Weight lifting for lean muscle

mhlew

I am working on losing weight however I feel I should still incorporate weight lifting into my exercise even though I want to become slimmer as opposed to bulking up.

What type of weight lifting should I do? All I know is the stuff I did during high school football (bench press, shoulder press, cleans, squats, etc) however I no longer want to be built like an offensive lineman.

AnnPT77

Lots of good info and discussion about various programs here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you

TrishSeren

The bulking aspect comes from diet, you need to eat more calories to build muscle to get bulky. For example, the other half used to be a pro weightlifter, he was built like a tank but eating like a herd of horses to look that way. He now eats less, still muscley and working out regularly but a lot leaner.

If you lift in a deficit then you wouldn't build muscle (so wouldn't get bulky) but lifting will help retain the muscle you already have. As you lose the fat, you'll see the muscles beginning to show.

The stuff you did in high school is still perfect, all of those are compound movements so you'll see great results from doing those and you wouldn't need to spend hours in the gym.

jessef593

TrishSeren wrote: »

The bulking aspect comes from diet, you need to eat more calories to build muscle to get bulky. For example, the other half used to be a pro weightlifter, he was built like a tank but eating like a herd of horses to look that way. He now eats less, still muscley and working out regularly but a lot leaner.

If you lift in a deficit then you wouldn't build muscle (so wouldn't get bulky) but lifting will help retain the muscle you already have. As you lose the fat, you'll see the muscles beginning to show.

The stuff you did in high school is still perfect, all of those are compound movements so you'll see great results from doing those and you wouldn't need to spend hours in the gym.

Great advice!

OP. Like they said. Bulk will come from diet as will fat loss. I strongly suggest lifting in order to retain muscle mass and have a better overall body composition.

But trust me if you think that just some weight lifting will cause you to be huge, you're in for a surprise. Our perspective in high school couldn't be further from reality. I thought I had pythons for arms in high school and several people could attest to believing the same thing. Looking back . They were 11" if that with some noticeable definition. You'll see how truly hard it is to pack on mass with out an endless supply of test and a teenager God complex to accompany it.

hesn92

You won't bulk up like an offensive lineman if you are in a calorie deficit. Yes do it. Otherwise you probably won't be happy with your body composition when you lose the weight! Good luck

ecjim

Your high school football exercises are great - don't worry you won't bulk up line an O lineman. That will take time & lots of food. control your weight with your diet & lift