Beginners - you will not get massive from weight training

Hades · 12 Jul 2015 at 12:16

I've seen quite a few beginners on here and other forums worried about getting huge muscles or bulky from training. They sometimes give it as a reason for why they prefer cardio over weights. So I thought I'd add my experience. Just over a year ago in June last year I started training again in ernest and addressed a poor diet. I train every other day on a mix of compound and isolation exercises. It certainly hasn't taken over my life and become an obsession so I don't consider myself a real gym rat. But I do try to avoid missing sessions and gradually increase weight.

What I have found is that my while my body has got a lot stronger, certainly firmer, with a much better shape, it has actually got smaller, or should I say more compact and efficient. Yes my chest has got a little larger and my shoulders are certainly a little broader. Finding well fitting clothes is a little trickier mainly because of my shoulder to waist ratio. But surprisingly many of the clothes I used to wear are noticably baggy on me as the excess fat has disappeared.

Over many years this may change slightly (any opinions from the more experienced here?) and anyone using steroid based supplements may of course bulk up. But for the beginners worried about packing on too much bulk overnight, this really doesn't happen (or at least hasn't happened to me). By all means choose the cardio route instead (or preferably as well). But it really isn't a reason to avoid resistance training.

MrMoonX · 12 Jul 2015 at 14:58

Cardio is king! I literally look down on the people doing weights in the gym, they all seem to just sit around after lifting a couple of times. I can't even draw myself away from running, which has developed some pretty sweet leg muscles

mrthingyx · 12 Jul 2015 at 20:18

MrMoonX said:
Cardio is king! I literally look down on the people doing weights in the gym, they all seem to just sit around after lifting a couple of times. I can't even draw myself away from running, which has developed some pretty sweet leg muscles

Absolutely. This is why Mo Farah will be entering in to Mr. Olympia next year.

FutileBreadMachine · 12 Jul 2015 at 21:06

"I don't want to get massive like Arnie, I just want to get toned."

-Every gym noob ever

You're right, it takes ages to pack on the muscle, and the increase in weights is just due to neural efficiency, not even due to more muscle. I've been training for 18 months solid doing Oly lifts and I look like I don't lift. Diet is a big part too with gets the better of people, they are afraid to get fat so don't eat enough, and remain small (happened to me).

neoboy · 12 Jul 2015 at 21:43

MrMoonX said:
Cardio is king! I literally look down on the people doing weights in the gym, they all seem to just sit around after lifting a couple of times. I can't even draw myself away from running, which has developed some pretty sweet leg muscles

Don't even get me started on their sleeveless vest mirror selfies!

nicktay2605 · 13 Jul 2015 at 00:14

It's really not that hard to avoid getting massive, but equally it's fairly simple to do if you know how to. The issue most gym noobs have is that they don't know how to train most efficiently for their goals and don't get the diet and rest side of things right. You can lift heavy weights until the cows come home but if you're not eating the right things in the right quantity then you won't put on much size. On top of that you're likely to plateau if your not getting the right food and rest.

In my opinion the trickier gym-related goals are cutting fat without losing too much muscle and trying to do a lean bulk. The diet has to be pretty spot-on to get either of these right.

Tom|Nbk · 13 Jul 2015 at 00:25

MrMoonX said:
Cardio is king! I literally look down on the people doing weights in the gym, they all seem to just sit around after lifting a couple of times. I can't even draw myself away from running, which has developed some pretty sweet leg muscles

LOL, no, no you haven't.

This thread really hurts my head.

Why would you look down on people lifting weights, how strange

Rroff · 13 Jul 2015 at 00:28

Depends a bit person to person - I have a ridiculous metabolism so already fairly slim/not a lot of fat - with the right diet and training it pretty much all goes to muscle growth (which can look a bit odd).

Tom|Nbk · 13 Jul 2015 at 00:32

FutileBreadMachine said:
" I've been training for 18 months solid doing Oly lifts and I look like I don't lift.

I'm sorry to hear that

that definitely shouldn't have happened

mrthingyx · 13 Jul 2015 at 08:01

Tom|Nbk said:
I'm sorry to hear that that definitely shouldn't have happened

Why not? The only negative associated with Olympic lifting is the lack of negatives.

Depending on how the programming goes, you can wind up with huge traps and huge legs, but that's pretty much it.

Or that's my excuse, anyway.

Somnambulist · 13 Jul 2015 at 08:05

Worrying about getting big from lifting weights is like worrying about going jogging in case you end up at the Olympics running the 100m.

spoffle · 13 Jul 2015 at 08:30

Tom|Nbk said:
LOL, no, no you haven't.

This thread really hurts my head.

Why would you look down on people lifting weights, how strange

I would assume he's making a joke...

Rroff said:
Depends a bit person to person - I have a ridiculous metabolism so already fairly slim/not a lot of fat - with the right diet and training it pretty much all goes to muscle growth (which can look a bit odd).

