Is 30lbs too much weight for triceps? (Toning)

HeidiMightyRawr

My post wasn't about how a 30 pound weight is harder but how it will give everyone the same size, if person A can lift 30 pounds easily, he has gotten the 30 pound muscle mass and plateau, if person B cannot, it follows reason that he hasn't progressively loaded up to that weight and have the necassary muscle mass to lift it easily but in theory person B can catch up and developed the same mass while person A can't progress further and can only regress if he stop lifting or maintain if he lifts indefinitely.

Anyways, one poster said 80 pounds is not enough to make OP bulky and unless she has divine or some other muscle type that's different from the rest of humanity, she will get no bigger or smaller than the next person, the arm length may determine if a muscle looks bulkier, shorter arm length will be stockier while longer will look slimmer but it's the same muscle mass size.

You don't need more muscle to get to heavier weights, and 30lbs or 80lbs will not give everyone the same size. That person who could lift 30lbs easily may be naturally stronger from the beginning, they may be heavier (not necessarily muscle, but weight makes a difference) they may have trained purely for strength.

For example, strength athletes, especially in the lighter weight classes do not tend to have much muscle mass, but can frequently lift a lot more than bodybuilders who have a tonne of muscle. I can lift over 300lbs now, and have not really added much more muscle than when I was lifting 200lbs, as I train purely for strength.

Any weight is enough to make a person build muscle mass as long as it is challenging for them and they are eating support muscle growth. My point still stands that it's nothing to worry about if you're not eating in a surplus and training specifically for muscle growth, it will not happen by accident.

tirowow12385

HeidiMightyRawr wrote: »

My post wasn't about how a 30 pound weight is harder but how it will give everyone the same size, if person A can lift 30 pounds easily, he has gotten the 30 pound muscle mass and plateau, if person B cannot, it follows reason that he hasn't progressively loaded up to that weight and have the necassary muscle mass to lift it easily but in theory person B can catch up and developed the same mass while person A can't progress further and can only regress if he stop lifting or maintain if he lifts indefinitely.

Anyways, one poster said 80 pounds is not enough to make OP bulky and unless she has divine or some other muscle type that's different from the rest of humanity, she will get no bigger or smaller than the next person, the arm length may determine if a muscle looks bulkier, shorter arm length will be stockier while longer will look slimmer but it's the same muscle mass size.

You don't need more muscle to get to heavier weights, and 30lbs or 80lbs will not give everyone the same size. That person who could lift 30lbs easily may be naturally stronger from the beginning, they may be heavier (not necessarily muscle, but weight makes a difference) they may have trained purely for strength.

For example, strength athletes, especially in the lighter weight classes do not tend to have much muscle mass, but can frequently lift a lot more than bodybuilders who have a tonne of muscle. I can lift over 300lbs now, and have not really added much more muscle than when I was lifting 200lbs, as I train purely for strength.

Any weight is enough to make a person build muscle mass as long as it is challenging for them and they are eating support muscle growth. My point still stands that it's nothing to worry about if you're not eating in a surplus and training specifically for muscle growth, it will not happen by accident.

You do need more muscles to get heavier weights, it's kinda like a physics thing and your basis for this is because of small strength athletes who are stronger than bodybuilders twice their size? Thats your evidence? I get the feeling you're referring to powerlifters here, am I right? Powerlifters are strong but It's a myth you can say they're stronger or weaker as powerlifter do high chest arching bench press and use belts to set personal best, take that away and do regular squats and bench press like bodybuilders then the comparison is valid, otherwise it's more logical to compare a small strength athletes to someone twice his size in the same powerliftting sport, the bigger one with muscle mass are stronger, each weight class have their records and the highest weight class one have the highest weight lifted.


I'm also sure you're growing muscle when you went from being able to lift 200 to 300 pounds, you're most likely squatting and doing a compound movement which means you're engaging multiple muscle groups, thus the growth is a total body, a little growth on the glute, a little on the hammies, the quads, the lower back which would make it less obvious than if you were working one muscle group, if that much weight was isolated to the bicep, it would be massive as it's concentrated in a small area though the mass increase won't be any higher or lower, it's logic!

And no you can't use any weight to grow forever, the way you phrase it makes it seem like you can even use low weights and it can make you bulky do long as you lift, it won't. Stop it, this is why OP is scared of lifting 30 pounds and not just her but many women in general, very sad.

stanmann571

tirowow12385 wrote: »

HeidiMightyRawr wrote: »

My post wasn't about how a 30 pound weight is harder but how it will give everyone the same size, if person A can lift 30 pounds easily, he has gotten the 30 pound muscle mass and plateau, if person B cannot, it follows reason that he hasn't progressively loaded up to that weight and have the necassary muscle mass to lift it easily but in theory person B can catch up and developed the same mass while person A can't progress further and can only regress if he stop lifting or maintain if he lifts indefinitely.

