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A Perfect Fit: Exposing three weight training vs. cardio myths
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Anonymous user Wed Jun 21, 2006 13:28:34 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Cardio and light weights lean you up…Right?

OK, by a show of hands, how many of you want to lose more body fat?

Please put your hands down.

Now, raise your hand again if you are doing zillions of minutes on the elliptical, treadmill and bike but you only do weights for about 10 minutes –– if at all –– when you go to the gym?

My best guess would be that approximately 85 percent of you are not doing enough strength training … if I counted correctly.

Yes, the young lady in the back has a question?

“Won't I get big, bulgy muscles if I lift weights?”

And you miss, you also had a question?

“I was told that I needed more cardio and less weights to burn fat, isn't this correct?”

Yes sir, and you?

“I always heard light weight and higher reps for toning and heavier weights and lower weights for bulk, is that right?”

Let's see, in order, No. 1 no, No. 2 no and No. 3 not necessarily. Let's check these out one at a time.

Will women build big muscles if they lift heavier weights? There are only two ways this would be possible: if they are genetically inclined to do so or if they are taking male hormones to do so. Otherwise, it ain't gonna happen.

Couple of examples here. My wife is genetically predisposed to gaining muscle. She is a drug-free, world-class powerlifter and trains with very heavy weights. When she is training for a meet, she tends to lean up a little and put on more muscle.

Ever looked at a bodybuilding magazine showing the extremely muscled up women? My wife does not look like that, even though she probably trains with much heavier weights than most of those “interesting looking” women in the magazines. I can say with moderate certainty that a great majority of those women used male hormones to enhance muscle growth. I'm not going to say they all did, because I don't know that that is true but, my 32-years of competitive experience tells me that my guess would be fairly accurate.

My point? Most women are not going to build big muscles by doing more and heavier weight training. In fact, you will build more muscle tone, lean up and drop more body fat.

Which leads me to the second supposition: that more cardio and less weights burn off more body fat. This is one of my favorite “I don't really care what some 'experts' say” rules of life.

But in truth, drop your cardio in half and double your time in the weight room and in most cases you will begin to see a transformation that will make you smile.

Without building muscle you will have a harder time burning body fat. Body fat is “burned” in the muscle. Think of it as a furnace. The more you “stoke” the furnace, the hotter it burns and the more body fat disappears. You stoke your furnace by doing resistance training and eating leaner (that's a different article).

I guarantee that you personally know someone who has been taking an aerobics class for over a year and they look the same as they did when they began. They have probably even said to you, “I don't understand it, all this hopping around for an hour, three times a week and nothing is changing!” All they need to do is start lifting weights and they will have greater success. (Please don't sick your aerobics instructor on me. I will be the first to admit that cardio is of great importance, but it is highly overrated when it comes to fat loss.)
 
What about light weights and high reps for a leaner look?

Generally speaking, no.

Here's why: “light” weights that most people use are usually way too light, thus they encourage no muscle stimulation, which basically means that the muscle is not being challenged, which translates into absolutely no benefit for building lean muscle. If lighter was better then theoretically you would build lean muscle best with no weight resistance at all!  

Now for the $10,000 question,“How light is too light?”

I say if you can do 20 of anything you are probably not lifting heavy enough weights. Twenty is good for warming up. Twenty is too light for much else. If you don't work the muscle at heavier levels there is very little fat metabolization going on. If you just have to do 20 rep work try this: 20, six-eight, 15. That is, do 20 reps for warm up, add weight so that you can only do six to eight reps, then go a little lighter and do a set of 15.

I have suggested this set and rep scheme over the years and have seen very good success, much better than two or three sets of  20.

So what did we learn today class?

1. Ladies, don't be scared of the weights, they are your friends when it comes to leaning up.

2. Spend more time in the weight room and less time on the treadmill for a while and watch the fat start to go away.

3. And finally, when you do use weights, go ahead and go a little heavier than you have in the past and stimulate that lean muscle furnace of yours.

One last important note: No matter what new things you try, you won't wake up the next morning and see someone new in the mirror. Our bodies take time to change (to the good or bad), so if things aren't going the way you like after three or four weeks, change it up again.

Keep up the good work, only those who quit will fail.   

E-mail Ken at: wheelersfitness1@sbcglobal.net

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