🎧 Will Lifting Make Me Bulky? (Burning Questions, Answered)

Hey Gang.

This one kicks off a Q&A two-parter on the pod and Part One is the foundation every woman who weightlifts should understand.

I opened with the actual Deep Kimchi deal:

• I’m not your drill sergeant, I’m not your hype squad, I want you strong and staying that way,

• Why creating beats consuming when it comes to your mood and your muscles, and

• The line I haven’t been able to shake lately:

  • You’re not who you think you are, but you’re condemned to be who you think you are.

Then I got into the four body recomposition questions you sent in from the Substack.

The burning questions I answered:

• What even is physique or body recomposition, and why do I end an intense push at three months - no matter what?

• What’s the one thing I see in every woman who actually succeeds at building muscle and shedding excess body fat in midlife?

• What’s realistic versus unrealistic for a three-month fat loss/muscle gain (and why "I just want to get toned, not bulky" is a fairy tale)?

• What’s the idea behind the “seal and cement” maintenance phase, and why is it the most important part of the whole thing?

A few truth bombs from this one:

• The scale measures your muscle, water, bone, menstrual cycle (if you have one), poop, lunch, salt, and more. Track your fat-to-lean mass ratio, not pounds.

• You cannot out-track a five o’clock version of you who’s starving and fried. Meal prep removes the decision, so the easy choice and the right choice are the same choice.

• Skip the maintenance phase, and the body you worked on for 12 weeks quietly evaporates

• Seal and Cement is where the result becomes permanent.

Next episode I take the rest of your questions: the food ones, the booze one everybody’s a little scared to ask, and when to do your cardio without sabotaging your lifting.

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If something in here clicked and you want the science-based lifting for women built to do exactly what we talked about, it’s all in the Deep Kimchi Training Lab. It’s a coach in your pocket and in your corner who also has hot flashes and muscle. This isn’t a stopwatch or a food shamer.

Two training options that make you muscle:

1. Two Day Strong if you’ve got two days a week and want real strength without rearranging your life, or

2. The current 6-week cycle, Upper Body Power, if you’re ready to push.

Your paid subscription feeds something I care about, too. A piece of it goes to the Romanian rescue I support, the one pulling dogs and cats off the street. Strong women, saved animals. That’s the deal.

Listening on Spotify or Apple? Hit follow and drop five stars if the show’s worth it to you. It’s the single biggest thing that helps other women with mileage find us.

Questions, wins, or a topic you want me to cover?

Your pal,
Michelle

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DISCLAIMER & LEGALESE | Those with medical conditions that have not been cleared by their doctor — including women who have been diagnosed with disordered eating or have received psychological counseling for negative body image, et al — should refrain from participation without medical supervision. | This Substack is for edutainment purposes only and does not constitute medical or health advice. | The training programs are strictly for informational purposes, and in no way should be used as a substitute for consultation with health care professionals. You should not consider educational material herein to be the practice of medicine or to replace consultation with a physician or other medical practitioner. The author is providing you with information in this work so that you can have knowledge and can choose, at your own risk, to act on that knowledge. The author also urges all readers to be aware of their health status and consult health care professionals before beginning any fitness, nutrition, or health program.