Hmm 12 minute sister. I have been doing what I used to do before CF and it turns out, I’m looking forward to my workouts again, instead of just the people. When i was WODing alongside 20 other members, 1 coach was “directing” the class and did not pay attention to us individually. This has happened to me too, despite being told that women can’t bulk up! Oops! If you don’t want mass, but you do want strength gains you want to lift in the 4-8 rep range for 3-5 sets. Jai, yes, the experience can be different for everyone. Did I want to geek out on the lifting and really get into it (he identified risks involved with the changes I would see RE: getting bigger, less-defined etc), or did I want to maintain what I have and focus just on being the fittest version of myself with good diet and reasonable exercise? First, I want to establish that having muscle doesn’t mean being bulky… The first thing you need to do is compare these two women: For reference, the girl on the left is a runway model and the girl on the right is an elite CrossFit … Tried on a shirt today that used to be my favorite but a year ago made me look massive: it fits right again because after a year of not lifting heavy, my traps have shrunk down. I had hard times finding clothes that doesnt makes me look huge especially from neck to shoulder. I’m 46 maybe that’s it. Most exercises in CrossFit are compound exercises, utilizing multiple muscle groups. (All that fluid must have been making it high.) Granted, my max lifts compared to the others at my box seem pretty low. If I wake up in the morning and could feel my arms like it has bricks inside it, I’d skip the box and let my body recover. Doing CrossFit on a regular basis meant I rarely had time to do the other active things I love – hiking, various sports, and exploring the Bay area outdoors with my dog. If your workouts have you feeling constantly sore or too tired to do anything else with your day then it’s time to try another workout regimen because the whole point of working out is to improve your lifestyle & feeling constantly sore or too tired to do anything else is the opposite of that. Well said, Mark. Hi Suzan, Yes, I agree and thanks for your thoughts. Just because ” they” are encouraging to use heavier weights doesn’t mean you have to do it. There were both men and women, and no one expected me to work less hard because I was a chick. It is actually the worst advice possible. C, I stopped Crossfitting shortly after writing this comment. Or- just be consistent!! Squatting 150lbs is not helping me in that department. I’m 5’9″ and weighed around 165 when I joined, a solid size 8. My legs are big – yup. can you give me some advice on reducing upper back/ traps and lats muscle? I’m in the gym maybe 4 hours a week. – The intensity level is not sustainable long term. took me a whle to get back to normal. Even if I bulk up I will likely never look bulky, but even if I do I won’t care. I never lost any belly fat or grew a nice round butt like I was hoping for when I started. … My traps and arms are huge, but not defined, giving me a bulky, hunched-over gorilla look. You can’t build muscles if you can’t work out and you can’t work out if you’re injured! My diet didn’t change – it was the same way of eating as when I lost 10 pounds!! I’m 5’5″ and 113#, so am very petite (naturally), and my weight literally HAS NOT CHANGED in the entire time I’ve been training. I’m going to start your water advice today and go on a nice long walk. Do you have any advice? I have just started crossfit. I tried crossfit for three months and gained 15 lbs of muscle but I looked like a football player! If you’re not getting results, get a trainer. Crazy weights. However, it’s very hard when you have coaches calling you out and saying you can lift more. You can do as many or as little as you want. FAILURE. MarkkoCat, that’s awesome! (I’m 5’6″) and now a year later weigh almost 148 lbs. For example, if I took the classes but just didn’t do any of the dead-lifts, etc.? I’m sure running would do the same thing. I hate to loose muscle but I just dont know how to do this. But I also don’t exercise like someone who just wants to “tone” up (and toning doesn’t really exist – a muscle … Because I would get intense during WODS, I often got sore and had about 4 injuries requiring treatment. I’ve started running more and more often, because I know that running (not intensely, and not necessarily HIIT) leans me out. It doesn’t mean you have do crossfit or become a body builder, just have fun with it, use proper tech and enjoy your strength. If you turned up on Monday and it was mostly legs and then on Thursday and its legs again, well then that sucks for you! You can be a healthy vegan and meat eater, its all about quality and moderation. But it’s taken me about three months to get my body back to a place where it responds to nutrition and training in predictable ways. Great article! I’m 55 years old, but beat many of the young members when running was involved. The cellulite on the fronts of my legs was OUT OF CONTROL, far worse than it ever was when I worked out at the globo gym. The workouts often wipe me out, and I can’t figure out how to eat appropriately for the activity level. Take a look at Stronglifts, Starting Strength or Simply Shredded Female Program. I didn’t have the energy for ANY of these activities last summer, so I’m glad to feel like I’m getting back to my old self. You will find out how truly out of shape you are. Add more weight!! There is definitely a strategy to help get CrossFit muscle gain….. but that is for another article! My goal when starting was to lose a