Don't want big muscles

[chamcham]

Hello.

I'm starting to getting into exercising.
I'm 5'9 140 lbs, with a skinny build.

I would like to build tone and muscle definition,
but I don't want big muscles. I want to stay skinny,
but look ripped and be very flexible.

I have dumbbells, but I don't use them since I'm not looking
for big muscles. I don't want to be bulky.

How do I build strength without getting big muscles?

Right now, I have an exercise ball, floor mat, chin up bar,
and a jump rope. There is also a park with a good running trail
5 minutes from my house. By alternating between running and jogging,
I can do a mile in 12 minutes.

For abs, I'm doing this:
http://www.shapefit.com/great-abs-workout-routine.html

I would prefer to use bodyweight exercises instead of going to a gym.

Also, I can only do 1 pullup or 2 chinups at a time. So doing a ladder isn't possible for me. Should I abandon doing chinups/pullups for the time being since I can only do a couple. Although, I do feel really tired after doing a couple, I'm not sure if they're giving enough of a workout.

The same goes for pushups(I can only doing 5-7 pushups at a time).

I definitely watch my diet and stay away from all things that have lots of saturated fat. My doctor said my cholestorol is excellent.

Anyway, I'm looking to alternate between strength and cardio training
for 6 days(and rest on the 7th day).

Can anybody offer advice?

[kungfuninja]

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I think if you want to build definition rather than bulkiness then you should do light weights with lots of reps.

[SarahPT]

I disagree with the post above me. Getting big muscles is no easy task. It takes years of training in a specific way to build muscle, eating a high calorie diet, supplements, etc. It's not going to happen by accident. Lifting light weights with many reps will not be beneficial to your goal. Don't be afraid to lift weights. Use those dumbbells. They will only help you. If you are not eating more calories than you burn every day you will probably not build much muscle, if any. People who have that defined look are not afraid of lifting.

Sarah

[kungfuninja]

But he doesn't want big muscles. There are brilliant exercises on this site. I'll put together some things that worked for me:

Biceps: 3 sets of 12

http://www.shapefit.com/biceps-exercise ... curls.html

Triceps, chest and shoulders: 3 sets of as many as you can do. (Push ups, no link)

Abs: 3 sets of 10

http://www.shapefit.com/abs-exercises-crunches.html

Lats: 3 sets of as many as you can do

http://www.shapefit.com/back-exercises-pullups.html

Traps: 3 sets of 6

http://www.shapefit.com/traps-exercises ... hrugs.html

As for your legs, the running and other CV should be able to strengthen them. If you you don't feel they're being worked enough, do some sqauts and calf raises.

As I've said, I'm not an expert but these exercises have been brilliant and I'm after the same thing as you.

Hope this helps.

kungfuninja

[Matt1]

Building muscle is not simply about the combinations of reps you do, it is down to nutrition. The simple answer is that you need to eat more than your maintainance level of protein to build muscle. You can do low reps and these will help you gain strength, but without the correct nutrition you will not build the amounts of muscle that you are afraid of getting. Many powerlifters do not not have the same amounts of muscle as body builders yet they can lift more weight. This is because they restrict their caloric intake to prevent themselves from gaining weight so that they can stay in the same weight class.

Sorry about this being wordy, and I am not saying that I am an expert but this is how it has been explained to me. To gain strength use low reps (1-6) for muscular endurance use high reps (12-15).

Ive seen it recommended to stick to bodyweight exercises the first part of your training as this will give you a basic level of strength before moving onto weights.

Hope this helps!

[swanso5]

wts = not enough cal's = same bodyweight

wts + too many cal's = more bodyweight (fat or muscle)

you'll find it pretty hard to get better at push ups and pul ups without adding some muscle...why do peoople think you can add muscle "accidently"? it's just ridiculous...if it was that easy than everbody would be arnold but we aren't...you say you want to be defined but what are you going to define without building muscle? i think you need to reasearch more or understand what we are saying or we won't be able to help you...high reps do nothing but build endurance...if that's waht your after than fine but if otherwise use regular rep ranges (6 - 10) ansd cut rest down...easy as that

[chamcham]

Thanks for all the advice so far.

So as not to confuse people anymore. What I'm looking for is
something like Carlos Newton, a martial artist who often fights
in the UFC(Ultimate Fighting Championship).

He has stamina, endurance, strength, and a muscular body that
most people would die for. He's stamina is so good that often his
opponents are gassed out well before he is.

The amazing thing, though, is that he does NO weight training
of any kind. He claims to have never lifted weights and refuses
to do so. It's all bodyweight and cardio. And his physique is
about as lean and muscular as they come.

That's what I'm looking for.

In addition, I think dancers are another good example.
Skinny, but very lean and well-defined.

Does this help at all?

Hope to hear more responses.

P.S. Something else that I forgot to mention. I'm one of those
people that eats and eats and eats, but never seems to gain
any weight? Luckily for me, I think that's a good thing.

[swanso5]

have a read of these...geneitcs probably plays a large part of how he looks if wts haven't been a staple...are you looking for something bodyweight or wts orienated?...have a read of these they are taylor made for MMA fighters so might be what your looing for:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1034530

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1083869

let me know what you think

[chamcham]

Thanks for the article link.
Looks like it might be what I was looking for

From the articles on ShapeFit, it seems that cardio, a healthy diet, and some basic exercises are enough to burn off enough fat until your muscles (especially your abs) show.

