Question: Why do I gain weight when I train with weights? 

Answer: Weight training has long been promoted as a great way to boost your metabolism, increase strength and muscle and help you lose body fat. The weight you gain with a resistance training program mainly comes from increase in your muscle mass which is much more dense than your fat mass. It should come at no surprise if you put on a kilo or so and drop a few dress sizes when after a few months of regular weight training.

What happens in your body is called muscle hypertrophy, or increased muscle size. There is a lot of controversy about the theories that try to explain the exact mechanism of muscle growth. One theory suggests that hypertrophy takes place due to the increase in the number of muscle fibres (hyperplasia), another presumption holds that the number of fibres does not change, but the size of existing individual fibres grows (hypertrophy) in response to overloading the muscle with resistance such as weight training. Hypertrophy theory seems to hold more water and has been studied thoroughly by the researchers.

As each individual muscle fibre increases in size, it incorporates more protein, enzymes, energy storage and water. These are the good structural components of your body which keep your system going. Connective tissue that holds your muscles together will also thicken adding to the toned appearance, bone mineral content will go up making your bones stronger. All these factors contribute to increased body weight. However, more muscle wouldn't happen without your hard gym work, which means a lot of burned calories and faster metabolism even at rest. As a result, expect your fat to melt slowly but surely. Remember that muscle takes up several times less space than fat does, so smaller dress sizes, improved posture and increased confidence come together as a bonus for your weight training dedication.

By Elena Voropay