What are flat muscles?

janiejoey

Cathlete
Hi Cathe,

What are flat muscles?

You have mentioned them a couple of times in posts. Especially if you work too much cardio. How much is too much cardio?

Even though I've been exercising with you for many years I still get confused.

I'm 56 years old and my workouts these days look like this: Of course it does change regularly.

Mon. GSC&T, 30 min on the treadmill in the evening
Tues. Kickmax
Wed. GSL
Thus. GSBS&B, 30 min on treadmill in the evening
Fri. LM
Sat. Circuit Training one week and Endurance the next
Sun. Light cardio or step or rest, depends on how I feel

I take a few days off every so often when I feel the signs of over training and start again when I regain my spirits.

I love to (eat) healthy foods (zigzag 1200-1400 calories; at 56 any more than this I will forever gain weight) so I use cardio to compensate for the extra calories. Although I do have muscles, you can't see them through the skin. Is that what you call flat muscles and work too much cardio or am I just eating too much?

Thank you Cathe, you have in deed been a friend to me in fitness,

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible
 
I was watching some TV last night and that came to mind...flat muscles? What is that? What does that look like? Curiously it is one of those bedtime thoughts of I wonder...hmmm...anyone know?

duck
 
You can actually get flat muscles from overtraining doing weight work. It's where the muscle looks kind of "deflated." That's why rest and variety of attacks to the muscle (i.e. regular biceps curls, concentrations, and hammers), is so important.

I'll let the professional actually explain the how's and why's on this one though, as that is the scope of my knowledge on the subject.
I'd love to hear a more detailed, educated description.
 
Hi Janie! Usually when I refer to flat muscles, it is muscles that are lacking a "pump". This can be due to a variety of reasons but usually when I use this term it is in reference to over training. Overtraining can result from not incorporating enough rest/recovery between workouts, an over abundance of cardio (which inhibits the body'd ability to build muscle), or even lack of necessary carbs in a persons diet.

When muscles are overtrained, they can become almost unresponsive to weight training and sometimes even after the hardest workout you will barely have a noticeable response (blood flow surge to the muscle, tightness and swell in the muscle, etc.).

Your program sounds fine and versatile and you sound in tune with your body's needs. As long as you feel a slight tightness and slight swell in the working muscle at the time you are lifting, and are still seeing results from your workouts, chances are your muscles are working just fine and doing their job.

Take Care!
 
Cathe,

I'm delighted to get an answer from you. I'm not going to worry about flat muscles anymore. I'll watch for the symptoms and continue on my merry way.

Thank you so much for the explanation.



NY25,

Thank you for bumping this up. Otherwise Cathe would have never answered this one. I owe you one.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible
 

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