What Is Your Weight In Muscle?

Weighing more than fat are muscles and this is something you may have heard of. Many people notice a small weight gain when they begin lifting weights consistently. As a general rule, if you lift weights 2 to 3 times a week, you can gain 1 pound of muscle per month for about 6 months. The rate increase slows down after that as you begin reaching your genetic potential. Because you're reaching your genetic potential, your progression will lessen the longer you lift even though at the beginning you've made a lot of progress on weight progression.

Don't be alarmed at the extra pounds of weight from weight training because it is well worth the effort. According to research, for every 3 pounds of muscle you build you're increasing your resting metabolic rate by 7%. If your body burns 1,200 calories per day, excluding movement or exercise, then with those 3 extra pounds of muscle you would burn an extra 84 calories.

Many women have a difficult time outgrowing 2-3 pound dumbbell weights, because they are afraid that if they increase the weight they will bulk up. You can do a maintenance program with 5 pound weights if you are happy with the strength and appearance of your muscles. But if more strength is what you want, then you still won't bulk up even if you progress to 8 or 10 pound weights. Your muscle size can be increased by using heavier weights but getting bulky is unlikely. Building huge muscles requires having enough testosterone which women don't naturally have so you'd have to use heavier weights even if you could bulk up.

Another option to tone muscle is to increase your repetitions instead of increasing weight. A high-repetition/light-weight program will develop muscle tone and increase strength and endurance without significantly increasing muscle size.

Going through the motion isn't the only thing you should do when you're lifting weights. Think of "squeezing" to describe the contraction of the muscle you should be focusing on. Think about the muscle you are working and squeeze or contract it as you are lifting. Unlike just raising and lowering the weight without focusing on the muscle, you'll get a lot more benefit if you squeeze the muscle on the lift.

Author bio: Writer Kristin Alexander knows how to get the best deal. Read her latest articles on free efax services and efax trial now.