I don't believe this actually happens, not to suggest that you're lying, but rather down to your perception.

People who go the gym realise that people don't just get huge, you see people doing all they can to put on mass over a long period and they aren't huge. People who are huge will either be genetically predisposed to mass or size, so would have been somewhat large in the first place, or on juice, and then the freaks will be both.

Rroff · 13 Jul 2015 at 14:21

Hmm perception wise I'd agree that as its harder to bulk up generally any amount of muscle growth does tend to be highlighted. Maybe I'm just a freak though I know other people who claim similar but my experience is with the diet spot on and working out I get very rapid muscle growth.

FutileBreadMachine · 13 Jul 2015 at 14:32

Tom|Nbk said:
I'm sorry to hear that that definitely shouldn't have happened

Yeah, it comes down to not eating enough, since my missus was complaining I was too fat and didn't want me to get bigger (76kg @ 178cm). I spent 6 months doing AllPro last year and basically spinning my wheels at the same bodyweight. I convinced myself I was recomping, but that was BS.

I did a cut for 2 months recently and got down to 72kg and then my wife said I was too think LOL. Now I am bulking and tracking calories, so hopefully I am on the way to some actual gains.

Freefaller · 13 Jul 2015 at 14:46

MrMoonX said:
Cardio is king! I literally look down on the people doing weights in the gym, they all seem to just sit around after lifting a couple of times. I can't even draw myself away from running, which has developed some pretty sweet leg muscles

Everyone has different interests. My VO2 max and my cardiovascular health is very good, and I don't do hours of cardio. I do 2-3 sessions of HIIT a week and that's it. I then do weight lifting, as for me it's a good stress relief, and I like being stronger, and I like making sure I stay mobile and functional.

Sure you can run a 5km run in 1/2 the time I can, but that's down to practice rather than me being unfit, and I dare say I'm considerably heavier than you too which doesn't help.

That said, I think doing some CV work is important, but people don't realise how taxing weight lifting (if done properly) can be on the CV system.

A lot of people don't train properly and are just bros doing curls in the mirror, but don't be fooled, just because someone is a "meathead" to you does not mean they are not equally as fit.

neoboy said:
Don't even get me started on their sleeveless vest mirror selfies!

There is a lot of vanity in men and in women, this will always happen. Just get on with your workout and ignore them.

nicktay2605 said:
It's really not that hard to avoid getting massive, but equally it's fairly simple to do if you know how to.

Erm no, it's not easy to get massive. It's easy to get fat, yes, but getting massive is not something you do accidentally. It takes years of hard work. And excellent nutrition. with a good dose of sacrifice.

The issue most gym noobs have is that they don't know how to train most efficiently for their goals and don't get the diet and rest side of things right. You can lift heavy weights until the cows come home but if you're not eating the right things in the right quantity then you won't put on much size. On top of that you're likely to plateau if your not getting the right food and rest.

This however is more accurate, lack of knowledge does lead to people not training properly and therefore effectively wasting their time. If you're not getting stronger and lifting more weight harder and faster you're not progressing. You won't achieve that without eating well, resting well and changing your lifestyle.

In my opinion the trickier gym-related goals are cutting fat without losing too much muscle and trying to do a lean bulk. The diet has to be pretty spot-on to get either of these right.

Diet has to be spot on with any of that. You will always sacrifice size/muscle when trying to reduce fat intake. You can of course do it over years instead which a lot of people don't have the patience for. I've dropped 3% BF and put on 2.5kg in the last 2 years. But I don't compete so don't really care about doing it fast or whatever, for me it is about performance and functional strength.

Somnambulist said:
Worrying about getting big from lifting weights is like worrying about going jogging in case you end up at the Olympics running the 100m.

Indeed.

tom_e · 13 Jul 2015 at 14:48

I like to do a little bit of swimming every now and again, Michael Phelps is now my bitch.

BennyC · 13 Jul 2015 at 16:14

tom_e said:
I like to do a little bit of swimming every now and again, Michael Phelps is now my bitch.

Explains the taper

D3K · 13 Jul 2015 at 16:24

Bulked doing a 3 day/week weights routine, while at the same time training 4 times a week for a marathon.

TLDR: Ran the marathon with a gut.

kirkster · 15 Jul 2015 at 15:34

MrMoonX said:
Cardio is king! I literally look down on the people doing weights in the gym, they all seem to just sit around after lifting a couple of times. I can't even draw myself away from running, which has developed some pretty sweet leg muscles

This.
Absolutely. Same with me! Legs come up brilliant with running and if you train upper body with weights you can still look great.

Freefaller · 15 Jul 2015 at 16:19

Leg shape/aesthetics is not comparable to leg strength and the benefits of actually training legs as well.

If you're just doing upper body work, regardless of whether you are a runner or not then you are missing a trick.