How did lifting weights change your physique?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I look awesome. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt one day at work (I am a teacher) and lifted my arms to adjust my ponytail. Two of the boys across the room called my name and when I looked over they flexed and said "BICEPS!" My arms have visible definition and just look strong. I love them.

I also have visible abs, it made my butt higher and my calves tighter. I am small framed and not bulky at all. It's pretty hard for most women to put on muscle. I think the max amount of new muscle a woman can put on in a year is 8 lbs.

Now, when people start to look bulky is when they lift but their diet is shit which means there's muscles but also lots of fat too. Then you look big. Your average healthy eater who lifts is just going to look lean and defined and "toned," NOT bulky.

I'm the poster below you. I think it's not just diet. I think the ones who bulk up don't get any cardio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Muscular doesn't mean chubby. Muscle is lean. Naturally muscular people are lean. I think that is where the confusion is. Some PPs are using "naturally muscular"when they should say hefty or chubby or naturally bulky.

A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. If you are bulky, it's because you have a layer of fat over your muscle and instead of losing the fat, you are just making the muscle bigger.

That suggests to me that you aren't getting any cardio. Either ch age the way you lift (do circuits with hiit intervals in between) or add some other cardio to your program. I also think free weights are better.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I look awesome. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt one day at work (I am a teacher) and lifted my arms to adjust my ponytail. Two of the boys across the room called my name and when I looked over they flexed and said "BICEPS!" My arms have visible definition and just look strong. I love them.

I also have visible abs, it made my butt higher and my calves tighter. I am small framed and not bulky at all. It's pretty hard for most women to put on muscle. I think the max amount of new muscle a woman can put on in a year is 8 lbs.

Now, when people start to look bulky is when they lift but their diet is shit which means there's muscles but also lots of fat too. Then you look big. Your average healthy eater who lifts is just going to look lean and defined and "toned," NOT bulky.

I'm the poster below you. I think it's not just diet. I think the ones who bulk up don't get any cardio.

This is why it depends on the person. I gain weight while marathon training because of all of the cardio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I look awesome. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt one day at work (I am a teacher) and lifted my arms to adjust my ponytail. Two of the boys across the room called my name and when I looked over they flexed and said "BICEPS!" My arms have visible definition and just look strong. I love them.

I also have visible abs, it made my butt higher and my calves tighter. I am small framed and not bulky at all. It's pretty hard for most women to put on muscle. I think the max amount of new muscle a woman can put on in a year is 8 lbs.

Now, when people start to look bulky is when they lift but their diet is shit which means there's muscles but also lots of fat too. Then you look big. Your average healthy eater who lifts is just going to look lean and defined and "toned," NOT bulky.

I'm the poster below you. I think it's not just diet. I think the ones who bulk up don't get any cardio.

This is why it depends on the person. I gain weight while marathon training because of all of the cardio.

No. You don't gain weight from doing cardio. My guess is your eating habits change, and that is what causes the weight gain .

There is also a huge difference between adding hiit intervals to spike your heart rate or adding a jog in daily and training for a marathon.

The key is mixing strength training with cardio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I look awesome. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt one day at work (I am a teacher) and lifted my arms to adjust my ponytail. Two of the boys across the room called my name and when I looked over they flexed and said "BICEPS!" My arms have visible definition and just look strong. I love them.

I also have visible abs, it made my butt higher and my calves tighter. I am small framed and not bulky at all. It's pretty hard for most women to put on muscle. I think the max amount of new muscle a woman can put on in a year is 8 lbs.

Now, when people start to look bulky is when they lift but their diet is shit which means there's muscles but also lots of fat too. Then you look big. Your average healthy eater who lifts is just going to look lean and defined and "toned," NOT bulky.

I'm the poster below you. I think it's not just diet. I think the ones who bulk up don't get any cardio.

This is why it depends on the person. I gain weight while marathon training because of all of the cardio.

No. You don't gain weight from doing cardio. My guess is your eating habits change, and that is what causes the weight gain .

There is also a huge difference between adding hiit intervals to spike your heart rate or adding a jog in daily and training for a marathon.

The key is mixing strength training with cardio.

Yes, there could be a *little* water retention going on, but no, you don't gain weight from doing cardio. That is completely false.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Muscular doesn't mean chubby. Muscle is lean. Naturally muscular people are lean. I think that is where the confusion is. Some PPs are using "naturally muscular"when they should say hefty or chubby or naturally bulky.

A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. If you are bulky, it's because you have a layer of fat over your muscle and instead of losing the fat, you are just making the muscle bigger.

That suggests to me that you aren't getting any cardio. Either ch age the way you lift (do circuits with hiit intervals in between) or add some other cardio to your program. I also think free weights are better.

Or it's because my muscles get bigger than yours. Why is this so fucking hard for some people to understand? Bodies are different. Muscle sizes are different. In women as well as in men. I'm lean, but I also have a bigger frame than many women--broad shoulders and all (if I had a nickel for every time someone asked if I'm a swimmer, I'd be a wealthy woman).

