bulk and muscle definition

[Rawling]

I want to lift weights so i was going to define my thighs and bulk up my calfs so it doesnt look like chiken legs. One thing Im not sure on is my behind. I wanted to bulk it up...what exercises are good for that besides lunges and squats? also i just wanted to bulk it up to appear atleast a little bigger in my jeans but I dont want it rock hard. Does anyone know if it will be rock hard and am i better of not bulking it up soo much but just work it out the same amount as the rest of my body? thanks

[jaurequi]

Stairmasters and stair stepper-type fitness machines work the behind very well while defining the legs nicely. Walking/light jogging uphill also works well, as well as adjusting the incline on a treadmill (running might actually slim that area in a lot of people). There are other machines in a gym for working the back of the legs which also work the buttocks. Rock climbing, hiking uphill, stairs.

[rawcanadagirl]

Rawling, my butt is my biggest problem area! I have to work it extra hard to get good shape and size. You are really on the right track with the squats and lunges - they will make the biggest difference. There is "specialized" gym equipment that claims to isolate the glutes, but I have seen the most come from squats (REALLY good exercise). Also, I will do steps onto a box (don't know the official name for this - call it step-ups). I step up onto a box (approx 2' high), completing about 8-12 reps per leg (depending), while holding weights. Be careful not to let your knee/lower leg lean forward. Keep the lower leg perpendicular to the floor at all times. Really concentrating on good form/technique will make such a difference when you are training.There is one more exercise that I do for butt definition - but I think it would take a paragraph or 2 to explain it! Let me know if you want me to try ;)
Hope this helps!

[angelandarose]

If you are looking to bulk up/add mass you need to EAT for bulking. Any exercise that works the area is going to work but you have to have a bulking diet to add mass to your body.

Angie

[twinee1]

If you are looking to bulk up/add mass you need to EAT for bulking. Any exercise that works the area is going to work but you have to have a bulking diet to add mass to your body.

Angie

I beleive that resistence training with out a bulking diet will add some muscle mass, I have done it and have never done a "bulk diet". It did take me longer though, but on a good note I did not gain the unwanted fat along with it ! I find the bulking diet is a concept for the bodybuilder who wants to add muscle fast and then must strip the fat in a precontest period with diet and cardio. (In this process a % of the muscle goes with the fat ).

On the butt question you can do butt blaster exercises laying faace down on the ball.

[angelandarose]

It did take me longer though, but on a good note I did not gain the unwanted fat along with it !

It does take a lot longer if you don't feed your torn down muscles enough. By eating a Raw diet you won't add the fat in a Raw Bulking diet that you would in a SAD bulking diet.

Angie

[tglasco4]

Although I feel Angel is correct with regard to adding food to the diet, Twinee is correct also because that is more of a traditional bodybuilding theme. I have added about 4lbs of solid muscle to my frame just by being consistent with my resistance training and (I believe) running with the handweights. This with no added fat to my frame at all and eating raw. It definitely takes longer to do but its definitely worth the wait!

Peace.

Todd

[angelandarose]

BTW... I was thinking about this at work today and wanted to come back and add this...

A Raw Bulking diet looks nothing like a SAD bulking diet. You take 1000 calories of a SAD diet and 1000 calories of a RAW diet which one is going to have more healing nutrients in it?

A SAD bulking diet looks more like 3000 + calories just to get what the body needs to repair it's self. You don't need that many calories on the raw diet to get the same amount and MORE healing nutrients but you do need a bit more that your normal diet if you are working hard to build mass. What I mean by bulking diet is a diet *high* in greens and higher protein foods. It's the break down of these proteins into amino acids that build and repair muscle. We all know it takes far less protein on a raw diet than a typical SAD diet. If you are looking to add some bulk/mass to your body then spend some time at fitday, see what you are taking in. Spend at least a couple of weeks there logging what you normally eat, then spend a couple more weeks adding more greens, green smoothies etc.. Keep tweaking your program till you find a balance between mass gains and fat gains. By staying as clean as you can with RAW foods you will minimize fat gains. What I mean by clean RAW is to eat simple low fat raw. (Of course we all know simple low fat isn't for beginners transitioning from SAD to RAW.

Love,
Angie