Want to be slender not bulky

[Lucy85]

Not sure if this is the correct forum, but what am I doing wrong when I do weights on arms and legs I bulk up too much I want them slender and defined?

Help

[swanso5]

i doubt your gaining too much muscle too quickly...it's hard enough for males to do it with all the testosterone (well for some of us) let alone females without it

check your diet, if you're slipping there then your gaining, but it's not muscle

www.uponlinetraining.com

[eenwoord]

Just purely based on experience:

With weights & resistance training, reduce any weights you're using to a minimum if you don't want any "bulk" & increase your reps.

Be sure to stretch out the muscles before & after a work out and include some yoga/pilates into your weekly routine - it lengthens the muscles like nothing else and creates the appearence of a long lean figure. It doesn't show effects immediately & it can hurt like hell, but it's worth it believe me! In six weeks you'll notice definite changes in your muscle shape & tone.

Just two cents. When I post pics you'll be able to see what it's done for me!

[swanso5]

it lengthens the muscles like nothing else

i love when people say that about pilates and yoga


www.uponlinetraining.com

[MAGreen]

I agree with eewoord who offers a very good reply.

Use light weights and high reps. Aim for 15 reps minimum per set and see how that works.

Another thing that comes to mind is that you may just have very good genes for muscle development. I had a girlfriend who had incredible muscle tone and general muscularity though she hardly ever exercised or worked out. By looking at her I was very confident she visited a gym regularly. Nope - just her genetic makeup.

If you follow eenwoord's advice and you're still bulking up you may have to accept and embrace your own particular body type. You could also try switching to bodyweight exercises and leave the weights for those who need them!

Good luck!

[Heelus]

I agree with eewoord who offers a very good reply.

Use light weights and high reps. Aim for 15 reps minimum per set and see how that works.

Another thing that comes to mind is that you may just have very good genes for muscle development. I had a girlfriend who had incredible muscle tone and general muscularity though she hardly ever exercised or worked out. By looking at her I was very confident she visited a gym regularly. Nope - just her genetic makeup.

If you follow eenwoord's advice and you're still bulking up you may have to accept and embrace your own particular body type. You could also try switching to bodyweight exercises and leave the weights for those who need them!

Good luck!

Total crap only in the first sentence.

High reps low weights does NOTHING unless you are training for a particular muscle endurance. It doesn't cut the muscles, not make you slimmer. Now, go lift heavy weights and stop wasting your time.

and by the way, diet makes you "bulky" or "slim" not training. You can'T train bulky or train cut that's nonsense think about it.

There's muscles, fat, water point. There'S no "definition"

[MAGreen]

I agree with eewoord who offers a very good reply.

Use light weights and high reps. Aim for 15 reps minimum per set and see how that works.

Another thing that comes to mind is that you may just have very good genes for muscle development. I had a girlfriend who had incredible muscle tone and general muscularity though she hardly ever exercised or worked out. By looking at her I was very confident she visited a gym regularly. Nope - just her genetic makeup.

If you follow eenwoord's advice and you're still bulking up you may have to accept and embrace your own particular body type. You could also try switching to bodyweight exercises and leave the weights for those who need them!

Good luck!

Total crap only in the first sentence.

High reps low weights does NOTHING unless you are training for a particular muscle endurance. It doesn't cut the muscles, not make you slimmer. Now, go lift heavy weights and stop wasting your time.

and by the way, diet makes you "bulky" or "slim" not training. You can'T train bulky or train cut that's nonsense think about it.

There's muscles, fat, water point. There'S no "definition"

Dear Heelus,

You’re obviously very passionate about weight training and that’s neat. In another context I would just let your comments go but this is a public forum I’m just tiptoeing into, so I’m going to respond to your post to try and clear the air a bit. I’ll take it line by line.

“Total crap only in the first sentence.â€

[sarah_riedl]

Lucy85,
I have been a personal trainer for 5 years and specialty is fat loss, especially for women. Please don't shy away from weights because you don't want to get "bulky." One of the other replies to your question was right: as a woman, you don't have the testosterone to bulk up. I would recommend several things. You can try some of them or all of them.

1) Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. You'll never see slender, well-defined muscles if you have a layer of body fat on top of that muscle. Keep a food journal, and be sure that you burn more calories than you take in on a daily basis.