When I was my bulkiest, and strongest, I was rowing competitively for a coach who was super into Olympic lifting. So, I was maxing out on cleans, jerks, squats, deadlifts twice a week. AND doing a ton of cardio, mostly on the erg but running, too. Sure, I ate to support that muscle growth, but I had very low body fat.

So, no, I am not naturally hefty or chubby or bulky. I am muscular and strong. I know my body and more importantly, I know that bodies are different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Muscular doesn't mean chubby. Muscle is lean. Naturally muscular people are lean. I think that is where the confusion is. Some PPs are using "naturally muscular"when they should say hefty or chubby or naturally bulky.

A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. If you are bulky, it's because you have a layer of fat over your muscle and instead of losing the fat, you are just making the muscle bigger.

That suggests to me that you aren't getting any cardio. Either ch age the way you lift (do circuits with hiit intervals in between) or add some other cardio to your program. I also think free weights are better.

Or it's because my muscles get bigger than yours. Why is this so fucking hard for some people to understand? Bodies are different. Muscle sizes are different. In women as well as in men. I'm lean, but I also have a bigger frame than many women--broad shoulders and all (if I had a nickel for every time someone asked if I'm a swimmer, I'd be a wealthy woman).

When I was my bulkiest, and strongest, I was rowing competitively for a coach who was super into Olympic lifting. So, I was maxing out on cleans, jerks, squats, deadlifts twice a week. AND doing a ton of cardio, mostly on the erg but running, too. Sure, I ate to support that muscle growth, but I had very low body fat.

So, no, I am not naturally hefty or chubby or bulky. I am muscular and strong. I know my body and more importantly, I know that bodies are different.

Ooooooooook we get it already

[Anonymous]

It would be awesome if more people would share their experiences with heavy lifting, instead of just arguing.

[Anonymous]

When I lift, the sleeves on my shirts get tight. I consider that “bulk.” And I am slim at 5’6, 115. So this is why women say they don’t want to get bulky...because it happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I lift, the sleeves on my shirts get tight. I consider that “bulk.” And I am slim at 5’6, 115. So this is why women say they don’t want to get bulky...because it happens.

Sigh, no. Guarantee you're still a noodle. Your arms swell up a bit with newbie gains and then your old shirts are too small. You're too big for the sleeves of some of your old clothes but that doesn't make you OBJECTIVELY bulky. If you're skinny fat and build some muscle but don't address the fat, you might not look muscular but you're still not bulky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I lift, the sleeves on my shirts get tight. I consider that “bulk.” And I am slim at 5’6, 115. So this is why women say they don’t want to get bulky...because it happens.

Sigh, no. Guarantee you're still a noodle. Your arms swell up a bit with newbie gains and then your old shirts are too small. You're too big for the sleeves of some of your old clothes but that doesn't make you OBJECTIVELY bulky. If you're skinny fat and build some muscle but don't address the fat, you might not look muscular but you're still not bulky.

I’ve exercised and played sports my whole life. I know that when I’ve lifted heavy weights in the past (before kids, my husband and I used to lift together and he pushed me), I had big arms. And while I liked being strong, I prefer my body when I do other kinds of exercise. It’s crazy to me to hear people say women can’t bulk up—it depends on what you’re doing. Women swimmers and cyclists, for example, look different than long distance runners because of how they’re working their muscles.

[Anonymous]

My body would not have looked the way it looks without lifting. My entire body is toned, my back is straight, my neck and chest area wrinkles have diminished, my face looks more refined, I look awesome in clothes, I'm totally in love with myself, which positively affects other aspects of my life.

[Anonymous]

I have noticed very little difference to my body from lifting other than some minor improvements in posture and muscle tone. Certainly none of this "bulkiness," although it could also be a combo of body type and the fact that I also run a lot. One thing I have noticed is I tend to get running injuries far less since I started doing some lifting. I also don't lift super heavy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have noticed very little difference to my body from lifting other than some minor improvements in posture and muscle tone. Certainly none of this "bulkiness," although it could also be a combo of body type and the fact that I also run a lot. One thing I have noticed is I tend to get running injuries far less since I started doing some lifting. I also don't lift super heavy.

You're not lifting heavy and you run which is why you don't notice differences. You can only put on muscle and change your physique with heavy lifting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have noticed very little difference to my body from lifting other than some minor improvements in posture and muscle tone. Certainly none of this "bulkiness," although it could also be a combo of body type and the fact that I also run a lot. One thing I have noticed is I tend to get running injuries far less since I started doing some lifting. I also don't lift super heavy.

You're not lifting heavy and you run which is why you don't notice differences. You can only put on muscle and change your physique with heavy lifting.

Probably true, but I also just don't have a body type that tends towards bulking (probably why I like running). I used to swim in high school competitively, and it was really interesting how different girls' bodies would change. Some girls really bulked up in their upper bodies as they got stronger, and others just had a leaner build.