What is muscle and how to achieve the muscle growth transformation or avoid it?

One of the common comments that clients make to their instructors about muscle growth transformation is: “Please, don’t give me weights, I don’t want any muscle, I just want to tone up.”

The reasons differ from one client to another, but most often seem to be based on a misunderstanding about what the muscle is, how we develop it, what it has to do with weight loss, or some combination of the above.

There is a lot of wrong information outside the fitness world about muscles and what they do, so we would like to explore the realities behind myths.

What is the muscle?

When we were younger, we had never really thought about what things were made between skin and bones. We understood that muscles were what bodybuilders had, and that fat was something that made them fat, and that we had something from each.

However, we thought that they existed within some type of other substance that filled the space between skin and bones. Then, in high school, we learned that, in a healthy person, most of this magic substance was just muscle.

In fact, we learned that, apart from the networks of organs, blood vessels and nerves of the body, and the skeleton there isn’t really much under the skin, except the muscles and fat.

We learned that the muscles were an incredible network of fibers that allowed us to move our limbs, remain seated or standing, talk, breathe and practically translate any thoughts we had into some kind of action.

Thus we knew that if we did not use them, the muscles would shrink and weaken, and if we did, they would become stronger. And we learned that as the muscles strengthened, so do we.

All this allows us to understand the initial confusion that exists among so many clients of gyms. Why they want to tone without developing muscles. However, the truth is that muscle is the only thing that can be toned under the skin. And that “toning” often simply means that the muscles become slightly more visible. Which makes the whole body look smoother and firm. So, without enough muscle to start, there is nothing there that can be toned.

Muscle growth transformation: Building the right size muscles

Often, customers have no problem with the idea of ​​a small muscle. The problem is that many do not realize that it is not an “all or nothing” thing. Unfortunately, due to the lack of clear information in the media, the only image they have to associate “women” with “muscle” is one of a bodybuilder at the top of their competition physique.

It is not that there is anything wrong with wanting such a physique if that is the goal of a client, but for most women, the possibility of developing such large and defined muscles is really scary!

However, such muscles do not occur quickly or easily. Really large muscles require long and intense workouts for a period of time and a base level of testosterone. This is a hormone that most women do not have in sufficient amounts (without the use of steroids, anyway) for size to be Become a problem.

Of course, there are women with naturally high testosterone levels, which will increase muscles faster. But muscles do not appear suddenly, completely formed overnight.

So, if you notice that you are gradually increasing the size in an area that you do not want, you will not find it difficult to change your training in that area of ​​the body to gradually reduce the size again.

In addition, many people believe that any type of weight training will automatically increase muscle size. The truth is that not all training produces increases in size.

Variables in in strength training

There are a number of variables with which you can play in strength training. These are: the weight of the weight, the amount of repetitions of the movement and the time you allow yourself to rest between groups of repetitions (or series).

In very general terms, training with a heavy weight and low repetitions in each series will increase strength; training with a medium to heavy weight and medium repetitions will increase muscle size; and training with a lighter weight with high repetitions per series will increase endurance.

In practice, it really isn’t that simple, and there are other factors to consider. The important point is that not all training will increase muscle size. If you need to tone some muscle, you can work with a competent trainer. He will help you make sure you get only the results you want from your from your training.