Women and Weightlifting: What positive effects have you noticed?

[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.

For a woman, unless you're taking steroids, putting on muscle is a slow process. About 1 lb per month will heavy lifting and having the right nutrition. Gaining a few lbs of muscle shouldn't make anyone look bulky. If one looks bulky, its because they're eating too much. If you're in a deficit or even at maintenance, you should see more definition with weight lifting. Not "bulk"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Is there a good YouTuber who lifts that I could do at home? I already do Caroline Girven’s ab workouts. Do her weight videos count as lifting or do I need to do that at a gym?

What recommendations for an at home workout? I have hand weights (5-8 lbs) and resistance bands- should I get heavier r weights?
Or, do I need to suck it up and join a gym to access real weights?

[Anonymous]

I skipped over a lot of the posts, but to respond to OP - Lifting weights is an amazing way to help sculpt your body. I personally went from running way too many miles my entire life, to recently focusing on strength routines, and feel better physically and mentally than I have ever before.

I personally am addicted to The Mirror (an at home piece of equipment that provides training for everything from Barre, Weights, Boxing and more). The trainers are wonderful. They help with form and the women range in body types; for me personally I like the look of muscle and find some of the female trainers absolutely inspiring. Although, it is highly unlikely I would ever achieve the ripped musculature of these ladies. - I have neither the time nor nutritional commitment to be able to make the sort of muscular gains these ladies do.

It does come at a price - but IMO cheaper than gyms and so so so convenient.

If you are just looking to try out home weight routines to see if they are up your alley, I would recommend going on Amazon and purchasing a few pairs of weights probably in the 5-10 pound range if you are new to lifting, jumping on Instagram and finding some inspiring women that share training routines and trying out some. I like Shannon_ladywarrior Once you click on one, your feed will be deluged with other options over time to check out

[Anonymous]

3% bone density improvement in a year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3% bone density improvement in a year

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3% bone density improvement in a year

This.

Only 3% though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3% bone density improvement in a year

This.

Only 3% though?

Given that most women lose bone density after 50, this is actually really good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3% bone density improvement in a year

This.

Only 3% though?

Given that most women lose bone density after 50, this is actually really good.

This is a strong motivation for me - I added in jump rope and rebounding as well -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always amazed at how many women there are all over the internet who bulk up without trying, but I have yet to meet one in real life despite having lifted for over a decade in a number of different gyms in

This. Everyone thinks they’re an outlier or special case. Unless as a woman you happen to have higher than normal testosterone levels, you can’t accidentally get bulky. I agree bodies do differ. And some may have more natural muscle mass due to genetics and their muscles respond better to stimuli (hypertrophy) via lifting heavy weights. But that should make you look more defined, not bulky.

I think higher than average testosterone is more common than you think. I have PCOS and my testosterone is very high for a woman. I agree I’m not going to look like a bodybuilder or a man if I life heavy but I do look bulky especially in my shoulders and thighs and I personally don’t love it on myself. Obviously weigh lifting has tons of benefits but I choose to do lighter weights and more barre/Pilates/yoga. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3% bone density improvement in a year

I started heavier lifting a few months ago - but have always worked out. It would be an amazing gift to get this kind of result on top of muscle tone and strength. I have osteopenia, not on meds for it.