Having been in the fitness industry for quite a while, one of the statements I hear the most (especially from women) is “I don’t lift weights because I don’t want to get bulky”. You can rest assured as it is not as simple as that. Individuals who say that do so just out of misinformation; it’s not their fault, there is simply a lot of misinformation out there and I’d like to shed some light on this topic. Read further if you have thought this yourself!
Why you won’t get bulky so easily
Every time I hear somebody saying “I don’t lift because I don’t want to get bulky” I refrain from rolling my eyes; especially since those whom usually say have never been in a gym and know very little about fitness. Once again, it’s not their fault… it’s a belief system that is created based on what people think or see. Fortunately (or not) it’s not so easy to bulk up accidentally or by mistake and here are my main three reasons:
Reason #1: You need time
Nothing happens overnight; it would be like saying “I don’t prepare dinner because I don’t want to become a professional chef”. Do you think it would really happen like so, accidentally? Everything in life takes time. Think about this: when is the last time that you got any sort of result effortlessly, in no time? I don’t know if it’s only me, but it never happened to me.
I don’t know what you think, but I honestly don’t think it’s possible that if you are a newbie and you have never touched a dumbbell in your life, the first time you go to the gym and grab a 10lbs dumbbell, lift it a couple of times… then you’ll wake up next day and say “Ohhh dang! Look at these massive biceps! I lifted too much yesterday!”. Do you really think that is what’s going to happen? I don’t think so. I wish it were so easy!
It would be like reading a book on productivity and thinking that next day you’ll be the new Elon Musk; do you think it happens in one day, just like so? Anything in life takes time. Think about it… how easy was it for you to become so good at your job? Did you wake up one day and… you were a lawyer? Or a nuclear engineer? Mmmm… chances are it’s not the case. It took you effort, commitment, determination… and time! Am I wrong?
Reason #2 – You need heavy weights
To get big you need to lift big weights; especially if you are at the beginning of your journey, chances are you are not strong enough to lift heavy weights. And fear not, lifting light weights will not make you bulky. We all started light and progressed our way up to heavier weights, but you will plateau pretty soon, trust me. I lift 4 to 5 times a week with heavy weights, like 230lbs deadlift and 150lbs squat… still my legs look like two celery sticks! Why?
Because if it took light weights to get bulky we would all be in a great shape! Think about it for one second: have you ever seen anybody get bulky lifting groceries in a bag or a parent getting big simply lifting their baby and holding him/her for a few minutes, or even hours? No. Why? Because those are “light weights”. Muscles grow upon intense workouts under heavy loads. Lifting 10lbs during your training session will have some benefits, but definitely won’t make you look any bulkier.
The scientific reason behind it is that with light weights you are not able to stress your muscles fibers enough to generate a significant muscle growth.
Reason #3 – Nutrition
Unless your nutrition is spot on, muscles won’t grow so easily. By “spot on” I mean eating a very, very high amount of protein (like 130-150gr per day) and absolutely zero junk food. Most of the people have no idea what they are eating nor what should they eat. Modern society has us overfed with an insane amount of sugar, fats and calories in general that likely 90% of people don’t know what their daily needs are. Once again, I’m pretty sure my nutrition is healthier than 90% of the people, still I struggle to put on even one single pound of lean mass, no matter how hard I bust my ass off in the gym. To grow muscle you need the right nutrients, in the right amounts and at the right time.
Conclusion
If you are at the beginning of your fitness journey and you fear bulking up after a few sessions in the gym, you can rest assured. People who really want to bulk and grow big muscles have specific goals; they are extremely committed, focused on their target and they know what to do. They meticulously care about every detail of their diet, lifting program, habits and lifestyle. Generally, they have a level of commitment that the average gym-goer doesn’t have: they don’t skip gym today because their family is in town, they don’t have cheat meals and they lift heavy. Really heavy. Unless you’re one of them, your muscle will not grow like theirs.
My point is that any goal is hard to reach: losing weight, stay in shape, become wealthy, grow a professional career… everything takes commitment. Rarely do you get a promotion just because you showed up at work 4 days in a row, you know that. The same is with anything else, even growing muscles and becoming bulky. Unless you are really intentional at what you’re doing, it won’t happen by accident.