I get asked a lot similar questions, so over the next month both on my Instagram (@fitchicnic) and on here, I’ll be going through the alphabet talking about some of the most common health and fitness related questions and topics.
B is for Bingo Wings / Body Fat / getting “Bulky”
My heart sinks every time a new client uses the phrase “bingo wings”, but it’s a common body gripe that a lot of women are self conscious about.
Similar to my post yesterday, a combination of decreasing body fat and strengthening the upper body will help ‘tone up’ the arms.
Try including these sort of exercises in your workouts:
– Incline push-ups
– Assisted pullups
– Tricep dips
– Back rows (standing, seated, bent over, single arm etc)
The “getting bulky” myth.
In my opinion and experience, sometimes when women start lifting weights/increasing their activity level, they get a lot more hungry and end up feeling like they can out-exercise a bad diet. However it’s then not the muscle mass that is the “bulk” (it takes months and years of hard work to gain a significant amount of muscle), it’s actually the excess body fat gained from eating more calories.
The client has gained muscle, but also body fat, increased glycogen and water retention, without losing anything. Their overall size has increased but it’s not due to muscle gain, it’s their caloric surplus.
However, getting into exercise and weightlifting usually means people end up wanting to eat more nutritious food and being mindful of portion sizes, so they end up leaner, firmer, and smaller, even if the diet hasn’t changed much.
Remember, your definition of what “bulky” is can be completely different to another’s view, it’s completely subjective. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but try not to judge and never tell any gym goer that they look “bulky,” “unfeminine” or “too muscley.”
Photography by www.derekbremner.com
@del_photos
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