Why all the bulk?

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gymmie

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I am bulking up! Plese let me know if I'm doing something I shouldn't. I am 5'2" 136lbs and I wear and XS top and M/L bottom. This comes after wearing XS top and S bottoms 8 months ago. I started going to the gym 8 months ago. I've gained 25lbs (whatever since muscle weighs more than fat anyway) but also gained 4" on my hips, 5" on my thighs and 3" on my calves. I thought girls didn't bulk up because they don't have enough testosterone?? I've even upped my cardio and lowered the weights plus increase reps but the results haven't changed.

Here's my workout schedule:

Mon - Fri : 1 hour in cardio room, 45 minute aerobics class
3 times a week aerobics class includes body bar exercises

M, W, and Fri : weight training : M-arms&chest, W-back and abs, Fri - bum and legs

Sat 30 minutes in cardio room, 40 minutes intermediate yoga.

I feel like the upside down version of those guys at the gym that are all chest and biceps, with little matchstick legs. I really hate looking this uneven. Please help!!
 
trust me on this, i've been bulking up/cutting up for years:
Bulking up means that you eat more calories than you burn, in order to add muscle. This excess eating puts the body into a 'positive' stage for growth. Extra calories cause hormone levels in the body to increase. This means that the religious gym-goer will add muscle, but fat is also added since the body is absorbing the additional calories that it isn't burning. This is why your waist and thighs have gotten bigger. The term 'bulky' refers to the appearance of larger, less defined muscles that have a relatively larger amount of bodyfat stored in them.

The testosterone issue:
testosterone is the hormone that tends to be found in much larger quantities in males than in females. That is, FEMALES HAVE AT LEAST A SMALL AMOUNT OF TESTOSTERONE IN THEIR BODIES, yet it is typically negligible compared to the amount found in males. In other words, yes, you will add more muscle by 'bulking up' even if you are a female, but not nearly as much or as quickly as a male will. In short, the female body will store more bodyfat and build less muscle during a bulk-up cycle than a male body.

PS- if you continue to bulk up, save the cardio for when you start to 'cut up' - that is, when you go back on a diet to lose bodyfat, or else your just wasting calories that can go toward muscle growth.
 
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