How Does Working Out with Weights Build Muscle?
Let’s talk about muscle. You already know about the muscle-bone connection, but exactly how do muscles grow and change when you work out with weights? When you lift more weight than usual, your muscle contracts against the resistance and calls into play muscle fibers that were formerly resting. In order to cope with the work being required of them, the muscle fibers begin to synthesize protein, and new cells are added. At the same time the muscles endure microscopic tears. The “soreness” you feel after a workout is the result of this normal microscopic tear process. When you stop working out, perhaps while you are sleeping, your muscles repair themselves. The entire process, including the “repair” during rest, causes the muscle cells to enlarge and grow stronger over time. In addition, your connecting tissues (tendons and ligaments) get stronger because they, too, are stimulated by the work being done. Small Shapely Muscles — Not the”Bodybuilder” Kind! I almost skipped this section! Wh
