Toning or building

[Rich_2k3]

Is it true that if you do lots of reps with an exercise but with less power/tension u build better muscle definition and if you do less reps with an exercise but with lots of power/tension you build muscle bulk?

[glingglo]

that's what i've heard... i think it might be simplifying things a bit, but it's a good rule of thumb.

[WolverineGuy]

The only thing that tones is cardio and diet...period. The truth is, higher reps will NOT tone your muscles or make them more defined. Once again, this is having a low body fat %. Higher reps will work on endurance though and is great for some athletes and marathon runners.

[Thuggish]

not quite, wolverinewhatever. if you want to bulk up, you have to do higher weight at lower reps, keeping up the intensity of course. for definition, more reps are necessary. and yes- doing a lot of reps will tone your muscles, giving them better overall shape, more defining stridations and all that. while it is true that without enough cardio to keep the fat off, you wont be able to tell- doing high reps (and the right exercises and all that) will get your muscles more cut.

[MMouse]

Being "cut" is about bodyfat%......period, end of discussion.

 

However, what your muscles look like underneath that fat can is affected by different exercises just as Thuggish said. For basic tone though, you need to reduce your bodyfat %, or no matter what your muscles look like, they will be hidden beneath a layer of fat.

[Bretty101]

Controversial...

 

I think there have been several reports discussing this issue. a recent one saying as long as you fatigue the muscle it will develope to become stronger. Whether you fatigue the muscle using high or low rep work had no effect?!

 

To be fair I don't think even the scientists can agree on this subject?! However if you pay them enough they will endorse anything

 

Bretty

[Drunken Monkey]

or keep quiet about something...

[Thuggish]

god you people... being cut is not just 'about body fat % period,' theres more to it. no ones saying you can be cut if youre really fat, thats obvious. but if you do lots of cardio and have 4% bodyfat YOU ARE NOT GARUNTEED TO BE CUT. cut as just as much to do with what the muscles look like. take the lines between them- for instance where the bicep end and the tricep begins. on some people you can see them without flexing, clearly. infact, you could even see all three parts of the tricep. on other people, their arm may be big, but even when flexed you can hardly tell where the muscle is- where exaclty the lines are and all that. the former is cut, the latter is not. both these cases can happen to people who have no extra fat on their arms.

[Rich67]

SIGH..... O.K.: here's the deal. MUSCLE TONE has NOTHING to do with low body fat or muscle visibility. Your muscles are in a constant state of partial contraction, which keeps them firm, healthy and ready for action at all times. This is called muscle tone! If you are in good shape, hold your arm to your side and look at how your arms hang. Is there a slight bend at the elbow? That's TONE. People with little to no tone have arms that hang with very little degree bend.

 

NEXT: Being "CUT" or "RIPPED" has about 90% to do with bodyfat percentage. The rest is genetics or raw muscularity. You can be a skinny little twerp and still be cut if you have 4% bodyfat- IF you have some muscularity. The term is primarily used for muscular people who have muscular definition showing. Usually anyone under 10% bodyfat with good muscularity is CUT. Thuggish is correct in his opinion.

 

LASTLY: If you want to build muscle, you have to LIFT HEAVY, DO LOW REPS AT HIGH INTENSITY, AND CONSUME A LOT OF DIETARY PROTEIN. Heavy lifting means 90%-100% of your max by 5-1 reps. You will not build muscle if you do not rest enough or consume protein; your body will become catabolic and you will be overtraining, getting sick and weaker.

 

You can become "cut" (reduce bodyfat) both WITH AEROBICS or with ANAEROBICS (weight training). YES YOU CAN!!! As long as you are BURNING more calories than you are taking in per day, YOU WILL LOSE BODYFAT. But if you are on a negative caloric scale while doing weight training, you will not build new muscle; you will lose fat AS WELL AS muscle mass. You CANNOT gain muscularity while on a negative caloric scale. That's why people have a BULKING and CUTTING phase in their regimen. For 6 months or more you can consume excess calories in the form of protein rich foods to BULK while doing weight training and light aerobics. Then you CUT by reducing the calories, taking protein supplements, and stepping up the aerobics for a few months.

 

IN A NUTSHELL!!!

[MMouse]

god you people... being cut is not just 'about body fat % period,' theres more to it. no ones saying you can be cut if youre really fat, thats obvious. but if you do lots of cardio and have 4% bodyfat YOU ARE NOT GARUNTEED TO BE CUT. cut as just as much to do with what the muscles look like. take the lines between them- for instance where the bicep end and the tricep begins. on some people you can see them without flexing, clearly. infact, you could even see all three parts of the tricep. on other people, their arm may be big, but even when flexed you can hardly tell where the muscle is- where exaclty the lines are and all that. the former is cut, the latter is not. both these cases can happen to people who have no extra fat on their arms.

 

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