Ask Harley Pasternak

Toning Up Without the Bulk

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Q: My goal is to lose weight and tone, but I'm afraid I'm going to bulk up if I lift weights. How can I exercise without looking like a bodybuilder?

A:

People often get concerned about "bulking up" when weight training is involved in their exercise program, but there's no need to be worried. Building muscle and losing weight go hand in hand, and here's why: While you burn calories when you exercise and when you do daily activities like walking or climbing stairs, you burn the bulk of your calories just by sitting still. This is called your resting metabolic rate. For each pound of lean muscle you have on your body, you burn calories by doing absolutely nothing! What's important for you to know is that the more muscle you build, the higher your resting metabolic rate, and the more calories your burn per day. That's why building muscle is such an important part of weight loss, and why it's so good for your health -- all that muscle makes it even easier to keep the fat off.

The other benefit of weight training is that muscle tissue will keep you looking lean and taut. You may lose fat by dieting and by doing cardio exercises, but to look trim you need to build muscle in place of the fat. Muscle is also higher in volume than fat, so every pound of muscle takes up less room on your body, making you smaller and giving you that great shape you're looking for.

Completing a high number of repetitions at a lower weight is ideal for sculpting your body and speeding your metabolism to help keep the weight off.

Learn more in the Everyday Health Fitness Center.

Last Updated: 07/16/2008

Harley Pasternak holds a master's of science in exercise physiology and nutritional sciences from the University of Toronto. The popular celebrity trainer is the author of 5-Factor Fitness and the New York Times bestselling follow-up book, The 5-Factor Diet, and the creator of the 5-Factor Diet and 5factordiet.com.