FAQs: Training
Will I get bulky from doing weights?
This question is asked by a lot of women when they first start and tell us they want to look more toned and not bulky. Don't worry about this. It takes a while to get 'bulky' and requires a lot of food. Most of us don't eat enough or actually train heavy enough to get 'bulky'. That more toned look you are after will be achieved by dropping body fat, so you'll be able to see muscles that have always been there underneath.
Do I need to train every day?
No! Training every day can have a detrimental effect on the muscles and hinder our progress to get the results we are after. When we do weight training, the aim is to cause tears in the muscle. If you train again without adequate rest, we don't give the muscle anytime to repair and grow. Our muscles grow when we rest and not while you train. So, if you train every day with no rest and not eating enough of the right foods, you're going to lose muscle.
All I need to do to lose weight is cardio? Right?
While correct (you will lose weight if all you do is cardio) it is also not a great way to do. This ties in with the previous question. Cardio is not going to cause enough stress on the muscles to cause them to change. Resistance training has been shown to be more important than cardio for fat lose due to the increase in muscle it can cause, whereas cardio is seen as one of the least important things.
What exercises are best to lose weight?
Unfortunately, there isn't specific exercises to lose weight, but a collection of exercises that will work together to ensure you get a full body workout. If you don't have much time to do a workout you want to focus on compound lifts like squats, deadlift, bench press and row. Remember, the best way to lose weight is a calorie deficit food plan and weight training.
How do I know I am lifting enough?
People are always nervous about going up a weight when it comes to weight training. Most people will always be happy on a lighter weight they can manage, so an increase might feel like a bit too much. What we want to see is a progressive increase in the weights that we are lifting. This shows that we are progressing. If we hit a plateau, then try a change by adding extra reps, sets and tempos. This changes the amount of time the muscle is under tension and can get the desired effect you are after without going heavier.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
