I've read several posts about bulking up and feeling too bulky when lifting heavy. i've also read threads about how women can't bulk b/c we don't have enought testosterone. so my question is...is it all in our head? i find myself thinking i'm too bulky in the shoulders and arms yet people think i look great. i love the look of cathe but yet when i start lifting heavy and feeling bulky i back off. what do you all think of this? i would love to be like cathe or other fitness models but yet there is a part of me that is afraid that i will become too muscle bound. is there any way to change this way of thinking????
bulky.....is it all in our head?????
- Thread starter kariev
- Start date
kariev,
I know what you mean. I think it's all in the mind because I have this theory myself. I swear that I have more muscles since I started weight training because my shoulders and biceps pop up if I flex, but no one has ever commented that I look muscular. Still I use lighter weights for the upper body than Cathe. She is too well developped for my liking.
I think if you aim to look like Cathe then matching her weight for weight or even heavier would do the trick. You also need to lose body fat too. I know Paula Radcliffe (marathon runner) is very lean and has 11% body fat compare to the average woman who has 25%. She does 2 hours of weight training a day and runs 26 miles. I've seen her weight lifting and she does quite heavy. She is very lean and slim, 5ft 8" and 112lbs.
http://paularadcliffe.com/gallery/action2.php
You can only bulk up with the aid of steriods and train every day for 3 hours using very heavy weights. All men/women who look big are taking steriods, even though they might deny it.
Yen
I know what you mean. I think it's all in the mind because I have this theory myself. I swear that I have more muscles since I started weight training because my shoulders and biceps pop up if I flex, but no one has ever commented that I look muscular. Still I use lighter weights for the upper body than Cathe. She is too well developped for my liking.
I think if you aim to look like Cathe then matching her weight for weight or even heavier would do the trick. You also need to lose body fat too. I know Paula Radcliffe (marathon runner) is very lean and has 11% body fat compare to the average woman who has 25%. She does 2 hours of weight training a day and runs 26 miles. I've seen her weight lifting and she does quite heavy. She is very lean and slim, 5ft 8" and 112lbs.
http://paularadcliffe.com/gallery/action2.php
You can only bulk up with the aid of steriods and train every day for 3 hours using very heavy weights. All men/women who look big are taking steriods, even though they might deny it.
Yen
LauraMax
Cathlete
It is absolutely, positively a myth that if women lift heavy they'll "bulk up." UGH my blood starts to boil even hearing it! IMO it's just an excuse not to work hard & it makes me crazy. x(
I lift as heavy as I can & will continue to push myself to go heavier (other than chest, but that's b/c I'm kind of flat chested & don't want to exacerbate the problem) & have never gotten bulky. I've increased muscle density but not really muscle size. It's just physiologically impossible for women to bulk up without drugs.
The only "bulk" I can imagine is with women who have a tendency to carry weight below the waist. You can put on size on the rear end & legs when you lift heavy, & it's the only time I'd recommend a high rep, lower weight routine (for lower body only).
I lift as heavy as I can & will continue to push myself to go heavier (other than chest, but that's b/c I'm kind of flat chested & don't want to exacerbate the problem) & have never gotten bulky. I've increased muscle density but not really muscle size. It's just physiologically impossible for women to bulk up without drugs.
The only "bulk" I can imagine is with women who have a tendency to carry weight below the waist. You can put on size on the rear end & legs when you lift heavy, & it's the only time I'd recommend a high rep, lower weight routine (for lower body only).
lioness
Cathlete
I agree that it's definitly a myth to bulk up if women lift heavy. I have gotten leaner, especially in my upper body. I am a pear and tend to carry more weight in my butt and thighs. I have definitely noticed more in my rear...it's bigger but in a good way (well at least that is what people tell me). My thighs are a work in progress but it's part genetics too. I don't care if my butt and thighs are big just all long as they are toned and not flabby.
I've got a flat little booty and am hoping that with a pretty consistent lower body program (loads of B&G coming my way!) that I can "round things out".thanks for all your responses. i know women can't bulk and often the bulky feel comes from fat over the muscle. i by no means am bulky but for what ever reason i sometimes feel this way. mabe its b/c i muscle swells after i lift. i'm going to try and keep this feeling out of my head. to me, cahte and fitness competitors have the ideal body. during my final year of physical therapy school (one year from now) i'm going to train for a figure competition. my teacher used to compete and is going to write up a diet and exercise plan for it and help me prep. well, that was off topic, sorry. thanks again
fit_fairy
Cathlete
I have to chuckle when people say Cathe is bulky. We were talking about this at the RT this weekend. Cathe is IMO (and almost is not probably all Road Trippers) bulky. She has an awesome physique and is cut, but not what I would call bulky. I would kill to look like her.
Aside from that just wanted to say good luck Kariev with your training!!
Catherine
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Aside from that just wanted to say good luck Kariev with your training!!
Catherine
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