2) You can do lighter weights at higher reps, but I don't recommend it. You'll probably just end up spending a lot more time at the gym. Pick a weight that feels difficult by the time you get to the last rep--you should question whether you'll be able to make through that last rep. It doesn't matter whether you pick 10 or 15 or 20 reps, but you can mix it up on a regular basis if you want to...for instance, do 10 reps of everything one week and 20 reps the next.

3) Add high-intensity, total body movements that don't require a lot of extra weight. Body-weight jump squats, for example, will really get your heart rate up to burn calories during and after the workout, but you're only using your body weight. Or see how many pushups or (assisted) pullups you can do in a certain amount of time--go for speed, always trying to do more in the same amout of time, to keep the intensity up.

4) Another reply suggested Pilates or yoga. I agree--these are great for making your muscles long and lean, especially if you are genetically long and lean. But Pilates and yoga don't burn many calories or body fat, so you can't rely on them as your only form of strength training.

5) Keep a lot of variety in your workouts. If you have the time, it might be good to do 2 (20-30 minute) high-intensity strength training workouts, 2 (30-60 minute) cardio workouts, and 2 Pilates or yoga sessions per week. If you don't work out 6 days a week, you can combine workouts in a single day. For instance, follow a strength workout with yoga or cardio. Or vice-versa.

6) Reduce stress, if at all possible. In experience, women who put a lot of pressure on themselves are more likely to gain weight when starting a workout program and feel like they're "bulking up." It has to do with the hormones released by stress. If you lead a relatively stress-free life, great! This is most likely not the source of your problem.

I hope this is helpful to you!
Sarah http://www.realfitnesssolutions.com

[Heelus]

I agree with eewoord who offers a very good reply.

Use light weights and high reps. Aim for 15 reps minimum per set and see how that works.

Another thing that comes to mind is that you may just have very good genes for muscle development. I had a girlfriend who had incredible muscle tone and general muscularity though she hardly ever exercised or worked out. By looking at her I was very confident she visited a gym regularly. Nope - just her genetic makeup.

If you follow eenwoord's advice and you're still bulking up you may have to accept and embrace your own particular body type. You could also try switching to bodyweight exercises and leave the weights for those who need them!

Good luck!

Total crap only in the first sentence.

High reps low weights does NOTHING unless you are training for a particular muscle endurance. It doesn't cut the muscles, not make you slimmer. Now, go lift heavy weights and stop wasting your time.

and by the way, diet makes you "bulky" or "slim" not training. You can'T train bulky or train cut that's nonsense think about it.

There's muscles, fat, water point. There'S no "definition"

Dear Heelus,

You’re obviously very passionate about weight training and that’s neat. In another context I would just let your comments go but this is a public forum I’m just tiptoeing into, so I’m going to respond to your post to try and clear the air a bit. I’ll take it line by line.

“Total crap only in the first sentence.â€

[cassiegose]

Many on this site regularly recommend Chad Waterbury programs to others. Here Chad Waterbury's total body training workout (which in opinion is a solid workout) :)

Total-Body Training
The 3-day-per-week, full-body workout plan
by Chad Waterbury

Harbinger Hypertrophy
Let’s cut the bullshit and get to the brass tacks. For decades, men built slabs of muscle with simple, three day-per-week training programs. They trained their whole bodies in one brief workout session and they grew big and strong. Scoff all you want, but tens of thousands of trainees can’t be wrong.
Well, it's high time we look into the past, learn from what we see, and build a new future.
We must learn from the successes and just as importantly, the failures. Yes, although this classic hypertrophy plan worked well, it wasn't perfect. And today we know what we can do to the drawbacks.
Let's break it down right now. The majority of non-steroid injecting trainees who’ve built respectable physiques have done so with the following, undisputable parameters:
1) They train every major muscle group three times each week.
2) They keep intensity levels sufficient without overindulgence.
3) They choose a training volume that can be maintained along with the stressors of life.
4) They execute compound, multi-joint exercises that have been shown to produce the most hypertrophy.
5) They keep each training session as brief as possible.
6) They allow at least 48 hours of recovery between workouts.
I’ve worked with trainees at every imaginable level of the fitness spectrum, and the aforementioned elements are ubiquitous in their most successful hypertrophy programs. So I often wonder why they ever strayed. Why stop doing what's working?
Usually their reasoning is based along the following statement that I recently heard from a veteran of the iron game: "Hell," he said, "I don’t know why I ever stopped doing it. I just assumed there was a better way." Well buddy, I’m here to tell ya, there ain’t no better way!
I’ve written numerous training programs for T-Nation, and they all work. But, oftentimes, trainees don’t seek what I seek. They want to look good nekkid, period. Not only that, but they don’t give a rat’s what strength qualities they’re training. All they care about is the most efficient and effective route to the physique they’ve only seen in pictures.
It’s time for a change. I want each and every one of you to see that physique in the mirror, not just in magazines. But as I said, we must also learn from the failures of past programs. Burnout and training injuries were often a "given" in old-school, total-body programs. The reason for this indiscretion is simple: poor planning.
Therefore, this article is based on the successes of the past along with own successes as a trainer. I’ve learned to properly plan clients' programs so results are steadfast and continuous.
Every single time I hit the gym, I perform a total-body workout with most of the following guidelines. I doubt that will ever change. In fact, that’s how I added almost 100 pounds of muscle to frame. I don’t know why I ever wandered, so I’m here to keep you from running astray.

