How to Lose Muscle Bulk in a Female

Most people have to spend a lot of time lifting weights to gain any amount of muscle mass, especially women. But some ladies are naturally predisposed to easy muscle gains, and if you've been involved in athletics since a young age, you probably have more than enough muscle to go around. If you're tired of the bulky look and want a smaller, leaner look, there are several steps you can take to lose some of that muscle bulk.

Reduce your caloric intake. Muscle is an active tissue, and it requires a significant amount of calories to constantly repair and maintain itself. By reducing your daily calorie intake by 500 calories a day, you can safely lose 1 pound per week. Cut your calories by eating healthy whole foods that are nutrient-dense, such as fruits and vegetable, and avoiding calorie-dense foods such as nuts and other high-fat foods.

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Perform regular cardiovascular exercise. Cardio is an efficient way to create a caloric deficit, which will help you to lose the bulk. Choose types of cardio that use major muscle groups, such as running, swimming, elliptical training, cycling, aerobics and kick boxing. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day five days a week. The more cardio you do, the more quickly you will be able to lose that extra muscle bulk.

Use lighter or no weights for your workouts. The saying "use it or lose it" rings true when pertaining to muscle tissue -- if you don't continually challenge your muscles, they respond by decreasing in size and strength. Continue to work your muscles but use high repetitions with light weights or just go for body-weight exercises.

Tips

When performing cardio, give interval training a try to burn even more calories. For intervals, go hard for a set amount of time then reduce your intensity for another amount of time. For example, sprint for 30 seconds, and then drop into a slow jog to recover for another 30 seconds.

Circuit training, when you lift weights or perform body-weight exercise, is a great way to blast calories. Pick three to five exercises and perform one right after the other with minimal rest between exercises. For example, 10 pushups, 10 squats, 10 shoulder presses and 10 lunges. Repeat the circuit two to four times.

Warnings

When losing muscle mass, you are altering your body composition to one with a greater percentage of body fat. The higher your body fat percentage, the greater your risk for health problems including heart disease and diabetes.