I did a search but I didn't find exactly what I was looking for so I was hoping people here could provide more input into my situation.
In a nutshell...mom had a bad personal trainer, I later convinced her to lift weights, yadda yadda, she actually has gotten kind of bulky, mostly in the legs and according to her, her abs (which are defined, but she says her waist is too big).
So recently I've suggested more general GPP work for her, unilateral leg work staying away from heavy weights. She seems to have a proclivity to gain muscle easily in the legs, she eats above average (at times I think she skips too many meals, but she ususally sneaks sweets at night).
Basically, I was looking for suggestions to help her reduce her leg mass and waistline. I know diet, and I constantly push it on her to eat consistently by PN's guidelines. But do I prescribe things that are counterproductive to building muscle such as long endurance cardio? And have what I suggested so far be beneficial? (sorry for the long read, but thanks!)
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Exercise Science Undergrad at the University of Kentucky
Soon to be MS in Ex. Sci at Colorado State University!!
I just wrote up a brief article on this, give it a look it should explain alot of why your mother is getting more "bulky".
Bulky Muscles and Women :The Truth
Women are real quick to point the finger at heavy weights and say “you made me bulky!” Well I hate to be the one to break it to you ladies but it’s not the weights fault, or how heavy they are. First though lets look at what women (and men) think bulky is.
The First is steroids ladies. This just cannot be done naturally; male hormone injections are at play here. The next is years of work over a higher body fat percentage. The last is years of work with a very low body fat percentage.
See in order to see abs, arms and legs true definition you must be at a low body fat level. Women by nature carry a higher body fat level then men. Women should not maintain to low of body fat levels as it can cause fertility and menstrual problems just to name a few. At a constant maintenance level women should not go below 16% body fat. Now you may have heard that 22% is the limit, but that is just isn’t true. Women can carry a much lower body fat level than that in a safe and healthy manner. If you don’t want veined muscles, well maintain a higher level of body fat. It’s as simple as that.
Now back to the topic of those pesky bulky muscles and what your routine and diet have to do with it. When women complain of bulky muscles there are usually three main culprits at play here. Stretching, Diet and Body Fat levels. I will explain each one in detail.
Stretching: If I conducted an actual poll at least 80% of the women I talk to want the body of a dancer. Long, lean and very good “tone”. If I told you what those dancers did to get those bodies and what you would have to do to get them your response to me would be see you later, don’t have the time. Just like their talents are achieved over time, the same goes for their bodies. It also doesn’t hurt that their genetics and height play a nice role. Still this doesn’t mean that a 5’3 35 year old woman can’t have long lean muscle. This doesn’t mean your posture can’t be so perfect that it gives you the illusion of extra height. If you haven’t gathered by now and from this selections title the key lies in stretching. Ever heard this “stair climbers make my calf’s bulky!”…”I have been working out for 3 weeks and my thighs are bigger!” Well I hear it all the time. Mostly it is because these woman ignore stretching. Surrounding your muscle tissues is Fascia. There are different functions and layers but two such functions are flexibility and movement. Doing the proper amount of post workout stretching and incorporating a daily stretching regime will cause less injury, relieve stress and yes elongate your muscles.
Diet: One simple point I have to make. To gain muscle you need a surplus of calories. This means you have to eat more than your body needs for energy in a day. That is what it takes to gain fat and if lifting to gain muscle. Sometimes women start lifting to try and spot reduce problem areas but they don’t do anything about their diet. In some cases they are eating over their calories anyway (which is what most likely caused the fat gain) and think lifting will help them spot reduce those problem areas. Well one you cannot spot reduce, fat is fat and it comes off where it decides it wants to. If you want smaller flatter abs and then start doing a bunch of ab work while being in a surplus then you will just make your abs bigger. Two, if losing fat is your goal you need to be in a caloric deficit and eating good carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. The less processed food you take in, the better your results.
Body Fat Levels: If you don’t want veins, then don’t get to low of body fat. If you want some muscle but don’t want them bulky and undefined then get a lower body fat %. Tailoring a look a lot of times comes with what body fat % you have. This is most true for arms and stomach definition. If you want defined arms (for most people that is one of the last to leave spots next to the abs) you have to get that body fat low. To do that you need to have that diet in check. It needs to be clean and pretty dead on if you aren’t in the genetically gifted category already.
