building muscles

[ayaz]

hey guys dis might be a werid and dumb Q but to build muscle is it better to gain weight (fat) or stay da same (ie lose weight) before building muscles

and also is it better to be doing heavier weights (shorter rep) or lighter weights (more reps) to get toned...blc i was reading n it goes ligher weights dont do anything

thnks

[*ryan777*]

if u wanna b toned then its prob best to lose weight 1st as u suggested
lighter weights r better for generall fitness ie being more flexible for sport etc etc
heavy weights with shorter reps help to simply build muscle  (make u look tank ) but this isnt so desirable if u dont maintain the muscle u build as it all turns to fat after a while
but this is just what ive heard and u may wanna seek the advice of someone who actually knows about this stuff

[GerrySly]

Building muscle requires the muscles to be fed. If you keep a strict and healthy diet, you should gain too much fat when building muscle.

As a general rule you find your maintenance calories (bodyweight in lbs * 10-15) and subtract 500 to cut or add 500 to bulk. It really depends on your body type before you decide to bulk or cut.

Lighter weight and more reps build strength, heavy weight less reps build muscle.

[nbalakers24]

if u wanna b toned then its prob best to lose weight 1st as u suggested
lighter weights r better for generall fitness ie being more flexible for sport etc etc
heavy weights with shorter reps help to simply build muscle  (make u look tank ) but this isnt so desirable if u dont maintain the muscle u build as it all turns to fat after a while
but this is just what ive heard and u may wanna seek the advice of someone who actually knows about this stuff

muscle does not turn into fat or fat does not turn into muscle.

[kyzoo]

Building muscle requires the muscles to be fed. If you keep a strict and healthy diet, you should gain too much fat when building muscle.

As a general rule you find your maintenance calories (bodyweight in lbs * 10-15) and subtract 500 to cut or add 500 to bulk. It really depends on your body type before you decide to bulk or cut.

Lighter weight and more reps build strength, heavy weight less reps build muscle.

I'm pretty sure it's the other way round - low reps (1-8) of heavy weights develops strength, high reps (12-15) of light weights develops muscle mass.

[shinny]

Building muscle requires the muscles to be fed. If you keep a strict and healthy diet, you should gain too much fat when building muscle.

As a general rule you find your maintenance calories (bodyweight in lbs * 10-15) and subtract 500 to cut or add 500 to bulk. It really depends on your body type before you decide to bulk or cut.

Lighter weight and more reps build strength, heavy weight less reps build muscle.

I'm pretty sure it's the other way round - low reps (1-8) of heavy weights develops strength, high reps (12-15) of light weights develops muscle mass.

You sure? I always thought what GerrySly said was correct.

[kyzoo]

For example, if you want a given exercise to increase muscle tone and strength without adding too much bulk, you would lift heavy on a given exercise for low reps and low sets such as 2 sets of 4 reps, but on a more frequent basis (3-4 times per week). If, on the other hand, you were more interested in muscle size, you would want to focus on a higher volume of work with moderate to heavy weights, such as 6 sets of 6 reps, 10 sets of 5 reps, or even 4 sets of 12 reps on a less frequent basis of 1-2 times per week.

Quote from an article I have.

[IntoTheNewWorld]

I think very low reps (1-5) develops strength, about 10 reps is muscle mass and a very large number of reps is endurance

[Stormer]

As for the first question, whether or not you should bulk (gain weight) or cut (lose weight) is dependant on your body weight. If you're currently a bit above average body fat then i'd suggest to cut as bulking will inevitably put on fat as well as muscle.