Question for Veteran bodybuilders and trainers ONLY please!!!?

Question

I have been working out for a little over a year now. I started out doing light weight and high reps then everything I read said to do heavy weights and lower reps and not to fear bulking up like a man. So, I went to the heaviest weight that I can do to failure 3 sets of 10 reps each, squats, lunges, curls, rows, tricep extensions, deadlifts, alternating muscle groups. I was comfortably wearing a size 0 or 1 jeans and now they are getting tight and I am noticing my thighs getting pretty big and I am losing my curve in my waistline. I eat 5 small meals per day and keep a pretty clean diet, fruit, grilled chicken, peanut butter. What should I do to stay toned at a size 0 or 1 without looking bulky? Could a seasoned lifter or trainer suggest the best routine for me?

Answer 1

cut your wieghts. Maxing out will increase muscle mass, where if you are just going for tone, a higher number of reps at a lower wieght is best.

Answer 2

What you read is right: low reps/heavy weights makes wonders.
10 reps is still a lot of reps in my opinion. It is typically the number of reps vain and insecure males will do on a bench press in a quest for the beach body.
If I were you, I'd even go heavier, and only do 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 5 reps. That will make you much stronger without bulking.

Alternate with very high reps (20 to 30). Nothing wrong with that to develop local muscular endurance.

Throw in some interval training to boost your fitness level and keep your body fat down.

Your choice of exercises is pretty good, specially the squats and deadlift. You could do without the triceps extension and biceps curls and try some assisted dips and pull ups.

It is normal to gain some muscle. Females generally don't bulk too much, but some do.
I have actually met 2, but that is out of a few thousands, so don't worry too much about it, just change your rep range.

Don't go to failure every time you train. Only go that hard when you want to test your strength once a month or so.


I have been training for 20 years, worked in the fitness industry for 7.

Answer 3

Hey sbj, I don't know where you read that, but it's totally wrong. If you lift heavy and do small sets you're going to get bigger whether you're a man or a woman, obviously for a woman less but the same physiological principles apply regardless. If you're happy with your current size then do not increase your weight any more, at all; in fact you might want to step down to a lower weight range and start doing sets of 15-20 reps each.

It sounds like you have a pretty balanced routine, and large compound exercises (squat, row, deadlift, bench press, etc) are excellent for a beginning bodybuilder, but again these are movements that are meant to increase mass. You might want to switch to more isolation movements; curls and extensions basically. It 's always good to switch up your routine anyway, if you want you could check out bodybuilding .com for some ideas, they have a huge database of both routines and exercise and some very good articles.

Finally, you might just want to cut down on your lifting overall, and shift more of your focus to aerobic exercise and toning routines, such as Pilates or yoga.

Answer 4

You can not get too bulky because you lack testosterone, but you have grown some, which is normal. The best routine is the one that meets your needs. Do you want a slim, defined look? Then go back to a lighter weight and more reps. Are you happy with your look now? keep doing what you are doing. I would suggest that you mix them up a bit. Go on a 4 week cycle where you do the lighter weights for a while and then switch back to the heavier weights. This will give to excellent benefits and keep the workout interesting. Also add some cardio(running) to the plan. Plus remember to stretch good after each session

Answer 5

hey there! i've never answered Q's on here before, but i think i have two cents worth throwing in, i've been weightlifting for a few years and have tried just about everything.
As far as your waistline curve, what type of deadlifts are you doing? most people dont differentiate between which they do. basically, you need to make sure the bulk of the work is being done by your hamstrings, and not your lower back, otherwise, your waistline will grow. hopefully since you've been working out for a while, you have the ability to feel out which muscle you are working. save the lower back workouts for something like bodyweight hyperextensions, or perhaps holding a 5 or 10 lb plate, those should do you well.
as far as the legs getting thicker, perhaps change up your rep scheme on the squats, and maybe even the lunges. maybe do more reps with less weight, play around with how many sets you do, and maybe have less of a break between sets. This will turn your workout into something that works enough to keep you toned, yet concentrates on giving you a good fat-burning cardio workout, without necessarily the muscle-building hypertrophy that comes with a rep scheme of 3 sets of 10.
Don't worry so much about people telling you to avoid high reps and light weight. listen to your body. it's all about how intensely you work yourself. Serge Nubret, one of the best bodybuilders ever in my opinion, has probably the most amazing chest the bodybuilding world has ever seen. How did he workout? high reps, low weight, tons of sets. Everyone will tell you to workout with around at least 75% or so of your max to build muscles. He worked out his chest with bench press at around 30% of his max. I dare anyone to argue against his results.

In summary, in case my answer got lost amidst the babbling, deadlifts emphasizing your lower back doing the work will thicken your waistline, the more heavy in weight you go, the more potential you will probably have for somewhat increased muscle growth. Working with a heavy weight on squats will do the same to your thighs. Lil hint though, once you go below parallel on a squat, its mostly your hamstrings and glutes doing the work, so if you are having troubles with your quads getting too big, perhaps lighten your weight on the bar and focus on squats below parallel as long as your knees are okay. good luck : )

Answer 6

Hi sb,
Go back to your lower weights and higher reps. The low reps higher weights do build larger muscles. Your waistline will stay down if you incorporate cardio programs in your regimen. God Bless and sounds like you will be smokin hot for summer time!!