Why do girls worry that working out will make them too bulky or muscular?

[martyfellow]

Girls who aren't on steroids don't get that look. As a personal trainer, I know.

Some girsl think it will make them look masculine, but unless they are doing a LOT of heavy weight work, they won't get enough muscle mass to change their overall silhouette, and the loss of fat around the middle will enhance their figure a lot more than a little muscle will take away from it?

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Pls remember to rate it.

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Another brave anonymous blocks me...Oh gee, what shall I do?

[sarahh_12]

Females freak out. I've never understood it, they think with even lifting a weight they'll get huge. It's not in our hormones naturally for this to be an easy task AT ALL. From what I've read, it seems as if many of these females, like the very "thin/skinny" look. I have a preference for the "fit" look. Man legs? Doubtful. They're bigger than before, that's not even a bad thing! I highly doubt many of these females are even bulky at all. They were just used to being small beforehand. I don't believe any of what they're saying without proof.

Personally, I don't care about my size. I care about my tone and fitness level. I workout six days a week, I do weight five of those six days, as well as cardio or pilates each of those six days. Pilates mixed with weight and cardio is like heaven for the body. It's done everything I've ever wanted from a workout. It's strength training, but it doesn't build you up, it merely tones.

Diet, as well as a careful exercise routine are EXTREMELY necessary to a fitness lifestyle. That's what many females don't realize. You can't just do cardio and expect the results. You have to mix it with some weights or strength training. I want a six pack, I'm working towards it, but it's 30% workout and 70% diet. Females complaining need to either get a personal trainer, or learn about fitness. Because they sound rather ignorant on the subject. Just saying.

[martyfellow]

I totally agree!

[sarahh_12]

Glad someone knows what I'm talking about!

[sarahh_12]

Thought you might like this. link

[Anonymous]

i am living proof of this situation! I used to have really sexy legs, lean and feminine a couple of years ago, friends always commented on my legs, like I was the leg girl, I don't know I guess I walked a lot, and then I put on weight due to depression, so now in the past 3-4 months I've been hitting the gym working out to lose the weight, trying to eat healthier, and I've been doing the elliptical machine just because its the only machine I burn calories faster and it does cardio, I can do 1000 calories in an hour and a half, and what happened? I have man legs now. no joke. I have full out drum stick looking bulky man legs. and I feel uglier and hideous than ever. and I am not exaggerating. my boots won't fit past my ankles, my jeans are tighter at the calves, cuts off circulation can't even wear them, everything looks all wrong. so I've stopped the elliptical machine. and now am only doing power walking on the treadmill.

i don't know how to burn muscle and get my sexy legs back.

mens body and womens body are extremely different in terms of fat and muscles. they can't do the same diet or exercise routine.

[martyfellow]

You're not watching your diet, that's why you get big. Most of that bulk is fat

[Opinion Owner]

nope. its muscle. I even saw my doctor/nutritionist.

[martyfellow]

You're lying

[Opinion Owner]

WTF is your problem? why are you arguing about my body you don't know anything about me so stfu. psycho.

[Opinion Owner]

blocked. goodbye psycho.

[Xeno8]

This always annoys me about girls as well. Here, take a look at fitness model Jamie Eason:

link

For a *natural* bodybuilder (i.e. no steroids, no testosterone supplements, etc.), Jamie is VERY muscular. And you know what? She's also smoking hot.

Perhaps that ripped physique doesn't appeal to you? Simple: keep your body fat percentage higher. In those pics, Jamie is at 12%, which is incredibly low for a female. For most girls, there's not much point in going below 20%, unless they're athletes. The point is: you can be exactly as muscular as Jamie and yet still appear "soft" merely by maintaining a higher body fat.

Read this: link

The take-home messages:

* there is no such thing as just 'toning' < If she wishes to look good naked, she needs to LIFT to create dense, thick MUSCLE and DIET to LOSE FAT

* she is not going to 'get bulky' accidently

[sketchy]

That's simply not true. Obviously it's less likely, but it's still perfectly possible for women to get quite muscular without steroids - you see it with athletes, actresses (eg. Jessica Biel, Hilary Swank and Jennifer Garner), and just normal everyday women.

