.

I used to lift heavy weights in university and was huge... I have started a toning routine but I am still way bigger than before I started it. I have not used any steroids or protein shakes or anything like that. My legs and butt are big but muscly. I asked at the gym yesterday if anyone knew how to REDUCE muscle mass... they all looked at me like I was on glue. Does anyone have any suggestions here?

Thanks!

FG
 
I'd suggest you up your cadio (take up running?) and cut back on your caloric intake as much as possible. You might also try much higher reps (50-100) and/or circuit training.
 
I'd suggest you up your cadio (take up running?) and cut back on your caloric intake as much as possible. You might also try much higher reps (50-100) and/or circuit training.

Yeah, I was thinking of increasing my cardio by a 1/2 hr and cutting back on weights. I am actually going to cut weights out for a month. Right now with weights I do 2 sets of 20. However some of the weight I use for 2 sets of 20 is what some women are using for 3 sets of ten!!!!

How will cutting back on caloric intake help? I eat a good diet now and my BF% is 25% which is ok for a female. I would like to lower it more but I don't see how that helps my too much muscle issue... please explain. :)

FG
 
Fire Girl,

The idea of high reps/smaller weights is a misconception. The best workout routine would include both high rep/ low weight and high weight/ low rep.

Also, too much cardio can actually be decremental to your progress. 45 min should be the maximum per workout.

At 25% bf, you will need to cut some fat weight before you worry about your seemingly bulky muscles :)

the best way to cut bf is diet and moderate amounts of cardio. And don't lose the weight training! More lean muscle mass will burn calories more efficiently throughout the day. If you hadd too much muscle, you wouldn't have as much bf

Hope this helps,,
 
I have never heard of using both high and low weights and rep combos. I may have to try that.

I know you can't target body fat. My legs are my biggest concern- they are very muscly.... all my body fat is on my upper body. I do want to reduce body fat for sure.

Why do you think too much cardio is bad?

Thanks!

FG
 
Firegirl,

Honestly, I don't have the best answer to your question. But I believe at a certain point, your cardio sessions begin to cannibalize muscle tissue or makes it more difficult to build muscle. I do believe a lot of people will agree with me on this that 45-60 minutes is the maximum amount you should do per session.
 
There is some evidence to suggest that too much cardio can hinder gains in maximum strength..however, should you be seeking to lose some body fat, I would hardly think that doing more cardio would be a BAD thing to do. I am the exact opposite of you, I have a small frame and find it difficult to build muscle mass beyond a certain point (lucky girl)...

Having the muscle bulk you seem to be describing, I would assume that even a moderate amount of body fat would make you look that much more bulky. Don't get me wrong, 25% is decent, but not in that "good" range..should you decrease your body fat significantly, you would probably look a lot less bulky. So, my advice, keep up with the cardio AND the weights (and agreed, 20 reps is just too much...keep it to 12-15 if you want to do "high" reps)...for your cardio...try interval training (alternating periods of high and low intensity)..let me know if you want more info on the interval training ;)
 
Inerval training is very good for burning fat while saving muscle. Studies have show that certain short bursts of energy have been more effective for fat loss than long distance, steady paced cardiovascular activities. Also, I understand what dswithers is suggesting. This is circuit training. When doing 50-100 reps you are working the muscle for more than 90 seconds. When doing circuit training you are hiking your heartrate up to elevated levels, while damaging the muscle (as resistance training does) at the same instance. Many women do circuit training and have had phenominal success on it. But, as Mogwai suggested, alternating between short/long distance cardio would be best because you are not only looking for fat loss.
scott
 
If you want strong lean muscles high reps is not the way to go, body builders do high reps because it makes the muscles bigger. Higher reps pump more blood into the muscle making them look bigger. Lower reps, higher weight, and more sets will make the muscles stronger, before they make them bigger. Also a good stretching routing could help with some of the bulk.
 
I have seen a few women in your predicament. Only a few though. Most are not as genetically predisposed to packing on mass as they think. Two pieces of advice...

First, and more importantly, embrace your genetics and take it all the way up to your potential. Quit fighting it if that is the way you are built.

