Lifting everyday?

PibblesRun

I have been lifting to tone...I want to start lifting heavy to build muscle. Ive been doing toning every day, light weight, lots of reps. Will it hurt to do heavy lifting every day? Will I see results faster that way? If i shouldnt lift every day, what are the reasons? I dont really know much about lifting to build muscle. I want to do whatever will get me results better.

Thanks!

dad106

You should not be lifting every day.. and there is no such thing as "lifting to tone".

When you lift(be it heavy or light) you need to have at least a 24 hour rest period between muscle groups worked. If not, you risk injury.

If you want to build muscle, you need to lift heavy and eat a surplus of calories.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

First off, "toning" isn't a thing. You can waste a bunch of time by doing 100 reps with a 2lb DB but that's more of a cardio exercise than anything else.

You can lift every day, but not on a strength based program. You'd need to do a split. Before you can do a split, you need to do a strength based program. I recommend Wendler's 5/3/1. It's technically a split, but it's a strength based split. You have a bench/squat + accessory day and a press/dead lift + accessory day. You can do every other day with a schedule like AxBxAxB then the next week xAxBxAx. Your muscles don't get stronger when lifting, they get weaker. Your muscles are built while resting/recovering from a work out. That being said, you can do cardio on off days.

Many people here are fans of SS but make sure you add pull ups and dips if you do SS. Otherwise you'll end up in T Rex mode.

da_bears10089

I do Stronglifts 5x5 and they strongly suggest doing it 3 times a week with nothing between to really allow your muscles to repair themselves.

PibblesRun

Its not 2lb weights ive been doing...ive been doing 15 lb weights. But I read somewhere you should lift enough to the point where your at failure at around 10 reps...I can do 20 with 15 lbs and i could probably do more. So I figure I need to lift heavier then.

So 3x a week max...because my muscles build up on rest days? So doing them every day wont build as much muscle as resting a day in between then?

I dont want to do squats though, just work my upper body and abs. My legs...I dont know how I got them, but they are already super muscular. If I get any more muscle in my legs I will look like a body builder!

jacksonpt

Most beginners will benefit the most from a "boxed" program like strong lifts of starting strength. Add in a few vanity lifts if you want, but keep the core lifts as programmed. These programs generally have you working out 3x week.

If you're hell bent on lifting every day, then the important this is to give your body sufficient rest/recovery time. Don't work the same muscles on consecutive days... so something like an uppper/lower split or a push/pull split.

And on a related note, if you want to build new muscle tissue, you'll want to be in a calorie surplus. You might see some very minimal gains early on at a deficit, but for prolonged progress you'll need a surplus.

extraordinary_machine

First of all, unless you are a man...eating a buttload of calories a dat...or using steroids, lifting your legs will not make you "look like a body builder." I was a gymnast from ages 4-18 (then I coached and still tumbled on occasion) and I played soccer for over 30 years--because of that and genetics, I've always had "big" legs--24-25 inch quads, defined calves, etc. I LIKED my ginormous legs, though, so I've never been afraid of lifting and did so pretty consistently starting in high school through my 20's. I quit lifting for about 10 years and I've been doing it with some regularity for about a year now, starting with New Rules of Lifting for Women and then moving to Stronglifts.

My quads? They've actually GOTTEN SMALLER. I started squatting 65 5x5 and deadlifting 90 5x5 and now I can squat 125 3x5 and deadlift 155 3x5 but my quads are about 22 inches around. The difference? I've lost fat. So, while you may build muscle in your legs, you'll reduce fat, making them look smaller. My legs are actually more defined now with lifting only 3 days a week than they were with playing 7 soccer games a week.

Sorry for the book. :embarassed: I just hate the myth that gets perpetuated that lifting a certain body part will make it look "bulky". Not true.

To answer your actual question...you *can* lift everyday, but only if you're doing some sort of split schedule where you're working different body parts each day. Most people who lift will recommend a "beginner" program such as Starting Strength or Stronglifts (which was "inspired" by SS) which focuses on compound lifts that work multiple muscle groups, so you're only lifting 3 days a week. In order to build muscle rest days are crucial.

Good luck!

dad106

I dont want to do squats though, just work my upper body and abs. My legs...I dont know how I got them, but they are already super muscular. If I get any more muscle in my legs I will look like a body builder!

Then you are going to end up with a muscle imbalance from only working out the upper/abs.

Plus, abs are made in the kitchen.. you could do situps/crunches till you are blue in the face and still won't have abs.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Its not 2lb weights ive been doing...ive been doing 15 lb weights. But I read somewhere you should lift enough to the point where your at failure at around 10 reps...I can do 20 with 15 lbs and i could probably do more. So I figure I need to lift heavier then.

So 3x a week max...because my muscles build up on rest days? So doing them every day wont build as much muscle as resting a day in between then?

I dont want to do squats though, just work my upper body and abs. My legs...I dont know how I got them, but they are already super muscular. If I get any more muscle in my legs I will look like a body builder!

I squat 225lbs and my thighs are 18.5" which really isn't that big. Unless you're on gear, you won't get bulky.

JustJennie1

You should not be lifting every day.. and there is no such thing as "lifting to tone".

When you lift(be it heavy or light) you need to have at least a 24 hour rest period between muscle groups worked. If not, you risk injury.

If you want to build muscle, you need to lift heavy and eat a surplus of calories.

Disagree.

It depends on what sort of workout you are doing. I lift every day. I work one muscle group a day with abs and legs done every other day. No issues with it. No need for "rest' in between.

dad106

You should not be lifting every day.. and there is no such thing as "lifting to tone".

When you lift(be it heavy or light) you need to have at least a 24 hour rest period between muscle groups worked. If not, you risk injury.

If you want to build muscle, you need to lift heavy and eat a surplus of calories.

Disagree.

It depends on what sort of workout you are doing. I lift every day. I work one muscle group a day with abs and legs done every other day. No issues with it. No need for "rest' in between.

Ok, but your working one muscle group a day. By working a different muscle group the next day, you are resting the one worked the previous day.

Which is what I said.. You need 24 hours rest between muscle groups worked or injuries occur.