I don't want to get any bigger

[GuitarLord]

Hi guys, this is my first post here, so: hello!

Here is the thing:
I started going no gym year and a half ago. First year I was doing it with a trainer, and last half year I'm doing it on my own.
Split training, 3 times a week, with heavy weights helped me gain size. I'm naturally ectomorph, so I was very thin before going to gym. My height is 187cm, and I was 80kg (176 pounds) before going to gym, which was pretty little. After year and a half of training I'm 90kg (200 pounds) now. I'm pretty lean, I never measured my body fat, but it's surely pretty low, since I'm ectomorph, my 6 pack is pretty visible, and I eat very clean foods, I'm known for eating only clean, very little fat, only good carbs, sugar almost never, and lots of protein.

Now, I'm really happy with what I did by now, but the thing is I want to stop progressing with my size. I don't want to get bigger than this. I came to the point where I'm happy with my size and I don't want to get additional size, just want to look even more lean, as much as I can, and define my muscles even better.

I also want to point out that stopping going to gym for a while, and do some other sports, is not a solution, since I would surely lose hard gained muscle. I'm ectomorph, so I'm loosing muscle very easily when not working out. So I need to keep going to gym to keep what I have...

So can anyone tell me what can I do to prevent getting bigger then I am now, keep the size I already have, and make more muscle definition. I'm already doing some cardio, but weight training makes me bigger and bigger even with it.

Any recommendations, tips, links etc... would be helpful.

Thanks,
Nikola

 

[Gazhole]

Stop eating as much.

Size is caused by food, not training. Without food you can't get bigger, all training does is make sure that as much of that food as possible is turned into muscle.

All you need to do is find what your maintenance level of calories is, and stick to that.

Simple as that, really.

 

[popeyestrength]

Stop eating as much.

Size is caused by food, not training. Without food you can't get bigger, all training does is make sure that as much of that food as possible is turned into muscle.

All you need to do is find what your maintenance level of calories is, and stick to that.

Simple as that, really.

This.

it really is that simple

 

[Gazhole]

Alternatively you can just grow a vagina

 

[calaja52]

Alternatively you can just grow a vagina

 

[vannesb]

Wow that's tough!! Wish I had the problem!!!

 

[control101]

Alternatively you can just grow a vagina

bahaha

 

[oufinny]

200 pounds is too big... well I better cut that arm off then. To stay where you are you can always park your ass on a treadmill 3-5 times a week and cut cals, you will cut up and lose muscle, seems to meet your goal.

 

[Work IN Progress]

I second the vagina growth comment.

 

[oufinny]

I second the vagina growth comment.

Difference is Built or Gena can still kick his ass.

 

[Typo]

Why would you want to stay the same size?

Well just maintain your calories I guess

 

[Gazhole]

Seriously though, aside from the dicking around, it's just like i said - if you get an equilibrium with your activity levels and the amount you're eating you'll stop gaining weight.

 

[ihateschoolmt]

Lol not everyone has muscular dysphormia, 200 pounds is a decent size. I don't want to be too much bigger than that either. But like gaz said, no surplus of calories no growth.

 

[Work IN Progress]

Fuck all this nonsense. Why would you wanna stop growing and getting stronger. Dont settle for 200 natty if you still have potential to grow more naturally. Theres nobody on this forum that dosent wish they could gain weight like you have naturally. Settling is for the birds.

 

[damage]

You have nothing to worry about. It takes hard work and dedication to get progressively bigger and stronger. IMO just with that limiting thought, you are pretty much done.

 

[ihateschoolmt]

I'm still a good 20 pounds off my goal but I plan on getting stronger for the next 20 years. You can limit weight gain and still get stronger. I might go as high as 210-220 but I wanna see what 200 looks like before I decide that.

 

[control101]

I'm still a good 20 pounds off my goal but I plan on getting stronger for the next 20 years. You can limit weight gain and still get stronger. I might go as high as 210-220 but I wanna see what 200 looks like before I decide that.

lol wtf? random ass comment

 

[Gazhole]

lol wtf? random ass comment

Not really. WorkINProgress implied that if you stopped growing you'd stop getting stronger. ihateschoolmt obviously disagrees with this.

