How did lifting weights change your physique?

[Anonymous]

Naturally quite muscular and am getting into weight lifting. Would love to hear your (women's) experiences.

[Anonymous]

You will get even broader. Expect to go up a size or two to accommodate broader shoulders and more muscular chest, back, and arms. Try not to cry if you have to replace expensive bras and suit jackets, because being strong and super fit is worth it. If you get the thighs and booty pop from squats, say goodbye to being able to buy well-fitting clothes off the rack. I gave up pants completely and now only wear tunics, skirts, and leggings.

[Anonymous]

I'm pear shaped. Working my upper body and getting broader shoulders helps to balance me visually.

[Anonymous]

my saggy wide butt is now a rounder firmer butt. still big, but more attractive.

I'm naturally broad in the shoulders, and working out increased that somewhat, but also gave me better posture. Still, I went up a band size and often a dress will fit everywhere but the chest/shoulders. I also can't buy things with collars or high necks--between being broad and short, I need simple necklines.

I dont do heavy leg weights now (a couple knee surgeries) so I do moderate weights but lots of reps--tons of squats, etc, that has made my legs look, I think, leaner and longer.

[Anonymous]

I did not experience much upper body "bulk" (maybe a tiny bit, but not enough to go up a size) even though I work upper body 2x a week. It did however, make my collarbones disappear due to building the surrounding muscle.

My thighs also got a bit bigger, as did my butt - rounder and more full, and my waist got smaller. It makes it much more difficult to buy and wear pants off the rack!

[Anonymous]

How much weight are you all lifting? When I was regularly working out with weights (upper body 2/wk, lower body 2/wk 5-15lbs.) I dropped a size. I lost fat and gained muscle tone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will get even broader. Expect to go up a size or two to accommodate broader shoulders and more muscular chest, back, and arms. Try not to cry if you have to replace expensive bras and suit jackets, because being strong and super fit is worth it. If you get the thighs and booty pop from squats, say goodbye to being able to buy well-fitting clothes off the rack. I gave up pants completely and now only wear tunics, skirts, and leggings.

+1
Be prepared for random people to stop you in the street and ask what you bench, do you work out, where you get those muscles. Good times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You will get even broader. Expect to go up a size or two to accommodate broader shoulders and more muscular chest, back, and arms. Try not to cry if you have to replace expensive bras and suit jackets, because being strong and super fit is worth it. If you get the thighs and booty pop from squats, say goodbye to being able to buy well-fitting clothes off the rack. I gave up pants completely and now only wear tunics, skirts, and leggings.

NP here. This has not been my experience at all. In fact, it's been the opposite. I've toned and tightened, which has made me slimmer, not broader and bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much weight are you all lifting? When I was regularly working out with weights (upper body 2/wk, lower body 2/wk 5-15lbs.) I dropped a size. I lost fat and gained muscle tone.

The other PPs must be eating a ton of protein and not doing any cardio, because, like you, weight lifting has made me go down a size.

But that said, I eat a lot of carbs and don't buy into the Atkins stuff. I lift about 15 to 20 for light weight stuff (arms and shoulders) and up to 80 for squats and dead lifts. I don't use machines, only free weights. And I mix in compound movements.

I also run usually daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much weight are you all lifting? When I was regularly working out with weights (upper body 2/wk, lower body 2/wk 5-15lbs.) I dropped a size. I lost fat and gained muscle tone.

The other PPs must be eating a ton of protein and not doing any cardio, because, like you, weight lifting has made me go down a size.

But that said, I eat a lot of carbs and don't buy into the Atkins stuff. I lift about 15 to 20 for light weight stuff (arms and shoulders) and up to 80 for squats and dead lifts. I don't use machines, only free weights. And I mix in compound movements.

I also run usually daily.

Maybe, but my guess is we have different body types. We respond differently to weight lifting than many (most) women. It is what it is, and it’s also complete BS that women can’t get bigger from lifting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much weight are you all lifting? When I was regularly working out with weights (upper body 2/wk, lower body 2/wk 5-15lbs.) I dropped a size. I lost fat and gained muscle tone.

The other PPs must be eating a ton of protein and not doing any cardio, because, like you, weight lifting has made me go down a size.

If you're dropping sizes when you work out, it's because you were flabby to start. The OP mentioned that she was naturally muscular. That body type will get broader with weight training, not leaner. Women aren't much different from men in that regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much weight are you all lifting? When I was regularly working out with weights (upper body 2/wk, lower body 2/wk 5-15lbs.) I dropped a size. I lost fat and gained muscle tone.

The other PPs must be eating a ton of protein and not doing any cardio, because, like you, weight lifting has made me go down a size.

But that said, I eat a lot of carbs and don't buy into the Atkins stuff. I lift about 15 to 20 for light weight stuff (arms and shoulders) and up to 80 for squats and dead lifts. I don't use machines, only free weights. And I mix in compound movements.

I also run usually daily.

Maybe, but my guess is we have different body types. We respond differently to weight lifting than many (most) women. It is what it is, and it’s also complete BS that women can’t get bigger from lifting.

Of course women can get bigger from lifting if their diet supports it. I'm the first pp and my diet also contains a lot of carbs. I don't do Atkins type eating, either, but I do eat healthy fats. I do interval walk/runs 5 days a week.

The idea that women can bulk up like men (without taking extreme measures) is absurd and keeps many typical women from including weights in their routine. It wasn't until I added weights that my body changed. I have defined muscles, but I am not bulky. I would have to eat heavy protein and more calories and work out with way heavier weights for hours daily to put any size on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much weight are you all lifting? When I was regularly working out with weights (upper body 2/wk, lower body 2/wk 5-15lbs.) I dropped a size. I lost fat and gained muscle tone.

The other PPs must be eating a ton of protein and not doing any cardio, because, like you, weight lifting has made me go down a size.

If you're dropping sizes when you work out, it's because you were flabby to start. The OP mentioned that she was naturally muscular. That body type will get broader with weight training, not leaner. Women aren't much different from men in that regard.

I wasn't flabby, but I had little muscle definition. My weight didn't change.

[Anonymous]

More proportional, arms and chest look great in sleeveless tops, butt is high.

[Anonymous]

Whether you get big or not is related to how much you are eating.

Eat at a deficit and you will continue losing fat and will look leaner.

Eat at maintenance or more than your body needs, and you will get bigger.