Gaining weight?

livelifeloud97
livelifeloud97 Posts: 3 Member
edited February 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I need a little help.

I'm a 23 year old female. I'm 5 ft 6 and now 135 pounds. I joined the gym about 3 weeks ago. I have been going 4 days a week. I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio and also doing weight training with a trainer. I was 132 pounds when I joined the gym. I have been eating 1200 calories on days when I do not go to the gym and 1400 on days I do go. I am trying to tone up and get rid of jiggly spots, not get huge so I am not using heavy weights. 15 lbs for free weights and between 30-60 lbs on weight machines. I have changed my diet a lot also. I have been drinking 70 oz of water daily, stopped drinking soda, cooking at home instead of eating out for lunch and supper every day. I'm a vegetarian so I have added a pea protein shake but I'm counting those calories too. So why am I gaining weight? I know weight lifters gain weight but my trainer said women lifting light weights and doing cardio should help burn fat and lose weight while getting toned. I don't want to keep gaining weight :(

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I use heavy weights and I am not getting "huge"...that is a myth. It takes steriods to make women "huge" and a big surplus of calories.

    If you just started this exercise you are retaining water to help repair the muscles..and your trainer should know that...

    It will take about 4-6 weeks for it to go away...
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    yeah, its more than likely water weight due to the new exercise. Just keep with it and eventually it will drop off.

    As far as the weights go, you don't have to worry about "accidentally" bulking up just because you lift weights. Its hard enough for men to do it, but women have to specifically try to get big. However, I'm not a big proponent of new lifters going heavy, but the weights should be heavy enough that you have to REALLY strain to get the last rep or two when you are doing about 15 reps per set. Otherwise it isn't doing that much good.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    yeah, its more than likely water weight due to the new exercise. Just keep with it and eventually it will drop off.

    As far as the weights go, you don't have to worry about "accidentally" bulking up just because you lift weights. Its hard enough for men to do it, but women have to specifically try to get big. However, I'm not a big proponent of new lifters going heavy, but the weights should be heavy enough that you have to REALLY strain to get the last rep or two when you are doing about 15 reps per set. Otherwise it isn't doing that much good.

    Heavy is relative of course...

    I started with bodyweight and small dumbells...when I started my lifting program I was at 60lbs on most lifts except DL which was 90lbs..and those were all too light (for me)

    As for the rep range lifting heavy is 5-8 reps not 15...
  • StephanieT0602
    StephanieT0602 Posts: 58 Member
    When I first started working out, I gained weight for a good 3-4 weeks. This is due to water retention because your body holds onto extra water to aid in muscle recovery. Once I got over that bump, the weight has been slowly coming off (I don't have a ton to lose).
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    As for the rep range lifting heavy is 5-8 reps not 15...

    ...and that is my point.

    The key is to lift until close to exhaustion to get your muscle to break down and repair. You can do this my lifting moderate weight (aka 12-15 reps) heavy enough that the last couple have exhausted the muscle OR you can lift heavy where by the 5th or so rep your muscle is getting exhausted. Both will work. Both have similar results. However, lifting moderate weight at 12-15 reps tends to be safer for new lifters that are still working on technique.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    As for the rep range lifting heavy is 5-8 reps not 15...

    ...and that is my point.

    The key is to lift until close to exhaustion to get your muscle to break down and repair. You can do this my lifting moderate weight (aka 12-15 reps) heavy enough that the last couple have exhausted the muscle OR you can lift heavy where by the 5th or so rep your muscle is getting exhausted. Both will work. Both have similar results. However, lifting moderate weight at 12-15 reps tends to be safer for new lifters that are still working on technique.

    I guess for me I have always understood the following

    •1-5 Reps Per Set = Mostly Strength
    •5-8 Reps Per Set = Strength AND Muscle Equally
    •8-10 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Strength
    •10-12 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Endurance
    •12-15 Reps Per Set = Endurance With Some Muscle
    •15-20 Reps Per Set = Mostly Endurance


    and since there will be no muscle gain here (except maybe newbie gains) I don't see how 12-15reps with moderate weight can have the same effect as 1-5 at threshold of weight...

    esp for women it is suggested that form is done with bar weight only on all lifts except DL (only because it's hard with that one).
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    As for the rep range lifting heavy is 5-8 reps not 15...

    ...and that is my point.

    The key is to lift until close to exhaustion to get your muscle to break down and repair. You can do this my lifting moderate weight (aka 12-15 reps) heavy enough that the last couple have exhausted the muscle OR you can lift heavy where by the 5th or so rep your muscle is getting exhausted. Both will work. Both have similar results. However, lifting moderate weight at 12-15 reps tends to be safer for new lifters that are still working on technique.

    I guess for me I have always understood the following

    •1-5 Reps Per Set = Mostly Strength
    •5-8 Reps Per Set = Strength AND Muscle Equally
    •8-10 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Strength
    •10-12 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Endurance
    •12-15 Reps Per Set = Endurance With Some Muscle
    •15-20 Reps Per Set = Mostly Endurance


    and since there will be no muscle gain here (except maybe newbie gains) I don't see how 12-15reps with moderate weight can have the same effect as 1-5 at threshold of weight...

    esp for women it is suggested that form is done with bar weight only on all lifts except DL (only because it's hard with that one).

