Another gym myth I hear too often. The only thing thats going to transform is the look on your face when you see you’re not getting the results you expected. Now look… if all you did was cardio and you stay away from weight training, then both muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. What’s wrong with that you ask? Well.. we should all aim to lose fat and prevent muscle loss at all costs.. as it is our muscles that give our bodies the ’shape’ we all so badly desire and the toned look that everyone seems to want so badly. If you lose both, then you’re only going to look like a miniature version of your existing self… and not an ‘improved’ version instead.
You need to do weights in order to get the muscle building effect going, which prevents any loss of muscle tissue. There are people, majority women, that only concentrate on cardio but then realise that they have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. Why am I not surprised….? While it’s true that you would indeed lose weight over time… what you want is to actually lose fat and retain as much muscle as possible. That’s the only way you can look good.
As for the belief of sticking to light weights if you want to ‘tone’ or ‘lose weight’… well this is just more nonsense if you ask me. The reason your body grew in the first place and adapted to be bigger and fitter.. was because you challenged it with weights. So what makes you think that you would benefit by reducing the resistance?
Our muscles respond to resistance… it is this resistance that will ‘tell’ your body that it needs to change/adapt to cope with this new challenge it’s facing. This is the basic understanding you need to get in your head if you wish to transform your body. Transformation is more that fat loss.. it’s all about looking the best you can be. If you ask me, that is what gives you the ultimate satisfaction from a healthy lifestyle. That is what drives me.. I just want to look good. After all, who doesn’t? ;)
If you insisit on sticking with resistance/weights that is too light, what reason is there for your body to change? None. The same way your thumbs don’t get fit by flipping the channels on TV aimlessly, your body too will not get significantly fitter if you don’t provide a challenge.
So.. if you want to look good - don’t be afraid to pick up the weights and lift hard!
Read also:
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Man, this is sooo true. Too many ppl in gym that seems to be afraid of lifting weights, afraid they would get too big or something. Hope this post clears up some of the confusion ppl may have.
worse still I see ppl(mostly women ith too much time perhaps) goin one class after another without stopping.. imagine, Body Combat, then RPM! one RPM is enuff to kill me… so it’s no surprise on their second cardio its burning muscle for fuel already. But amazingly they can carry on with it.
That’s being Kiasu. Happens all the time at Fitness First even though they don’t allow back-to-back classes in order to be fair to all members. I’ve heard of this girl who used to go for 3 RPM classes a day, EVERYDAY. Can you beat that?
wow….3 RPM classes a day?? tat’s crazie man… i wonder whether i could still walk out ALIVE after RPM class…Lol…
never try out RPM class b4 though…i heard it’s really exhausting and one really can sweat A LOT…normally i do my workout alone…being new at FF, all the classes looks like in advance stage to me….kinda afraid i cant catch up and i feel like ‘alien’ if i go for classes alone….so i stay away from all the classes…i think i shud take my first step n go for classes!!
Maybe she’s a instructor in training ??? *shrug
I don’t see what’s sooo wrong about that.
I like going for more than 1 class…. but not cardio and more cardio.
Normally, I will go for Body Combat/Step + Body Balance (for stretching)
or Body Combat/Step + Body Pump (yup… need a little muscle).
Hi,
I am about to start using a fitness routine for the first time in my life. I want to do this to loose weight and also to keep fit in the future. I am from India and need help from u to know if my fitness expert is suggesting an appropriate work out routine.
I read from articles in this web site that I need to go for weight training followed by aerobics to force the body to burn actual fat.
Is it possible for you to suggest what are the exercises I need to take up for weight training. Thanks
This is great, look forward to looking into every area. Thanks for being there.
Leave a Comment