Ok, so I have managed to bulk up my arms. Help.

[Anonymous]

Reread and saw you say you're "at the low end of your weight range." I have no idea what your ideal weight range is or what you weigh. But the same principle applies, if you have fat on your arms then circumference will increase. Other than that, I really, seriously do not for a moment believe your arms have gotten that "beefy." Arms look different in every photo from every angle and you probably have a skewed idea of what they actually look like. A photo represents what, 1/32 of a second? Any body part can look unflattering at a minuscule moment like that. But STOP perpetuating the absolute MYTH that women build hulk muscles off two day a week lifting workouts that don't even consist of lifting much weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been working out consistently for the past four months. I have lost about 20 pounds. I am now hovering toward the low-end of my weight range. I have been doing chest press, shoulder press, pull downs, bicep curls, tricep press, & row. I only work out my arms two days a week. I only lift for 7 reps and 4 sets. I can't handle too much weight. I just saw a picture of myself in a sleeveless top and my arms are looking pretty beefy. What should I do to try to fix this? My legs are coming along, but not nearly so successful. I want tiny, tight arms. Help!

I'm not understanding why this is a problem. What's wrong with bulky arms?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lighter weight/more reps doesn't tone any more than heavier weight/less reps. Toning is a COMPLETE MYTH, people. There is only building muscle and losing fat. Toning was a term invented by trainer for imbecile women who insist they will look like men if they lift weights.

If you are not genetically predisposed to have "tiny, tight" arms, guess what? You're not going to have them.

Actually, its you who are confusing two different concepts. The reason many women fail at "toning" is because they increase their reps and then drop their load to below the point of failure on the last set. There is plenty of evidence that the repetitions it takes to reach failure change the physiological effect of the exercise. In fact, its generally so well established that a recent research seeming to suggest otherwise was a fairly big deal.

It is true that most women who worry about getting bulky are worrying about nothing and are imagining things. Building significant muscle mass is hard for anybody, and especially women. There's something profoundly weird about hearing a woman look at a picture of a female fitness competitor and say "I don't want to end up looking like her." Guess what? You won't unless you have the right genetics, strength train religiously for years, eat an incredibly strict diet, and ingest hormones. So worrying about it is a little like a guy being reluctant to play pick up basketball because he doesn't want to become like Lebron James.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lighter weight/more reps doesn't tone any more than heavier weight/less reps. Toning is a COMPLETE MYTH, people. There is only building muscle and losing fat. Toning was a term invented by trainer for imbecile women who insist they will look like men if they lift weights.

If you are not genetically predisposed to have "tiny, tight" arms, guess what? You're not going to have them.

Actually, its you who are confusing two different concepts. The reason many women fail at "toning" is because they increase their reps and then drop their load to below the point of failure on the last set. There is plenty of evidence that the repetitions it takes to reach failure change the physiological effect of the exercise. In fact, its generally so well established that a recent research seeming to suggest otherwise was a fairly big deal.

It is true that most women who worry about getting bulky are worrying about nothing and are imagining things. Building significant muscle mass is hard for anybody, and especially women. There's something profoundly weird about hearing a woman look at a picture of a female fitness competitor and say "I don't want to end up looking like her." Guess what? You won't unless you have the right genetics, strength train religiously for years, eat an incredibly strict diet, and ingest hormones. So worrying about it is a little like a guy being reluctant to play pick up basketball because he doesn't want to become like Lebron James.

I am in the minority then. My guns do bulk like a female bodybuilder on steroids. So much so the Whole Foods cashier will pack the bags extra heavy and comment on my muscles. I get comments on my guns---last time I saw my mother when I was in a tank and shorts she was like 'omg those muscles".

Nicknamed "muscles' by college roommate's father. "Beef" by my DH who loves it.

I started running marathons in my late 20s/30s and barely lifting to debulk--but now in my mid-40s I need the weights. In my boot camp I bulk up faster than the one dude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lighter weight/more reps doesn't tone any more than heavier weight/less reps. Toning is a COMPLETE MYTH, people. There is only building muscle and losing fat. Toning was a term invented by trainer for imbecile women who insist they will look like men if they lift weights.

If you are not genetically predisposed to have "tiny, tight" arms, guess what? You're not going to have them.

Actually, its you who are confusing two different concepts. The reason many women fail at "toning" is because they increase their reps and then drop their load to below the point of failure on the last set. There is plenty of evidence that the repetitions it takes to reach failure change the physiological effect of the exercise. In fact, its generally so well established that a recent research seeming to suggest otherwise was a fairly big deal.

It is true that most women who worry about getting bulky are worrying about nothing and are imagining things. Building significant muscle mass is hard for anybody, and especially women. There's something profoundly weird about hearing a woman look at a picture of a female fitness competitor and say "I don't want to end up looking like her." Guess what? You won't unless you have the right genetics, strength train religiously for years, eat an incredibly strict diet, and ingest hormones. So worrying about it is a little like a guy being reluctant to play pick up basketball because he doesn't want to become like Lebron James.

I am in the minority then. My guns do bulk like a female bodybuilder on steroids. So much so the Whole Foods cashier will pack the bags extra heavy and comment on my muscles. I get comments on my guns---last time I saw my mother when I was in a tank and shorts she was like 'omg those muscles".

Nicknamed "muscles' by college roommate's father. "Beef" by my DH who loves it.

I started running marathons in my late 20s/30s and barely lifting to debulk--but now in my mid-40s I need the weights. In my boot camp I bulk up faster than the one dude.

There are certainly exceptions, but I'd say that 80% of the women I've heard complain that their arms are getting too big have minimal muscle tone at and either their arms are tiny to everyone but them or their arms have fat on them, not muscle. It sounds like you had significant arm muscle when you were younger. If you have retained nuclei from that period, you're always going to get swole faster than everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind you're also working out those muscles when you're doing almost any other upper body exercise ie back, shoulders, etc.

[Anonymous]

your trainer is correct

Here is what I would recommend

Say you workout 3x a week

Workout your lower body 2x a week with low weight high reps
Workout your upper body 1x a week with medium weight don't increase the weight or rep range week to week

After all 3 workouts do High Intensity Cardio Interval Training for around 20 minutes run really hard for 45-75 seconds walk for 20-40 seconds repeat around 7 times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:your trainer is correct

Here is what I would recommend

Say you workout 3x a week

Workout your lower body 2x a week with low weight high reps
Workout your upper body 1x a week with medium weight don't increase the weight or rep range week to week

After all 3 workouts do High Intensity Cardio Interval Training for around 20 minutes run really hard for 45-75 seconds walk for 20-40 seconds repeat around 7 times

Now THIS is good advice for OP