AAAAH bulking up. :-@

I'm sure there are posts on this topic, but apparently my search skills aren't so hot because I haven't found any.

I like to work out. Lately I've been adding lots of resistance to the elliptical machine because for a while my knees were bothering me and more resistance = happier knees for some reason.  But now my calves are starting to bulk up a little bit... and I realize I've had this problem before, every time I work out. My arms get kinda built, my quads grow unbearably large (I used to play lots of lax and soccer), and my calves are ginormic.

So wtf, I think, what do I do?  I want to lose weight and to lose weight lots of cardio & weights are good. I try to do some yoga and pilates and stretching just to balance things out. But can you unbulk once you've bulked? I've heard that muscle becomes fat before it wastes away entirely, but I'm not sure whether that's true. Then maybe it would be good for me to bulk up instead of stay chubby and then try to deal with the bulk later?  I don't know...

I guess I'm wondering what skinny people trying to lose weight do. I'm thinking of keeping my 45 min of cardio every day, but trying to increase the intensity while decreasing resistance, but I'm afraid (a) my knees will hate me, (b) I won't burn as many calories, (c) I'll increase my heart rate too much. When I first started at the gym my heartrate was pretty up there, almost dangerously so, but lately it's been hell to try and get it up more than 124 or so.

Then there's the weight machines. I've heard people say they're horrible for you and blah blah blah but the bottom line is that they're easier to schedule than free weights, and a lot easier for a weight noob who'd probably mess everything else up anyway. What kinds of reps do you guys do? I started 12 reps at higher weight (the kid who took me through said 8, and it was like, uh, no, I don't want to bodybuild) but I'm thinking maybe I should lighten up even more and do something like 20?  What's worked for you all? 

Aaaanyway, any feedback on this would be much appreciated! :)

-marie

Low weight with Hi repetitions will give you lean mass. Concerning the eliptical, the more resistance you put on, the more bulk you will endure. It is the same principal with lifting weights, hi weight/resistance and low reps/time will give you bulky mass. The pain in your knees may be something else than what you think. The eliptical is designed so that there is zero foot to surface impact, eliminating the risk of baddered knees/shins/ankles/feet. You may consider getting your knees checked out. I suggest after your cardio, do some calf raises, with just your body weight. Do just enough so that you feel a burn in your calfs, not to much. Keep in mind that since you're exercising your muscles, your body will change into what it was meant to be at an athletic level. Don't be fooled by media and magazines of what someone SHOULD look like. Everyone has a different body type and muscle structure. Your athletic body build may be bigger than what you consider healthy or looks attractive. But if your body in its athletic state was meant to have bulky calves, that means your body needs emphasis on having STRONG calves in order to stay balanced. I say keep up what you got going, and see how your body balances out. You may like the results.

Thanks for the reply!  I did 50 min the other day on really low resistance and actually got a pretty good workout, so I'm going to try it for a while and see.  I'm thinking knee braces might be good for my knees, I don't know. It seems like they're too "loose" or something, it just feels weird, kinda like they're disconnecting or something bad... hm. We'll see what happens.

Hey xoxo, just FYI, you're right to be suspicious about the whole "muscle becoming fat" thing. That's like saying you're pancreas can become your liver - they're two totally separate types of tissue and one can never become the other.

I have a problem with bulkiness too. For me the only way to deal with it is to concentrate on eating healthy foods, varying my exercise and stretching. I think what you're doing with the low resistance will help alot too. Good luck!

I can guess why your knees like you better when you use higher resistance.  My dad has horrible knees and his doc told him to build up his quads to help support and stabilize them.  High resistance on an elliptical works your quads. 

Personally, I like having muscular legs.  I'd love to have defined arms, too, but that's gonna require a lot of work. *sigh*

Low resistance and lots of reps (8-12 will work) will help you tone up.  You shouldn't bulk up too much from that.  Have fun!