Diet & Fitness 

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Will working out bulk me up?

One of the few downsides of having a baby is the ‘baby fat’ that you gain. The best advice we can give to brand-new mums (which doesn't really apply to you) is to return to an exercise program as soon as possible and to breast feed as long as possible, since it burns so many extra calories.

To answer your question, though, contrary to what you may have heard, few exercise programs will make women bulkier. Women simply don't have the abundance of male hormones needed to pack on big hulky muscles. In order to bulk up you'd need to spend two or three hours in the gym on most days of the week, lifting the heaviest weights possible, and even then it's unlikely you'd be able to build up enough muscle to look like a body builder.

If you're really serious about reducing body fat, I strongly recommend beginning a weight-training program - take a look at create a weight training programme - along with a calorie-reducing diet and a regular aerobic programme. The reason is simple: The more muscle you develop, the more calories you will burn, even at rest. This additional muscle will make you look trim and toned, not bulky.

Since weight training is the quickest way to build muscle, it's an essential part of a weight-loss program. For every extra pound of muscle you can add to your frame, you'll burn an additional 150 calories a day. It may not sound like a lot, but it has a way of adding up.

Muscle is more dense than fat, so it takes up less space. You've probably heard people say that they've lost inches but that the number on the bathroom scales hasn't budged. This is why you should concentrate on body fat and the composition of your body weight rather than body weight itself. There's a big difference between a healthy, muscular ten stone and a flabby, out-of-shape ten stone. That is yet another reason to add strength training to your weight-loss programme.

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