I started lifting and am gaining weight - should I quit?

mellow seeds wrote:

rocker spaniel wrote:

that's a jerk response, as you know.

First off, it doesn't matter how fast I am. If you don't want to advise on this back away. You are a waste of global digital memory.

Second, a 48 who can run 1:20 for a HM, 10:40 for two miles and 17:20 for 5k is actually fairly fast unless you totally disregard age group racing. Which would be lame to do, but you might take that view.

I did answer your question. You asked why would you not be concerned. I would not be concerned because I think it makes sense to do something that will benefit you long term rather than clinging to that precious 1:20 half marathon. Does it really matter if you only run 1:21? And no I don't care about age group racing. Never have, never will.

ok got it.

but the facts are that I do care about my race times and I do care about age group racing, so your input is not interesting to me.

rocker,

despite the weight gain, you remain scrawny--that's a statement of fact, not a judgement.

the only way you can gain weight is to eat calories in excess of those you burn. you can keep doing strength training (push-ups hardly count as weight lifting) and maintain your current weight by dialing in your diet.

i doubt losing 3 pounds is going to make a material difference to your running performance. because strong people are harder to kill, enjoy the little bit of muscle you've added and relax.

Thanks for the resume bro, you're a humble guy. How rich are you and how hot is your wife?

You're lifting incorrectly for your desired goals.

Doing 25 rep sets by itself is not going to cause a gain in muscle mass.

2-3lbs is within daily normal fluctuation.

Natural weight gain happens as we age because because of reduced testosterone and lower basal metabolic rate.

Alan

His times are actually pretty decent for the age group.... I am sure he grades better than many of the keyboard warriors around here.... including you...

Runningart2004 wrote:

You're lifting incorrectly for your desired goals.

Doing 25 rep sets by itself is not going to cause a gain in muscle mass.

2-3lbs is within daily normal fluctuation.

Natural weight gain happens as we age because because of reduced testosterone and lower basal metabolic rate.

Alan

This pretty much. If OP isn't near failure after 20 reps, then OP isn't ever going to bulk up and the 3 lbs is out of OP's control.

No, dont stop.

Its a great strategy to counter act the muscle loss that comes with age.

You will actually find yourself more balanced and probably able to run faster at the shorter distances like 800 to mile.

Your challenge will be to keep the weight lifting challenging by changing routines every month, otherwise you will try to 'beat' your previous reps/lbs and end up injured.

Since you dont talk about marathons on your repertoire, your 4-5 lbs weight gain really wont slow you down.

After 4-5 pounds of hypertrophy, youradaptations will be neuro muscular in nature.

Keep it up.

3/10...a little too exaggerated

3lbs? are you trolling us? Normal daily fluctuations most likely. If you're running enough you won't be able to add muscle mass anyway.

or are you just fishing for compliments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR9ABLkV09M

Hey go wrote:

I wouldn't sweat the 3 pounds. I would look at 2 things to decide whether or not to scale back on lifting.

Are you getting faster or slower in races?. Don't care about your daily training pace or workouts just races.

Do you feel more or less little injuries?

Also, if you have access to a gym try lifting heavy. Squat, deadlift or lunge and workup to most weight you can do with good form for 5 reps.

Lifting sets of 1-5 reps will cause much less muscle gain than training 8-12 reps.

Also, doing 20+ reps on squats isn't training for strength or Power but strength endurance.

OP, I have no idea why so many posters aren't taking you seriously, but this (above) is the best advice so far.

I agree with "Hey Go" that you should try more intense lifting for fewer reps. Also, think about timing. Have you tried going for a short run right after lifting? It should be very short (2-4 miles), and easy, but it should help you keep off the weight and translate the strength benefits into running.

But like a lot of posters, I don't think 2-3 pounds is the problem on its own -- I would **expect** that much gain. But if it becomes 5-6 pounds, you may need to start trying something more drastic. Keep us posted!

this dude is a troll

I agree 3 pounds isn't a problem - it's the trend - I don't want to keep gaining weight.

I don't have access to a gym - I'm stuck with body weight exercises.

Injury rate hasn't changed much - I always have lowgrade injuries but they rarely if ever put me out of commission for more than a 3 days. In any case that hasn't changed.

I just had a decent race, so that is a positive sign that weight gain is balanced by having more muscle.

I'll probably keep up the lifting unless I start slowing. the question is if I gain another 3 pounds what do I do.

Well... a related question is, how much is muscle gain and how much (if any) is fat that you happened to gain at the same time?

You might be able to assess this with your basic waistline measurement or "pants-fit" judgment:

If your waistline's staying the same/getting smaller - or your pants fit the same/are getting looser - while your weight's going up, you're fine.

If your pants are getting too tight, though, you might want to re-think your strategy.

update - I've kept on the extra three pounds but not gained any more weight, despite continued lifting. So maybe I'll stay at this weight now.

And the good news is that I ran a very fast 5k this past weekend, so it seems that my new muscles are helping me.

(answer to question above: pants fit the same)

"I don't have access to a gym - I'm stuck with body weight exercises."

A successful guy like you without access to a gym - or the resources to set up a home gym? Sure...

Proof of trolling wrote:

"I don't have access to a gym - I'm stuck with body weight exercises."

A successful guy like you without access to a gym - or the resources to set up a home gym? Sure...

now why would I troll this? It's really not a great troll topic.

Anyway

Yeah, I could join a gym but I don't want to. I would never go and I would hate every second inside. So that's not a real option.

I live in an apartment so a home gym isn't going to work either.

Retention of muscle mass is the #1 predictor of quality of life for seniors. I would worry less about a second or two per mile in racing and put on a little mass if you can. You're never going to get huge, I suspect.

"I live in an apartment so a home gym isn't going to work either."

You're 48 and live in an apartment? Is it overlooking Central Park? If not, you aren't the success you claim to be.

@rocker spaniel: I suggest that you keep doing the lifting (no doubt there is a benefit *and* to general health), but with some modifiers.

Doing moderate weight with high number of reps is going to stimulate hypertrophy. So... do fewer reps and higher weight. Shoot for 2-3 sets of 5-10 reps twice per week... not to failure, but you should feel like you're working hard.

Do at least 20-30 min of aerobic activity right after your weight sessions. Say, 30 minute easyish run or some spinning, etc. This will inhibit pathways in your body that signal hypertrophy.

But I wouldn't worry a ton overall about your weight. The most gains will come in the first few months of training... which you're beyond now. Moreover, if you're deficient in strenght/musculature, even adding 5-8 lbs will not necessarily slow you down. Just because you think you're supposed to be 135lbs, doesn't mean there isn't room for change/improvement. I myself was 135lbs for years... then my coach had me start lifting and I jumped 142... I was MUCH faster (5k through marathon).