toning and targeting

[IronCrosses]

im a 15 year old and ive been a competative gymnast for about 11 years so i workout pretty regularly. however it seems that all i have as far as muscles is bulk and not definition. is thier any sort of way to workout to define instead of bulk up? less reps, slower. faster anything? or is it just i have a different body type?

my second question was about my lower abs. ive had the top too a six-pack for quite sometime but i cant ever seem to develop the bottom. is there anyway to target an area as far as fat burning?

thanx for any help

B!

 

[Lex]

Your body type plays a LARGE role in your muscular development. However, generally speaking, high reps (12-15) with low to moderate weights is used for toning and endurance of the muscle. You may want to broaden your workout and supplement it with Pilattes or yoga. Not only is is great for increasing a mind - body awareness (important for gymnasts) but it also tones and elongates the muscles. Hope this helps! Good luck at your next meet!

 

[jpfitness]

Not only is is great for increasing a mind - body awareness (important for gymnasts) but it also tones and elongates the muscles.

Uh, help me out here. How exactly does Pilates "lengthen" the muscle? Sorry... need a little confirmation here.

 

[Lex]

I guess elongates is the improper word... I was trying to create a vivid image for the type of muscle development she could expect. Doing pilattes and yoga help create the illusion of elongation because of the type and duration of the exercises. Agree?? Disagree??