r/leangains • u/Pleasant-Target-1497 • Nov 08 '24
LG Question / Help Getting stronger without getting bigger
Simple question really. I'm 5'5 110, so pretty small. I also have a desk job, so while I'm not over weight, I'm very out of shape. I want to do simple stuff while working like curling iron, squats, etc. but really my question is, can I get stronger without getting bigger? It's not that I don't want to get bigger. It's moreso that I have a very hard time eating more than my minimum calories in a day due to gerd; overeating causes a lot of trouble so bulking isn't really an option.
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u/ThaJedi Nov 09 '24
You can get much more stronger without geting bigger but there is limit wiem you need get bigger
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u/IcyArcher818 Nov 08 '24
You need to lift heavy and you need to do it for like 6 months to a year to see good amount of lean muscle so be patient. You also need to eat protein I’d say start consuming about 150grams of protein a day. And lastly, do this workout routine, StrongLift 5x5. Watch the YouTube videos from the guy who is famous for it. Look up “mehdi from stronglifts” and watch the videos. He goes over how to do each exercise well so you don’t injure yourself and teaches you how to do “progressive overload” which is a classic training method. It’s basically increasing the weight gradually so your body builds muscle, strong bones, ligaments/tendons overtime.
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u/Tenpoundtrout Nov 08 '24
Yes an absolute beginner will get stronger regardless. In the beginning you will also almost certainly put on a little size also without being in a significant surplus. I’m assuming an untrained individual that has not recently touched a weight.
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u/AJMGuitar Nov 08 '24
Hard to say without any routine details. Do heavy compound lifts with progressive overload while eating lots of protein and it will come. It’s that simple.
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u/Princess_Mononope Nov 09 '24
You won't ever get big in the way you are imagining tbh. That sort of size takes serious effort and dedication, it doesn't just happen when you start lifting lol.
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u/Pleasant-Target-1497 Nov 09 '24
No, what I am saying is I don't care about size, I just want to know if I will get stronger WITHOUT getting bigger
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u/Sixx_The_Sandman Nov 08 '24
Body weight exercises
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u/Pleasant-Target-1497 Nov 08 '24
Will that help me get stronger? As I said, strength and just general health is my focus, I don't care about my size
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u/Sixx_The_Sandman Nov 08 '24
Yes. It's why the military uses it
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u/Pleasant-Target-1497 Nov 08 '24
Good to know. It's hard to find a solid answer, especially because most people are focused on getting bigger. As nice as that would be, eating a calorie surplus is very, very difficult with my stomach issues lol
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u/Sixx_The_Sandman Nov 08 '24
You can weight lift without a calorie surplus. You'll get well defined muscle growth. Also, add Creatine. Your muscles will grow, but your waistline won't
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u/LogoffWorkout Nov 12 '24
The thing is, even without really gaining muscle, when you're new you'll gain strength, just by getting your brain and muscles ot work better together. I'd try to figure out how to get a few more calories in though. it seems like everyone is trying to figure out a way to hack meals to have a few less calories, but you should do the opposite, like try to figure out how to add a few pats of butter to every meal, put some cheese sauce on whatever you're eating etc. You'll get stronger just from using your body, but at very low calories, your body might actually take a long time to heal, so I would try to up your calories however you can, and just to a very light workout 2x per week and see how it goes.
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u/Mountain-Body-1843 Nov 08 '24
If you're not eating enough to start with, then you're not going to gain size anyway. If its purely strength you're concerned about, I'd start with a low volume novice routine like Greyskull (3x5, 3ish exercise per session, 3 days per week training).
Once your novice gains stop/you can't add weight every session/every week, then you could start looking at another routine.