| |
| |
|
Muscle Building Information |
|
|
|
But I Dont Want Muscles! Part 1: What Muscle is, and how to Build (or Avoid) It
One of the common comments I hear from my female clients is, "Please don't give me any weights work - I don't want any muscle, I just want to tone." The reasons differ from client to client, but it most often they seem to be based on a misunderstanding of what muscle is, how we build it, what it has to do with weight loss - or some combination of the above. There's a lot of misinformation outside of the fitness world about muscles and what they do, so I'd like to spend the next two articles exploring the realities behind the myths. WHAT IS MUSCLE? When I was younger, I'd never really thought about what the 'stuff' between my skin and my bones was made of. I understood that muscles were what bodybuilders had, and fat was something that made you fat, and that I had some of each. I think, though, that I believed that they existed inside some kind of other substance that filled the space between my skin and my bones. Then, in secondary school, I learned that, in a healthy person, most of this magical substance was just muscle. In fact, I learned that, aside from my body's networks of organs, blood vessels and nerves, and my skeleton there isn't really much under my skin except for muscle and fat. I learned that muscles were an incredible network of fibres that allowed me to move my limbs, to stay sitting or standing upright, to talk, breathe, and pretty much to translate any thought I had into action of some kind. I learned that if I didn't use them, muscles would shrink and weaken, and if I did, they'd grow stronger. And I learned that as my muscles grew stronger, so did I. All of this was quite a revelation for me at the time, so I can understand the initial confusion that exists amongst so many of my clients - why they want to tone without building muscles. The truth though, is that muscle is the only thing under their skin that can be toned, and that 'toning' often simply means that muscles become slightly more visible (which then makes the whole body look smoother and firmer). So without enough muscle to start with, there's nothing there that can be toned. BULIDING THE RIGHT SIZED MUSCLES Often, the clients I speak to don't have a problem with the idea of a little muscle. The problem is that many don't realise it isn't an 'all or nothing' thing. Unfortunately, because of the lack of clear information out there in the media, the only image they have to associate 'women' with 'muscle' is one of a female bodybuilder at the peak of her competition physique. Not that there's anything wrong with wanting such a physique if that's a client's aim, but for most of the women I speak to, the possibility of developing such large, defined muscles is really quite scary! Those kinds of muscles, however, don't happen quickly or easily. Really large muscles require long, intense workouts over a period of time, and a base level of testosterone - a hormone most women don't have in sufficient quantities (without the use of steroids, anyway) for size to become a problem. Granted, there are women with naturally high testosterone levels (and I'm one!), who will put on muscle more quickly. But even for me, muscles don't suddenly appear, fully-formed overnight. So if I notice I'm gradually building size in an area I don't want it, it's not difficult for me to change my training in that body area to gradually reduce the size again. Also, many people believe any kind of weights work will automatically increase muscle size. The truth is that not all training produces size increases. There are a number of variables you can play with in strength training - the heaviness of the weight, the number of repetitions of the movement, and the time you allow yourself to rest between groups of repetitions (or sets). Very generally speaking, training with a heavy weight and low repetitions in each set will increase strength; training with a medium-to-heavy weight and medium repetitions will increase muscle size; and training with a lighter weight with high repetitions per set will increase endurance. In practice, it's not actually quite this simple, and there are other factors to consider. The important point is that not all training will increase muscle size, that some muscle is necessary if you want to tone, and that working with a competent trainer will help ensure you get only the results that you want from your training. In Part 2 of the article (http://optimumlife.co.nz/Fitness%20Articles/Muscle/Muscle2.htm), we look at why muscle is so important for weight management and long- term health. Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Personal Trainer and Stress Management Coach whose articles on holistic health and relaxation have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. To read more articles like this one, please subscribe to Optimum Fitness News at http://optimumlife.co.nz/Newsletter%20Signup.htm. To find out more about how you could benefit from online personal training, please visit http://www.trainerforce.com/optimumlife/. To find out more about holistic fitness and stress management please visit http://optimumlife.co.nz, or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz.
