Women are really quick to point the finger at heavy weights and say, “You made me bulky!” Well, as trainers, it is our job to assure them that it’s not the weights fault, nor how heavy they are. First though, let’s look at what “bulky” is thought to be.
You’ve seen photos of women who truly look like men, with hulking shoulders, grapefruit sized biceps and excessively broad torsos. They are on steroids; muscular development like this cannot be accomplished naturally. Male hormone injections are at play here.
The second kind of physique you’ve seen consists of noticeable muscular development, but still within the confines of what would be considered feminine—a body like this is more accurately described as very toned, rather than muscled. Muscles do show but not to the extent that someone might say she looks like a man. This kind of body results from long term work that is beneath a higher body fat percentage than the steroid woman’s body.
The third type of physique is the “cut-up” or “ripped” body that you’ve seen in the so-called figure or physique competitions. These are not bodybuilding competitions per se, which is why—in terms of size—these competitors are not huge or manly. However, because these women have dieted down to competition level body fat (single-digit percentage), every muscle shows. Even muscle striations are visible, not to mention a lot of veins streaking up the arms.
Now back to the topic of those bulky muscles and what routine and diet have to do with it. When women complain of bulky muscles, there are usually three main culprits involved: 1) body fat, 2) stretching, and 3) diet.
Body fatIn order to see the true definition in the abs, arms, and legs, you must be at a low body fat level. We all know that women by nature carry a higher body fat percentage than men. Women should not maintain body fat that’s too low, as it can cause fertility and menstrual problems, just to name a few.
At a constant maintenance level, women should not go below 12-16 per cent body fat (experts are divided on the exact cut-off figure). Now, you may have heard that 22% is as low as a woman should go, but as you know, and perhaps from personal experience, women can maintain a body fat percentage in the low teens and still be healthy.
How low or high your body fat is depends on the style of “tone” wanted. If you don’t want veins, then you should not have too low of a body fat percentage. If you want some muscle, but don’t want them undefined and “thick,” then you need a lower body fat percentage.
Tailoring a look, a lot of times, comes with what body fat percentage the trainee has. This is most true for arms and stomach definition, which is a big concern for the female trainee. You, as their trainer, need to remind them that doing 200 sit ups is not the way to get a defined or flat stomach. If you want to get defined, you have to get that low body fat percentage. It is the same in reverse, in that if they are concerned about losing their curves, don’t let them get “ripped”.
Tracking trainees’ body fat levels and staying up to date on their body composition changes is an important aspect of being a trainer. It not only allows us to understand if pure fat and not muscle is being lost, but how close your trainees are to reaching their desired goal.
StretchingI am sure if I conducted an actual poll, at least 80% of the women I see in the gym would want the body of a dancer (long, lean and very good “tone”). If you tell a client what those dancers did to get those bodies and what they would have to do to get them, their response would be, see you later, don’t have the time.
Just like their talents are achieved over time, the same goes for their bodies. It also doesn’t hurt that their genetics and height play a nice role. Still, this doesn’t mean that a 5’3” 35 year old woman can’t have long lean muscle. This doesn’t mean hteir posture can’t be so perfect that it gives the illusion of extra height and longer legs.
The key lies in stretching. Ever heard, “stair climbers make my calves bulky!” or, “I have been working out for three weeks and my thighs are bigger!” As a trainer, I hear it all the time. Mostly it is because these women ignore stretching. Have you, the trainer, asked your female clients how often they stretch? And for how long? Two minutes before bedtime is not enough.
Surrounding muscle tissue is fascia. There are different functions and layers, but two such functions are flexibility and movement. You cannot alter length of given muscle, but you can reverse the damage created over time from being in a shortened state from day-to-day activities or workout routine. This is a key aspect to focus on with a client. What are they doing throughout the day? Are they standing all day in high heel shoes? Are they sitting all day in a chair creating shortened hip flexion? These factors need ton be taken into account to help create a longer and proportioned postural look.
Stretching should be done at the right times depending on workouts. A good guide to follow would be dynamic stretching pre-lifting/cardio, and static stretches post lifting/cardio. Self-myofascial release with foam rollers can be done anytime, and is one of the best methods for correcting tight and inflamed muscles due to its deep tissue activation and tension change in the golgi tendon organs. It is great to incorporate it anytime, even while just watching TV. The combination of all these styles of stretching will not only yield a better overall look to muscles and posture, but will give protection form injury as well.
Most trainers don’t spend time instructing clients in the art of stretching. “Go stretch after our session” isn’t enough instruction. Trainees need guidance.
Diet
There is one simple point I have to make: to gain muscle you need a surplus of calories. This means eat more than your body needs for energy in a day. That is what it takes to gain fat; and if lifting, to gain muscle.
The catch is that unless you carry a certification for nutrition, by some state laws you are not allowed to give specific dietary instructions. There is not law though that says you cannot point clients in the direction of how to find that information on their own. One of the things I recommend to trainers is to draw up an information package that provides a list of publications and sites that can easily answer their dietary questions. A little extra work on your part can even mean even better results for your client.
Sometimes, women start lifting to try to spot reduce problem areas, but they do not do anything about their diet. In some cases, they are eating over their calorie limit anyway (which is what most likely caused the fat gain), and think lifting will help them spot reduce those problem areas. You can not spot-reduce; fat is fat, and it comes off where it decides it wants to.
If a trainee wants smaller, flatter abs, and then starts doing a lot of abdominal isolation work while taking in surplus calories, then the abdominal area will get bigger. If seeing abdominal definition is the goal, the trainee needs to be in a calorie deficit (fewer calories eaten than burned) to lose body fat.
The diet should be clean and with proper amount of lean protein, good carbohydrates, and good fat sources. Water intake and sodium levels are important also.
Water retention usually rises when starting a workout routine because most people ignore taking in adequate amounts of water. It is easy to mistake a case of water retention for bulky thighs.
So as a trainer, make sure your clients understand the importance of nutrition and water intake, and how they affect appearance as far as bulky vs. feminine.
Women should not be afraid of lifting and lifting hard. The world for you does not have to be colored baby dumbbells anymore. Choosing the right program and right diet for your goals is all you need to get the body of your dreams.
Trainers, if you have women who are wary of those barbell squats, make sure that they know everything they should be doing once you walk away. Take the time at the end of each session and give them a stretching example or some diet tips. Make them aware of these issues and how to keep them on the right track. The more they are thinking of you when they leave, the better their bodies will be and the less likely that they will shake a finger at those weights.
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