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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.
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To
find out more about holistic fitness and stress management please
visit http://optimumlife.co.nz,
or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz
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