How to avoid getting bulky
“I want to tone up without getting bulky.” – A comment I frequently receive on my new client intake forms. Upon reading this, my immediate reaction is always, “Well, bulk is muscle… and so is tone!” In fact, the diet industry has come out with a lot of catch phrases to describe the act of building muscle, such as tone, lift, sculpt, tighten, lengthen, and firm. As we’ve become so accustomed to these alternative terms, women tend to be scared that the term “building muscle” is synonymous with “becoming bulky.” Rest assured, it’s not.
For the sake of this piece, let’s define “getting bulky” as gaining a significant amount of muscle that resembles more of a masculine aesthetic. Before we talk about how to avoid getting bulky, let’s take a moment to discuss how to get bulky.
How to get bulky
A woman who gains that significant of an amount of muscle is most likely training five, six, if not seven days per week. Their programs are likely strategically created so they can focus on a particular muscle group each day of the week. Their lifts are likely all done with very, very heavy weights under the supervision of a trainer.
Outside of the gym, they will need to eat in an extreme caloric surplus (aka, eating 500 or more extra calories per day), track macros, and consume an excessive amount of protein each day. Supplements are likely involved, as well. This surplus diet is most likely maintained for at least eight months or more, depending on what the individual’s goals are.
The surplus in calories and protein, combined with supplements, are required for drastic muscle growth. Once the cycle of a surplus diet is complete, the individual will likely need to enter a caloric deficit in an effort to shed the majority of body fat that may be covering said muscles. A restrictive diet that continues to prioritize protein as well as limit fat and carbs, coupled with another intricate and intensive strength training and cardio program, can help to shed fat while maintaining muscle. The individual might even have to workout twice per day to fit in adequate cardio sessions. During this time, the individual will likely need to sacrifice social opportunities because they won’t have time and also because they can’t eat or drink the same things as those in attendance. This deficit diet is most likely maintained for six months or more, depending on what the individual’s goals are.
In short, gaining a significant amount of muscle takes a significant amount of time, both from a day to day and a long-term perspective. A woman striving to “get bulky” is likely dedicating all of their time to that goal and cutting out anything that doesn’t align with it.
Even shorter: Getting bulky is not something that can happen naturally and or accidentally for women.
What “getting toned” really means
“Tone” is a delicate way to describe your newly building muscles taking shape. As previously stated, newly building muscles taking shape are also delicately described as, “lifted,” “lengthened,” “sculpted,” “firmed,” or “tightened.” In other words, a lifted butt is the result of muscle gain in the glutes. A firmed upper thigh is the result of muscle gain in the quads and hamstrings. Sculpted arms and shoulders are the result of muscle gain in the biceps, triceps, and deltoids. A tightened belly is the result of muscle gain in the core.
How to gain muscle
In order to gain muscle in all of these areas of the body that people typically strive to enhance, you must:
1. Lift heavy weights.
2. Eat enough food and protein.
By heavy weights, I mean weights that are heavier than what your body is accustomed to lifting. So, if your dog, your baby, your purse, your grocery haul, and other things you frequently lift on a daily basis weigh more than ten pounds, the dumbbells you pick up should also weigh more than ten pounds. In order for your muscles to change, they must be challenged. If day after day, month after month, your dumbbells stay the same, your muscles are also likely staying the same.
Picking up heavier weights to gradually challenge your muscles is known as progressive overload. Progressive overload can also be achieved by adding more reps to a set, adding sets to a movement, increasing intensity, decreasing rest time, improving form and range of motion, and decreasing tempo. It is imperative that at least one of these forms of progressive overload is present during your workouts to ensure that your muscles are being challenged and in turn, growing!
Eating enough food and protein is another imperative part of building muscle. Without an adequate amount of calories and protein, your body won’t have anything from which to build muscle. Thus, your efforts in the gym might not show.
A consistent strength training routine (anywhere between 2-5 days per week depending on your goals and schedule) complemented by a nourishing diet prioritizing a balance of proteins, carbs, and fats is the most efficient and effective way to achieve a “toned” – ahem, muscular – aesthetic. And the best part?! The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn naturally throughout your day!
What about cardio?
Please note that cardio has been a very minimal part of this discussion because cardio cannot build muscle. I repeat, cardio cannot build muscle. Only strength training can build muscle. Cardio can raise your heart rate. Cardio can make you sweaty. Cardio can aid in shedding fat to reveal muscle, but without strength training, there will be no muscle to reveal. One more time: cardio cannot build muscle.
If you feel that you’ve been working out consistently but are not seeing your desired results, one or more of the following might be your issue:
Not lifting heavy enough
Not lifting consistently enough
Not eating enough
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