How to stop muscle bulk??

[bluerider]

Welcome to the board, be sure to check in under the getting to know you thread!

You can't look like a vogue model and be an athlete. You have to have muscle to make the bike go, there's no way to not build muscle while continuing to work out (other than having an eating disorder). Embrace it and show of your shapely calves.

My quads have blown up since I started riding and I'm damn proud of it. The idea that women shouldn't be strong and powerful drives me buggy-because if you think about it it's a backwards notion meant to keep women out of "male" spheres.

Runnergirl, to your comments I say AMEN!

Noushkin, welcome to the board! I'm glad you are enjoying riding but don't fear bulking up. You'll never be the size of the incredible hulk because you aren't made up that way (ie testosterone).

Inevitably your hams, quads, calves, and glutes will get bigger but they are a testament to your hard work and they are there to power you on!!! I know it's easy to be self conscious about getting "bigger" but it's muscle, definition that you are building. Show it off!

If "hams" are really a concern, I do find that spinning at high cadences have really helped to burn the fat and increase definition without building insane bulk. Nonetheless, since I've been riding, I've noticed my calves have gotten bigger and my quads are cut, and I'm hella proud of them!

[Raindrop]

Everyone else is right in that most women don't have adequate testosterone to hytrophy or increase muscle mass easily. (If it were easy, some women bodybuilders would be HUGE without steroids...much less expensive.). Anyway, what you want to look toward is your diet. One-hundred percent of what you look like is attributed to at least eighty percent, diet. Don't fall into the "I'm working a lot harder so I need to eat a LOT more."

Keep a ruthless diary of what you eat and what you eat for your workouts. I've been a personal trainer for years and through many mistakes and re-evaluations of methodolgy have found that the clients that are honest about their intake vs. their actual output (bikeing, weight-training, running etc.) are the most successful on body composition.

Those of us that are cyclists need to eat for their rides, but not overeat. That means, an easy ride needs a regular diet, a more difficult ride...more carbohydryates, an extensive ride or an "intense" ride means a diet heavy with complex carbohydrates and adequate protein for muscle recovery.

Be honest with yourself. That's the only way to find the balance.

[SnappyPix]

Sigh. I wish my calf muscles would bulk up, or even appear from time to time to say hello!

[Selkie]

AMEN to all who embrace their muscular quads, hams, glutes, and calves!! I think you're lucky to put on muscle so easily Compare an athlete (Serena Williams) to a supermodel --- l'd much rather have Serena's strong, powerful body.