Women and Weightlifting: What positive effects have you noticed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone suggest a site with a workout for newbies to weight lifting? I occasionally do the circuit machines at my gym and I do pilates but nothing heavy. I think I need to step it up a notch. I could go twice a week, maybe three times....

I like Strong Lifts 5x5. It’s a nice minimalist whole body workout.

DP I am not a newbie so is this good for experienced weight lifters? No bicep or tricep or chest focus lifts.

Yes. All compound lifts. Super efficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

What size are you, PP? How tall are you?

I posted the picture. I am 5'2 and size 12. I was size 8 before I got into fitness. Shirts and dresses no longer fitting across the chest was the first sizing change I experienced. A popping booty was the second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

What size are you, PP? How tall are you?

I posted the picture. I am 5'2 and size 12. I was size 8 before I got into fitness. Shirts and dresses no longer fitting across the chest was the first sizing change I experienced. A popping booty was the second.

How long till you got the booty?

[Anonymous]

I gave up all those classes a few years ago and only use a trainer who busts my butt weightlifting. I’m almost 60 and in better shape than when I was 30. I wear teeny bikinis and short shorts around the house. I’m 5’8”, 135lbs 36-24-38. BAM!! As my trainer says, “work out smarter not longer”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gave up all those classes a few years ago and only use a trainer who busts my butt weightlifting. I’m almost 60 and in better shape than when I was 30. I wear teeny bikinis and short shorts around the house. I’m 5’8”, 135lbs 36-24-38. BAM!! As my trainer says, “work out smarter not longer”.

Those are very rare measurements. What size jeans do you wear with 24" waist and 38" hip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

What size are you, PP? How tall are you?

I posted the picture. I am 5'2 and size 12. I was size 8 before I got into fitness. Shirts and dresses no longer fitting across the chest was the first sizing change I experienced. A popping booty was the second.

The second and third picture from the left are clearly on testosterone. The ones the right look fine. Those women work out for hours a day with strict diets to peak at the competition. Simply don’t lift more than 3 hours a week and a woman will look tight and toned, there will be minimal bulk if any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gave up all those classes a few years ago and only use a trainer who busts my butt weightlifting. I’m almost 60 and in better shape than when I was 30. I wear teeny bikinis and short shorts around the house. I’m 5’8”, 135lbs 36-24-38. BAM!! As my trainer says, “work out smarter not longer”.

I LOVE this post. Thank you
Im 53 just getting into this and looking better already.

Wow at 5'8" and 135 pounds you are really slim!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Naive question: is there a lot of additional benefit to lifting heavy vs. regular light weights (I do 5-6 days per week of Bar Method with 3 and 4lb weights).

This is 11/28/2022 09:38 - I did BM for several years then switched to Barre3 which I love because it's more challenging than BM. That said after about 10 years of barre 4x's a week, I realized that it was no longer challenging and that I was no longer making improvements. I even bumped up to 5lbs weights but all that did was injure my shoulder due to the quick movements we do in class with those weights. Barre is great but it is just not enough for muscle building (and bone strength). I still do it twice a week, but mostly for the stretching, balance, and social aspects. You have to lift heavy, no way around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gave up all those classes a few years ago and only use a trainer who busts my butt weightlifting. I’m almost 60 and in better shape than when I was 30. I wear teeny bikinis and short shorts around the house. I’m 5’8”, 135lbs 36-24-38. BAM!! As my trainer says, “work out smarter not longer”.

Those are very rare measurements. What size jeans do you wear with 24" waist and 38" hip?

I know those are rare measurements in 2022! Small waist are becoming an anomaly. I took sewing lessons years ago and am able to cinch in the waist of the clothes I buy. I pride myself on having great abs even at nearly 60.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

First of all these women train weeks before these competitions insanely. They also diet down “weeks” before and use diuretics days before and spray tan day of. My bff did these competitions and looked like the girls but it is short lived. They don't look like this normally, only for competitions. Maintaining this look would literally kill you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

First of all these women train weeks before these competitions insanely. They also diet down “weeks” before and use diuretics days before and spray tan day of. My bff did these competitions and looked like the girls but it is short lived. They don't look like this normally, only for competitions. Maintaining this look would literally kill you.

