Body Reps Classes?

**Timbuk2**

Hi

I was wondering are body reps classes as effecient at gaining muscle as the standard weights workout in the gym
For those who don't know what a body reps class is, it's a class done with medium weights, but with lots of reps and dividing each rep up into portions (as in chest press: up-two-three-four, down-two-three-four).

I find it very tough (but in a good way). I do it once a week, every other day I just do the normal weights workout. But would I be better off skipping the class and just doing a weights workout?

Thanks

MagicMarker

Sounds like a class for toning up rather than bulking up. If you want to build muscle then you need more weight and less reps.

**Timbuk2**

Well what I want really is to tone up. I've lost 50lbs and as my weight is approaching a healthy weight for my age/height, my instructor is telling me that I should concentrate on toning up, as it can shape up the body nicely etc.

But I thought gaining muscle and toning up are more or less the same thing??

injured365

Gaining muscle would be bodybuilding or bulking up, putting on bigger muscle. Would have a low to medium rep range depending on your needs.
Toning would be more muscle definition, little gain in muscle size. But muscles would become more visible and outlined. Medium to high rep range in general.

rubadub

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

But I thought gaining muscle and toning up are more or less the same thing??

That would be my understanding. A person described as "toned" usually has low body fat and some muscle development. If you want to develop muscle I would be training for hypertrophy, usually said to be the 8-12rep range.

No doubt you will also develop muscle in higher rep ranges. A fomer American footballer Herschel Walker only mainly did very high rep bodyweight exercise,


He could have probably got the same size with far less time spent training each week. But for athletes the size just comes with the training, it is secondary to their sport. But for people wanting to just "look toned" then the muscle building is the primary concern and the strength/athletic gains might be secondary. If an actor was to play Bruce Lee he only has to look like him, I doubt they would go through all his extensive training regime to build that body, they do not need the strength or endurance or skill he had.

Building muscle is a hard slow process, it is not like it happens overnight, so to get toned I would be training for maximum hypertrophy all the time. If you do get "too big" you simply stop training as often and you will get smaller.

If you had 2 twins they could both look as "toned" as each other, but one could have spent endless hours doing high reps while the other could have got that size spending 1/10th the time in the gym. Some enjoy the gym and the high reps and maybe the other effects on performance.

I think these sort of classes are aimed at people who think training in "bodybuilder" rep ranges and weights will turn them into bodybuilders. Every single huge bodybuilder out there had the same muscle as a "toned" person at one stage, they just took it further.

Some seem to think you go in and pick up the wrong weights and you will wake up looking like this

Don't think she is just drinking protein shakes!

When in reality it would take a long time lifting heavy weights to look like the woman below. Doesn't happen overnight, if it did most lads out there would be huge!