How to Get Strength Without Size

Most exercisers want to improve their strength, but many wish to do so without growing large, bulky muscles. You may want to avoid bulking up for aesthetic reasons or you might worry that extra-large muscles will be counterproductive for a sport -- such as gymnastics or figure skating -- by restricting your range of motion or slowing you down. Whatever your reason, you can perform strength-training exercises that will tone your muscles without making you look like a body builder.

Instructions

    • 1

      Warm up before your workouts. Do at least five minutes of aerobic exercise to raise your core temperature.

    • 2

      Perform explosive strength-training exercises by doing activities such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses while moving as quickly as possible. For example, if you normally take two seconds to lift the barbell during a bench press and four seconds to lower the weight, try to do the moves in about one second each, provided you can do so while maintaining proper form. Use approximately 60 percent of the maximum weight you can lift in a single repetition.

    • 3

      Combine cardio work with strength training by doing plyometric exercises -- which involve explosive moves such as jumping and bounding -- plus sprinting drills, hill running and swimming. These exercises can increase the size of your muscles but shouldn't bulk you up. Additionally, the exercises can help you create a calorie deficit, which in turn can help you lose fat. The fat you trim via these cardio/strength exercises can offset any muscular gains, leaving you no bigger than you were previously.

    • 4

      Lift lighter weights and perform higher repetitions. Do one set of at least 15 reps of your favorite weight-training exercises. If you can’t maintain the correct form for 15 reps, try a lighter weight. As a general rule, lift 50 to 70 percent of your one-rep max.

    • 5

      Perform your selected workouts twice each week with a day or two of rest between sessions, such as Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and Fridays.