I want to build muscle but don't want to get too bulky - The Muscle PhD

I want to build muscle but don’t want to get too bulky

Ask DocCategory: TrainingI want to build muscle but don’t want to get too bulky
musclephd Staff asked 6 years ago

I want to lift weights but I’m just looking to tone. How should I go about training without building too much muscle bulk?

1 Answers
Dr. Jacob Wilson Staff answered 6 years ago

If a small amount of resistance training made you big and bulky then we’d all be Arnold! The big and bulky bodybuilders you see on stage have been training for decades with insane consistency, intensity, and dietary dedication – not to mention great genetics for building muscle. Building muscle is an incredibly difficult process not only physically but biologically as well – it’s not an efficient use of excess energy intake when considering survival needs. Muscle growth is, for the most part, the last adaptation that occurs in response to resistance training and it takes a long time and a lot of work to build a considerable amount of muscle.

So the takeaway here – train like you’re trying to build big muscles even if you just want to “tone.” It will take a long time to see significant growth but once you’re happy with the way you look you can ease back into a maintenance program. Spoiler alert, however, gains can be very addictive and you might not want to stop once you reach your initial goal!

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