One difficult to achieve goal for many body builders is how to most effectively reduce body fat while not losing muscle mass or definition. There are many conflicting ideas about the best way to accomplish this.
Some body builders accept that massive attention to diet is a necessary evil, and are willing to lose a bit of muscle if they can significantly reduce their body fat percentage. These individuals may focus on meeting certain dietary variables, i.e., the number of grams of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in specified quantities for each meal and pre and post workout snacks.
Others may be unwilling to focus on diet and calorie reduction in the fat loss phase of bodybuilding. Individuals that fall into this second camp of thinking, tend to believe that a certain lifting regimen will best help define their muscles and my even cut a bit of fat from their body composition.
These bodybuilders believe in doing many reps using lighter weights to increase the absolute number of reps their muscles can do before fatigue sets in. This lighter weight is lifted significantly more times than the heavier weight would be lifted in a traditional set.
The idea behind lifting lighter weights for significantly more repetitions during the fat loss phase of bodybuilding may stem from the belief that this type of exercise creates a greater amount of lactic acid in the muscle tissues. People believe that this increase in reps, and concomitant increase in lactic acid, will burn more fat than traditional reps and sets with heavier weights.
Some also believe that an increase in reps also increases the cardio portion of their workout to burn more fat and stretch the muscles though a greater range of motion thus providing greater definition. There is a small problem with this logic, however. The primary goal of weight lifting is to boost muscle strength and size before the weight loss or cutting period.
If some lifters only do lighter weight reps they may actually be harming their goal. This method of lifting may actually contribute to the very thing most bodybuilders were trying to avoid with a fat loss diet, and that is muscle loss. Although, the bodybuilder may be doing more reps, he is generally putting a much lighter load on the muscles than if he had been following a more traditional lifting style with heavier weights and fewer reps in a set.
Any muscle gains he may have made using the traditional lifting style, will be minimized if a prolonged period of training only includes this lighter greater rep style of lifting. This potential for muscle loss will become especially apparent during a calorie restriction weight loss phase.
If you don't gain muscle, and merely define with higher reps, and potentially loose muscle with higher reps, your percent muscle mass starting point when you begin cutting calories will be much lower. Instead of focusing on only one of these three plans, bodybuilders should be using a combination. They need to not only do days with many reps and lower weights to put their muscles through the full range of motion, but they also need to do more traditional lifting with heavier weights.
Also, it is important to follow a diet with goal of reducing fat. Finally, many body builders are afraid of doing aerobic work. Perhaps they fear they will lose too much muscle, or perhaps their time is limited and they feel they should focus only on lifting.
Perhaps they are even a bit lazy when it comes to the health of their heart. This is just plain silly! By adding a bit of aerobic exercise to your weight lifting and diet regimen, you will not only increase your heart's health, but also boost your metabolism.
A faster metabolism means that your body will be a better fat burning machine. All of these factors, a program with both low and high rep ranges, a healthy diet, and aerobic exercise will provide the greatest results for your physique.
More healthy tips: Being Healthy Tips
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