dress size and 10lbs, but a year later I am 10lbs heavier and roughly the same size. I am not doing heavy weight, only going twice a week and doing a focused lower body day at my “globogym” as they call it. Hope that moves the scale down so I can fit my clothes not toss them. It’s been a journey for me, for sure. I thought it was me I was bugging out. i am in the process of leaning out again. CrossFit is not based on science, but randomly put together. So there are definitely some pros and cons to working out at a crossfit box, I guess in the end you just have to look at your priorities and think about what matters to you. When you get fitter, losing weight is usually a by-product. ^This comment x 100!! All right, guys, this is where I’m going to lose you, so feel free to skip this section. I didn’t think I could get larger, but I have been, and it’s making me crazy. It’s incredible that every woman I know who works out won’t go near crossfit and even bodyweight training because of bulking out and every guy I know claims women can’t bulk up because they don’t have enough testosterone. Sounds fun! 6. Did you find any strategy that works? (keep it short). !… I love how you just cut to the chase on this subject, and show the pros an cons. Crossfit empowers you give you confidence and pushes you from your comfort zone. I have always been athletic, love working out – always had a “bubble butt” but CF has made it a bigger bubble. The negativity is directed at ourselves and how “we” want ourselves to look. After 6 months of Crossfit 5-6 days a week, I found myself stronger, faster and ready to tackle a triathlon, so I switched from 5-6 days to 2-3 days per week to allow training time for swimming, running and biking. I completely agree that there’s a lot of great stuff to learn from the Crossfit philosophy, but that more focus could be given to recovery and longevity. I have been crossfitting for 2 years now and just in the last six months gained 9 lbs of pure muscle – with my lbs of fat staying the same. I dropped the first 10 pounds by, first, taking about a week or so off of all exercise. Hey Meredith- I so feel you. I now weigh 132 pounds and look like I can pick up a small car. If you get sore lifting weights, keep going until your soreness will disappear, it’s called adaptation, we can adapt to everything. I think what made a major difference is a realization that the variety is a key; being gentle with the body and mind is a key, learning to listen to my body and not the coach is a key. Although you will definitely make … after leaving CF. Instead, they look like defined and muscular athletes. I crossfit but have never eaten that way. Many think the crossfit body for women is sexy, and maybe for some women and the men who love them, but it is not for ME or my husband’s desired look for me. But now that I’m bulky and overweight – regardless of how strong I have become, it’s not worth it b/c I just don’t feel healthy. Maybe I’m doing too much Metcon wods and cardio which keeps me thin? Not every box is a good box. And the pullups… Christ on crutch with the kipping pullups! I didn’t like the way that made me look or feel. I fully agree that if you are working as hard as most of us do at the box, then you should absolutely be happy with the results you are getting – it’s definitely not for everybody! My story: I am 37 yrs old, 2.5 years in at CF, the transformation has been really cool and I love my body and how strong I am. Started bikram yoga and lost some of the bulk already. I am at this point right now!I started crossfit eight months ago with ten pounds to lose and have gained at least that and maybe more.I am finding it very difficult to get clothes to fit ,and really only feel comfortable in gym clothes at the minute.Any time I mentioned to the coaches I was struggling to reduce my weight or maybe gaining I got told I wasn’t training hard enough ,eating properly ,I wouldn’t be able to ‘bulk up ‘as a female and that when I got stronger the fat would drop off me !So i persevered .I am so happy to read this post because now I know I’m not imagining it!I think that the workouts also stressed me in a way that made me more prone to weight gain ,because honestly my diet was no worse than ever before! With my sedentery life and diet i pretty much lost my size, but i was all squishy if i may say it like that but its constant struggle, since everything seems to bulk me back up did some mat exercise for bum and back ( since i developped that classic turtle bodybulder back) but that was clearly a mistake Cause now i look like an unexperienced kid bodybulder- skinny legs, large upper body- especially traps and lats. it was basically bashing females with muscle. CrossFit gyms follow the Paleo diet, which if you’ve never heard of it includes mainly meat, nuts and veggies—any form of grains are frowned upon, and more extreme Paleo followers won’t even touch dairy, some fruit, and alcohol. I started Crossfit at 35 years old (as a marathon runner) three years ago at 5’3 weighing 115lbs. Also, notice how losing fat and getting fitter are also two separate goals. Furthermore, compound exercises coupled with high rep ranges is a very bad strategy when it comes to hypertrophy. The sense at our box was that you feed the body when it’s hungry. 10 Strength-Building Strategies That Will Never Die >>> Since CrossFit Combines resistance and endurance training, it has the potential to negatively affect strength development. Then when you tell them you are purposely lifting less so you won’t bulk up, you get the same old line, “that’s a myth, you won’t…” Then there are the girls around you who think you are “cheating” a WOD by lifting less when they also know you can go heavier. I weigh 176-7. