So You Think You Can “Tone”?
I think it’s time to set the record straight. That muscle “toning” you think you’re doing isn’t really toning. Yes, it’s sad but true, but toning is indeed not a thing. It’s actually a fitness myth. I too, many years ago before I wandered into personal training and wellness, believed that muscles could do one of two things: build or tone. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that all those quick, light, fast reps was just another way to train.
The toning sensation hit gyms and eager folks some time ago with ridiculous exercise gadgets that seem more like torture devices. Thus the concept of toning took over. It became toning this, toning that and people became disconnected from reality and truly believed chiseled muscles were made on the premise of “toning”. If you should know anything about muscles, they can do two simple things: shrink and grow. That means depending on the weight you use and the frequency you lift, your muscles can do either.
I truly believe that gym goers, body enthusiasts, at-home health folks, and anyone who has ever attempted to get fit needs a simple anatomy lesson. Since muscles either grow or shrink, that means they have the capacity to gain in size or diminish in appearance and strength. Muscle gain, known as hypertrophy, means your muscle fibers slightly tear when lifting at a heavier capacity. These disturbed fibers regenerate over time which creates larger and stronger muscles.
Muscle shrinkage, known as atrophy, is when the muscle is no longer stimulated therefore resulting in your muscle fibers diminishing in size as well as strength. This type of muscle shrink can result from injury or lack of usage. Even though you are not building, you are in no way toning either. Atrophy of up to 7% per day will occur resulting in softer tissue and less chiseled muscles. So how can one “tone” but not build or lose muscle either? Through the use of exercises and workouts that warrant a leaner look rather than a bulkier look.
Let’s Lean!
Stimulate Muscles Enough to Feel the Burn! When you want to achieve that leaner look, your weight choice shouldn’t be too heavy but shouldn’t be too light either. Finding a weight that gives that small burn will help stimulate the muscle enough to tighten. The amount of sets and reps also matters in this as well. Train enough to feel a burn and obvious muscle workout, but avoid muscle fatigue also known as failure.
Use Resistance and Controlled Motion for a More Chiseled Look. There is often a misconception that heavier weight = obvious results, but that is not always the case. Muscles can be further defined by utilizing a resistant approach or slowed motion. By taking longer to lift and lower weight or resistance, you are essentially lengthening the contraction and stretching period thus creating a more defined look.
Circuits and Full Body Exercises are Your Friend. In order to really achieve that lean look but avoid that bulkier look, you should really train using circuits, supersets, or full body movements. Isolating muscles on specific days means you are trying to build their appearance and strength. By training larger muscle groups at once, you’re stimulating muscles enough to add a leaner look while avoiding a more built mentality.
Diet Plays a Role. That whole “you are what you eat” is actually true for those who want a more leaner “toned” look. Those who train and body build have bulking days where they consume a lot of carb and fat, but this is to fuel a tough workout to bulk up muscles. For those who want a more leaner physique, practicing the 40/30/30 type of diet works well and doesn’t eliminate carbs either. 40% complex carbs, 30% lean protein, 30% healthy fats.
“Toning” is, well, not a thing folks even though we often hear it. To really achieve that leaner and tighter look, one must really understand their body and its abilities. By taking on a more leaner lifestyle, you’ll be able to appear toned. Tune in tonight at 8pm to The Queen Buzz on Facebook Live for tonight’s Fit Tips and last BRAGworthy Hair Care feature for the month of February.
💛 Robin
