Insights From Legacy Personal Training
As personal trainers serving North Scottsdale, DC Ranch, and Paradise Valley, we know the look of firm, toned arms is something women everywhere crave. At our Legacy Gym locations from Cave Creek to Troon, the question we hear most is, how does one achieve it? Ironically, the secret to developing that highly desired toned look is what most women shy away from because of a common misconception. In this article from our personal fitness trainers Scottsdale women trust, we'll explain how to achieve toned looking arms without running the risk of getting bulky.
The Importance of Strength Training for Toned Arms
At our semi private group fitness sessions in Paradise Valley, let's get this out of the way first. Strength training is essential for building lean muscle mass and toning your body. This type of exercise involves using resistance to build muscle, which can help increase your metabolism and burn fat.
While cardiovascular exercise is important for overall health, we tell our personal training near me clients that it won't necessarily lead to toned arms. Cardio exercise primarily targets your cardiovascular system and burns calories, but it won't do much to build muscle in your arms. That's where strength training comes in.
Debunking the Myth of Getting Bulky with Strength Training
At Legacy personal training facilities across North Scottsdale, many women avoid strength training exercises because they believe that they will get bulky. However, this is a common misconception. Women have lower levels of testosterone than men, which means that it's much harder for them to gain significant amounts of muscle mass.
Through our Scottsdale hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy Scottsdale programs, we understand that lifting heavier weights for fewer reps will help you build lean muscle mass and increase your tone without the slightest hint of bulk. The key is to target your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for strength and power.
It's not what you've always heard about lifting light weights for many reps. There's absolutely no scientific validity to that common misconception.
The Right Way to Get Toned Arms
In our small group personal fitness classes from DC Ranch to Cave Creek, we teach that to get toned arms, you need to focus on strength training exercises that target your fast-twitch muscle fibers. These exercises should involve lifting heavier weights for fewer reps, meaning 8-12. The key is that the weight for those 8-12 reps should be challenging the entire set.
At Legacy Gym, it's important to start with a weight that is challenging but still allows you to perform the exercise with proper form. As you get stronger, you can gradually increase the weight.
Keep In Mind
Through our semi private personal fitness programs in Paradise Valley and Troon, we emphasize that in addition to strength training exercises, you should also focus on eating a healthy diet. It doesn't matter how toned your arms are if they're covered by multiple layers of fat. In fact, this would be the only way one could actually get "bulky" unintentionally. If your muscles are growing and your fat's not shrinking then it only makes logical sense that there is going to be more of you.
Conclusion
At our personal training Scottsdale facilities from North Scottsdale to Cave Creek, we see that women everywhere crave toned-looking arms, but many are afraid to do strength training exercises because they believe the misconception that they'll get bulky. In reality, strength training is the key to getting toned arms without adding too much muscle mass.
Visit Legacy Gym to learn how our experienced trainers can help you build lean muscle mass and increase your strength without adding bulk. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself with weight training exercises and remember to eat a healthy diet and get enough rest for optimal results.