More reps

[hittman]

I know that more weight less reps stimulate growth but i have also heard that more reps less weight "tone" the muscle, is this true? if not what does more reps actually do?

 

[Mindwraith]

Yeah good question, I've been told it just helps to tone the muscle and works endurance fibers?

 

[FunkieMonkeyMan]

I think the whole idea of "toning" a muscle is misunderstood in the same way that people think that doing abs might reduce the Fat on their stomachs.

Now, maybe i dont know what Tone means, but when i think of it, i think of refining the shape of the muscle, and bringing out definition. Now, definition, i believe has very little to do with the muscle and a lOT more to do with the fat covering it. I would say that weight lifting in general does not have anything to do with fat burning since it is an anerobic workout which can't burn fat [at the time of the exercise]. However, if you do rather light weight and you never raise your oxygen intake above its threshold, then you will be doing more of an aerobic workout, which will indeed reduce fat and bring out muscle definition and sepperation.

As far as shape go, i think this is largely genetic, but perhaps can be somewhat modifies by using various angles and range of motion in the exercise.

So personally, when someone says they do high reps for muscle toning, i think its a load of crap. I would say, Lift to get big, and then eat clean to get lean.

-Fatty

 

[rjl296]

dpends on the # of rep. Hypertrophy ( growth ) usually occurs around 6-15 reps.

"Toning" usually means " im lazy and dont want to work hard" or "I dont wanna look like a freak with all those muscles"
Very Generalyl , stick to 5 - 12 reps , unless endurance is key for you

 

[hittman]

QUOTE]I think the whole idea of "toning" a muscle is misunderstood in the same way that people think that doing abs might reduce the Fat on their stomachs.[/QUOTE]

Does doing abs just make the muscles bigger?

 

[rjl296]

QUOTE]I think the whole idea of "toning" a muscle is misunderstood in the same way that people think that doing abs might reduce the Fat on their stomachs.

Does doing abs just make the muscles bigger? [/QUOTE]
yes

 

[Fatty4You]

Yeah, doing abs just makes your abs bigger. If you want to have more definition, that is ONLY to do with fat. I mean, sure, the bigger the muscle, the more chance it has of been seen under fat, but as far as real definition goes, its all about fat.

And you can't lose fat in specific areas either. Your body has genetic predispositions to put fat in certain places. So, when you burn energy to try and lose fat, your body controls where that happens and at what rate in which areas.

Basically, if you want definition in some place, you have to have an overall body reduction in fat.

-Fatty

 

[needsize]

There is no such thing as a toned or untoned muscle, the only difference is whether or not its covered in a layer of fat. Reps in the 5-10 or so rep range will stimulate growth, anything above that will mostly only build up endurance

 

[Fatty4You]

There is no such thing as a toned or untoned muscle, the only difference is whether or not its covered in a layer of fat.

Well said!

-Fatty

 

[collegiateLifter]

i laugh when people describe someone whos pretty skinny, often chicks, who has lots of "lean muscle." i then tell then well what else is she gonna have the fatty kind of muscle? as for harder muscles, all else being equal, lower reps are better than higher reps.