The Obstacles
The single biggest mistake trainees have made in their quest for the ultimate physique is in periodization parameters. Simply speaking, they keep executing the same damn parameters in hopes of the body not "catching on" to what they’re doing. Big mistake, friends. Our bodies are designed for one sole purpose: adaptation. If you forget that, then you can forget about ever creating the physique of a Greek God.
Bill Starr came damn close to pulling off one of the best training programs with his classic text, The Strongest Shall Survive. His initial parameters were excellent. Unfortunately, his program wasn’t willing to adapt, so progress on his "Big Three" program came to a screeching halt for most trainees. You can’t endlessly perform the same exercises with the same parameters and keep experiencing results!

A New Generation is Born
Now the dichotomy arises. We must incorporate the variables that withstood the test of time along with a new plan for continued progress. It’s time to take the past, present and future and blend it into a new hybrid plan!
The How
Exercises per Session: 6
Sets per Muscle Group: 2-4
Reps per Exercise: 5-18
Rest between sets for the same muscle group: 60-120 seconds, and 120-240 seconds (antagonist training)
The Why
The first thing you probably notice with the above parameters is variance. This is the key to your consistent hypertrophy success. A lack of variance is the single biggest reason why trainees aren’t still talking about the continuous progress they received from some of the most popular hypertrophy programs. Without consistent change, results will be anything but consistent.
Exercise Selection
Every session is going to consist of six exercises. Why? Because empirical evidence has shown that natural trainees can consistently maintain six exercises per session without burning out.
It’s imperative to base your exercise selection around compound, multi-joint exercises. Four out of the six exercises for each session must be compound exercises. Six sissy-assed, single-joint isolation exercises ain’t gonna do the trick. But, you can perform a few of recommended single-joint exercises for two of the six exercises. Here’s the list you must choose from:
Compound Exercises
Chest: Incline, flat, decline barbell or dumbbell bench presses. Wide-grip dips.
Back: Upright or horizontal rows. Pull-ups or pulldowns with pronated, semi-supinated, and supinated grips.
Deltoids: Standing or seated military presses with a barbell or dumbbells utilizing pronated, semi-supinated or supinated hand positions.
Quads: High-bar full barbell squats, hack squats or front squats.
Lower Back/Hips: Traditional and/or sumo-style deadlifts or Good Mornings. Power cleans or snatches.
Single-Joint Exercises
Biceps: Barbell curls, hammer curls or preacher curls.
Triceps: Lying barbell or dumbbell triceps extensions, and pronated or supinated grip pressdowns.
Deltoids: Front, side or rear dumbbell raises.
Hamstrings: Glute-ham raises or leg curls.
Calves: Standing, seated or donkey calf raises.
Stick to the above list of exercises for optimal results.

The Total-Body Plan
First and foremost, proper periodization planning is imperative. Without sufficient set/rep/load/rest parameters, even the best exercises won’t produce results. Therefore, I’ve devised the following periodization plan for unsurpassable hypertrophy increases:
Week 1
Workout 1
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Rest: 60 seconds between sets
Load: Choose a weight that forces you to near-failure for the last rep of the last set.*
*This is the recommended load for all workouts.

Workout 2
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 90 seconds between sets

Workout 3
Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Rest: 120 seconds between sets

Week 2
Perform with the same parameters as Week 1, but execute antagonist training for all six exercises (more on this later).