I just wanna keep myself as skinny and flexible as possible(like dancers,martial artists, and grapplers). I don't want to get much bigger than I am now. I know that muscles weight more than fat. So maybe putting on muscle will make me heavier, but I don't want to get bulky like bodybuilders or football players.

I guess what I'm saying is that I want to get much lower body fat and not grow very big. I don't want to do things like supplements, or go on huge calorie diets to grow much bigger.

I guess Bruce Lee would be a prime example.

Here's a link to an article on him:
http://www.allbrucelee.com/article/why_ ... ight_t.htm

In particular, something mentioned was:

"He combined weight training with his regular workout. He spent as much as four hours in his garage, hardly taking a break, as he worked on the equipment, built by his students to his specifications. He designed his weight-training workout to avoid bulky muscles that might interfere with his performance. For instance, he did not want muscles that restricted the movement of his elbows."

The last two sentences were interesting.
Anyone know of any training regimen similar to this (not 4
hours per day of course) ?

Thanks.

[fitnessfreak011]

Hi, my name is Tanys and I am a figure competitor who was previously a competitive female bodybuilder. I went through the realization that after many months of training that I didn't like how muscular I was as a woman. This led to how to stay fit and cut while softening my overall appearance. You can contact me via the site below that I and some other fitness competitors formed for more info or to email me, gotta get to the gym.

Tanys

http://www.femgear.net/fem5.php

[swanso5]

there's obviously been some discoveries in the strength training world since Bruce Lee was kickin and that really isn't the way to go even though it doesn't really say what he did or how he did it...i have read some bruse lee stuff...from the archives of mine:

Bruce Lee
• only weighed 125 – 145pds…he was only interested in strength that could be readily converted to power…could do 1 arm Push Ups, thumb only Push Ups and hold a 125pd BB at top Front Raise position for several secs…wt program was 3/week to fit his needs perfectly…it increased his wt from 130 to over 165 in 5yrs…he thought this slowed him down so he lost most it later later…was interested in building up the connective tissue and not worrying about muscle size after that…Clean and Press 2 x 8, Squats 2 x 12, Pullova 2 x 8 with only bar wt and bending to 90 degrees, Bench 2 x 6, Mornings 2 x 8, Curls 2 x 8…only sml rest…would always shadow box with wts in his hands where he’d do a drill in which he’d punch for 12 series in a row with 100 punches/series using a pyramid system of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10pd DB’s and then reverse finishing with no wt…trained abs daily doing Sit Ups, Crunches, Roman Chair movements, Leg Raises and V Ups…trained forearms daily with his favourite exercise being Zottman Curls

this is a condensed version of the article which also didn't really a great detailed outline...basically you should be wanting to get as strong as you can but without a lot of weight gain (i can't see the problem with muscle gain i don't know why people are scared of it)...a little muscle gain won't slow you down but rather make you more powerful most likely...do yopu know how many yrs and hrs in the wt room it trakes to look like a footballer or bodybuilder???...my advice is to cut down first to where you want to be then go on a strength program like the one above and then the endurance program i suppose...if you don't want to diet then chad waterbury has aniother article called "Lean Down Without Dieting" or something so try that...with a few little dietary tweaks it should work even better...let me know how you go

[viper]

Just lift weights. It takes a long time to get "bulky". If you have a skinny build it usually takes even longer for "skinny" people to bulk up.

If you lift until you find the right body composition, just do maintenance work (don't increase weight or reps). Then you won't get bulky.

Since you don't want to go to a gym, just use your dumbbells at your house (or body exercises).

The ripped appeareance is possible because of the muscle showing under thin layers of fat. If you want to be ripped you might need to pack on more muscle (lift weights or do body exercises)

Getting bulky doesn't mean losing flexibility. Just make sure to stretch after every workout.

Hope this helps.

[chamcham]

How often should I be lifting dumbbells(15 pounds)?
Is 5 days a week(mon-fri) for about 10 minutes too much?

Right now, I basically do bicep curls and alternate on each arm.
I'm pretty weak, but after a few weeks I definitely
feel the difference.

Also, should I lift weights on the days that I run(3 days a week on alternating days)?

I'd say that my diet is pretty good. So I'm not worried about that.


Thanks.

[swanso5]

if your only doing curls you're way off...re read those programs and try thr strength one as it's prescribed...it will work that bloke is unreal

[viper]

I would say 5 days a week is too much. I would recommend doing:
Monday- Upper body (heavy weights) & Core exercises (abs & lower back)

Tuesday- Lower body (heavy weights)

Wednesday- Sports, cardio, or day off

Thursday- Upper body (light weights) & core exercises (abs & lower back)

Friday- Lower body (Light weights)

Saturday-Sports, cardio, or day off

Sunday-Sports, cardio, or day off

Just remember to :
- use proper technique
- eat plenty of protein
- drink plenty of water
- don't over do exercise (any kind including cardio)
- Stretch AFTER exercise
- And get plenty of rest (both sleep and recovery time for muscles)

Keep me informed if this helps!!!