    Not so much. Simplistically, it is the VOLUME of the weight lifted that really matters (within reason). So, 3 sets of 10 reps at 100 lbs is 3000 lbs of total volume. You can get that same amount of volume by doing 3 sets of 5 at 200 lbs (3*5*200 = 3000) and get very similar results, but your technique will likely be better on the higher rep work, which will yield better results in practice and is safer.

    Me personally, I lift 4 times a week doing entire body routines - 2 high rep days (6 sets of 15 each day), 1 moderate day (3-4 sets of 10-12 reps), then 1 power workout (3-4 sets of 4-6 reps).

    So, I'm not saying lifting heavy is a no no, just that you can get very similar results with lighter weight and for noobs, it is much more forgiving if your technique is suspect.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    I will reiterate, though, that whichever route your go - heavy or high rep - it is key that you pick weight that is heavy enough that you are really struggling on your last 1 or 2. You HAVE to break down the muscle to get better.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    I am trying to tone up and get rid of jiggly spots, not get huge so I am not using heavy weights
    Um before asking for help you should probably not insult those who could give you insightful advice. I have no idea where you got the "I will get huge if I lift heavy" theory (which is wrong btw).
    74765_10153076111495607_1753695762_n.jpg
  • livelifeloud97
    livelifeloud97 Posts: 3 Member
    Not insulting anyone lol. I never said anything bad about female body builders. It's just my goal to tone up is all. I never said anything bad about anyone. Not sure how I am insulting anyone.
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    Not insulting anyone lol. I never said anything bad about female body builders. It's just my goal to tone up is all. I never said anything bad about anyone. Not sure how I am insulting anyone.

    Because not everyone who lifts heavy weights has "bodybuilder" body?
    VS models lift heavy weights, actually.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    I don't know why this myth endures but it does.

    Women cannot "get huge" by lifting weights. Not even heavy weights. We don't have the amount of testosterone in our bodies to build the muscle that guys get.

    If you want to tone up, you have to lift fairly heavy weights on a fairly regular basis. Muscle burns fat even when they are at rest. The more muscle you have, the more fat you're burning around the clock.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Lifting heavy weights is not going to make you huge.

    You are a woman, correct? Therefore, you don't have the testosterone needed to get "bulky." Unless you take steroids of course.

    It is super super super hard for women to gain muscle.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    Not insulting anyone lol. I never said anything bad about female body builders. It's just my goal to tone up is all. I never said anything bad about anyone. Not sure how I am insulting anyone.
    Lifting weights will not make you huge. Your basically telling me, as a heavy lifter that is losing weight and getting smaller, that I am getting huge. Since I'm trying to get smaller, yes, that's a pretty hefty insult. The above picture is of me, and I hardly consider myself huge. And in that image I was able to deadlift my weight for 5 sets of 5 reps.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    I can't speak for all but based on what I see and hear from my female friends, they freak out when they first start lifting and look slightly bigger due to muscle temporary inflammation. And they think that will last and they will get bigger and bigger...
  • livelifeloud97
    livelifeloud97 Posts: 3 Member
    I don't know you, coder girl, and I really don't care how big or small you are. I never said anything about you. You can make what you want of a simple comment on the internet. It's up to you.

    I'm sorry but I see many women that are a lot bigger than I want to be. I'm not insulting anyone. I just don't want to look like that. Just like all of you don't want to look certain ways either. Get over yourselves.
  • mactaffy84
    mactaffy84 Posts: 398 Member
    [/quote]
    Lifting weights will not make you huge. Your basically telling me, as a heavy lifter that is losing weight and getting smaller, that I am getting huge. Since I'm trying to get smaller, yes, that's a pretty hefty insult. The above picture is of me, and I hardly consider myself huge. And in that image I was able to deadlift my weight for 5 sets of 5 reps.
    [/quote]

    You have to admit, this IS a bit snarky. The OP never said anything insulting about anybody.
  • hellomanen
    hellomanen Posts: 96 Member
    because you are eating too little!
    1200 calorie diet is for someone who deos ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ALL DAY! (like being injured or just being operated and has to rest all day all night)
    you should really consider adding at least 500 calories since you are doing cardio AND weight training! your body is probably on starvation mode and thats why is resisting to lose anything (and when you eat it takes as much of it as your body can since it knows what you'll put it trough later)
    I'm talking for self experience, the minute I went up to 1700 and burned 300 doing 30 minutes of workout the wight fell off 10 time faster than when torturing myself eating only 1200 calories and working out for 2 1/2 hours :)
    and fyi, muscle DOES weighs more than fat but still, you don't get huge, you'll get rid of the fat, your methabolism goes to the sky and above! it's awesome, now fat over muscle... THAT makes you look huge
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