I could babble on and on, but the short of it is this ladies…Don’t be afraid of lifting, but lift smart and eat right. Know why you are doing what you are doing, get a trainer if not sure, but a good one!
-Leigh Peele
Designed by Chad Waterbury so you know its a good program.
Also come with a diet.
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Audentes Fortunas Juvat
"Focus on making the 5 lifts stronger and getting enough food. There will be plenty of time to worry about glycemic indexes, PERs, and Bulgarian Split squats later. Much later."-Mark Rippetoe
yea, i gave her the sexy female training article. she really liked it and was quick to point out, "see there's no ways, I don't think women should lift weights!". but it may be a route she needs to try for a while, my mom is 40 and i don't want her get too wrapped up in losing muscle mass bc it will come off quick enough as the years go by.
thanks for the replies both of you
__________________
Exercise Science Undergrad at the University of Kentucky
Soon to be MS in Ex. Sci at Colorado State University!!
working with weights now will help her not get osteoporosis in the future - she can still lay down bone and gain bone health - even at 40 (i'm 47 so i can say that)
Designed by Chad Waterbury so you know its a good program.
Also come with a diet.
Dude.... are you serious? That routine could be in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for god's sake... or some fluff ass magazine. You might as well just tell your mother to walk 45 mins/day at a leisurely pace and just cut out the carbs.
I mean, come on.... she is NOT going to turn into she-ra from doing a few bicep curls... in fact, she SHOULD be doing heavier training so that she can pick up her own grocery bags in twenty years.
I have nothing but respect for CW, but... this article is crap.
Dude.... are you serious? That routine could be in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for god's sake... or some fluff ass magazine. You might as well just tell your mother to walk 45 mins/day at a leisurely pace and just cut out the carbs.
I mean, come on.... she is NOT going to turn into she-ra from doing a few bicep curls... in fact, she SHOULD be doing heavier training so that she can pick up her own grocery bags in twenty years.
I have nothing but respect for CW, but... this article is crap.
So recently I've suggested more general GPP work for her, unilateral leg work staying away from heavy weights. She seems to have a proclivity to gain muscle easily in the legs, she eats above average (at times I think she skips too many meals, but she ususally sneaks sweets at night).
Basically, I was looking for suggestions to help her reduce her leg mass and waistline. I know diet, and I constantly push it on her to eat consistently by PN's guidelines. But do I prescribe things that are counterproductive to building muscle such as long endurance cardio? And have what I suggested so far be beneficial? (sorry for the long read, but thanks!)
I think you were on the right track when you suggested doing more GPP type work. Programs like NROL Fat Loss or Alwyn Cosgrove's other programs would be on the right track also. I doubt that SFT is appropriate for your mother. If you agree that her legs are bulkier, then I won't dispute that statement, but do you really believe there's too much muscle there? If she hasn't changed her diet significantly, then adding some muscle without reducing the fat over it could create an increase in the circumference of her thigh. But adding muscle is what we WANT to do, in addition to decreasing fat. So that when that fat is gone, there will be beautiful, firm muscle left to see.
Your guidelines to eat according to PN are appropriate and the fat loss techniques you already know, diet, HIIT, lifting, are appropriate.
Whoops, Bill, was that too harsh, lol?
I should never write posts at the end of the week. My helpless rage gets antsy for a field trip
But I DID mean it: Useless.
I think that was CW's worst written article, to date. Mostly because of his example of Brittany Spears without any other examples of that "problem" with other women.
Then, despite the fact that there are exercises that use weights in the routine, they tend to disappear amongst the pictures of the woman doing exercises without weights.
If you read the nine or so pages of discussion, the routine was designed to work certain muscle groups while leaving others totally alone, so you'd have a better shot at getting a specific shape.
The article does not have a good explanation for what it's goal is. Hence, the visceral response to it at t-nation, too.
Anyhow, probably not good for RyPat's Mom... Unless she's a fitness competitor who's unhappy with her body's basic shape.
Dude.... are you serious? That routine could be in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for god's sake... or some fluff ass magazine. You might as well just tell your mother to walk 45 mins/day at a leisurely pace and just cut out the carbs.
I mean, come on.... she is NOT going to turn into she-ra from doing a few bicep curls... in fact, she SHOULD be doing heavier training so that she can pick up her own grocery bags in twenty years.
I have nothing but respect for CW, but... this article is crap.
IMO.
comeon. it's on t-nation. this means it's scripture.
Women and Weights
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