A tissue composed of fibers capable of contracting to effect bodily movement. It is a contractile organ consisting of a special bundle of muscle tissue, which moves a particular bone, part, or...

A tissue composed of fibers capable of contracting to effect bodily movement. It is a contractile organ consisting of a special bundle of muscle tissue, which moves a particular bone, part, or substance of the body: the heart muscle; the muscles of the arm.

Proper muscle definition

Weight lifting for years and you still lack definition, my guess would be that you are not training with heavy enough weights, or that you are not training often enough, or both. At this stage of the game, if you are using 3 to 5 pound weights for squats, lunges, chest work and bicep curls, you are cheating yourself and wasting good time in the gym. Weights this light is only appropriate for 1) absolute exercise beginners, 2) if you are using the weights in a cardio-based routine, or 3) if the exercises are where a lot of attention is given to isometric moves. Five pounds might be okay for detailed shoulder work, but that’s about it. Most young women who are weight training can and should go heavier. It doesn’t have to be a whole lot – bumping up from 5 to 8 pounds can make a world of difference. (It can also make you surprisingly sore the next day the first few times you try it. Light stretching, ice and massage will relieve any DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness you may have. Don’t worry – your muscles will adjust!)

As a general rule, the muscles you are working should fatigue after 8 to 12 reps you are looking for more definition, try for a weight that will fatigue your muscles closer to 8. Work different muscle groups on different days and give each muscle group at least 48 hours’ rest between weight training sessions (you may already know this, but it bears repeating). It’s not the actual weight training session that gives your muscles that cut look, but the rest time. While they are healing from the exercise, muscles are forming definition. Don’t concern yourself too much with the cardio. Just make sure you get enough at least 30 minutes 3 to 5 times a week, at an intensity that makes it hard for you to talk but doesn’t make you completely breathless. If you want definition, focus more on the weights and the quality of your workout there. If you are doing both weight training and cardio in the same session, hit the weights first. You want the majority of your energy to go into your weight routine.

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