8 Reasons your Weight Training Results SUCK.

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  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    And if they continually get bigger, then at some point you would reach "bulky". If they don't continually get bigger, then wouldn't you be back to "sucky results" (maintaining)?

    Not at all. It's a misconception that muscle size and muscle strength go hand-in-hand, they really don't. Actually, most of your female/male bodybuilder types are not remotely as strong as a professional athlete or an intermediate to advanced powerlifter. You can very much get stronger without significantly increasing muscle mass.

    So "creating muscle tissue" would not mean more muscle mass? Where does the new tissue go if it doesn't become part of the previous mass?

    Nia Shanks.
    She can deadlift 300lbs and bench press 145lbs. She weighs 122lbs.

    Kudos to her, but that doesn't address my question. Which is, if continually lifting heavier continually builds new muscle tissue, how could a woman (or man) not eventually get bulky if they continually add more weight? Unless the unspoken suggestion is that muscle tissue is being lost at the same time new is being built, then logically muscle mass would continually increase.

    I don't understand it completely but strength doesn't come just from increased muscle mass. A lot of it comes from reprogramming your nervous system. You won't build muscle mass, especially if you are on a deficit, but you can continually get stronger, especially if you are new to lifting. I also think that even if you are building muscle mass, you muscles can just because denser and not visually bigger in size. Size and strength are not always related. You train differently depending on which is your goal. But eventually you will hit your "genetic potential" where strength gains slow drastically and you have to do different things to get them.
  • pundas
    pundas Posts: 167 Member
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    bump
  • SuperAmie
    SuperAmie Posts: 307 Member
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    bump for later
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
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    And if they continually get bigger, then at some point you would reach "bulky". If they don't continually get bigger, then wouldn't you be back to "sucky results" (maintaining)?

    Not at all. It's a misconception that muscle size and muscle strength go hand-in-hand, they really don't. Actually, most of your female/male bodybuilder types are not remotely as strong as a professional athlete or an intermediate to advanced powerlifter. You can very much get stronger without significantly increasing muscle mass.

    So "creating muscle tissue" would not mean more muscle mass? Where does the new tissue go if it doesn't become part of the previous mass?

    Nia Shanks.
    She can deadlift 300lbs and bench press 145lbs. She weighs 122lbs.

    Kudos to her, but that doesn't address my question. Which is, if continually lifting heavier continually builds new muscle tissue, how could a woman (or man) not eventually get bulky if they continually add more weight? Unless the unspoken suggestion is that muscle tissue is being lost at the same time new is being built, then logically muscle mass would continually increase.

    I get what your saying, but from what I have learned from experience, muscle mass has nothing to do with strength. I was benching 240 yet had no visual muscles, and I was not fat. Strength and muscle build independently of themselves from what I have seen.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    So "creating muscle tissue" would not mean more muscle mass? Where does the new tissue go if it doesn't become part of the previous mass?

    There is a difference between bulk and strength. Bulk can be a contributing factor towards strength, but strength can be improved without gaining a single pound of muscle due to adaptations by the nervous sytem and within the existing muscle cells.

    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
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    So "creating muscle tissue" would not mean more muscle mass? Where does the new tissue go if it doesn't become part of the previous mass?

    There is a difference between bulk and strength. Bulk can be a contributing factor towards strength, but strength can be improved without gaining a single pound of muscle due to adaptations by the nervous sytem and within the existing muscle cells.

    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.

    I think what the author was just trying to say is that people go to the gym for years without any visual results, or none that stay long. But dont quote me on that.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    I don't understand it completely but strength doesn't come just from increased muscle mass. A lot of it comes from reprogramming your nervous system.

    Yes, yes, yes.... A lot of people forget this. That's why maximal strength training and higher-rep training (somebody argued 20 or 30+ earlier) is not the same thing and will not achieve the same level of strength.

    Toning, cutting, bulking, re-comping, all comes from diet. Bulking may require a little more specialized training but nothing major unless you are a pro-bodybuilder.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Bumping to read later. :)
  • LittleButMightyOne
    LittleButMightyOne Posts: 117
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    Bump
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.

    Who knows what the human body is really capable of. Sure there are limits but humans have gone from lifting total weights at powerlifting sessions in the 1500 and 1600's to know lifting 2400 and 2500 total poundage in a meet. Much of it is due to improved knowledge about training and diet. You can point some of it to steroid use but steroids isn't magic, you still need a solid programming system and a solid diet or the drug is useless.
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
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    bumper cars
  • shellsrenee01
    shellsrenee01 Posts: 357 Member
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    Thanks!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    So "creating muscle tissue" would not mean more muscle mass? Where does the new tissue go if it doesn't become part of the previous mass?

    There is a difference between bulk and strength. Bulk can be a contributing factor towards strength, but strength can be improved without gaining a single pound of muscle due to adaptations by the nervous sytem and within the existing muscle cells.

    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.

    I think what the author was just trying to say is that people go to the gym for years without any visual results, or none that stay long. But dont quote me on that.

    Well, the part that said achieving "good results" and then only maintaining those results but not progressing beyond "sucks" is the part I don't agree with. Maintaining good results sounds good IMO. But we all have our different goals.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Tagging to read later as too long to read now.
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
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    So "creating muscle tissue" would not mean more muscle mass? Where does the new tissue go if it doesn't become part of the previous mass?

    There is a difference between bulk and strength. Bulk can be a contributing factor towards strength, but strength can be improved without gaining a single pound of muscle due to adaptations by the nervous sytem and within the existing muscle cells.

    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.

    I think what the author was just trying to say is that people go to the gym for years without any visual results, or none that stay long. But dont quote me on that.

    Well, the part that said achieving "good results" and then only maintaining those results but not progressing beyond "sucks" is the part I don't agree with. Maintaining good results sounds good IMO. But we all have our different goals.

    Its possible the wording could have been written wrong.
  • Bmontgomery613
    Bmontgomery613 Posts: 200 Member
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    bump
  • KStambulic
    KStambulic Posts: 131
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    Good article. :) Food for thought.
  • finojr
    finojr Posts: 2
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    perfect article! tks !
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.

    But if maintaining muscle is the results you want, then of course your results don't "suck". The author just used that phrase to grab attention. No one would read "Why you are not getting the results you want (if those results are muscle gain and a muscular, lean physique) from weight training". By using SUCK in big capital letters people are drawn in.
  • Twiztedbeing
    Twiztedbeing Posts: 389
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    Okay, so at some point you will indeed stop gaining muscle tissue no matter what you do. And I assume that at some point you will stop gaining strength, because the human body is only capable of so much. And the author considers this "sucky results" unless you have pushed yourself to your absolute limits. Is that right?

    I'm not being argumentative, just trying to understand the author's point. Which I think I now do, even though I don't agree.

    But if maintaining muscle is the results you want, then of course your results don't "suck". The author just used that phrase to grab attention. No one would read "Why you are not getting the results you want (if those results are muscle gain and a muscular, lean physique) from weight training". By using SUCK in big capital letters people are drawn in.

    Agree.

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