Beginner's Build Part III: Why Should I Lift? (Part III)
Whether Bulking or Toning, Resistance Training Is Your Friend
In the previous two posts of this series, I described why lifting weights is important for improving and preserving both your quality of life and physical performance. Here, I’ll make my third and final argument for incorporating lifting into your weekly schedule: looking better.
Aiming For Aesthetic
Although improving physical aesthetics isn’t important to everybody and certainly doesn’t need to be–there are a lot of things that are more important than this, in my opinion–I find that looking fit is a motivating factor behind exercising for many people. In this regard, the value of resistance training is obvious and well acknowledged for individuals looking to bulk up: if you want big arms, build big arms.
For people who want to slim down, on the other hand, I find there is an underappreciation for and even avoidance of lifting weights. Though I’m sure some males share the same thinking, I feel these sentiments are most prevalent amongst females that stear away from lifting heavy weights because they fear it will lead to them looking bulky, rather than toned.
And, this makes sense in some respects, in that the idea of building muscle mass seems counterproductive if your goal is to achieve the lean and fit look that commonly embodies being toned. After all, if you want to look toned, don’t you want to lose mass? The answer is yes, but not muscle mass.
For most people, I find that a key feature of being toned is having definition–some degree of visible separation and creases between their muscles–in their abs, arms, legs, etc. Trimming down is one key aspect to achieving this defined appearance, but it isn’t the only piece of the puzzle. Revealing the definition of your muscle mass requires that you have a significant amount of muscle mass in the first place.
So, although you may want to lose some mass in order to obtain a lean and fit look, you specifically want to lose fat mass while building muscle mass or preserving the muscle mass that you previously acquired. It is this combination of slenderness and muscularity that unveils the muscle definition that characterizes the commonly sought after toned aesthetic. And, it’s resistance training that best accomplishes this combination.
Now, if you’re worried about gaining too much muscle mass and becoming too bulky, consider that–despite having several biological advantages for building muscle, like higher levels of testosterone–it takes males a considerable amount of effort to do so. Even then, many males struggle to put on a lot of size, and it takes time when they do. Thus, you can rest assured that you won’t wake up one day after starting to lift weights and suddenly have bulging biceps.
So, whether it’s the lean and fit toned look you’re after, or if you’re interested in a bulkier muscular appearance, you have one more reason why you should lift weights: to look better.
IMPORTANT: If you enjoyed or found this post useful, leave a like and/or a comment to let me know. This will help me gear future content towards what is best for you. Thanks again for reading/listening.