Lean not Buff!!!

I try to do weights a few days a week as part of my work out routine. But I feel like its making me buffer and bigger. What am i doing wrong? How can I make my muscles lean and toned, not big and bulky

whats your body fat percentage? & more of your stats would help.

usually its the fat over the muscle that makes you look bulky. basically you can only either grow or shrink muscles, same with fat.

A person builds bulk muscle by lifting more weight.  Heavy weights, I'm told, produce shorter muscle creating a bulky appearance.  The secret to adding muscle within a lean profile is to develop long muscles.  You apparently get this by working with lighter weights and more reps ("Long tall drink of water").  Observe laborers who work all day intensely moving medium weight.  They are lean.  Observe laborers that lift heavy objects all day.  These people are bulky.   Interior linemen are massive.  Wide receivers are lean.  Long distance runners are lean.  Sprinters are very muscular.  Emphasis on endurance will make you lean.

Be sure to lift smaller, lighter weights, and add some cardio to your workout.  Keep within your calorie limitation and try to eat a balanced diet.

But don't worry.  It's likely that, because you are unused to having much muscle mass, the small changes resulting from your weight lifting have come as a shock.  You're not going to look like Arnold Schawenager without massive amounts of training and effort.

Ignore the first part of aiming's post - just read the last sentance.

Also, chbd3 - heavy weights don't produce any different length muscles than light weights do. And there is no way to develop longer muscles without detaching them from your bones, and stretching them - so unless you are planning surgery, your muscles will remain the length they are. Oh, when will we ever be done with that god-awful, Cosmo-inspired myth?

Honestly, weight lifting (heavy weights) is going to be great for your weight loss, and as you start losing the fat, you'll start getting a nice "toned" look. But muscles can appear larger after working out, in part because they retain water as they repair. It's temporary.

You could also try doing some pilates!  I've recently started taking a class two times a week and I definitely feel leaner and think I look leaner.  I like it because it's like yoga but you break more of a sweat and I'm usually sore the next day!

My experience has been that focusing on building muscle by heavy weight lifting has also led to a lot of burned fat. 1 lb of muscle is a lot smaller and more compact than 1 lb of fat. And, since muscle burns fat, I've upped my metabolism. When I started lifting heavy weights I considered it an experiment and so I used a measuring tape to test the "bulking" and "getting huge" theories. My measurements have gone down in all areas of my bod even though the scale hasn't moved a lot. My bigger muscles are a lot smaller than the fat that used to reside under my skin, making my clothes fit much better and my waist smaller.

There are a lot of threads in the fitness forum by women who are lifting to lose fat. Check them out, if you're interested, to get a sense of the different kinds of programs and the results.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Ignore the first part of aiming's post - just read the last sentance.

Also, chbd3 - heavy weights don't produce any different length muscles than light weights do. And there is no way to develop longer muscles without detaching them from your bones, and stretching them - so unless you are planning surgery, your muscles will remain the length they are. Oh, when will we ever be done with that god-awful, Cosmo-inspired myth?

Honestly, weight lifting (heavy weights) is going to be great for your weight loss, and as you start losing the fat, you'll start getting a nice "toned" look. But muscles can appear larger after working out, in part because they retain water as they repair. It's temporary.

 

I agree amethyst... Why do people think they can create "Long, Lean" muscles?!  I'm tired of the whole "Get long, lean muscles - like a dancer" myth myself.

here here msmeg & amethyst.

kmk33, thats a great scientific experiment. real measurable results instead of hearsay. you should defo put your conclusions in your journal for others to benefit.