Some Common Misconceptions About Muscle Toning

Many people often express their need or wish for a more toned appearance, but not all of them may be seeking the same result. For some, the goal may well be to lose enough weight to fit back into the tux or cocktail dress that he or she last wore at the high school prom, while for others, their aim might be to develop the huge biceps, pecs, lats and washboard abs of a champion bodybuilder. In exercise circles, however, the term “toning” is generally accepted to refer to the process of shedding excess fat, and developing leaner and more clearly-defined muscle tissue.

For those who wish to pursue this option and who choose to follow the sort of conventional programme offered at the average gym, the process is likely to involve the use of relatively heavy weights, repeated until the point of exhaustion. This results in minimal bulking and its main effect is to burn fat. This is in direct opposition to the commonly held, but quite mistaken, belief that the use of heavy weights inevitably results in a substantial increase in bulk, and that lighter weights should, in fact, be used for the sculpting effect.

Dispelling a second misconception that the two processes are essentially the same, although bulking is also achieved with the use of heavy weights, trainees must follow a routine in which their weight is gradually increased. They will also perform fewer repetitions of each exercise, but will need to devote many hours of effort overall. In addition, most bodybuilders elect to follow a strict high-protein and calorie-controlled diet, formulated to actively facilitate the desired growth. From these observations, it would appear that regardless of whether your goal may be muscle toning or full-on bulking, the road to success is likely to be a very long and strenuous one.

While this may once have been true, many have been delighted to learn that this is no longer the case, and that there is a far faster, less strenuous and more effective way to build that leaner and meaner, or stronger and bigger body. Known as EMS or electro-muscular stimulation, it is a method that has been tried and tested by professional athletes for many years, before finding its way into the public domain. Muscular contractions are provoked not by battling to overcome physical resistance, but by means of a pulsed electric current applied through the skin.

Producing as much as 150 times more contractions than the same time spent on conventional exercise, Body20 conducts specific, personalised programmes for people of all ages and fitness levels who require muscle toning, bulking, weight loss, cellulite reduction or injury rehabilitation.