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2005/09/19, 12:14 PM
I've never been afraid of lifting heavy weights, not subscribing to that fear women have of bulking up. I've been following freetrainers for a few months now and really pushing myself to lift heavy weights (fatigue by last 2 reps) and increasing this as I got stronger. But now my arms are really starting to look pretty muscular, and my veins are popping out all over the place! It's not very attractive. Part of the problem could be that I'm really thin so there just isn't a lot of fat to cover it, but either way I don't like the way it looks. Any suggestions? Should I use lighter weights and stop pushing myself so much? Thanks!
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2005/09/23, 11:37 PM
Maybe you need more body fat, it is not healthy to have too low body fat if you are a woman.
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2005/09/24, 10:20 PM
yea...check your body fat...it's unhealthy for a woman to drop below 10%.....
training hard is good....just don't go overboard....
how much cardio are you doing?
what does your training look like?
are you taking any supplements?
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2005/09/26, 10:03 AM
thanks for the responses, guys.
i checked my bf % with an omron analyzer, and it was between 5-7%, which is crazy low for a woman. but i look healthy and still have my period.
as far as my training, i follow the 'weight loss plan' here on freetrainers even though i'm not really trying to lose weight, but it takes less time and i'm sort of in maintainance mode as i'm happy with my muscle definition at this point. i do 30 min of cardio 3-4 times a week, and a pilates class once a week and a stretching class once or twice a week. i really don't think i'm doing more than the 'recommended' amount of exercise though.
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2005/09/26, 07:37 PM
I think you're getting to the bottom of it all...your viscularity is probably more the result of your lack of caloric intake than exercise.....5-7% bf? and you're dieting?.....and I think u made some sort of a mistake....it's almost impossible to be that skinny without anabolic steroids for a woman......I suggest to go and have it measured by a professional...for example female marathon runners...for women are around 10%....and they are rail skinny.....so...I am really doubting you're 5-7%.....
Bottom line is you have to eat more calories....you'll end up with less visible muscles and nice curves which many women want...don't worrry you want build over the top muscles by eating more calories....unless you're juicing your natural testosterone is tiny in proportion to a male....so no worries....
continue to lift hard and eat more....you might need to increase caloric intake by 500-800 calories....just do it wisely....picking lean sources of protein....good carbs....and healthy fats.....
your 'recommended' amount of exercise is plenty sufficient....just try to increase the pace little by little every session in you 30 min cardio...
Also keep in mind that when you're more active on any given day....you need to increase calories to compensate for that....
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2005/09/26, 07:39 PM
err don't worry you won't nuild over the top muscles.....or anything close to a guys...naturallly...
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2005/09/27, 12:46 AM
How tall are you and what do you weigh?
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2005/09/27, 05:08 PM
i don't really believe the 5-7% either. i'm 5'8" and about 115 lbs (and not trying to lose any weight!), bmi 17.5. i know that sounds unhealthy, but i don't even look boney, even after talking to the owner of my gym about all this he said he wasn't concerned b/c i look healthy. i probably should eat more, though, i have about 1,500-1,600 cals a day, but i feel like i eat all the time and i definitely do not go hungry. i used to weigh around 125, but i ate all the wrong things. the weight loss was a result of exercise and totally overhauling my eating habits, which are very healthy now.
i guess the bottom line is low body fat + exercise = veins popping out. hehe. (again, thank you guys for your responses)
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2005/09/27, 11:57 PM
Hi there-
I think you are a little too thin for your height. I don't know what you are eating but your calorie intake is too low if you are doing strenuous activity every day. You can up your calorie intake and still eat healthy food, just more of it. This will help your vein problem. If you post your diet Im sure people will make healthy suggestions you can add too it. :-)
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2005/09/29, 09:43 AM
okay, here's what i had the other day and that's fairly typical:
intake:
breakfast-1/2 cup all bran w/ skim, 1 small banana, yogurt
snack- balance trail mix bar
lunch-grilled chicken breast with veggies and a nectarine
snack-whole wheat pita w/ 1tbsp peanut butter and a little honey & apple, 1/2 balance bar
dinner-1 whole egg plus egg beaters omelet with bell peppers, onions, & cheese and salsa, extra veggies on side, and 1 cup cottage cheese w/ 1 cup mixed berries
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2005/09/29, 11:14 PM
Hi there-
I just estimated your food and it doesn't look like you have over 1200 calories a day. You could start by having more fruit, or adding lean meat to breakfast, adding brown rice to your lunch, changing your first snack to something like tuna or a smoothie, having more of a dinner too. Maybe chicken and whole wheat pasta and veggies. These are just some suggestions. I hope it helps :-).
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2005/09/30, 11:30 AM
wow u just described my first snack...lol
no wonder you're so skinny....focus on eating 400-500 calories per main meal ....and maybe 1-2 snacks of 200-300 calories.....your caloric intake is way too low....with your activity level, you may need well over 2000 calories.....to maintain a healthy body fat....I would estimate you need at the very least 1800 calories...
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2005/10/03, 11:38 AM
thanks guys for the great advice. i've started increasing the calories of my main meals, making sure to eat a good variety of foods that have some fat to keep me satisfied. is it better to eat 3 meals a day and maybe a small snack before working out, or spread it out in 5 smaller meals? there are so many conflicting opinions on this, but I'm leaning towards larger meals because i hate feeling like i'm snacking all day at the office (tends to be unhealthier). thanks again!
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2005/10/03, 07:36 PM
it's best if u eat every 30 min....but who has time....your body is able to use calories most efficiently when you feed it in smaller portions......
I would eat....
Breakfast
Postworkout shake/meal
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Snack....
so 5 meals on days you don't workout and 6 meals on days you do....Take in more carbs after days you run and take 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein on days after you workout....do this directly after....
meals should be larger...but you should still eat snacks/shakes 1-3 times a day...
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2005/10/03, 07:40 PM
it's best if u eat every 30 min....but who has time....your body is able to use calories most efficiently when you feed it in smaller portions......
I would eat....
Breakfast
Postworkout shake/meal
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
Snack....
so 5 meals on days you don't workout and 6 meals on days you do....Take in more carbs after days you run and take 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein on days after you workout....do this directly after....
meals should be larger...but you should still eat snacks/shakes 1-3 times a day...
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