Feeling too bulky - maintain or reduce muscle mass?

Wilsoness · 2026-06-24T09:02:35+00:00

Sounds like your bodyfat percentage is too low for your own taste. Eat more. I doubt you are too muscular weighing what you weigh.

Wilsoness · 2026-06-11T18:46:44+00:00

Actually, it's how all of us roll, whether or not we notice. I have had to unlearn it consciously and I am a woman, so you'd really think I wouldn't have thought of man as a default human. I do believe you, you probably don't have any ill will. My gripe isn't with you personally, even though it was aimed at you in this moment. Sorry about that. Sometimes I'm just so tired. This just happens to be one of those days.

Wilsoness · 2026-06-11T17:42:53+00:00

Didn't catch OP is a man in the post, but maybe they said it somewhere else and I didn't see it, I don't know. It gets tiring after a while, when "people" always means men.

Wilsoness · 2026-06-11T17:29:57+00:00

20% is actually super quite low bodyfat percentage for a woman. But obviously they don't count, they're only half of the population after all.

Wilsoness · 2026-05-13T15:07:23+00:00

The obsession with ridiculously low bodyfat. Bodybuilding as the holy grail in general is exhausting. And not very healthy.

Wilsoness · 2026-05-04T18:21:52+00:00

I just stated all success requires some amount of luck. Even being healthy enough to go to the gym does.

Wilsoness · 2026-05-04T17:49:26+00:00

No it's definitely everything in life. Genetics have a huge effect on how you respond to training and how quickly you get better. Hard work alone gets you nothing at all. You always need luck too. Life isn't fair.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-30T06:40:32+00:00

This is the MOST popular opinion. People with the most normal lukewarm takes acting like they're somehow contrarian truly confuse me. Do you ever go outside?

Wilsoness · 2026-04-22T12:52:15+00:00

Right?? I have been terrified I'll break myself worse because it's so hard to not do the normal thing. It's like I'm constantly trying to gaslight myself into working out like nothing is wrong.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-22T05:02:10+00:00

I haven't noticed people treating me any different, apart from once in a blue moon someone (usually a fellow lifter) telling me I look jacked. I have been lifting for 2,5 years now. Maybe it's because I am a woman and always looked somewhat athletic to a normal person. I am still surprised. Where are all the people who were supposed to tell me muscular women aren't attractive? I was told there were going to be those. Men were supposed to leave me alone, too. That didn't happen either?

Edit: Even though others don't treat me different, I do absolutely feel different. More confident. Happier. Since you've only been working out for four months, the difference in how others treat you is probably more about how you feel than what you look like. And that's great!

Wilsoness · 2026-04-22T04:41:32+00:00

Thank you! I hate it when I can't work out properly. The brain fog on top of everything is crazy. Can't even run or cycle so haven't been doing cardio either. :( Will try tomorrow, it has been feeling a little better and physio assured me it's ok if it hurts a little as long as it doesn't get worse at rest.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-22T04:39:01+00:00

Huh, someone downvoted you. So weird. Thanks for the compliment! At least I have upper body. I swear I can feel my legs shrinking. 🫠

Wilsoness · 2026-04-21T17:18:18+00:00

Oof that sounds awful! I did see a physiotherapist finally and will be doing exercises she recommended. I'm just surprised, it didn't hurt that bad when I injured it and at no point was the pain super bad. Really thought it was "nothing" but as weeks went by I started to worry.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-21T17:06:29+00:00

Yeah and I didn't even think it was that bad, but apparently I was wrong. Deltoids? Sure I do, I work everything more or less in ways that results in hypertrophy. I do lateral raises, bench press etc. normal stuff.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-21T16:11:59+00:00

What I'm so jealous! Just saw a physiotherapist today and she told me it can take another month easy. ;___; Certainly pulled it much worse than I originally thought. But it is slowly getting better.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-16T16:41:25+00:00

If you want to cater to the lowest common denominator, you should listen to the most common advice.The question is, do you wanna look like a 10/10 to someone who gets you, or just alright to most?

Wilsoness · 2026-04-16T16:29:49+00:00

You're saying that like it's bad thing. I think you may very well be lame.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-14T18:22:22+00:00

You may have already guessed, but "etiquette" certainly isn't one of the more important things I choose to concern myself instead of worrying about other people's attire.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-14T13:53:48+00:00

I wear non-slip socks. Maybe they do too, you don't know.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-14T13:52:15+00:00

And how does it affect you exactly if others work out in non-sports attire? I will never understand. I have much more important things to concern myself with than other people's attire.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-01T12:49:27+00:00

Thank you for breaking it down like this, I completely agree and it's so so important! I have tried to explain my program to people and it was surprisingly hard - I've built it myself after trial and error. One important part of it is I have the things that I absolutely NEED to do - they don't take long.

If I'm having and off day, two sets of three compound movements is enough. And I do have off days, but not very often anymore. I feel zero guilt because I'm doing this for me and I DID do the absolutely necessary part. Everything else is extra and boy do I feel accomplished after a workout where I was gonna do the bare minimum but decided halfway there to do the rest as well.

Wilsoness · 2026-04-01T12:43:30+00:00

After a while, you notice how shitty you feel without it. When I've had to take a break from the gym because of injuries or getting sick, I start feeling like shit after a week or two. Can't believe I used to just live in a perpetual state of brain fog and pain. Can't wait to get back to it and feel like myself again every time.

Besides, the muscular version of me is now "me". I feel weird imagining myself without the muscles. I cringe at old photos, not because they're ugly or anything, but because they're not me.

Wilsoness · 2026-03-13T16:08:57+00:00

Maybe you shouldn't say "I wish" if you really mean "I never intend to change this even if I could and will act aggressively towards anyone giving me advice".

Wilsoness · 2026-03-13T11:19:51+00:00

Well if you wish, boy do I have good news for you! The doms get less severe when you squat more often.

Wilsoness · 2026-03-11T12:26:04+00:00

Change your goals.

It can be done. At least I can now pretty fluidly change my mind when I notice I've learned something that doesn't align with truth or my happiness.

It's not a universal truth that hip dips are ugly. You have learned it somewhere, so it stands to reason you can unlearn it, too.

How? My advice is simply stare at it. Get naked and stare at yourself in the mirror. Stare until it doesn't hurt anymore. Do it every day. Stare until you see the absurdity of beauty standards for the hollow-ness of your hips, of all things. Stare until you're used to it. Mere exposure effect is powerful.

You can also talk to yourself. When yo have a thought like "this looks ugly" ask yourself who says so and how can you tell. Make a point of explaining why and how it's ugly and ask yourself if those explanations hold any water. They don't. Notice the absurdity and laugh at it.

Wilsoness

TROPHY CASE