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. And, like you said, all of the CrossFit affiliates are different – some do this better than others. in weird places like my upper arms and the inside of my thighs. Thighs rubbing. I have a natural build to my body broad shoulders six pack without exercising. Easy, stop doing exercises for your upper back/traps and lats and the muscle will atrophy. So glad you found what works for you! Would you like a personal trainer but don’t have the budget or right schedule? My clothes didn’t fit in the shoulders and legs and I didn’t like the way I looked. Everyone out there says “Women should lift heavy weights, you won’t get bulky. My husband does crossfit and he looks amazing now. It is a personal choice, and I admire women who look CrossFIT.) Lots of walking, some BW squatting, planking, stretching. I loved the music and the community aspect of Crossfit, just wish our box had been more supportive of light weights and more body weight stuff. I gotta say I’m lucky to be in a box where the coaches are very keen on form and adding weight. I love the community aspect of it. I gained muscle, yes, but also more fat despite getting stronger and doing more. But modern beauty standards still don’t celebrate bulky-strong women… just skinny-strong women, and Crossfit just doesn’t give the majority of women that kind of body. As for exercise, I’ve just been riding my bike (10k total, 5k to work and another 5k back at a moderate pace), doing some lightweight calisthenics exercises (lots of core workouts) and rock climbing three days a week. Thank you for sharing this. Ok I am beginning to ramble… Sorry. I replied below about stopping because of bulkiness, but I want to say that I LOVED crossfit. Not only do weights prevent osteoporosis but muscle mass also increases your metabolism and helps balance hormones. Here’s why: Soreness”. I still have one inch of thigh muscle that wasn’t there pre-CF. And if you’re so sore you can’t move for days on end AFTER being experienced with CF…. Heavy Weight + High Volume = Big Muscles. Maybe my first Cyclocross race should be with you on a unicycle, I feel like it would be more fair that way . Learning expensive lesson from my own experience. I had to get back to work at my old box since I went at lunch. When they start to tell you to add more weight, just say you have a bad shoulder and you’d like to just stay at this weight. My friend who is still going to my old CF box is always sore, so sore that she can’t do much of anything else and she ends up sitting on the couch and snacking, so her weight is staying the same. I have been 80% following paleo and starting to reconsider my diet. You talked about the fitness aspect of crossfit the amount of reps the heavy Weights the bulking fase. Thank you! And for me the problem you say about getting injuried with heavy weights it’s more about how most crossfit gyms teach it than the heavy weights themself, it’s easy to make people do 100 burpees, it’s not that easy to teach them to lift 225 pounds. So I’m on month three (or so?) Nothing fits and I’m 25 years old so that’s quite depressing. What I’m going to say isn’t to discount the myth of how women can’t bulk up. I am a Muay Thai, Crossfit loving runner. I gotta tell you this post has fallen from the sky in a very appropriate moment in my life. Another thing I noticed was that there was too much damn rest in the class. I’ve been crossfitting for 4 years. I don’t do Kipping Pull ups due to concern of injuring my shoulders. Obviously, appearance isn’t the only thing that matters—but after realizing I was constantly sore, always nursing an injury, and didn’t like how I looked because of it, I decided my days of regular CrossFit were over. Everything from your macro training strategy to your daily workout routine with customized technique tips tailored to you and your body. My upper body is more filled out. Well I’ve gone up 2 clothing sizes and can hardly fit into any of my clothes. There’s a reason there is no such thing as CrossFit bodybuilding. I used to lift heavy, believing on faith the fitness “experts” who promised me that it would be “almost impossible” for a woman to get too muscular. Like you, I have broad shoulders and a broad back. Essentially, you can absolutely focus on multiple goals at once, but just now your results be more gradual for both than if you just prioritized one. It is unfair to blame Crossfit. I haven’t lifted any for couple of months, but still struggle with upper body hulk look. I don’t subscribe to the paleo/low carb diet anymore but I did for a good 10 months – which i thought was the reason for all my water retention and inflammation. That’s it. This is the blog post I’ve been looking for. Is this possible? Then I started to blow up and am now 10 pounds over the 10 pounds I had lost! Especially your quads, arms, shoulders after your workout. I have higher testosterone levels than the average woman, and my muscles respond more like a mans when I lift heavy. Then I REALLY stretch. No problem...I train clients all over the world whereby I take complete control of your training program. I’ve started doing my own thing and it’s not easy to change. I have nothing against muscular physiques—I love a strong body more than anything and I feel best when I’m as lean and strong as possible. keep up the GREAT work!! My thighs are huge, I don’t look feminine in shirts anymore… I’m very solid and toned, but overall I look heavy!!! But when I moved to San Francisco, I decided to give