How can I become stronger without growing bigger?

L

lanqu

0
I am satisfied with my current arm size but i would like to grow stronger;
what exercises should i do?
how many reps and sets should i do?
 
It's hard for us to say. The standard set/rep recommendation for wanting to get stronger is low rep low sets and heavy weight. Though, some people will grow with this as everyone is different. The first thing to do would be to not eat over maintenance level in calories.. that should minimize size gains.
 
Hate to flood the board with this message, but try CrossFit. You can check out the CrossFit website, look for CrossFit videos on YouTube, or Google CrossFit. With CrossFit you get very very strong, and the build of most CrossFitters is a very healthy strong build. You need to be able to run, flip very heavy tires, do pullups, situps, squats, deadlifts, money bars, sand bag drags, bear crawls, etc.

If you want a workout that will really check your fitness level, it is called Murph. You first run a mile as fast as you can. Then you do 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats and then run another mile as fast as you can. The workout is for time and it will have you on the verge of puking. It's great! LOL.
 
to Karky:
if i follow the low rep, low set, high weight method, will that get rid of the fat on my arms as well?
 
you can't really spot reduce. To get rid of the fat you would have to get into a calorie deficit and lose fat from all over.
 
lanqu said:
to Karky:
if i follow the low rep, low set, high weight method, will that get rid of the fat on my arms as well?
Click to expand...

I'm a little confused. You said you were satisfied with your arm size, and then you said you want to get rid of fat on your arms. It sounds like you may indeed be better off adding some muscle to your arms (and elsewhere?) and then get rid of some of the fat so you end up with about the same size arms, but of course much more well defined. And Karky is absolutely correct, you'll have to reduce fat in general for the fat on your arms to be reduced.
 
Hi guys,
On my blog I have the range of Sets and Reps for each of Muscular Endurance, Muscular Hypertrophy, Muscular Strength and Muscular Power.
Generally we say that for Muscular Strength is anything up to 6 Repititions and 2-6 Sets. Obviously as Karky said, everyone is different, so there is no guarantee you wnot get bigger, although the effects would be nothing like if you were doing Muscular Hypertrophy training. Feel free to have a look at my blog if you want anymore info
 
Here is an answer for ya. Cut some more and trim off more bodyfat; then go on a bulking phase to gain some muscle. That way you are replacing the fat with muscle while weighting about the same.
 
you can't really grow much muscle if you don't have much of a calorie surplus.
so, if you eat at maintainance levels and lift for strength, you shouldn't bulk up in a noticable way. it'd be real slow.
 
Karky said:
isn't xfit more of an endurance type thing than pure strength?
Click to expand...

my trainer always tells me, it's about moving heavy weights, quickly, as many reps as you can/longest distance possible.

So it mixes strength, speed and endurance. My lower body stregth has improved drastically since starting. I squat around 400, deadlift 490, bench 370, and overhead press 210. I can also bench my body weight (260/5'10", I need to lose another 40lbs) 10 reps. So while not superman, I would say I'm stronger than the average joe. CrossFit has helped tremendously with that.
 
I never said you wouldn't gain strength with xfit. But it's more for endurance. And what your coach says isn't really something you can apply to this person asking here.

He says he want's strength, so I don't get why anyone would recommend xfit, since that's not exactly pure strength. Granted, we don't really know enough abouthe persons goals to give much recommendation at all, since just "strength" isn't much to work on. But I'm guessing arm strength, which xfit doesn't exactly specialize in.
 
lanqu said:
I am satisfied with my current arm size but i would like to grow stronger;
what exercises should i do?
how many reps and sets should i do?
Click to expand...
I would not put the cart before the horse. What is your body fat%? What is your goal e.g to gain muscle and lose fat; to retain muscle and lose fat or what? People are giving wacky answers (e.g. crossfit) when it hasn't been established if the OP is n00b to working out or out of shape.
 
Why is so much emphasis being placed on arms today anyway? If you're focusing on lifting heavy **** on big compound movements your arms will generally take care of themselves.

As for getting stronger but not bigger, what's wrong with getting bigger?
 
Typhon said:
Why is so much emphasis being placed on arms today anyway? If you're focusing on lifting heavy **** on big compound movements your arms will generally take care of themselves.

As for getting stronger but not bigger, what's wrong with getting bigger?
Click to expand...

Thats what i don't get.
 
Karky said:
I never said you wouldn't gain strength with xfit. But it's more for endurance. And what your coach says isn't really something you can apply to this person asking here.

He says he want's strength, so I don't get why anyone would recommend xfit, since that's not exactly pure strength. Granted, we don't really know enough abouthe persons goals to give much recommendation at all, since just "strength" isn't much to work on. But I'm guessing arm strength, which xfit doesn't exactly specialize in.
Click to expand...

You are right, arm strength isn't a strong point of CrossFit. He mentioned that he wants to get stronger without getting bigger though. Most times the two don't go together wouldn't you agree?
 
it can be difficult, yes, some hypertrophy will probably occur, but you can do what you can to minimize it. If you know how your body responds I bet you could get very strong without getting a lot bigger, but then you have to know your body, which takes a lot of experience in the weight room.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top