Second, if you don't like the first answer, this REALLY works. Every area I have ever lived in has a nearby marathon. Pick one about 6 months out and find a local running club that is training for one. Running is the fastest way to drop mass that there is, because you are not only burning fat, you are usually breaking down muscle when you do endurance sports, which is usually why I advise AGAINST it.
 
silvorus said:
If you want strong lean muscles high reps is not the way to go, body builders do high reps because it makes the muscles bigger. Higher reps pump more blood into the muscle making them look bigger. Lower reps, higher weight, and more sets will make the muscles stronger, before they make them bigger. Also a good stretching routing could help with some of the bulk.
Click to expand...

rubbish! the pump of blod in a muscle may make it appear bigger, but that doesnt mean it is actually growing bigger!

Also, stretching wont reduce bulk!
 
jpfitness said:
I have seen a few women in your predicament. Only a few though. Most are not as genetically predisposed to packing on mass as they think. Two pieces of advice...

First, and more importantly, embrace your genetics and take it all the way up to your potential. Quit fighting it if that is the way you are built.

Second, if you don't like the first answer, this REALLY works. Every area I have ever lived in has a nearby marathon. Pick one about 6 months out and find a local running club that is training for one. Running is the fastest way to drop mass that there is, because you are not only burning fat, you are usually breaking down muscle when you do endurance sports, which is usually why I advise AGAINST it.
Click to expand...

i agree with jpfitness!
 
quote:
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Originally posted by silvorus
body builders do high reps because it makes the muscles bigger.
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No they don't really! Its only shown as that so other people follow suit and never make the gains they make! Arnold Swarz. was a great proof of that! Said he spent hours in the gym and did but never really did much..just looked good....then had his own proper session on his own! competitors thought he was training hard and that was how he gained so they copied him...finding to their annoyance that it wasn't so!
 
I'm finding that I have a similar problem with my legs getting bulky...or so it seems. I have been weight training with a certified personal trainer for the past 4 months. My legs are getting harder, but bulkier and we only hit legs once a week. I struggle to get my jeans up over my legs only to find that they are big in the waist. It's very frustrating. My butt and waist need a size 4 jean and my thighs need a size 6 or more. Before I began lifting weights, I used to go to Curves for Women to get my workout in and I had slimmed down to a size 2 with 19% BF. However, I felt like I wasn't getting the strength training my body needed because Curves is mostly cardio. I'm at a loss at what to do about the bulk in my legs right now. I spoke to my trainer about it, so he has put me on 30 mins of cardio, twice a week before a short session of weight training. Then the other 2 days of the week we hit the weights with no cardio. This is the first week of the new plan, so I'm hoping it works. What do you guys think?
 
You have just been thru what I have been thru. I used to lift heavy weights in university. Then I stopped. I joined Curves to slim down and had my bodyfat way down as well. But I missed the strength!

I had the girl who owns the gym (and has a problem putting on weight at all) set me up a program that would not bulk me up, hopefully. It has not worked out. Same problem... my waist is the same size but my jeans are tight on my ass and legs. I do want to be strong but without the bulk. I was told low weight/high reps will build long lean muscle that has good endurance. It doesn't seem to be so. I have set my own program up.... I now do 2 sets of 30min of cardio per workout (plus I do additional cardio on the side). I am doing some upper body weights but far less than before. I play soccer twice a week and all my cardio is legs... my legs get enough of a workout, I think. We will see if this works. My weights are still low weight/high reps.... I am trying to do super slow sets.

I have received some fairly conflicting ideas here. I will have to try a couple of different things and see what works, I guess!

Thanks all! :D
 
I'm the same...Iv always had big thighs and after weight training they got bigger...but i kept going and now they're going down. There is fat in amongst your muscle which bulks up the size. Once this starts disappearing the legs get smaller and definition is shown. I now have calves my boyfriend will get jealous of in a few months and my thighs have a nice line developing down the side. above my knee is the worst area for hard size, but slowly but surely it is going down. I know if i keep going my legs will slim. as the lads said it is highly unlikely unles you really are eatin to bulk that your size will keep goin up.
 
Logically, larger muscles have greater hypertrophic capabilities, meaning your legs have an excellent predisposition to building muscle mass. And particularly so if you also have a genetic disposition to building muscle. Unfortunately, the thighs are also the part of the body where many/most women gain weight (ie, fat). Generally, we also tend to gain muscle at a faster rate than we can lose fat, which means you really are bulking up under the fat. Getting your body fat percenatge down should allow your thighs to appear much smaller. And the best way to burn fat is essentially to build muscle. Give the high reps/low weight regimen a break and bring your reps down to a compromise between hypertrophy and strength, repping closer to the strength rep-range, and see what that does for you...worked for me...heavy squatting 6-8 reps got my thighs smaller ;)
 
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