maximalminimality

"You're at the gym and you have done 30 lifts before becoming exhausted. However, you heard that if you push yourself beyond your limit, you will have more muscle faster. So, you lift another 5 times."

What's wrong about the above story?

Basically when men start exercising, they tend to go towards the muscle massing direction, where the goal is to build big and strong muscles. However, a study done by UCLA have shown that females prefer toned guys compared to overly muscular ones.

Muscle Massing
Objective: Build muscle mass
Methods: Weight lifting

To build mass, you carry carry heavier weights for less repetitions. Your goal is to continually break your muscles by lifting weights which are beyond your comfort zone and allow them to rebuild over 2 - 3 days before breaking them again. People who have lots of muscle mass only have strength when the muscle is used because the muscles only contract under pressure. Muscle massing does not burn fat!

Muscle Toning
Objective: Tone muscles
Methods: Weight training

To tone muscles, you carry lighter weights for more repetitions. Your goal is to accustom your muscles to the continual weight that you must lug around. Just carry weights everywhere you go at all times. When you do not feel it anymore, add more weights but still keep within your comfort range. People who have toned muscles have strength even when the muscles are idle because the muscles are trained to be in a semi-contracted state. If you are toning muscle, you do not want to tear your muscles because you will break your weight training cycle. Muscle toning burns fat because it increases metabolism levels.

You can also do a mixture of both muscle training styles to build sufficient mass if you are skinny, but it is very advisable to tone more instead of massing more unless you are a bodybuilder.