Anyways, one poster said 80 pounds is not enough to make OP bulky and unless she has divine or some other muscle type that's different from the rest of humanity, she will get no bigger or smaller than the next person, the arm length may determine if a muscle looks bulkier, shorter arm length will be stockier while longer will look slimmer but it's the same muscle mass size.

You don't need more muscle to get to heavier weights, and 30lbs or 80lbs will not give everyone the same size. That person who could lift 30lbs easily may be naturally stronger from the beginning, they may be heavier (not necessarily muscle, but weight makes a difference) they may have trained purely for strength.

For example, strength athletes, especially in the lighter weight classes do not tend to have much muscle mass, but can frequently lift a lot more than bodybuilders who have a tonne of muscle. I can lift over 300lbs now, and have not really added much more muscle than when I was lifting 200lbs, as I train purely for strength.

Any weight is enough to make a person build muscle mass as long as it is challenging for them and they are eating support muscle growth. My point still stands that it's nothing to worry about if you're not eating in a surplus and training specifically for muscle growth, it will not happen by accident.

You do need more muscles to get heavier weights, it's kinda like a physics thing and your basis for this is because of small strength athletes who are stronger than bodybuilders twice their size? Thats your evidence? I get the feeling you're referring to powerlifters here, am I right? Powerlifters are strong but It's a myth you can say they're stronger or weaker as powerlifter do high chest arching bench press and use belts to set personal best, take that away and do regular squats and bench press like bodybuilders then the comparison is valid, otherwise it's more logical to compare a small strength athletes to someone twice his size, the bigger one with muscle mass is stronger.

I'm also sure you're growing muscle when you went from being able to lift 200 to 300 pounds, you're most likely squatting and doing a compound movement which means you're engaging multiple muscle groups, thus the growth is a total body, a little growth on the glute, a little on the hammies, the quads, the lower back which would make it less obvious than if you were working one muscle group, if that much weight was isolated to the bicep, it would be massive as it's concentrated in a small area though the mass increase won't be any higher or lower, it's logic!

And no you can't use any weight to grow forever, the way you phrase it makes it seem like you can even use low weights and it can make you bulky do long as you lift, it won't. Stop it, this is why OP is scared of lifting 30 pounds and not just her but many women in general, very sad.

Clearly you've never been in a gym and watched Bodybuilders lift.

Aaron_K123

augustfirst1995 wrote: »

trigden1991 wrote: »

29lbs is a toning weight, 30lbs is for pure bodybuilding.

trigden1991 wrote: »

29lbs is a toning weight, 30lbs is for pure bodybuilding.

Not funny

Oh come on, that was kind of funny. Lighten up a little bit, no one is "hating" on you here they are just having a bit of a laugh.

Aaron_K123

OP's post aside I find the discussion on 30 lbs being relative a bit of an interesting topic and since OP flounced anyways can talk about that.

I agree that for one person 30 pounds is nothing while for another it might represent a progressive load that is increasing their strength and muscle mass. For this example lets say Person A is a male bodybuilder and Person B is a female with low muscle.

Person A does 30 pound tricep extensions and it doesn't even warm them up. If they kept doing that as their routinue they would probably end up losing muscle mass if anything. Person B does 30 pound tricep extensions and they can only manage 6 reps. At the end of 3 sets of that a few days later they are quite sore and in the next week can barely eek out those same 6x3. Person B will probably build some muscle (assuming caloric excess) doing that week to week.

All of that said I still don't think Person B is in risk of getting "Bulky" doing 30 pound tricep extensions because the amount of muscle required to pull down 30 pounds is not a large amount of muscle for anyone. If 30 pounds is a progressive load doing tricep extensions then you are faaaar from being bulky. If Person B got to the point where 30 pounds was an easy 10 rep set they still wouldn't likely look "bulky" even if they were 4'10'' lets be honest.

I cannot imagine anyone doing 30 pound tricep extensions ending up with overly muscular arms.

kimny72

Well that was a premature rage quit in a ridiculously tame thread!

I think toning can accurately describe a goal (I want my muscles to show!) but not the process needed to get there (recomp? just lose weight? bulk/cut cycles?). Unfortunately there are still far too many women's magazine/talk show trainers using the word "tone" to sell little dumbells and low-cal pink protein powder to women to "sculpt lean muscle but not get bulky" .

I'd bet most women who use the word "tone" really mean recomp - I want to lose a little more fat and build a little more muscle so I look more sculpted, they just aren't familiar with the term and how it actually happens. I also think a lot of media aimed at women avoid the term cutting or on a cut because the word sounds a little like a crash diet and is also used in the self-harm and depression fields, which is probably a parallel they want to avoid.

