How to Avoid Bulking Up

How to Avoid Bulking Up with Workout Routines

On Monday, while doing my squat workout, I heard a guy say to his workout partner, "I don't want to bulk up".

I also hear that, and I'm sure you do to, from many women that strength train.

Please realize one workout is not going to give you muscles the size of Arnold.

If you are really concerned about adding size to your body, just make sure to monitor your limb circumference on a weekly basis. It's that simple.

And you also better be sure that your bulking up isn't coming from eating too much. But nutrition isn't our topic of the day...exercise is...

The other week I was in the gym training a female client. And we just happened to start our workout at the exact same time another woman climbed on an elliptical machine to start her regular 45-minute low-intensity cardio workout.

Here's what our female client did in 45 minutes:

Warm-up circuit (3 rounds):

• Sumo squat (10 reps)
• Stability Ball Leg Curl (12 reps)
• Incline Push-up (6 reps) ===> pictured above
• Beginner Bodyweight Row (5 reps)
  

Superset #1 (3 sets for each superset)

• Assisted Chin-up (Worked up to a 3 rep maximum)
• Bulgarian Split Squat with Medicine Ball (10 reps)
  

Superset #2

• Full Pushups (5 reps)
• 1-leg RDL (8 reps)

Superset #3

• Plank with Arms on Ball (20 seconds - Needs improvement!)
• Back Extension on Ball (12 reps)
  

Superset #4

• DB Row (10 reps)
• Cable Chop (12 reps)

Now take a guess. Which young lady do you think has a better body?

You better believe it was the girl doing the bodyweight and free-weight strength training.

Still not convinced that strength training helps give women a better body without bulking up?

Here are more tips on how females (and males) should train so that the risk of bulking up is minimal.

1) Reduce the volume of weight training.

Do only one work set instead of 3. So if it says 3 sets of 8, do only 1 set of 8. This will still put your body in some turbulence, allowing you to burn calories during and after exercise, as well as improving your strength and bone mineral density.

(In healthy people, higher intensity exercise almost ALWAYS means greater increases in health measures.)

Gaining mass is a function of intensity and volume. So if a woman reduces the volume, but keeps the intensity, she will get all the strength benefits and a lot of the metabolism boosting benefits without the paranoia of getting bulky.

NOTE: Gaining mass is also a function of FOOD volume. If you are over-eating, you will bulk up. You can't blame strength training if you are eating too much.

2) Use more bodyweight exercises.

And I'm not just talking about lunges.

I used 10 bodysculpting bodyweight exercises in the workout above. These put "turbulence" on the muscle and help men and women get lean.

More and more women are experiencing the benefits of strength training and finding out that "bulking up" has nothing to do with lifting weights,

CB

P.S. Time is running out...
To get this month's Turbulence Training for Women 4-Week Bodyweight Workout.

Get started using the right combination of bodyweight and free weight exercises.

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All workouts can be done at home with a bench, a ball, and dumbbells.

And honestly, your best bet is to upgrade to the TT Membership so that you don't have to pay again for all the future TT workouts I design.

bulk up workout routine