Toning or building

[WolverineGuy]

Here is an excellent article on the subject.

 

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=101841

 

this was taken from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/30lies.htm

 

Although there is some evidence to suggest that high repetitions might induce some extra capillary intrusion into a muscle, they will do nothing to make the muscle harder or more cut up. If a completely sedentary person began weightlifting, using either low reps or high reps, he or she would experience a rapid increase in tonus, the degree of muscular contraction that the muscle maintains even when that muscle is relaxed, but that would happen regardless of rep range.

 

The only way that high repetitions would make a muscle more cut up is if, by doing a higher number of reps, your body as a whole was in negative energy balance, and you were burning more calories than you were ingesting. The truth is, heavy weights, lifted for 5-8 reps per set, can build rock-hard muscles. You just have to get the fat off them to see how "hard" they are.

[Rich_2k3]

Yeah, I think that if you lift heavy weights and eat a good high protein diet then your muscle mass will increase, if you lift the same weights but stay on a light diet then you burn calories and gain better definition of ur muscles. However I have heard from many experienced body builders that by doing high reps with low weight does tone muscle, I suppose the best person to ask is ur physician, dont suppose we've got any fitness experts here to lend a hand?

[Rich67]

Rich 2k3....first off, most physicians don't know squat about bodybuilding, since they are overweight or out of shape themselves. They can only advise you how to avoid some injuries or whether or not you're healthy enough to start a program. Secondly, watch the advice you get from "experienced bodybuilders", unless you know they are STEROID FREE. Some bodybuilders have a tendency to use illegal assistance, if you know what I mean. And those that do, can do ANY exercise they want, work out for as long as they want and as many days as they want, and still gain muscle and lose weight!! Totally unrealistic. Us natural guys have to watch what we do and eat 24/7. If you really want to know how to tailor a program to get what you want, then ask a personal trainer at a reputable gym.

[WolverineGuy]

Actually, that's not true. Steroid users still need to diet and watch overtraining. Steroids simply allow for faster gains...it doesn't allow for sloppy training, or too MUCH training. Muscles don't grow when you work out, they grow when you rest.

[Rich67]

That is true Wolverine. I'm just saying it's a heckufa lot easier to bulk up on 'roids and it doesn't require as much thought and diet watching as natural bodybuilding does. Granted, you still need to eat protein, etc. It's just real easy for the juicers to pack on the mass even without a doctor monitoring them. While what you say may be true for the pro wrestlers and pro bodybuilders, the average joe schmo who takes roids simply eats and works out, and he'll build the muscle like it's going out of style. You're right, muscle is built during rest.

[WolverineGuy]

Yeah...but I'm somewhat of a bodybuilder, so I'm always jumpin on inaccuracies

[Rich_2k3]

But are streoids really the best thing, firstly there must be some side affects or they wouldnt be in such disrepute. Secondly if u see proffessional bodybuilders on the steroids they bairly look human, in fact they look like plastic. If u watch the worlds strongest man there not bulging with rubber muscle, they have well built, strong, toned bodies, some arnt even that big, thats real strength. Also take the boxer Lenox Lewis, thats how u should look if u work out properly (no drugs). Now I now that in sport drugs are illeagle but that doesnt mean that some of these steroid takn' rino's could defeat really sportsmen.

[WolverineGuy]

Not all bodybuilders that you see in comps are on steroids. A lot of that is just a VERY low bf%. WSM competitors are working out for functional strength/endurance; whereas bodybuilders workout to achieve a certain size and look. In short, WSM is functional, BB is aesthetic.

 

As for lennox lewis, his workouts are completely different. He's probably doing more with cardio and plyometrics, not to mention core strength building excersizes. In reality, you can't compare what these guys do in their workouts, because they do it for different goals...its apples and oranges.

[Rich_2k3]

I suppose so, but I am totally against steroid usage, I know not all BB are on steroids, most probably aren't but I think there is a visible difference between "real" BB and "fake" ones as I call them cuz they basically cheat with steroids. You would think that some body builders with there gigantic mucsles would be competeing in WSM even though there training may be different... muscle's muscle isnt it?

[WolverineGuy]

Actually, that's not the case. Bodybuilders don't possess the kind of core strength that WSM competitors do. They specifically work out muscles that will conform to a specific shape (you don't see too many bodybuilders training their obliques, for example, because it makes their physique too trunk-like) WSM competitors go for a higher 1 rep maximum, and for muscular endurance. those of you that are diehard BBers or WSMers, please forgive my generalizations.