Putting on weight = Bad for gymnastics?

Hey guys,

I'm currently training in strength weight lifting and I'm just starting gymnastics. I'd like to bulk up a little bit, maybe 10-15 pounds, but I'm worried that my gymnastics performance is really going to suffer. Does anyone have any advice on this? Ideally the gain in strength from the extra muscle will be more than the downside of being heavier, which will make moving my weight around harder. Is that a lofty goal and any tips on making sure I maintain or increase my strength to weight ratio as I bulk up?

Weight gained on your upper body should make things easier depending on what size you already are because most of the extended positions (front lever, planche etc...) are all about holding your body in a balanced position where the weight in front of your hands equals weight behind. So a person with a higher portion on upper to lower body mass doesn't have to have their hands as far towards their waist in a planche, for example.

Tips are to gain size from lifting heavy rather than high reps.

My workouts focus on compound exercises like bench press, deadlifts, pullups, squats. So from the sounds of it, I should be ok? I just hope my legs don't get too big. I work out 5 days a week pretty hard, but I think the reason I don't really gain any mass is because my diet. I don't eat enough I think, but soon when I move into my new place I'm going to start eating a lot more and watch my diet, and I think I'm going to start gaining weight.. hopefully not out of control!

For a beginner 10-15 lbs. will not make a noticeable difference in anything. For more advanced gymnasts yes there is a point of diminishing returns where they have to ask themselves the question weather the extra muscle mass will really provide more strength than an increase in difficulty lifting that extra weight. Unless you are training things like maltese and inverted crosses though that 10-15 lbs. will most likely be negligible.