Week 3
Workout 1
Sets: 4
Reps: 5
Rest: 60 seconds between sets

Workout 2
Sets: 4
Reps: 8
Rest: 90 seconds between sets

Workout 3
Sets: 3
Reps: 15
Rest: 120 seconds between sets

Week 4
Perform the same parameters as Week 3, but execute antagonist training for all six exercises.

Week 5
Workout 1
Sets: 2
Reps: 18
Rest: 120 seconds between sets

Workout 2
Sets: 2
Reps: 8
Rest: 60 seconds between sets

Workout 3
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 90 seconds between sets

Week 6
Perform the same parameters as Week 5, but execute antagonist training for all six exercises.

Week 7
Workout 1
Sets: 3
Reps: 18
Rest: 120 seconds between sets

Workout 2
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 60 seconds between sets

Workout 3
Sets: 3
Reps: 12
Rest: 90 seconds between sets

Week 8
Perform the same parameters as Week 7, but execute antagonist training for all six exercises.

Explanation
1) Weeks 1,3,5 and 7 are to be performed with straight sets. In other words, perform one set of the first exercise, rest, perform your second set, and continue for all the recommended sets before moving on to the next exercise.
2) Weeks 2,4,6 and 8 are to be performed as antagonist training. Every session consists of six exercises so antagonist training is simple; all you have to do is perform three antagonist exercise groupings during each workout. For instance, perform quads/hams, chest/back, and biceps/triceps exercise pairings for the recommended sets and reps.
Example: Do one set for chest, then one for back, then another for chest, etc. Then move on to the next pairing, like quads/hams or biceps/triceps.
3) Choose four exercises under the list of compound exercises. Choose two exercises under the single-joint exercise list. Don't leave out any major muscle groups.
4) Constantly rotate exercises from each category. In other words, don’t always start your session with a chest/back pairing. You must keep rotating the body parts and exercises you begin each session with.
5) Don’t perform the same exercise for more than two weeks in a row. For example, if you performed a flat barbell bench press as your chest exercise for Weeks 1 and 2, you must switch to either incline, decline or dumbbell bench presses for another two weeks before switching again.
6) Increase the load 1.25 to 2.5% with each subsequent workout.
7) Perform all three workouts within a seven-day timeframe with 48-72 hours rest between workouts.
8) Be creative! I’m giving you endless options. Just be sure to pick four compound exercises and two single-joint exercises with each session. You can rotate exercises as much as you desire. All you have to do is follow the prescribed parameters.

[cassiegose]

I think the most important thing to remember when considering an exercise and nutrition program is that EVERYBODY is different. We all have different genetics, different abilities, and many of us have different goals. As I continue to learn and study the fields of health, nutrition, and exercise I am constantly amazed by the vast amount of information... and conflicting information that I come across. The reason we have so much conflicting information is because different techniques work for different people. Just because one thing works for somebody else, does necessarily guarantee that it is going to work for you and just because something works for you does not guarantee that it will work for somebody else. To simply draw up one plan and hand it to the world is just not realistic in many cases.

When it comes to exercise, some say high weight low reps, while others say lower weight high reps. In fact, a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to workout with professional bodybuilder and personal trainer Quincy Taylor, who recommend I do sets of 20-25 reps for lower body and sets of 6-15 reps for upper body. Now, if many were to try this plan it surely wouldn't work. However, for individual goals it seems to be working quite well.

Lucy,

Have you ever tried a program like the chad waterbury program i've posted above? You might look it over and see what you think. It really is a great program and might help you meet your goals. As swanso suggested, I would also review diet to ensure that I'm not getting more calories than previously calculated (food journals work really well).

Hope this helps. :)

Cassie

[MAGreen]

What are you talking about ?

Gosh I give up ...

Continue your "toning" phase while I actually make progress.

And a high reps week (like you mention before), is just a deload witch help his CNS to recover and increase one's progress rate. Really if high reps would help for anything then every teen masturbating would have a forearm larger than the other ?! lol ...

Good luck on your journey to nowhere.

Well, thank you very much for this clarifying response, Heelus.
The understanding implicit in your respectful and sophisticated response leaves no question as to the nature of your stance on the matter.
It would quite obviously be futile for me to attempt any sage retort to this thoughtful and witty summary of your mature and comprehensive philosophy.
Good luck on your journey as well.