Weight Driving me NUTS....

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BenKnowsFitness
BenKnowsFitness Posts: 451 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The more lifting I do the heavier I get. You can see the muscle definition up top and I’ve gotten stronger on Bench, Curl, etc. My waist is not getting bigger. So how do I determine a good weight to aim for? Thanks for the help. :happy:

Replies

  • stfriend
    stfriend Posts: 256 Member
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    Just to be clear, you're trying to gain weight? If I understand things correctly, in order to gain muscle you must eat at a surplus. Perhaps you're not eating enough? It sounds like you're getting leaner.
  • BenKnowsFitness
    BenKnowsFitness Posts: 451 Member
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    Not trying to gain weight. If I lift weights and all else remains the same, I gain weight.
  • mirasmom02
    mirasmom02 Posts: 33
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    Don't focus on the scale....focus on your size and where you feel comfortable.

    My hubby lifts weights and believe me, he has the same issue. It's all psycological - society says you should weigh less, but on the other hand, remember that a pound of muscle is 1/4 the size of a pound of fat...so if you are at a decent "size", it DOES count - - besides, don't forget htat your muscles hold onto water for 24-36 hours after a really good session with the weights.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    you're not giving us a BIG piece of information: how much are you eating?

    if you're not losing fat and are gaining fat then you're eating too much. that has nothing to do with lifting weights
  • Avistew
    Avistew Posts: 32 Member
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    If you're unsure whether you're gaining fat or muscle, or if gaining muscle makes you unsure whether you've lost fat... don't rely on weight as a measurement. Rely on body fat percentage. Some scales measure that, doctors will do it, some gyms will do it, and there are websites about doing it at home.

    Aim for a good percentage, which will depend on whether you're male or female. There again, many website will tell you what a healthy percentage is.

    If your body fat percentage is too high, you might want to look into leangains or recomp. Just google them, they're about losing fat while still gaining muscle.
  • BenKnowsFitness
    BenKnowsFitness Posts: 451 Member
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    you're not giving us a BIG piece of information: how much are you eating?

    if you're not losing fat and are gaining fat then you're eating too much. that has nothing to do with lifting weights

    Thanks for the straight forward response...

    I am around 2000 cals per day (MFP target). I work out 7 days per week including 22 miles of running and 3 sessions of weight lifting. Many people comment (recently) that I look muscular. I've been on MFP around 500 days. As of late I have been lifting more and heavier weights and in the process picked up 5 pounds.
  • JudySwims
    JudySwims Posts: 52 Member
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    You have lost 77lbs and run 22 miles a week!!!! That IS success in my book.... you sound fit! The only thing I suggest is to take that rest day once a week. Or if you must workout, swim... and give your joints a needed break. Hit hot tub as a treat after!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    you're not giving us a BIG piece of information: how much are you eating?

    if you're not losing fat and are gaining fat then you're eating too much. that has nothing to do with lifting weights

    Thanks for the straight forward response...

    I am around 2000 cals per day (MFP target). I work out 7 days per week including 22 miles of running and 3 sessions of weight lifting. Many people comment (recently) that I look muscular. I've been on MFP around 500 days. As of late I have been lifting more and heavier weights and in the process picked up 5 pounds.

    are you doing direct ab work with heavy weights? that could be the culprit. i've also read that heavy deadlifts and turkish get ups increase waist size but i'm not sure about that but i hope that's not the case because i love doing both.

    the other thing is that it's possible the weight gain is water retention since you've just started increasing the weights. OR you could be gaining lots of muscle. maybe use some calipers to check your measurements as well as the tape measurer. if you're gaining size but there's less flab then that's a good thing


    AND WOW congrats on being here 500 days!!! that's great dedication :happy:
  • Stacyelaineharris
    Stacyelaineharris Posts: 1
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    Love how only women have given their advice....... I say a good weight is whatever your wife finds most attractive ;)
  • nhguy78
    nhguy78 Posts: 34 Member
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    Please beware that muscle weighs more than fat. If you add muscle, you will weigh more. If you have the ability to monitor body fat, that may be more of a better guide for you. I am going into transition to add muscle and need to find info about this, too.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Sounds to me like you are doing everything right. Once you start lifting heavy, you scale will start lying to you. Ignore the scale. Start taking pictures and start measuring everywhere. Use the measurements from the Covert Bailey scale as your guide.

    When you start lifting heavier, many times your body weight stays the same while your fat decreases. This is a Good. For myself, I lost 30 pounds the first 3 months with lifting and cardio. The most recent 3, however, I've only lost 4 pounds. But it's the RIGHT 4. My BF% lowered significantly and I can take my shirt off at the beach again. The first 3 months, people would ask if I was losing weight, about 2 months ago people started asking if I worked out. This month people ask how often I work out. These sound like similar questions, but they are WORLDS different. The scale can kiss my *kitten*. I suggest you adopt the same attitude, track photos and measurements, and keep doing what you're doing.

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