I myself am trying to tone up by recomping, and would be happy if my arms got some bulkier muscles

monicalifestylefitness

There’s no way you’re going to get bulky from doing this one time. I’ve been lifting for 10 years and never did I get bulky. My normal weight is 125.. currently I’m trying a bulk and it’s not going so well. I’ve been on it for almost 3 months and haven’t gained at all. Although I’m lifting heavier than I ever have my whole life. So yeah me eating in a surplus is helping with my lifts
But I’m still not getting bulky.

jjpptt2

Let's not forget that the term "bulky" and the idea of looking bulky is relative/subjective.

sardelsa

monicalifestylefitness wrote: »

There’s no way you’re going to get bulky from doing this one time. I’ve been lifting for 10 years and never did I get bulky. My normal weight is 125.. currently I’m trying a bulk and it’s not going so well. I’ve been on it for almost 3 months and haven’t gained at all. Although I’m lifting heavier than I ever have my whole life. So yeah me eating in a surplus is helping with my lifts
But I’m still not getting bulky.

If you aren't gaining weight, you have to eat more.

Aaron_K123

jjpptt2 wrote: »

Let's not forget that the term "bulky" and the idea of looking bulky is relative/subjective.

Absolutely, that is why I always put "bulky" and "toned" in quotes. These are subjective asthetic assessments that are going to vary person to person. One persons "muscular" is anothers "toned" is anothers "bulky". If you want to actually talk about how to achieve something though its better to drop the subjective terminology and talk in terms of what your actual goal needs to be to achieve a given look. Most people who want to look "toned" mean they want to look more firm because they feel they look "flabby". In most cases the root underlying issue there is that actually they are under muscled and need to go onto caloric excess and a progressive load plan to build muscle before doing a cut after putting on some "bulk". The fear of getting "bulky" there is just completely counterproductive to what they need to do to achieve the look they desire considering lifting heavy is actually exactly what they should be doing.

One does not get a flat stomach or "toned" arms by simply losing weight, one gets there by building up core strength and stability and the associated muscles and then cutting enough to reveal that underlying muscle. If you want "toned" looking arms then lift heavy with low rep...there is practically speaking no way you are going to somehow overdo it and wake up in the morning one day looking all hulked out....especially as a woman....getting huge muscles is far from easy, most people are basically incapable of it anyways.

Sp1tfire

I wish that could bulk me that easily lol

Wheelhouse15

tirowow12385 wrote: »

HeidiMightyRawr wrote: »

My post wasn't about how a 30 pound weight is harder but how it will give everyone the same size, if person A can lift 30 pounds easily, he has gotten the 30 pound muscle mass and plateau, if person B cannot, it follows reason that he hasn't progressively loaded up to that weight and have the necassary muscle mass to lift it easily but in theory person B can catch up and developed the same mass while person A can't progress further and can only regress if he stop lifting or maintain if he lifts indefinitely.

Anyways, one poster said 80 pounds is not enough to make OP bulky and unless she has divine or some other muscle type that's different from the rest of humanity, she will get no bigger or smaller than the next person, the arm length may determine if a muscle looks bulkier, shorter arm length will be stockier while longer will look slimmer but it's the same muscle mass size.

You don't need more muscle to get to heavier weights, and 30lbs or 80lbs will not give everyone the same size. That person who could lift 30lbs easily may be naturally stronger from the beginning, they may be heavier (not necessarily muscle, but weight makes a difference) they may have trained purely for strength.

For example, strength athletes, especially in the lighter weight classes do not tend to have much muscle mass, but can frequently lift a lot more than bodybuilders who have a tonne of muscle. I can lift over 300lbs now, and have not really added much more muscle than when I was lifting 200lbs, as I train purely for strength.

Any weight is enough to make a person build muscle mass as long as it is challenging for them and they are eating support muscle growth. My point still stands that it's nothing to worry about if you're not eating in a surplus and training specifically for muscle growth, it will not happen by accident.

You do need more muscles to get heavier weights, it's kinda like a physics thing and your basis for this is because of small strength athletes who are stronger than bodybuilders twice their size? Thats your evidence? I get the feeling you're referring to powerlifters here, am I right? Powerlifters are strong but It's a myth you can say they're stronger or weaker as powerlifter do high chest arching bench press and use belts to set personal best, take that away and do regular squats and bench press like bodybuilders then the comparison is valid, otherwise it's more logical to compare a small strength athletes to someone twice his size in the same powerliftting sport, the bigger one with muscle mass are stronger, each weight class have their records and the highest weight class one have the highest weight lifted.


I'm also sure you're growing muscle when you went from being able to lift 200 to 300 pounds, you're most likely squatting and doing a compound movement which means you're engaging multiple muscle groups, thus the growth is a total body, a little growth on the glute, a little on the hammies, the quads, the lower back which would make it less obvious than if you were working one muscle group, if that much weight was isolated to the bicep, it would be massive as it's concentrated in a small area though the mass increase won't be any higher or lower, it's logic!

And no you can't use any weight to grow forever, the way you phrase it makes it seem like you can even use low weights and it can make you bulky do long as you lift, it won't. Stop it, this is why OP is scared of lifting 30 pounds and not just her but many women in general, very sad.

Strength is an expression of both underlying contractile power and the ability to put it to use through neural adaptation and a few other things such as ability to better utilize tendons and leverages. Bodybuilders will out rep a powerlifter of similar stature then get blown away on the 1RM.