Have you been put off using weights as part of your regular exercise program because you don’t want great big muscles, well don’t worry. Using weights you will build muscle mass, but you won’t end up looking like Arnie. This is one reason while many women won’t use weights, because of the big muscle factor.

It is true that the huge muscles of the Hulk were gained through weight training, but for the average person using weights to strengthen and gain muscle mass, they will not achieve those kind of results. They are more likely to increase the muscle and reduce the fat, making for a healthier better looking body.

The ideal exercise routine is to combine the two, work the muscles with weights and run or cycle for your Cardio. If you can combine the two on a regular basis then you are not only keeping your heart healthy, but also your muscle structure.

Strong muscles are as important as strong hearts so do both types of exercise. Gaining muscle mass will have you burning calories easier than before, so weights will only help reduce your fat rather than just cardio on its own.

If the weights you use to train with are kept to a sensible weight with high repetitions then you will develop your muscles and gain muscle mass without getting the muscle size of Arnie, who would have used very heavy weights with less or very few repetitions.

Think of it this way, if you take a fat arm, normally it will be shapeless. Now with Cardio and the use of weights over time the fat will be burned off and the muscle will develop. The result will be a slimmer arm in measurement, but with shape and muscle definition. The muscular arm will now use more calories than the fat arm did.

The most stubborn of areas on the body seems to be the mid section. The Abs will never get to see the light of day if they are covered over with wobbly fat and no amount of sit ups or other abdominal exercises will pull them to the surface. The fat has to go before they will show there face.

Having stronger muscles will also help against injuries and benefit us more as we get older, reducing the loss of muscle mass and strength. As we get older we lose muscle mass and strength and are more likely to put on weight. This will make tasks that we did when we were young a little harder unless we try to maintain our muscle mass through resistance training with weights.