Toned Physique: Go with heavier weights

Toned Physique: The Claim:For Better Muscle Tone, Go Lighter and Repeat.

This article written by Anahad O'Connor on April 4, 2010 for the New York Times states that the conventional wisdom says if you want a toned physique and you don't want to bulk up, then you need to lift lighter weights at a higher frequency. Many women are worried about looking like a male body builder, and so they stay away from the heavy weights.

He quotes a few studies which prove that this is not necessarily true. People who bulk up also eat more calories, and that contributes to their size. If you really want to see results, you are better off to lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions.

The claim that lighter weights increase tone and heavier weights increase bulk is proven false

This article quotes several research studies that have proven that women who lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions actually burn more calories in the gym, have less intra-abdominal fat, and are more svelte than their counterparts.

Since weight gain is a real problem during perimenopause for most of us, it's important that we are armed with knowledge against the battle of the bulge.

Conclusion

I did not know that lifting heavier weights will give you the toned, feminine body most of us want. I too have been one of those people who stayed away from heavier weights for fear growing masculine-like muscles.

I think the next time you and I hit the gym (tomorrow?) we'll need to grab the heavier weights. We'll still need to work up gradually, but it should be our goal.

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