Strength Gains w/o size gains.

[Ron Powell Jr]

I want to gain strength, but i don't want to grow out of my weightclass in Muay Thai.

Regardless of my weight training, as long as i control my calorie intake there's no scientifically feasible way i can get too much bigger right? I'm already fat for my target weight class as it is.

Oh also, i know in the FAQ it says strength training wont make you slower, but now that i'm lifting sometimes i feel slower in training, maybe it's just due to the extra stress on my central nervous system?

 

[DannyT]

Yeah, you pretty much answered all your questions.

 

[Ron Powell Jr]

Yeah I tend to do that....

 

[CouchStud]

"I'm already fat for my target weight class as it is."

If you're already fat, then your solution is to get leaner and add more muscle all around. Actually, just adding more muscle will jack up your metabolic rate which will greatly contribute to burning fat. So you should be able to stay at the same weight while gaining muscle mass and dropping body fat percentage.

 

[XTrainer]

Unless you have a fight in the immediate future, I'd suggest forgetting about weightclasses for awhile while you get stronger/leaner/better conditioned/whatever you need to do. The work all of those things require is hard enough without having to see an arbitrary number on the scale all the time. Trust me, I've been there.

If you don't have a fight coming right away, your training will be that much better if you can say "screw scale numbers," and chase performance goals instead.

Food for thought.

 

[Ron Powell Jr]

You know, that's probably a better way of going about things....

No fight coming up, not planning to compete again for a while....i think maybe i'm overestimating how much lifting can make me grow in such a short time, i just keep seeing a bad picture in my head of me carrying an extra 20lbs of muscle.

What kind of man is afraid of gaining muscle right? No idea lol...

 

[Oblivian]

You know, that's probably a better way of going about things....

No fight coming up, not planning to compete again for a while....i think maybe i'm overestimating how much lifting can make me grow in such a short time, i just keep seeing a bad picture in my head of me carrying an extra 20lbs of muscle.

What kind of man is afraid of gaining muscle right? No idea lol...

This. Women are notorious for doing that. It's not as easy as people think to throw on mass. You actually have to try to do that by heavy eating, and some people still have trouble.

 

[Giant Midget]

Plyometrics maybe?
An alternitave is if you're fat lose a bit of weight then do heavy lifting, maximal strength gains and swapping fat for muscle!

 

[DrBdan]

+1 to what CouchStud and XTrainer said. If you don't have a fight coming up just worry about lifting heavy and eating well. When it gets closer to fight time you can assess your weight and decide how much you have to drop. If you agonize over gaining a bit of weight while trying to get strong you will just sabotage yourself.

 

[Hotstreak1987]

I had a problem being picked on in high school being a 5'6 ectomorph weighing 110 lbs. GOMAD and the SS helped immensely. 218 13% Bf now but cardio is a problem as LSD is completely out the window lol. Tabata sprints, eating clean, and lifting hard worked pretty well for me, but were all different. Took me 6 years to get where I'm at though so not everyone can beef up in a short amount of time.

 

[h7jb7sg1e]

You need to define your goals better. Also, consider periodization training to focus on a few goals at a time. Doing everything at once is doable but will require immense focus. For weight management your caloric intake and your metabolism matter, plus salt consumption because it will affect how much water you retain. For strength 1-3 reps is optimal provided you can maintain form and speed. If you are newer to weight training consider a 5x5 program or any of the programs in the FAQ -except 20-rep squats/deads-that is for hypertrophy. Plyometrics are for power. Personally I've seen carryover to strength (weights) and speed (handball/sprints) but there may be other variables I'm overlooking. Finally, I think the variable most overlooked in a training program is rest and recovery. All the best.

 

[rckvl]

Unless you have a fight in the immediate future, I'd suggest forgetting about weightclasses for awhile while you get stronger/leaner/better conditioned/whatever you need to do. The work all of those things require is hard enough without having to see an arbitrary number on the scale all the time. Trust me, I've been there.

If you don't have a fight coming right away, your training will be that much better if you can say "screw scale numbers," and chase performance goals instead.

Food for thought.

I think this is your best advice.

 

[miaou]

Unless you have a fight in the immediate future, I'd suggest forgetting about weightclasses for awhile while you get stronger/leaner/better conditioned/whatever you need to do. The work all of those things require is hard enough without having to see an arbitrary number on the scale all the time. Trust me, I've been there.

If you don't have a fight coming right away, your training will be that much better if you can say "screw scale numbers," and chase performance goals instead.

Food for thought.

This

Unless you have a fight in the immediate future, I'd suggest forgetting about weightclasses for awhile while you get stronger/leaner/better conditioned/whatever you need to do. The work all of those things require is hard enough without having to see an arbitrary number on the scale all the time. Trust me, I've been there.

If you don't have a fight coming right away, your training will be that much better if you can say "screw scale numbers," and chase performance goals instead.

Food for thought.

I think this is your best advice.

And this.






(sorry for giving you a hard time man, I couldn't resist!)

 

[Morganation]

Ive been doing the 5x5 for about seven months now.I have gained about 10lbs but all of my lifts have drastically increased.I think its possible to get stronger without carrying that much more muscle mass.