Do you think I am one of those people....

[slenamond]

I have been lifting more weight more frequently for the past few weeks. Too, I have been upping my calories because I have been eating too little and I think hindering my results. However, I seem to be bulking up. I am 5'1" and I think I build muscle kinda easily.

I do not want to get bigger. Could I be one of those that DOES bulk? If so, should I do less weight more reps? PLEASE HELP

 

[rcook]

I am 5'2", and 44 yrs young, I lift weight 5 to 6 times a week, plus run on my treadmill everyday, and do floor workouts for thighs and buns, I don't know exactly how many calories I eat, but I do know I had to lower what I was eating, it was too much, I felt too full all the time. Now I only eat when I am hungry and I only eat until I am satisfied but not stuffed. Its working, I am losing the few lbs I want to lose........... I am 112 lbs, working on 105......... Rhonda:7

 

[icklemoley]

Being male and full of testosterone i find it hard to gain builk and i have the hormone necessary for it. I cannot say you "wont bulk up" but i do find it highly unlikey. Lifting weight in the 8-15 backet will cause hypertrophy (muscle growth) so why not lift really heavy 2-5 reps range, as this will produce minimal muscle change (in size) but you will gain strength and all the benefits of working out with weights. I have never seen a woman who got "bulky" from weight training.

Wayne.
x

 

[lundquist93]

Hi Slenamond,
I am 5'0", so I understand your concern and questions about lifting heavy weight.
First, I have to say that I think everyone has their own interpretation of "bulking". For me it means that my jeans and pants fit a little tighter than normal in the thighs. That doesn't necessarily mean that it is noticable to someone else, but I definately feel the difference and I don't like it.

From my own experience, I have found that lifting heavy (over 10 pounds for lower body) and doing a lot of high step work tends to bulk my thighs. I maintain a better feel and fit in my clothes if I do a high rep/low weight (8 or less pounds) for lower body work. The Slim Series has been great for me. I typically run 3 days a week and do 2 or 3 step/interval cardio videos per week. I also eat very clean and have one cheat day a week. I've maintained my current weight of 109 for over 5 years this way. I'm not sure how many calories I eat per day, but an example of a typical day is: cheerios and skim milk for breakfast, turkey sandwhich on whole wheat and an orange for lunch, apple for snack, lean protein or salad for dinner.

Others may have a different opinion, but this is just my experience. I had to play around with weight and cardio routines until I found something that worked. I recently added an extra day of running in place of one step video b/c I felt like the step workouts were again bulking my legs.

You just need to try different things and give it several weeks before deciding. I typically try a rotation for 4-6 weeks to decide how it is affecting my body.

Hope this helps a little.

Lori

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Slenamond! I think the most recent "bulking" that you are experiencing could simply be water retention in your muscles which is a result of muscle repair. This is temporary and will go away once you become more acclimated to your new heavier workouts. Also, while increasing your calories, be careful not to eat too many high sodium foods which can also cause water retention. As always, drink plenty of water to aid in muscle repair and help flush extra water fro your system. Good Luck!