"do I Need To Lift Weights To Get Lean And Toned?"

By Author: Christopher Gomes
Total Articles: 4717
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"I dont want to bulk-up!"

As a personal trainer, I know this is a legitimate concern for many people, women in particular, as we dont all aspire to look like professional bodybuilders. I know I dont!

If you are trying to lose weight, lose body fat, and build a lean and fit physique, the answer is Yes! You do need to lift weights.

Well, let me rephrase that, you need to incorporate some type of resistance training into your workouts if you want real results. Now this could come in the form of bodyweight exercises, machines, resistance bands, cables, medicine balls, or just about any other type of resistance training equipment.

First off, let me start by saying that building muscle is hard work for a man, and even more so for a woman. And building big bulky muscles is extremely difficult. Simply lifting a broomstick over your head a few times is not going create gigantic bulging muscles.

Lifting weights will give your body definition.

When you see someone with big bulky muscles (maybe more than you would care to have), realize that it has taken them many years of very ...
... hard work and discipline to achieve that look. Also know that they are intentionally trying to achieve that look, and it did not happen by accident. Nor did it happen overnight.

They are also using a training program that is conducive to building big bulky muscles, and they are eating in a way that will allow that to happen. We are not looking to get big and bulky, so we will eat and train in a way that will achieve a lean and athletic appearance.

Secondly, and this is for the ladies, it is far more difficult for a woman to build large muscles than it is for a man. One of the key ingredients in muscle growth is testosterone. Women have about 1/7th the amount of testosterone as men, making it that much harder to build big bulky muscles. The women bodybuilders you see on TV are, for one, likely taking steroids, and two, are deliberately training for this type of look.

Building a little lean muscle through an effective strength training program will keep your metabolism running high all day long. And reshape your body with tone and definition.

Don't be afraid of building a little muscle. Be afraid of losing it!

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About Author:
Christopher Gomes: A Lifelong Commitment to Sports and Fitness.

Since early childhood, I have been directly involved in sports and athletics. In my younger years I enjoyed team sports including soccer and baseball, which I played competitively for 15 years.

I then progressed into individual action sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding, which I pursued for over a decade.

Then in 2000, as fate would have it, a friend asked if he could store his free weights and exercise bench at my house. I reluctantly agreed, thinking it would gather dust in the corner. Little by little I began to use the equipment to the best of my ability and knowledge.

I slowly began to see small changes in my body, and decided to learn all I could. (The advice of friends and magazine articles can only take you so far.) It gradually became an obsession and a passion, and I knew this is where I was meant to be.

I then decided to turn this passion into a profession and became a certified personal trainer. Today, I own and operate my own personal training business, with a full schedule of clients, working out of the busiest gym in Las Vegas!

It is extremely rewarding to earn a living doing something you truly love. I am always on the lookout for new and innovative ways of helping people achieve their personal fitness goals.

Learn more about achieving your fitness goals at Fittplan.com.