Big Muscles? No Thanks!

Many clients say things like, “I don’t want big muscles. Now that I am firmly entrenched in my fifth decade, big muscles aren’t as alluring as they once were. Maybe its because I don’t play sports anymore. Maybe it’s because I am married with a couple of kids. At the very least, I don’t want to go shopping for new shirts because my neck got bigger. I just don’t want big muscles.”

“What I do want is strong muscles. I want to be able to carry the garbage cans down the hill without having to stop and rest. I want to run around the back yard with the kids for longer than 30 seconds. I want to keep my joints and bones strong so I can move the couch thirty times until my wife is satisfied with how it looks.” Strong muscles are the way to go!

There is nothing inherently wrong with big muscles. Muscle size is largely determined by genetics. Specifically, you need high levels of testosterone, long muscle bellies and short tendons, and the tendons need to insert in the right place on the bones. For those reasons 99.8% of women will not ever get big muscles. And as men age, their testosterone levels drop. Despite those two facts, muscles of any age and any gender can be made stronger.

The benefits of exercise are too numerous to list here. However, a properly designed strength training program, will enhance flexibility, increase cardiovascular function and most importantly, make your muscles stronger!