[martyfellow]

No, it's not possible, sorry. Look at women runners, they're not bulky at all. Strong, but not bulky

[sketchy]

I presume you must be talking about marathon runners rather than sprinters. They don't have a lot of bulk (although they're still unattractively "muscular", which is what you asked) because they do a huge amount of running, but little to no weight training. If you meant "running" that's what you should have said, instead of "working out" which implies some weight training. Had you said running, the answer would be that very few girls do worry that running is going to make them bulky.

[martyfellow]

Yes, most of the women sprinters have been on steroids, at least the US ones.

[Catie101]

it is unlikely, but lifting larger weights and doing less reps as opposed to taking smaller weights and doing more reps women can bulk up. this is very unlikely though because in order to get that body builder look on a woman your percentage of body fat needs to be I think below 10% which is nuts. a lot of women avoid weights because they think it will bulk them up but most are uninformed.

[martyfellow]

Yes, unless you are lifting a LOT of heavy weights and are really big, a woman not on steroids or something like that s not going to bulk up very much.

[Hidden_P]

I am worried about exactly this.

I have always had quite a bulky frame, and horse riding from a young age means I have legs of steel. Recently I've been going to the gym to try and lose weight, everywhere, legs, arms, tummy, back, sides, neck, shoulders, absolutely everywhere!

I'm doing weights to try and encourage those muscles to work more and burn the fat away (if that's the right term) but I'm concerned about overdoing it. As you say, the more weight you put on, the more your muscles adapt. Women get concerned because we want enough weight to help lose the weight but not too much that we look like we could beat people up.

Besides...the feminine look is to be toned but smooth and rounded. Too much muscle and the definition is too much, you're meant to want to squeeze us and hug us, but not be absorbed into us (too fat) or break your fingers (too strong)

We want to look like models not athletes, basically.

[martyfellow]

Women won'ty look buff unless they do a LOT of heavy weight work, don't worry. Exercising will only slim you and the muscle added won't be bulky anyway.

[Hidden_P]

How much would you say is too much?

[martyfellow]

Using heavy weights, doing them every other day that will add bulk even to a woman, although not to the extent you' look buff, unless you are taikng something.

[Hidden_P]

Yeah, I meant how much weight is too much, roughly speaking?

[martyfellow]

Models work out regularly, you know! If you lose weight overall from exercise, you'll look better although you might be addng some muscle. Muscle isn't bulky either, it's just that you can take it to extremes, but women won't build it that much.

[Anonymous]

I worry about my legs being to muscular. I noticed that running has somewhat brought in my core more and my waist is smaller, but my legs look kind of bulky. I do get that the muscles there are just more developed, but with guys in my age group always saying they do not like muscular girls it is a bit of a downer. So I stopped exercising. Can I ask you as a personal trainer what do you think about my measurements and if it was ridiculous to stop running?

Height: 64"

Weight: 125

Bust: 33"

waist: 26

Hips: 33"

[martyfellow]

Your waist will get slimmer witgh more running, and it won't add that much bulk to your legs if you don't gain weight overall. And your legs will be much more toned anyway, so more attractive.

[martyfellow]

Look at women long distance runners. They are slim and don't have any bulky muscle, and they run 100 miles a week for years.

[Anonymous]

I think only dumb girls worry about that. If you have an understanding of how to work out correctly, you'll tone up, but not bulk up. It's all about low weight, high rep.

[martyfellow]

Yes, and women often don't bulk up a lot, they don't have the bone structure for it.

[Anonymous]

I'm living proof that what you've said won't happen will indeed happen.

In trying to lose hypothyroid weight I did boat loads of cardio and did weight training on my legs and arms. Well, my overall weight hasn't gone down, nor has my waistline changed, but my claves got huge and so did my biceps and pecs. I feel like I look like a man now.

I've also known other women this has happened to.

