How can I build “light muscle” and gain speed?
Question:
i play soccer and notice when i play with older people i get pushed around. right now I’m 16, weight 140, and I’m five foot 8 inches tall. I also don’t want to gain a lot of muscle like AAAAnold and get slower. i used to be really chubby so i have more a little more fat than muscle. i also used to be slow but now I’m about a little over average in speed. i need “light muscle.” what exercises can i do and foods should i eat to get this “light muscle” and get faster?
Answer:
Strength training is strength training. There is no such thing as “light muscle”. But if you don’t eat like Ahnold and you don’t shoot steroids like Ahnold, you won’t get as big as Ahnold and the muscle won’t slow you down.
Train consistently and train all out and you will gain muscle and lose fat. Watch your calories. If you don’t want to gain and get bulky, watch the carbs and the fat. At your weight and your level of activity, I am guessing a 2000-2500 calorie a day diet would be good. About 700 calories of this should be protein, 800 calories of slow burning carbs (oatmeal, wheat bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes), and about 500 calories of fat (no trans fat, about 100 calories saturated, 150 monounsaturated, and 250 polyunsaturated split between 150 omega 6 and 100 omega 3).
Also try HIIT (high intensity interval training) to gain speed. Sprints are very helpful here.
Click here to get free strength training workouts from Bodylastics.
2 Responses to How can I build “light muscle” and gain speed?
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Yoga will definitely give you all over tone and help you to also add some strength. Additionally you will also get some added flexibility and better balance. Lifting lighter weights for more reps will also help you to tone without gaining huge mass. These will not likely help you much with speed, though. You would have to do some type of speed drills, for example sprints, to help in that area.
I would suggest building some yoga or pilates into your weekly exercise routine. Both will help you with building strength and with sustainable flexibility. They tend to give a more lean muscular look, rather than bulky. You can also up the challenge level by adding in equipment such as the pilates ring, resistance tubes, or a stability ball, but they certainly aren’t required. Then, add in a little cardio workout, such as kickboxing or step.