I bulk. I used to lift 3 to 4 times a week, now just 1x or 2x. My arms and legs get big.

I do mostly cardio.

I feel ya. I love the way lifting makes me feel. I love feeling strong. But I hate the way my shirts fit in the shoulders and arms. Definitely feel like I look manly too. It's a conundrum. I don't want to stop lifting, but I wish there was a happy medium somehow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what is wrong with bulky

Nothing, if it's how you like yourself.

For me I feel like I look really manly. I also miss my clothes being able to fit comfortably. To each their own.

Easy fix. Stop lifting.

Try lighter weights, with more reps.

Anonymous wrote:what is wrong with bulky

Nothing, if it's how you like yourself.

For me I feel like I look really manly. I also miss my clothes being able to fit comfortably. To each their own.

Anonymous wrote:Whoever "they" are, they seem to misunderstand that not all bodies are the same, no matter the gender.

Yup. I bulk too. It's frustrating when trainers don't believe me--like I don't know my own body.

Unfortunately, when I lift, it just pushes all the fat up a little bit. All the definition is hidden beneath a layer of fat. I can't seem to control what I put in my mouth, so I'm forced to just run, run, run and run some more.

what is wrong with bulky

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bulk, but I own it.

It's better than flab or loose skin.

All the respect in the world for women who don't mind or even love getting bulky. I don't. I miss my previous frame. Or maybe somewhere in-between.

Can I ask how you are lifting. Heavy? Low reps, high weight? It can make a difference.

But some of it is genetics. I lift a lot and lift heavy. I am pretty strong. And yet I look like a wimp.

I've been doing both, on different days, in different activities/classes.

If I stop lifting altogether, how long will it take for my muscles to decrease in size?

I bulk up easily too. I stick with mostly cardio and then yoga for toning and it keeps the bulk away.

Whoever "they" are, they seem to misunderstand that not all bodies are the same, no matter the gender.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bulk, but I own it.

It's better than flab or loose skin.

All the respect in the world for women who don't mind or even love getting bulky. I don't. I miss my previous frame. Or maybe somewhere in-between.

Can I ask how you are lifting. Heavy? Low reps, high weight? It can make a difference.

But some of it is genetics. I lift a lot and lift heavy. I am pretty strong. And yet I look like a wimp.

Anonymous wrote:I bulk, but I own it.

It's better than flab or loose skin.

All the respect in the world for women who don't mind or even love getting bulky. I don't. I miss my previous frame. Or maybe somewhere in-between.

I bulk, but I own it.

It's better than flab or loose skin.

I'm not totally getting massive, but I know my arms, shoulders, and traps have increased in size (and I know it's muscle, not fat, my waist is actually a little smaller), which I feel is making me look bulky, and also causing issues with fitting into some fitted shirts in my upper body. Maybe most women don't get bulky, but I seem to be one of the few who do, and I don't like it. It feels like it showed out out of nowhere and rather quickly

If I stop lifting, how long will it take for the muscles to shrink?