Shouldn't I be LOOKING BETTER with all the exercise I do?
Many people that have been continually going to the gym look the same as they did when they started years ago. Most of the people I meet want to look more toned and have a healthier appearance. To achieve this goal it will take a combination of losing body fat and increasing lean muscle. Most women do not strength train and if they do they will do lighter exercises or take classes with many repetitions because they have a fear of "bulking up". Unfortunately this fear stops them from ever looking toned because unlike a male who would put on a substantial amount of muscle with more resistance women have far less testosterone so with heavier resistance they would actually get that toned look they're usually going for. With lighter resistance training which can be considered any exercise with more than twelve repetitions you are in an endurance phase which can be one of the hardest workouts however does very little for improving the way you look. Men on the other hand will tend to do a lot of weights and though they may put on muscle they leave out any flexibilty or cardiovascular exercise leaving them with high bodyfat and poor posture. The lack of flexibility training causes poor movement patterns and poor posture which can not only ruin the chances of achieving that healthy fit appearance but also cause injuries that can eventually stop you from exercising all together. Along with heavy resistance training nutrition will play a huge part in losing body fat and increasing lean muscle. No matter how hard you workout you can't outwork a bad diet. Even if you increased your lean muscle it will be difficult to see it unless you shed the layers of fat that cover your hard earned muscle. The best way to lose bodyfat is to consume less calories then one burns in a day. No matter what kind of diet you go on if it counts calories or eliminates certain food groups or focuses on portion sizes the end result is to take in less then what you burn. This leaves you with two solutions which are to increase how many calories you burn a day and decrease the amount of calories you are consuming. You may have heard the saying "move more eat less". This is where cardio can become a tool to keep your calories in check but does not come anywhere close to the importance of having a good nutrition plan. While most are obsessed with doing a lot of repetitions and cardio it will be the combination of heavier resistance training and nutrition that will get a person to start to MOVE, FEEL and LOOK BETTER.