Upper body strength without bulk?

tawfeeredux

hi,
I've returned to the gym again after a few years and want to increase my upper body strength (shoulder & arms especially) without bulking up too much.

I've been a active cyclist for years, so i'm fairly slim. The last time I attended a gym on a regular basis, I got sort of hooked on the muscle gain (it was a novelty to have visible muscles for a change!), but as i'm only 5'6", i eventually realised that I didn't like my new overall body appearance.

So, I'm looking for advice on what sort of routines i should be doing to gain strength without building too much mass, if that's possible. Like should i be doing higher reps with lower weights, or should i be trying to move the weights faster?

Doug Cartel

Any muscle gain is going to mainly depend on how much you're eating, so if you don't increase the amount you eat significantly, you won't develop any bulk. If you're interested in developing strength then do heavy lifts with a low number of reps, maybe 3-5.

itsallaboutheL

Doug Cartel wrote: »

Any muscle gain is going to mainly depend on how much you're eating, so if you don't increase the amount you eat significantly, you won't develop any bulk. If you're interested in developing strength then do heavy lifts with a low number of reps, maybe 3-5.

You won't develop any strength either.

OP muscle gain and strength gain go hand in hand.

However they don't have to occur proportionally, Generally High Weight Low Reps = Strength Gain... But yes you do have to eat.

Might aswell pull out the old cliché

startingstrength

rubadub

Heres a site about female gymnasts minimising hypertrophy, it has a table of recommended reps, sets, rest times etc.
http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0003/was.html