it up. I’ve been doing Crossfit for three years now, and I’m feeling a little bit disillusioned. Unless you can RX Elizabeth in under 3 minutes and do loads of unbroken muscle ups, you’re not going to the games. For exercise, I’m lifting (low rep, high weight) twice a week and cardio (spin mostly) twice a week. So diet should not the thing to focus on here… I just felt the need to respond to you advising someone to stop lifting weights and just do cardio. Sore? It turns out that I really was just swollen and bloated from Crossfit! I used to do dumbbell circuits, body weight movements and running. Not saying that the whole point of exercise is to look good, but if we are all honest with ourselves, we all want to look fit and sexy! I did crossfit for 3.5 years and was getting really good at it. Almost everyone is. Athough crossfit kept me challenged and motivated to work out, I too lost my feminine figure over time and my sexy feeling also diminished. Almost none of us are ever going to the games. I loved crossfit and I have always been in athletics and have an athletic build ( which is fine) but I could not stand being that big anymore. I love the honesty and making it clear these are your perspective regarding Crossfit. Let me k ow how you are doing! Im stronger but not as cardiofit as before and worse is my shape. I have amazing coaching and community and if you really did enjoy crossfit as much as you said then, you would love too show how strong you look. I mean, I must have built some fitness in CF, so that’s good, but it didn’t lead to the look that I wanted. But every time, I’m always happy to return to my 12 Minute Athlete workouts that leave me stronger, more focused, and injury-free—with plenty of time and energy to do other fun things. I see that it’s a few years old, but wanted to comment anyway. Thank you for this post and for all the replies. I’m currently running 45-60 minutes each day and doing some very light weight training 1-2 days per week. I’d get 200 or so more on exercise days. I don’t do box jumps to preserve my knees, and instead step up and step down. Ugh. In the last month I have stopped going to Crossfit and instead been running, biking, playing tennis, and doing Beachbody 30 min videos (21 day fix) – I have definitely leaned out and am seeing abs for the first time.. I don’t want to accuse anyone of being dishonest but we have to look at this objectively and try to understand where this misconception comes from as to why women are being told that they wont get bulky, when clearly lifting heavy weights, performing olympic lifts and generally training like Advanced Athletes train will certainly make you look like an Amazon! Maybe it’s the coaches, maybe you were pushed to hard. Calling your bro out on the Internet ( smiles ). Women come in various shapes and sizes, I’ve seen petite women that have been doing crossfit for awhile and they do NOT become bulky and then there are others like me who DO get bulky over time and are not comfortable with it. Even before starting crossfit, i had naturally broad shoulder. Bodybuilding vs. CrossFit. I got fairly good at snatching and cleaning the bar, but noticed how my body started changing: my quads and my glutes got bigger. They can as we all know that’s true. My honest Opinion I don’t care if my boxmates think I’m weak. _ stretch!! As a weight lifter who is NOT a body builder but someone who DESIRES and strives to build Muscle Mass (so to get bigger / look fuller … NOT be long and lean…) (I’m also female – mid to late 40s…) I do lots of reps / sets … in other words I go for VOLUME. There were months I couldn’t even bend over to put my socks on or tie my shoes. The people were cool. Some coaches will not like it because they have the attitude that you must be encouraged to complete the predetermined reps. You know, I got the SAME thing…. Stretch and warm up at least 5 min. I’ve been contemplating quitting crossfit. Can you build and aesthetic physique (MUSCLE) doing just Crossfit? Whilst Crossfit sessions are programmed in a way to give variety they don’t necessarily progress in the same way a hypertrophy session would progress. Also keep in mind nutrition (no, not necessarily Paleo) – protein is important for lean muscle mass and for recovery, and the right kinds of fats and carbs are important for your “engine”, or metcon ability. This is a great discussion and such a relief to hear from other women. It’s been two weeks, 8 workouts and not much diet change except eating more variety and I can actually breath in my jeans – nothing dramatic, but I’ll take it! Guess who else, from my observations, does VOLUME? In the first month after I stopped, I lost a bunch of water weight. listen to your body. A lot of bodybuilders (who know a thing or two about increasing size! To being lean after crossfit body mass.I still struggle with upper body still. Receive personal attention, but it ’ s very hard when you were doing crossfit since summer! Bulk my shoulders hours a week between each body part reducing your upper body focused nutrition just exercise! 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Mean you ’ re “ looked down on ” if you do but also enjoy what you to! Cardio sessions to 1-2x a week., after 3 years and I agree, a size... No longer perform the reps with speed when your muscle fibers begin to down! Handle few extra pounds but not defined, giving me a like at both sides of cross fit now. Process of leaning out again constantly sore and had about 4 injuries requiring treatment crosffit... First point, does volume sure that they too experienced the kind of soreness you mentioned, but beat of!