[martyfellow]

Hypothyroidism will make your hormone balance unusual and off kilter in many ways. I'm not surprised by your experience, but if your weight hasn't gone down it's because you're eating too darn much. Stop the heavy weights and your arms will slim down along with the rest of you. It will be more difficult for you to lose weight of course if your thyroid isn't functioning normally.

Mostnormal-thyroid women won't experience this. See above if you don't believe me

[Opinion Owner]

I'm NOT eating too much. In fact I was told by a nutritionist that I need to eat quite a lot more than I'm presently eating per day.

[Opinion Owner]

Oh, and I wasn't lifting heavy weight. I used lower weights to keep from bulking up.

[martyfellow]

The women above say differently. One of you is lying. Hmmm. wonder which it is?

[Opinion Owner]

I don't personally care if you're implying I'm a liar. Try actually thinking BEFORE you call someone a liar. It doesn't mean either of us is lying because we're each speaking from our personal experiences. We're different people with different bodies in addition to the HUGE fact that I said I have hypothyroid. Thyroid hormones are "master hormones" which help regulate the rest, including estrogen and testosterone. I can't speak for others; I can only tell you what happened to ME. Duh!

[Opinion Owner]

You have no idea what you're talking about. Period. I'll not waste my time on your idiocy any longer because any THIS stupid isn't worth my breath. P.S. Where'd you get your medical license? Were you previously employed by the CIA, Mr. Human Lie Detector? LMAO. . .you're such a moron. C'ya, douche.

[martyfellow]

Pants on fire

[sixstring]

Uhm, you seriously think girls can only get too muscular through steroids? Take a look at proffesional female athletes like runners, they already show too much muscle.

[martyfellow]

Not bulky muscle, they look pretty feminine

[BobBobinson]

Generally, I don't like female athletes very much. But I think the reason you think they look muscular is because they have a really low body fat percentage.

[sixstring]

Could very well be. I don't like the see defined muscles on a girl, bleh.

[kheserthorpe]

Just to be clear you're using the most bulked up female runners as an example of ... Average genetics a little barbell work and no steroids?

[sixstring]

No. Just that women can become too muscular without steroids.

[martyfellow]

If yoou look at non-drugged up professional women athletes, other than maybe Olympic weightlifters, they aren't bulky at all!

[Anonymous]

It does make some girls look bulky IF they consume too many calories too. A guy can look good eating a lot and lifting weights, but a girl needs to diet AND work out to have an ideal feminine fame. I know, I used to play sports...

[Xeno8]

> A guy can look good eating a lot and lifting weights

At the tail-end of a traditional bodybuilding bulking phase, most guys look pretty sloppy, actually.

The best thing for both men and women is carb cycling, which essentially means eating a surplus of carbs on lifting days and a deficit on rest days.

[Opinion Owner]

Guys can carry extra bulk better, as they get a "free pass" to be more overweight than women. I'm a big fan of lifting weights, as I used to do it, but it defintely can make you want to eat like a horse, even moreso than cardio in my opinion.

[martyfellow]

Overeating makes you bulky. Does that come as a surprise?

[Opinion Owner]

Lifting weights intensely can cause you to look heavier than just overeating. For men, carrying a bunch of bulk is considered "masculine" even if he's slightly fat. For women, it's not considered attractive. That's all I'm saying. I lifted weights for years.

[scar1]

cus being ripped is not a good look for women (atleast not in America) the only stuff a decent amount of guys like is moderately musclular and/or lower body and moderate abs

[sweet_18]

Well I know for a fact that estrogen prevents bulkiness, so I'm not worried about it

[Xeno8]

Not so much estrogen as lack of testosterone. Men have 10-15x as must testosterone in their bodies as women.

[mystix]

not the fact that they need steroids, its just a fact that it is 3x as hard for a woman to put on the same amount of mass

[Hades]

Who knows? Misplaced paranoia, perhaps. Too few know that the best way to lose fat is weight training. Fools?!

[Anonymous]

A personal trainer, huh? You told me you are a teacher in China. Interesting.

[martyfellow]

Personal training is part time in the US, I don't do it now that I'm teaching in China.