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Curious ...

quads123 Posts: 86 Joined: 2001/10/20	2002/03/02, 03:11 PM Has anyone completed (or is in the process of completing) the "gain muscle mass & size" programme? I'm heading into the 8th week ... when I weighed myself the other day, I was shocked to discover I'm almost 10lbs heavier (both the mirror & my clothes tell me I've "lost" weight). It just seems, uh, excessive for a girl ...
jbennett Posts: 1,558 Joined: 2001/02/28	2002/03/02, 03:30 PM Sounds like you're making great progress! Remember: muscle weighs more than fat. You may have lost fat the same time you gained that muscle. Muscle is also more dense than fat tissue. Since fat is less dense, it takes up more space in the body than an equivalent amount of muscle. That explains why your clothes feel a bit baggier than before. Keep up the good work! -------------- --JBennett "I've up-ed my intensity.... now up yours!" "Pain is only weakness leaving the body."
quads123 Posts: 86 Joined: 2001/10/20	2002/03/02, 08:47 PM <grin> I think I was in grade 6 when I first saw "Conan the Destroyer" ... ever since then, I've thought Arnie was the bomb. Man, I love that movie (it's right up there with "Bridget Jones' Diary"!!) Yes, I do enjoy lifting. The challenge of working up to the next largest dumbell or trying to squeeze out that extra rep. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps I should pose my question another way: assuming I lost 4 pounds, and my current weight is 10 pounds greater than when I started, I've gained 14 lbs of lean mass (approx 2lbs per week). I was always under the impression that women gained muscle at a much slower rate than men ... so is it unusual for me to have gained so much??
rpacheco Posts: 3,770 Joined: 2001/12/13	2002/03/03, 01:33 AM Actually, it's not at all unusual for women to gain that much muscle mass. Every body is different and yours just happens to grow more quickly than others. The main thing is, you feel good about yourself and when you look in the mirror, you see someone you like...right? -------------- **_Robert_**
Philia2 Posts: 4,078 Joined: 2001/10/19	2002/03/03, 03:50 AM If you are a beginner to weight training, it's normal that you have been able to gain that much so fast. You had all the necessairy stuff in your body for the muscles and your lifestyle change. Congratulations, you should be proud. Now, if you want to keep getting results you just have to adjust your diet and you'll be fine. Good luck! -------------- - Nina :o) La vie est toujours aussi belle.....
ltroisi Posts: 764 Joined: 2001/11/06	2002/03/03, 08:57 AM That is amazing gains in a short amount of time. Good for you. I remember gaining 8 pounds when I first started working out, over what time period I don't remember!!! -------------- Your presence is marked by your giving, not by what you gain. Leslie
quads123 Posts: 86 Joined: 2001/10/20	2002/03/04, 07:43 AM I've been lifting for a few years, primarily for strength ... appears I'm guilty of overtraining or undereating (or both!!). Thanks for your encouragement! I'll keep you posted.
Alorle Posts: 196 Joined: 2001/10/07	2002/03/06, 01:59 PM Also, if you lost 4 pounds of fat, and gained 14 pounds of lean weight, please understand that it is not necessarily all muscle. Lean weight is simply weight that is not fat. It's your organs, your skin, your blood, your breakfast, and your muscles. While the majority of the gain would probably be muscle, some would be increased blood volume, bone density, and possibly increased lung and heart size. Just to clarify :) -------------- "Do not try. Do. Or do not. There is no try" --Yoda