Weights are used in a range of exercises, but they are most
useful for building lean muscle. This is because if used properly,
weights can apply a lot of force on your muscles, forcing them to get
bigger to better oppose the force. Many men exploit this property of our
muscles to make their bodies more attractive and stronger. However, if
you ask them exactly how to lift weights to build lean muscle, they will
most likely not know why.
Like I mentioned earlier, can exploit your muscles tendency to grow if exposed to a force greater than that which it can handle. Just like your skin darkens in the sun or you shiver to in the cold, your muscles grow to protect you. They protect you from the pain which you inflict on yourself by lifting weights. This means that if you want to continually build muscle, you have to continually lift heavier weights. Of course, it also means that you'll have to consistently be in pain, but the more you lift, the more you will get used to it.
Having said this, you can't just lift 20 lbs once, then 25 lbs once then 30 lbs once. You're simply testing your existing strength by doing this. If you want to build muscle, you have to lift weights more than once. It's called training with intensity. When someone says, "whoa, that was an intense workout," have you ever stopped to think what that actually meant? The definition of intensity that applies to lifting weights and lean muscle exercise is "the amount of work done". This is vague, so let me explain.
If you lifted 20 lbs at 10 reps for 2 sets, the amount of "work" you have done is 20x10x2 = 400 lbs. Say the next time you work out, you reckon your muscle's grown so you go up to 30 lbs. However, you can only do 6 reps and 2 sets. 30x6x2= 360 lbs. Even though you lifted a heavier weight, your muscle's lifting capacity has not increased enough, therefore you have to lift your current weight at a greater intensity and make it grow in size and strength before you can lift a heavier weight.
That's basically it. By lifting PROGRESSIVELY HEAVIER WEIGHTS AT A HIGH INTENSITY, you're doing proper lean muscle exercise which puts your muscle in the best position to grow in size and strength. Understanding how to lift weights in this manner also sets you up to understand proper lean muscle exercise methods.
Like I mentioned earlier, can exploit your muscles tendency to grow if exposed to a force greater than that which it can handle. Just like your skin darkens in the sun or you shiver to in the cold, your muscles grow to protect you. They protect you from the pain which you inflict on yourself by lifting weights. This means that if you want to continually build muscle, you have to continually lift heavier weights. Of course, it also means that you'll have to consistently be in pain, but the more you lift, the more you will get used to it.
Having said this, you can't just lift 20 lbs once, then 25 lbs once then 30 lbs once. You're simply testing your existing strength by doing this. If you want to build muscle, you have to lift weights more than once. It's called training with intensity. When someone says, "whoa, that was an intense workout," have you ever stopped to think what that actually meant? The definition of intensity that applies to lifting weights and lean muscle exercise is "the amount of work done". This is vague, so let me explain.
If you lifted 20 lbs at 10 reps for 2 sets, the amount of "work" you have done is 20x10x2 = 400 lbs. Say the next time you work out, you reckon your muscle's grown so you go up to 30 lbs. However, you can only do 6 reps and 2 sets. 30x6x2= 360 lbs. Even though you lifted a heavier weight, your muscle's lifting capacity has not increased enough, therefore you have to lift your current weight at a greater intensity and make it grow in size and strength before you can lift a heavier weight.
That's basically it. By lifting PROGRESSIVELY HEAVIER WEIGHTS AT A HIGH INTENSITY, you're doing proper lean muscle exercise which puts your muscle in the best position to grow in size and strength. Understanding how to lift weights in this manner also sets you up to understand proper lean muscle exercise methods.
Cheng is the owner of http://howtogetleanmuscle.blogspot.com. It's geared towards helping regular men with no experience in lifting weights learn how to get lean muscle.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheng_Kee
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