Mean or lean!

My posting today is designated for women who are wondering which type of workout will give them the results they are looking for: Strength training vs. toning.

If you are looking to gain size, strength, and mass, you may want to do strength training. Strength training involves doing reps with increasingly heavier weight. While doing strength training, you want to increase the weight on each set that you complete. By increasing the weight, your muscles will have to grow to be able to lift the extra weight that has been introduced to your body. For example, if you want big legs, it is recommended that you do strength training exercises with very heavy weights. Your muscles will be shocked and they will respond by growing and getting stronger to accommodate the new weight. Your body has the natural ability to adapt to the pressures that you put on it. That's why there is nothing that you can not handle; in life and in the gym.

If you are looking to get toned, you have to increase the reps. Increasing the reps burns calories and tones and firms the muscles as opposed to making them bigger as with strength training. You want to substantially increase the reps that you are doing. If you are doing curls, you want to use weight that will allow you to effective and without losing your form, and complete around 20 to 25 per set. If doing 20 -25 reps becomes easy, increase the weight.

So if you are looking for this:try strength training.

If you are looking for this:  consider increasing the number of reps that you are doing.