Stronger, bigger, but not heavier?

[Quiksilver]

Hey

This is sort of weird...As many of you know, I've been working out for awhile. I just started the Idiots Guide to Growth routine about a month ago, and have been steadily upping the weights.

I've gotten visibly bigger(not huge changes, but you know...noticeable), and logic would say I've gotten stronger, since I've been putting up bigger weights steadily, and haven't plateaued in any of the core lifts yet.

Despite this, my weight has stayed pretty much the same, and I've even lost a pound or 2.

My diet is in order: protein with every meal, 6 meals a day, pre/postworkout shakes, frontloaded, plenty of water, carb cutoff, oatmeal, etc..

My sleep is satisfactory, I could be getting an hour or so more sleep each night, but nothing drastic. In fact, I've only had one late night this month(430AM), and only drank once as well, so all is clean on that front.

I've been doing alot of cardio, as usual, but how would I not be gaining muscle mass if the weights are going up still?

I would cut down on cardio, but then, swimsuit season is just around the corner, so...

 

[DR Chillz]

Maybe you lost some fat

 

[Warboss Alex]

You've got bigger and stronger visibly but hmmm .. the scale says you've not gained weight, actually lost some. Gee whiz, maybe you've gained muscle and lost fat, huh??? Keep exactly what you're doing Quiksilver, you're doing great.

Moral to this story guys: if you, over a 3 month period, gain 8lbs of muscle and lose 8lbs of fat, your scale gain will be zero. How many of you guys are gonna be disappointed when they see that? I bet quite a few of you. But if you use the tape measure and the mirror, you'll see you're doing just fine.

 

[Quiksilver]

I've been pretty diligent with my workouts/diet lately, so it wouldn't surprise me if I've been losing bf and gaining muscle.

Another progress picture coming up soon, so I can let you be the judge next week.

 

[Kev07]

Same with me, except i see REALLY minimal weight gains, but i can see that my muscles are improving, and i've gotten less fat too.

on the scale i went from 168 to 172 in a little over 2 months.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Guys, you really should be looking for small scale weight increases, if you put on a lot of weight quickly most likely you're getting fat too. People should get out of the 'bulk' mentality, because people think along the lines of "I'll bulk for 12 weeks, I want 1lb per week so that's 12lbs" .. But not realise that if you could gain 1lb a week you'd be gaining 52lbs a year which ain't happening. And because you don't/can't make those gains, the scale doesn't move, so people think they need to eat more, eat carbs late, junk out just so the scale's happy.. and they get fat. Leave the scale alone and judge progress by the mirror, the tape measure and your strength gains. If you're making constant strength gains in a certain rep range and eating your protein then you're gaining muscle, no two ways about it.

 

[blinkwatt]

Guys, you really should be looking for small scale weight increases, if you put on a lot of weight quickly most likely you're getting fat too. People should get out of the 'bulk' mentality, because people think along the lines of "I'll bulk for 12 weeks, I want 1lb per week so that's 12lbs" .. But not realise that if you could gain 1lb a week you'd be gaining 52lbs a year which ain't happening. And because you don't/can't make those gains, the scale doesn't move, so people think they need to eat more, eat carbs late, junk out just so the scale's happy.. and they get fat. Leave the scale alone and judge progress by the mirror, the tape measure and your strength gains. If you're making constant strength gains in a certain rep range and eating your protein then you're gaining muscle, no two ways about it.

GOOD POINT!*

*If you want to take progress pics,make sure you take the pictures in the same conditions everytime;your offday,w/ the same camera,same lighting and so on.

I have no clue why people put emphasis on how much they weight,look at Frank Zane. Frank Zane only weighed 190lbs. and he won Mr.O .

As for the original poster's question; "I've been doing alot of cardio, as usual, but how would I not be gaining muscle mass if the weights are going up still?"
Keep up with the HEALTHY eating and decent dose of protein and at least 8 hours of sleep a day(read not all at once,whatever you don't get at night you can catch on w/ a nap) & stay intense in the gym and will gain size in the following weeks.

 

[Kev07]

I have no clue why people put emphasis on how much they weight,look at Frank Zane. Frank Zane only weighed 190lbs. and he won Mr.O .

wow are you serious? how tall was he, 190 pounds, that's amazing

 

[ryannath]

I remember back a few weeks ago I weighed about 162, and then I started working out 3 days a week with deads, squats and bench and taking 2 protein shakes a day and I went up to about 169 in just about 2 weeks. I think it was mostly fat though since I put that much on that quickly, because my pants got alot tighter.

 

[blinkwatt]

I remember back a few weeks ago I weighed about 162, and then I started working out 3 days a week with deads, squats and bench and taking 2 protein shakes a day and I went up to about 169 in just about 2 weeks. I think it was mostly fat though since I put that much on that quickly, because my pants got alot tighter.

Exactly! If you don't mind me asking,how did you eat in those 2 weeks? Was it "junk" food? Did you have a carb cut-off time?

 

[6-heads lewis]

actually ive gained over 50lbs since August eating pretty well, no sugar but fast food about 3-4 meals/week. My stomach is flat in the mornings, I dont look fat at all except a bit in the face.

I do have MASSIVE hips and quads, real tree trunks, though I always have, perhaps there is fat storage there? It doesnt appear so. Its really annoying I have the lower body of a seasoned powerlifter and the upper body of a 150lber. Im actually looking for a way to make them stop growing, though in my current 3x squat/week program its not very easy.