 

[REDDOG309]

I'll PM him my regiment. Guarenteed to not get bigger or stronger. I eat like a pig and do cardio like a chick. I haven't moved a pound in 7 years.

 

[ihateschoolmt]

lol wtf? random ass comment

I was replying to Workinprogress comment, that was was directed at me.

 

[ManInBlack]

Wait, you DON'T want to get any bigger? That is absurd, sir.

 

[awhites1]

Not really. WorkINProgress implied that if you stopped growing you'd stop getting stronger. ihateschoolmt obviously disagrees with this.

is that possible? b/c I would be a happy man looking like GSP. By normal people, he's probably considred pretty big actually. But he isn't a big guy, he cuts down to 170lbs.

But I've seen him on youtube do chin ups with 3-45 lbs plates chained to a lifting belt. He's incredibly strong and powerful but not huge.

Obviously genetics plays a huge role in his case, but similar guys at my gym that are in front of the squat rack dead lifting 405 and look to be between 180-190 tops.

 

[ihateschoolmt]

Yes it's possible, myofibrilliar hypertrophy increases actin and myosin contractile proteins and adds little to no size. Sacraplasmic hypertrophy increases the amount of fluid the muscle holds and can occur with little strength gain. Most people train for a bit of both. These two types of hypertrophy usually happen with a balance of both, but you can certainly train to add strength with minimal weight gain.

 

[awhites1]

Yes it's possible, myofibrilliar hypertrophy increases actin and myosin contractile proteins and adds little to no size. Sacraplasmic hypertrophy increases the amount of fluid the muscle holds and can occur with little strength gain. Most people train for a bit of both. These two types of hypertrophy usually happen with a balance of both, but you can certainly train to add strength with minimal weight gain.

what exactly does this all emcompass?

 

[ihateschoolmt]

Are you asking how to train that way? Basically if you aren't eating over maintenance calories you will not gain weight, but you can still get stronger. I will say it is easier to get stronger if you do get bigger too but you can still increase strength on a caloric defect or preferably maintenance. I would just train in the lower 1-6 rep range doing heavy compound movements, this will get you stronger the quickest. Maybe follow a power lifting program like 5/3/1 or west-side. Here's a thread with this question.
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/training/126496-strength-training.html

 

[Chill]

Wait, you DON'T want to get any bigger? That is absurd, sir.

No more so than this post of yours.

 

[Marat]

Yes it's possible, myofibrilliar hypertrophy increases actin and myosin contractile proteins and adds little to no size. Sacraplasmic hypertrophy increases the amount of fluid the muscle holds and can occur with little strength gain. Most people train for a bit of both. These two types of hypertrophy usually happen with a balance of both, but you can certainly train to add strength with minimal weight gain.

Are you asking how to train that way? Basically if you aren't eating over maintenance calories you will not gain weight, but you can still get stronger. I will say it is easier to get stronger if you do get bigger too but you can still increase strength on a caloric defect or preferably maintenance. I would just train in the lower 1-6 rep range doing heavy compound movements, this will get you stronger the quickest. Maybe follow a power lifting program like 5/3/1 or west-side. Here's a thread with this question.
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/training/126496-strength-training.html

+1

Very well said.

 

[ManInBlack]

No more so than this post of yours.

Why don't you go dig a hole? I'm gonna go get me another beer.

 

[Built]

Alternatively you can just grow a vagina

Right. Because women can't gain weight. Of course we can't.

I'm still a good 20 pounds off my goal but I plan on getting stronger for the next 20 years. You can limit weight gain and still get stronger. I might go as high as 210-220 but I wanna see what 200 looks like before I decide that.

You can indeed get stronger without getting bigger. In addition to your excellent points about different types of hypertrophy, CNS efficiency also plays a part. Case in point: novice lifters make rapid gains in strength in the first weeks and months of lifting. Note that not one of them becomes jacked before making these gains.

PS we all want something from this sport. For some, it's teh ultimate hyoogeness. For others, it's symmetry and proportion. (For me, it's to hang around with hot-looking men, but I'm a pig.)

 

[Gazhole]

Right. Because women can't gain weight. Of course we can't.

Oh you absolutely can, it's just - like this guy - most of you for some reason don't want to.