Huge white widows - what to do next?!!?

I am doing my first ever DWC grow and I have two VERY BUSHY, HUGE white widow plants that are now in Week 4 of bloom and there are tops/colas ALL OVER! But many of them are being blocked by big fan leaves which I bend over and tuck inside.

I have done much research regarding trimming stuff away, and the general consensus seems to be DON'T TRIM. However, every time I look at pics of others' plants, they look like they did A LOT OF TRIMMING, some of them to the point that there's practically nothing left but the colas! I believe they do that so the plant can focus all its energy on the main biggest colas, right?

My question is this: Since my plants are so bushy, and they have so much undergrowth and little buds that will probably not amount to much, will it stress out my beautiful widows if I start to gradually trim away some of that stuff? Will it slow down the flowering process? Also, is it necessary to have air circulating UNDERNEATH the plants (which trimming would help)?

I don't know what to do because of everything I've read and, going by the pics I have seen, many don't seem to agree on this subject. Any experienced growers feel like helping a complete newbie out?

P.S.: Pics coming ASAP!

If the fans are blocking buds. Get rid of them. . You can gradually trim the undergrowth with no prob, I do it all the time.

IMO The huge fans that grow at the nodes of side branches are really only needed til the branch has enough of it's own to support limb growth.

Thanks for the info, Hydrogreen65. In your reply, you said "enough of it's own to support limb growth"....enough of it's own what? Sorry, I just don't know what you mean. Also, how much and how often can I trim without stressing the plants?

The big fan leaves are where the plants "food" is manufactured. It is then transported to the part of the plant that needs it.

Once the limb has enough leaves to support itself the huge fans are nothing but light blockers. That's why they're the 1st thing the plant sheds, cause they are no longer needed. Keep in mind, I didn't say all the fans, just the big 1s that are first to grow at node sites.

Personally I trim off almost everything on the bottom third to half of the plant. I hate trimming popcorn and it lets the plant focus all it's energy on the top colas. I'm not nice about it either, just go in one day ( no later than the start week 4) and hack off all the lower shit. Depending on how many I'm doing I may end up with a very large pile of removed lowers.