what is the best way to achieve lean, toned muscles?

Question

is it better to do more reps at a lighter weight
or less reps at a heavier weight?

Answer 1

More reps at a lighter weight are good for toning your muscles, in conjunction with cardio exercise like a bit of jogging, rowing or swimming. But don't do too many reps (I would say start with about 20 or 24, in two sets of 10 or 12) and still gradually move the weights up by about 5 kilos every few weeks or whenever you're comfortable. Then maybe add about 6 more reps.

Answer 2

more reps at a lighter weight gives you a better toned muscle. heavier weights and little reps just give u brute strength and fatty muscle. just start out small and do lots of reps. increace weight as the reps get easier and maybe add more reps.

Answer 3

more reps at a lighter weight - especially for women. you dont want to end up looking like the hulk! supplement your weight lifting with intense cardio at least 3x a week and watch the diet. you can do stellar in the gym but if you are not watching what you eat, it will be hard to achieve that lean, toned look. i am a girl and i am working on that look as we speak. i recommend running, too. it does wonders for toning up the legs. do rowing for your arms. do hip abduction/adduction machine for your thighs. remember, all aspects of your lifestyle play a part in how quickly you achieve your goal - so eat well, rest well, and work out hard!

Answer 4

exercising at a high level of intensity is optimum for fat loss. the greater the level of intensity that exercise is performed at the greater the impact there will be on the resting metabolic rate after exercise. too many people focus on trying to "target" fat loss during exericse. it's a complete waste of time and will provide minimal results in fat loss. when you exercise at a low level of intensity the muscles utilize fatty acids to convert to ATP for muscular contractions. this usually equates to not increasing the heart rate that much over resting levels so when exercise is concluded the body returns to the pre-exercise state very rappidly.

when you exericse at a high level of intensity the body utilizes muscle glycogen to convert to ATP for mucular contractions. training heavy causes the heartrate to elevate substantially over resting levels and you breath much heavier. at the conclusion of exercise it takes the body hours to return to the pre-exercise state. the body consumes more oxygen to do this and this causes an increase in the resting metabolic rate. when the metabolic rate increases the body utilizes a greater percentage of of free fatty acids for use as energy.

those that preach about using low weight and high reps for increasing defintion have absolutely no clue about human physiology or how the endocrine system responds to exercise.

always train as heavy as you can while keeping proper form. when dieting it is typical to see a slight decrease in strength since the caloric intake is decreased. training heavy all the time also helps to keep testosterone production high and growth hormone output elevated.

Answer 5

go to the gym