how to lift weights without adding bulk ....

i always thought to tone up one must do light weights in excess

and to bulk up you had to do heavy weights in just a few short reps



also is using resistance bands a for of weight training that is valuble towards resculpting your body? is it effective?


sorry if i seem ignorant on the subject but ive always been big on cardio .... i never realized the importance of strength training

You're a woman. You will not bulk up while lifting weight unless you really want to (and thus lift a LOT, take supplements, etc.).

Lift heavy! It is very good for you and will ensure that as you lose you will keep muscle mass.

I lift heavy regularly and I look very small to most people and lifting heavy has helped me get an hourglass figure.

Check out the weight training forum here us lifting ladies are very passionate about the benefits of heavy weight training and how it helps our bodies!

Remember, you WILL NOT bulk up! Trust me! When I am fully clothed and pick up something heavy people are always shocked because they expect that a small girl like me cannot lift heavy things.

When I'm wearing tank tops and short sleeves you can see my arm muscles, so it is not as misleading, haha.

I lift heavy and I am not bulky. A decent rule of thumb is that if you're doing more than 10-12 reps easily with a weight, it's too light.

Ha! I get that at work all the time too. I am constantly carrying around stacks of books (library) that are nearly as tall as me, and people try to get me carts or baskets or whatever. I just tell them "it's part of my workout" and get on with it.

I like resistance bands for traveling, but a set of dumbells from a garage sale or one of the adjustable free weights are more versatile. You won't bulk up. I promise. Especially if you are doing compound exercises and lifting with proper form.

Please do look into a solid book like "New Rules of Lifting for Women" or the work of guys like Tom Venuto. They are excellent starting points for lifting and will get you going.

You do not have enough testosterone to get bulky. Most meatheads at my gym have been going there as long as I have, with more dedication, and they don't look much bigger, despite their sweating, grunting, and stacks and stacks of weights. And they are MEN! It takes true dedication to add any amount of muscle to your frame. I love lifting weights, and when I can increase my resistance, I celebrate. I used to be in really good shape, lifted really heavy, and was not masculine in any way. It irritates me to hear women say "I don't want to look like a guy..." Well don't take steroids and you should be fine! It is really good for your bones to add resistance training, and the more muscular you are, the more calories you burn! Definite plus. I like to lift one day, and do cardio the next. When I lift, I do circuit training, which keeps your heart rate up, so is like cardio. Start lifting, and I promise you will only feel tighter, leaner and stronger.

Do I look bulky?

I lift enough to scare most men .

How to lift, as a woman, without gaining bulk = don't do steriods. Don't spend 23 hours a day in the gym. Don't eat 10,000 calories of protein a day.

There you go . Don't be afraid!

doing light weights with lots and lots and lots of reps is a very successful technique.

assuming you were looking to get a nice case of Repetitive Stress Injury.

for large muscle groups, you don't need to do more than 12 reps (although i personally feel 8-10 is plenty) and for smaller groups (arms, shoulders, abs, etc) you dont' need more than 12-15.

when i was in full blast training for powerlifting, my reps were in the 1 to 3 range and while my muscles did get bigger, i certainly and in no way looked "manly". female bodybuilders look masculine not because they built up their muscle but bec they strip their bodyfat. it's fat that gives us females our curvature - keep your bodyfat in the 18-20% range and you will have a fit, athletic look.

here's a page - including pictures - explaining the role of bodyfat for men and women: http://www.superskinnyme.com/body-fat-percentage.html

Threenorns, you made me LOL over the RSI joke

as long as i dont look hard im good .... im not a fan of the hard muscular look for a woman .....

i know some people consider this sexy but its just not for me

example ::

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl...r:7,s:30,i:192

That woman's body fat percentage is much lower than any of us would desire to be. It takes a LOT of work to look like that, it doesn't happen accidentally. You don't have to worry .

^^ ty for assuring me i wont look like she hulk lol

Lol I love it!! So much fun, right?

Yeah, like Valrock said, unless you really want to get like that, you won't. I lift heavy and I am far from looking like her! Instead I'm compact and strong.

Most women who lift weights won't look like her either because it's VERY hard for a woman to build any muscle at all even when she wants to! You can weight train, eat at a surplus, eat lots of protein and hardly build any muscle at all. Frustrating for some, but good for those who don't necessarily want to build

Lift heavy!!!! Women can look amazing lifting heavy, it helps you look better at higher weights and just gives you so much strength. If you want to see my own pictures of the difference heavy lifting makes you can see them here.

Oh, and I LOVE the new rules of lifting for women, great book!