Increase of Strength = Muscle Gain?

albayin

OP, try some Creatine and watch that fail rep go higher

what's this? Creatine?

albayin

I wish I knew the user's name on here but there is a woman that is a member, I will try to find her again for you, she GAINED lbs and LOST inches, was physically smaller and more "shapely" rather than "thin". The choice is yours to make but women don't possess the Testosterone required to "bulk" and by toning and lifting weights you won't appear at all "Heavy" but you will rather have a nice physique. My end photo was taken when I was steady lifting weights. I stopped lifting shortly after the photo. I have maintained my weight but when I did a tape measure check in today for the first time since May, I have actually gained about a half inch of "mass". My clothes still fit the same and I feel fine, the difference I made was I stopped lifting in lieu of training for an upcoming bike ride... I started back to lifting two about weeks ago and don't intend to ever give it up the way I did last year. I will work in some weight training every week.

that's what I keep hearing too and that's why, in spite of all this nagging feelings, I have not stopped lifting. Maybe I just need to be more patient and give it more time...more than I had anticipated. thank you, and you look great~ :flowerforyou:

albayin

thank you guys and ladies for your advice. Yeah, maybe I should stop worrying to much and just keep lifting~

:flowerforyou:

SLLRunner

I belong to a culture group where most women I know in my lift wear size 0, or 00 no matter their height...This makes me feel very depressed because I always look bigger than them and I was called "fatty" "chubby" since I was little...I still cant fit in size 0 so I am still not "thin"...

But, 0 or 00 are just numbers. In fact, getting to that size no matter one's height sounds a bit aggressive and obsessive to me. It's unrealistic to compare yourself to them anyway. You are incredible as you are, and there is no reason to be that "thin". However, there is reason to be the best that you can be FOR YOU and to be happy with you and your results.

Seriously, you are incredible.

MityMax96

but people keep saying to me that if I want to look thin, I shouldn't lift heavy because I look more muscular hence I don't look "thin". I am not after runway model thin but just want to go down a size or two and visually thinner too...all this heavy lifting didn't seem helping me to get there, yet...of course I have only done this for less than a year...

hogwash

I have been lifting for almost 20 yrs now.....and I wish I looked like Arnold.....

You are a woman, it ani't gonna happen.

Lift your weights and enjoy the results.

albayin

but people keep saying to me that if I want to look thin, I shouldn't lift heavy because I look more muscular hence I don't look "thin". I am not after runway model thin but just want to go down a size or two and visually thinner too...all this heavy lifting didn't seem helping me to get there, yet...of course I have only done this for less than a year...

hogwash

I have been lifting for almost 20 yrs now.....and I wish I looked like Arnold.....

You are a woman, it ani't gonna happen.

Lift your weights and enjoy the results.

I guess they said I look more muscular, relatively...comparing to other women.

Honestly, I don't find Arnold very attractive. I prefer men lean with just the right amount muscle...not that you asked what I prefer. Anyway~ :bigsmile:

MityMax96

but people keep saying to me that if I want to look thin, I shouldn't lift heavy because I look more muscular hence I don't look "thin". I am not after runway model thin but just want to go down a size or two and visually thinner too...all this heavy lifting didn't seem helping me to get there, yet...of course I have only done this for less than a year...

hogwash

I have been lifting for almost 20 yrs now.....and I wish I looked like Arnold.....

You are a woman, it ani't gonna happen.

Lift your weights and enjoy the results.

I guess they said I look more muscular, relatively...comparing to other women.

Honestly, I don't find Arnold very attractive. I prefer men lean with just the right amount muscle...not that you asked what I prefer. Anyway~ :bigsmile:

Well maybe I wouldn't want to be quite as big as Arnold...but some more mass than what I have would be nice. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

The muscle you develop will look very nice.....

If you are also trying to lose weight/burn fat.....then it will look even better.
The definition will pop out then.

Lift, lower, repeat.....then enjoy.
Haters gonna hate. :laugh:

albayin

Beyond addition and growth of the muscle cells themselves, strength gains also have to do with motor neurons and their increased efficiency.

EDIT: Here, read this: http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/learn-how-muscles-build-up-strength

thank you for the link...good information bad for my eyes...sorry I had to complain about this to whowever decided to choose that dreadful red color as background...:glasses:

212019156

Is your profile pic a shot of your upper body? If so you don't look too musclular, you look good. As far as not wanting to get big or too muscular, if you don't want to I guarantee you won't. It is much more difficult to gain significant amounts of muscle mass than it is to lose fat. Gaining muscle is pretty tough for most people.

albayin

Is your profile pic a shot of your upper body? If so you don't look too musclular, you look good. As far as not wanting to get big or too muscular, if you don't want to I guarantee you won't. It is much more difficult to gain significant amounts of muscle mass than it is to lose fat. Gaining muscle is pretty tough for most people.

thank you. The picture was taken before xmas...:)

albayin

ONE MORE QUESTION:

I often hear people saying on weight training days they feel more hungry than usual...I no longer feel this way even after I add another plate or two and I have been training fasted for monthes...

Does this mean that my metabolism is wrecked now?

212019156

As far as feeling hungry, I think it depends on how you lift weights. For me when I do powerlifting workouts I don' t feel hungry or even all that fatigued. If I were to do high volume bodybuilding workouts (which I don't anymore) I tend to get tired and hungry afterwards.

If you were feeling that way before and now you are not it probably just means you are becoming more efficient at your workout and thus it is not fatiguing you that much any longer.

albayin

As far as feeling hungry, I think it depends on how you lift weights. For me when I do powerlifting workouts I don' t feel hungry or even all that fatigued. If I were to do high volume bodybuilding workouts (which I don't anymore) I tend to get tired and hungry afterwards.

If you were feeling that way before and now you are not it probably just means you are becoming more efficient at your workout and thus it is not fatiguing you that much any longer.

So "becoming more efficient" is a good or bad thing? Does this mean I tend to plateau more easily now than before?

212019156

With any movement as you practice you become better at it, thus it takes less effort and causes less stimulation. Its not a good or bad thing. That is just the way it is.

As far as plateauing this becomes more frequent the more advanced you become. So initial adaptation is linear then it becomes more erratic. So gains come few and far between as you near your genetic potential. A lot of trainees will make huge strength gains during the first 6 months to year. Then during second year the gains slow down. After that gains are few and far between. I have no idea about your workout history so its hard for me to provide specifics.

albayin

With any movement as you practice you become better at it, thus it takes less effort and causes less stimulation. Its not a good or bad thing. That is just the way it is.

As far as plateauing this becomes more frequent the more advanced you become. So initial adaptation is linear then it becomes more erratic. So gains come few and far between as you near your genetic potential. A lot of trainees will make huge strength gains during the first 6 months to year. Then during second year the gains slow down. After that gains are few and far between. I have no idea about your workout history so its hard for me to provide specifics.

thank you. :flowerforyou:

BusyRaeNOTBusty

I think you are over thinking things. The hunger doesn't mean anything. Increase in strength is good. Comparing yourself to others is bad. Do you like how you look? Do you like how lifting makes you feel?