MORE RESOURCES:
build muscle - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Exercise The Right Way - The Wrist Curl Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes. Exercise The Right Way - The Seated Row Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiders' training regimes. Balance Is Key To The Optimum Physique As Purposeful Primitives we understand the need practice two distinct types of training: progressive resistance for the external musculature and cardiovascular training for the internal plumbing. In addition, training need be coordinated with a distinct eating regimen that amplifies instead of retards results. Why You Must Use The Right Dumbbells For Your Workout A dumbbell exercise program is effective with the right equipment These days, more so that in decades gone by, dumbbells are growing in popularity in fitness centers and health clubs across the United States.In addition, they are increasingly being purchased by people who want to include them in their personal gyms at home so they can conduct a dumbbell exercise program in the comfort of their own home when it suits them best. Perfects Abs - Three Ab Routines To Show Your Six Pack Crazy, ripped, hard abs. That's the key to showing an awesome body. Celebrity Personal Trainers Personal Trainer to the Stars!!Celebrity Personal Trainers!!Who are these amazing personal trainers that train the stars, professional athletes, celebrities, rock musicians, and the rest of the rich and famous?Well, being a personal trainer and a perfectionist, I did some research to find out who they are and how one becomes a personal trainer to the stars. The research I uncovered about these so-called celebrity personal trainers that charge fees of $300+ per hour for their expertise indicates that, like the rest of the personal training industry, there are no requirements of any sort to become a celebrity trainer. Tendonitis and the Effects on Your Routine What turns out to be a small, yet annoying pain in your joint, can quickly turn into something much more debilitating. At first, you just think it might be a pulled muscle. The Superset Advantage Supersets give you the most bang for the buck. They give you more muscle in less time, and don't bore you from how long it takes to actually do the exercises. How To Get Incredible Gains If You Aren't Getting Them Already... And... How To Get Them Fast! The key to rapid muscle growth, is to perform all your exercises well outside your comfort zone. If you had performed the barbell curl to the point of complete and momentary exhaustion, instead of "copping out" at the tenth. Boost Your Anabolic Hormone Levels - Naturally! Anabolic steroid use appears to be on the rise. With the great increase in modern recombinant DNA technology, steroids such as growth hormone, growth factors and testosterone-based analogs have become increasingly more available and affordable. "Bodybuilding Sins" That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts It's one thing for someone who sits at a computer all day and never exercises to have back pain, but for a bodybuilder, someone who spends hours and hours each week pouring everything they've got into building muscle, it should be criminal!The reason we say this is because, if you are going to spend so much time, money, and energy trying to build the "perfect body", you have to make sure that you not only look good, but also feel good?We've identified what we call "Bodybuilding Sins" that lead to back pain, sciatic pain, and other injuries? read em and take action now if you are serious about bodybuilding and are fed up with your back pain.Because there is so much information to share with you, we've broken it down into a series of 5 articles, each covering a different component of how back pain affects bodybuilders. The Role Of Whey Protein In Achieving Significant Muscle Gain Most bodybuilders would agree that supplementing with whey protein is an important element in achieving serious muscle gains. This article will examine the facts relating to whey protein as a supplement and help you decide whether you need to follow this particular strategy. Exercise The Right Way - The Flat Dumbbell Fly Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes. Two Major Training Mistakes You Must Dump Immediately! The number of myths about natural bodybuilding are too numerous to mention. For every guy who knows the principles of effective bodybuilding, there are countless others who don't. Weight Training Terminology For Beginners Weight training is one of the best ways to shape up and lose weight. The benefits of weight training are too numerous to mention here. Exercise The Right Way - The Decline Dumbbell Bench Press Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes. Exercise The Right Way - The Hammer Curl Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuiders' training regimes. Bodybuilding: Effective Ways To Handling Criticism It's important to set the way we'll respond to different critics throughout the journey of achieving our personal and bodybuilding goals. As are other areas of life, Bodybuilding is a sport of opinion. Body Part Isolation vs. Complex Movements in Strength Training - Build Real Muscle Instead of Fake! Working as a fitness professional, there is one type of question I get all the time that shows that many people are missing the big picture regarding the benefits of strength training. This popular question usually goes something like this:"What exercise can I do to isolate my _______ (insert your muscle of choice - abs, quads, biceps, triceps, etc)?"It doesn't matter which muscle someone is asking about, they always seem to be asking how to 'isolate' it. Personal Training: 6 Secrets of Award Winning Customer Service Would you believe that your ability to provide quality customer service to your clients is at least as important as your ability to get them results from their training program? Did you even know that customer service was going to be part of your business model? After all, what does personal training have to with customer service?The answer: everything. Remember that your clients are people first, and their status as one of your clients comes second.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