I agree those are not the best examples of bulky. I think what most women here are talking about is the look you get when you gain muscle faster than you lose fat. You only look toned and tight if you're starting with minimal body fat and just getting stronger. If you're carrying extra pounds, that muscle develops under the layer of fat. Instead of looking toned, you simply look bigger overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

First of all these women train weeks before these competitions insanely. They also diet down “weeks” before and use diuretics days before and spray tan day of. My bff did these competitions and looked like the girls but it is short lived. They don't look like this normally, only for competitions. Maintaining this look would literally kill you.

I agree those are not the best examples of bulky. I think what most women here are talking about is the look you get when you gain muscle faster than you lose fat. You only look toned and tight if you're starting with minimal body fat and just getting stronger. If you're carrying extra pounds, that muscle develops under the layer of fat. Instead of looking toned, you simply look bigger overall.

But over time the fat should reduce and you'll look toned right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

First of all these women train weeks before these competitions insanely. They also diet down “weeks” before and use diuretics days before and spray tan day of. My bff did these competitions and looked like the girls but it is short lived. They don't look like this normally, only for competitions. Maintaining this look would literally kill you.

I agree those are not the best examples of bulky. I think what most women here are talking about is the look you get when you gain muscle faster than you lose fat. You only look toned and tight if you're starting with minimal body fat and just getting stronger. If you're carrying extra pounds, that muscle develops under the layer of fat. Instead of looking toned, you simply look bigger overall.

But over time the fat should reduce and you'll look toned right?

Not necessarily. It really does depend on your body type and genetics, which is what we've been saying all along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

First of all these women train weeks before these competitions insanely. They also diet down “weeks” before and use diuretics days before and spray tan day of. My bff did these competitions and looked like the girls but it is short lived. They don't look like this normally, only for competitions. Maintaining this look would literally kill you.

I agree those are not the best examples of bulky. I think what most women here are talking about is the look you get when you gain muscle faster than you lose fat. You only look toned and tight if you're starting with minimal body fat and just getting stronger. If you're carrying extra pounds, that muscle develops under the layer of fat. Instead of looking toned, you simply look bigger overall.

But over time the fat should reduce and you'll look toned right?

Not necessarily. It really does depend on your body type and genetics, which is what we've been saying all along.

DP - thank you!!!! Exactly. No, you won't necessarily magically shed fat when you lift heavy, as some people love to insist. If you combine it with a restrictive diet, probably, but dieting sucks.

FWIW, I don't carry weight in my upper body, so I have defined muscles in my arms and shoulders. For that to happen with my legs, I'd need to starve myself for who knows how long. Just how I'm built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don't know why so many of you are pretending like you don't know what bulky means or that women can't bulk up. A muscular body will look thicker than skin and bones, period. I don't care if these women are a size 4 in real life. Visually they look bulky, and a lot of typical DCUM types don't consider that feminine or desirable.

I personally strength train, am strong, and look strong. For me, going up a couple of dress sizes to accommodate my growing muscles (lats, arms, core, butt, and legs) was NBD, but I can see how it would be traumatizing to someone who admires a heroin chic aesthetic and bases her value on being a size 0.

First of all these women train weeks before these competitions insanely. They also diet down “weeks” before and use diuretics days before and spray tan day of. My bff did these competitions and looked like the girls but it is short lived. They don't look like this normally, only for competitions. Maintaining this look would literally kill you.

I agree those are not the best examples of bulky. I think what most women here are talking about is the look you get when you gain muscle faster than you lose fat. You only look toned and tight if you're starting with minimal body fat and just getting stronger. If you're carrying extra pounds, that muscle develops under the layer of fat. Instead of looking toned, you simply look bigger overall.

But over time the fat should reduce and you'll look toned right?

If you eat in a calorie deficit. The fat does not just melt away because you added muscle.