There isn’t a week that goes by a new client, a new match that I swiped on Bumble or a women in the Chipotle line tells me she doesn’t lift weights because she doesn’t want too get bulky.

I get it, this has been going on for ages and completely understand where you are coming from.

I listen and approach each situation with caution  — some deal better with a rundown of some benefits from lifting while others get a better understanding when I show them pictures of my stunningly awesome clients and the beautiful *badass-ery* that they partake in on a regular basis.

*Side note* I frequently make up words like this. Sure they may not be real words but if we say them enough they might catch on…

A majority of my clients had the same mindset that lifting heavy weights will get them bulky when we start working together and some of the newer ones still do…which is completely fine.

But once they start seeing and feeling the benefits of being a strong and sexy badass, things tend to change rather quickly.

What is ‘bulky’?

Bulky is a relative and non definable term.

Google ‘bulk·y’ as:

taking up much space, typically inconveniently; large and unwieldy.

“a bulky piece of luggage”.

synonyms: large, big, huge, sizable, substantial, massive; More

antonyms: small, slight

(of a person) heavily built.

synonyms: large, big, huge, sizable, substantial, massive; More

What you consider to be bulky may be toned to one person and skinny to another. When people say I’m ‘big’ I laugh — I actually think I am quite small. What I consider big is a 220lb+ man jacked like Conan.

You decide what body type is attractive and desirable to you and to the opposite sex.

How awesome is that — you can literally choose the body type that you want and gear your goals and training towards that.

You decide.

Generally speaking most women associate being bulky with FEELING undesirable, which goes hand in hand with low self-esteem.

Notice I said FEELING undesirable not actually being undesirable.

In most cases what actually ends up happening is these women become more confident which is actually a very desirable trait.

Sounds like a pretty great benefit to me.

Why lifting weights won’t make you bulky

Time and Effort

If you are reading this article I  am assuming your definition of bulky is typically something like this…

Growing large ‘bulky’ muscles doesn’t happen overnight.

You won’t go to go to bed after Arnold’s favorite shoulder workout and wake up with Dwight Howard shoulders…it doesn’t work that way.

If this was the case you would see a lot more jacked guys and gals than you do now.

This is a brief look of what actually goes into a physique like this:

Building a significant amount of muscle takes tons of dedication while eating in a calorie surplus — it doesn’t happen on accident.

Ask anyone who has dedicated time to put on muscle and they will often complain about having to eat so much, literally to the point of being stuffed — lifting weights to get strong will not do it alone.

Have you ever been around someone who is a avid competitor in a physique sport (ie. bodybuilding, physique, bikini, figure)?

If so then you have seen the ridiculous amount of hard work, dedication, sacrifice and in most cases suffering that goes into their training and diet. So by you thinking that it will magically happen to you, you are discrediting all of their efforts to get to that point.

Meet Lucinda, one of the biggest weight lifting fanatics I have ever met…

Your physiology makes it difficult — but not impossible

Men have it easy— typically our physiology is better for building muscle and burning fat.

Some say: “Women can NEVER get bulky lifting weights”

I disagree.

*Remember bulky is a relative term which is defined by you*

To say that it can never happen is false because you may feel bulky if you only put on 3lbs of muscle vs. another women may feel bulky only after putting on 15lbs of muscle — obviously see the problem here.

I have coaching clients that come to me and want a bigger butt without getting bigger legs. I design a program specifically for that — master problem solver right here.

If I have a client who wants some more ‘meat’ on their legs but to keep their upper body the same…so be it, that is what the program will involve.

If you are happy with the amount of muscle you have you can still train heavy, gain strength and burn fat.

To do this keep a closer eye on your calorie intake and eat according to your goals.

Do you have to lift weights?

Some fitness ‘professionals’ say you have to lift weights no matter what, even if you hate it.

Although I am a HUGE fan of lifting heavy shit on the regular — it’s not 100% necessary.

If you genuinely don’t enjoy lifting weights, there are other alternatives that may provide similar health benefits.

That being said I have never worked with a client who didn’t end up liking it (at least some exercises) while others end up falling in love.

Benefits which may sway your decision:

Increase in confidence

More confidence = more sexiness = more desirable

Burn more fat

Lean muscle from lifting weights causes an increase in your metabolism even at rest — meaning you burn more calories.

Increase strength in your everyday life

How much of a badass would you feel like if you could carry 4 more bags at a time when you are unloading groceries at home?

How much better would life be if you pick up your daughter and give her the biggest kiss ever when you get home from work and not be in any pain what so ever?

Yes, sign me up for both.

Prevent ailments associated with aging

Lifting weights can also fight off and even in some cases prevent common ailments that are typically seen with aging — things such as osteoporosis and muscle wasting can be kicked to the curb with lifting weights.

A decrease in coordination and reaction time is a huge problem with the older population. Everyday tasks become difficult and risk of injury shoots out of the roof.

Strength training doesn’t have to be purely lifting heavy weights. Most people find it extremely difficult to get up off the floor.

Yea, you read that right.

The thing we used to do in .2 seconds when we were kids. You hear moaning and growning and the amount of effort it takes for someone to actually get up off the floor is unreal.

Strength training doesn’t have to be bench pressing or deadlifting heavy weights.

It can simply be re-learning how to get up and down off the floor — like this…

Postive mindset shift

When you focus on a positive goal our minds work differently.

Setting a performance goal of achieving a 1.5x bodyweight deadlift focuses on positive outcomes and doing things to make yourself better.

On the other hand…

Setting a body fat percentage goal is often associated with not being happy with your body and where you are now which subconsciously gives negative feedback.

Now go lift some weights

In all seriousness strength training is amazing, I love it and will do some sort of it until the day I die.

The funny thing is I have seen this happen with pretty much every single one of my clients — both males and females.

Some fall in love with it while others see the benefits and decide it is important for them to keep in their lives.

Both are completely fine.

You will find things you enjoy doing more than others and some that feel better. The key is finding what you enjoy and doing it safely and effectively.

If you don’t know what you are doing reach out to a coach who does — they are hard to come by but I promise they are out there.

Ask around until a name keeps coming up and you hear great things about them.

Contact them and if they are selling you magic run the other way. But if you run make sure you do some sprinter bridges first like Lauren so you can at least be extra fast!

Find someone that makes you feel comfortable and safe with an open line of communication.

If you are interested in working with me

APPLY FOR COACHING HERE 

I will get back to you within 48 hours.

The same rules still apply — I don’t work with anyone and everyone simply because we may not be a good fit. If that’s the case that’s OK we can still love each other and I’ll give you one of my famous high fives.

Now go lift some heavy stuff — safely of course and tag me so I can smile and yell out all sorts of curse words that Momma P doesn’t like just to show my joy.

-Joey