Strength Training = Weight Gain? Arghh...

So, I've spent the last few months just hitting the cardio hard and blew off weight training.  I lost about 10 pounds and was maintaining pretty well, so I decided to start back to strength training to tighten up.  Doing 2 55 minute body toning classes/week.  Well,  it's been 2 weeks and I weighed myself - GAINED almost 7 pounds!!!!  Not that time of the month and I'm sure that I couldn't gain 7 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks - What's up with this?!?!?

hi,  you can only put muscle on with a calorie surplus and when you do really heavy weights. i do 4 hours weight training a week and havent gained any.

strenght training is great to minimize muscle loss during a period of weight loss. But it won't make you gain lots of muscle unless you have a surplus.

Have you been keeping your cardio the same?

ok im gone say this, bump what everybody has to say about this only gaining muscle from a calorie surplus crap, watever you call it is wieght gain. Mkmaj, i swear im right there with you and thats why this is a sensitive subject for me. If i lift weights I GAIN WEIGHT, or WILL NOT LOOSE,  PERIOD. So until im absolutely done loosing weight im not touching another weight, besides I see myself tonining up just fine without them, and I know im not in any danger of loosing muscle, so everyone is different. I was addicted to weights at one point put it got frustrating, because i was going nowhere fast. Since I left them alone i lost 8 pounds already.

Lifting weights (or really any new exercise) can cause your muscles to retain water, and you can get a jump in the scale.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Lifting weights (or really any new exercise) can cause your muscles to retain water, and you can get a jump in the scale.

this^^^^ plus two weeks isnt that long. stick with it. you may gain a couple of lbs from lifting but it is well worth it. dont become a slave to the number on the scale.

in another...4 weeks consider:

how do my clothes fit?

how do i feel in my clothes?

how do i look in the mirror?

seriously, i always have positive answers to these questions when i have been lifting. consider the subjective aspects of how you feel. WEIGH THAT alongside that number on the scale.

dont give up on the lifting!!!! good luck girl.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Lifting weights (or really any new exercise) can cause your muscles to retain water, and you can get a jump in the scale.

Seconded.  (Or thirded, I guess!)

To geturdone, why does it matter to you if you put on a pound or two (of temporary water weight!) weight training as long as it doesn't make you gain fat or inches?  Maybe it's just me, but the number on the scale is mostly irrelevant and really only useful to track small changes.  The measuring tape is a much better measure of how you're doing.  Personally, I'd rather be a 140 pound size 6 than a 130 pound size 10 (assuming same store, same sizing policy).

How does your clothing fit?  I never weigh myself after a hard workout because I will always weigh more the next day.  Stick with it and stay off the scale for a while.  It would be a shame to quit lifting because of some irrelevant numbers on a scale.

I agree with the others, it's WATER weight. You're muscles are retaining some water and glycogen, that happens, it's not fat so it really makes no difference.  Don't give up. You'll love the way lifting will make you look.