Bulking up vs. toning - more reps vs. more weight

**ricky_rocket** · 02-21-2005, 04:04 PM

I'm new to lifting. I've been doing a cardio workout 6-7 days per week to lose weight. I'm now to the point where I'm doing a workout with weights 2-3 days per week.

I'm interested in toning and gaining more muscle but not really bulking up.

Initially, should I be using a lot of weight and doing short amount of rep's and sets or using less weight and doing a lot of reps and sets ?

Example 1: I can bench press 100lbs, 10 times. Take a minute rest and then do 10 more reps, take a minute rest and then do 10 more reps (3 sets total). When I'm done I am tired and I do feel a tingling or burn in my muscles, but I'm not totally worn out. I feel I could do more if I had to.

Example 2: I can bench press 130lbs 4-5 times (1 or two sets total) but then I'm worn out and can't do much more with my triceps/pecs. I move onto legs.

Either way, my muscles are sore/ache the next day (maybe a little more sore doing Example 2) but by the following day I'm perfectly fine (I'm not hurting or tearing anything).

What's better for me Example 1 or Example 2(or any other advice) ? My goal is for my body to look like Bruce Lee not Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Thanks

**Tough Old Man** · 02-21-2005, 04:09 PM

Go to chinaforum.com........They'll have your answere

Du · 02-21-2005, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Tough Old Man

Go to chinaforum.com........They'll have your answere

You sending people away PT?

You must not like this guy.

**SJ69** · 02-21-2005, 05:15 PM

100 X 12 (it sounds like 10 is too easy, you do get it 3 times)
115 X 6 - 8
125 X 5 - 6
135 X 4
100 X 8 - 14

The some flies, militaries, close grips and or skull crushers, up right rows.

Next work out back, bi's and legs reps from 4 - 15

**SlimShady** · 02-21-2005, 06:46 PM

It's not like you're gonna get huge overnight, especially since so much depends on your diet anyway. The question is actually silly when you look at it like that.

No one accidentally gets a body like Arnold's.

**CowPimp** · 02-21-2005, 10:23 PM

You want to gain muscle, but you don't want to bulk up... Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

Both rep ranges you listed are plenty capable of promoting hypertrophy. Just cycle your intensity.

**musclepump** · 02-21-2005, 10:45 PM

Sounds like a woman, "I won't lift because I don't want to get bulky."

Getting bulky requires years of training and a damn good diet. No worries.

**vegman** · 02-21-2005, 11:18 PM

Don't worry, it's not easy to bulk up. You would have to do some hard training just to look like Bruce Lee, let alone Arnold!

**ricky_rocket** · 02-22-2005, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by SlimShady

It's not like you're gonna get huge overnight, especially since so much depends on your diet anyway. The question is actually silly when you look at it like that.

No one accidentally gets a body like Arnold's.

No sh!t ? Really ? I thought if I just acted in some movies my body would automatically look like that. So I'm taking drama at school.

Originally Posted by vegman

Don't worry, it's not easy to bulk up. You would have to do some hard training just to look like Bruce Lee, let alone Arnold!

Boy we're a little sensitive on this forum aren't we ? I was just asking what type of workout routine I should focus on for the phsyique that I want. Thanks SJ69 for some good advice.

It's obvious that everyone else who replied really is just jealous of Bruce Lee.

I'll ask it a different way. What workout routine and diet do you recommned to build a physique like Bruce Lee ?

**Hillside** · 02-22-2005, 05:43 AM

Ricky, if you don't post on here 25 times a day or have 500-1000 posts under your name and you ask a question you get bullshit answers like this. Just use the search button and look around for diets and training tips. There is a ton of information on this board. Just need to take some time and look through it all. To answer your question, I'd go with example 2. The strength and stamina will come with time. Keep the diet clean and lift hard. Good luck

**stonev16** · 02-22-2005, 05:55 AM

Huh I guesse if you want to get not really built but toned, I think higher reps would be best. In my oppinion anythign ur doing in reps of over 25 isnt going to benefit growing muscle that much. If i was tryin to get lean..... not trying to put on bulk.....I would do high reps with reasonably light weight..... I think cardio would help to. heavy weights done in low reps put more stress on your muscles which makes higher gains.......I am not 100% sure about all of this but I'm pretty sure thats how it works........

**stonev16** · 02-22-2005, 06:00 AM

Hillside prolly knows more then me and it will take a while for ex 2 to bulk you up so you would prolly reach you're goal befor you got too much bigger. (maybe do cardio??? to keep the muscle mass in check?) I dunno but I hope I helped u in some way. As long as ur gettin sore from them they are more then likely productive. just dont overtrain.

**tenxyearsxgone** · 02-22-2005, 07:20 AM

you can get big/strong w/out bulking...ask dexter jackson and johnnie O jackson .... dexter placed 4th at 2004 olympia and 3rd in 2003....johnnie O competes as a powerlifter and bodybuilder and lifts about as much as coleman who outweighs him by about 50lbs or so....

eat clean...lean meats, no starch, whole grains and wheat, vegetables, get bigger or hypertrophy i'd stick to 6-8 reps if u have slow twitch fibers and 8-12 if ur fast...to get stronger do lower reps in 4-6 or look up Westside barbell or other generic powerlifting routines....

goodluck

**vegman** · 02-22-2005, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by ricky_rocket

I'm interested in toning and gaining more muscle but not really bulking up.

If you want good answers, you need to be more specific.

**KarlW** · 02-22-2005, 11:09 PM

You can gain muscle and not bulk up. You just have to drop bf accordingly. And yes, although it's harder, you can do both at the same time.

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