Errrybody wants to be toned, toned butt, toned arms, legs, booty, thighs, upper-lip – seriously, I mean, you name the body part and it would probably look better ‘toned’.
So here is a post dedicated to becoming toned.
WHAT THE FLAB IS ‘TONING’
Being toned suggests a low level of body fat with noticeable muscle definition and shape, but no muscle size (AKA: your biceps should be smaller then your partners)… but i’m pretty sure mine are bigger then my boyfriends, but that’s a whole new blog post! Haha, sorry Jamie, but we both know its true. (Its lucky you're a total dreamboat)
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| Errrmiiigerd! BUT MEL, Ill end up like this woman! |
RELAX BRO, YOU WONT TURN INTO A BALL OF EPIC MUSCLE OVER NIGHT.
I can literally feel your anxiety oozing though my computer screen, don’t fret yourself, you will not become a beastly muscle woman once you start to lift weights. Some women are genetically more prone to gaining muscle at a faster rate then others, however the very muscular woman that you see in the image above, would have been weight training consistently for many, many, MANY years to get that amount of muscle mass, not just lifting light weight either, she would be picking up some very heavy chunks of metal to get that physique (Ask any guy, building muscle is HARD! It take YEARS of weight training to get huge) In addition to this, she is also extremely low in body fat (unhealthy levels), she would also be dehydrated, covered in fake tan and obviously flexing to achieve that look.
Rest assured, if you supplement your training with some weight lifting or weight barring exercises your boobs will not turn into chunks of muscle & you will not turn into a manly she woman.
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| Yep.. its true |
To give you an example, I have been lifting weights consistently (3-4 times a week) for 3 years now. And these are my arms… (Yeah- I know right, I’m pretty much Schwarzenegger)
WHAT IS THE RECIPE FOR TONING?
I like recipes, they remind me of food, and I like food. So I’ll use a recipe format.
INGREDIENTS:
1. More muscle
2. Less Fat
(If you really do feel like you are getting 'chunky' by lifting weights, it is more than likely that losing fat will shift you from chunky town to tone-ville)
METHOD:
More Muscle: You will need to put some sort of weighted force through your body. There are a number of ways you can do this, if you are very new to exercise try googling/YouTubing some simple body weight exercises to start with, things like squats, lunges, push-ups, triceps dips and crunches. If you have a gym membership using weight equipment, is great, if you are not very confident then perhaps hire a personal trainer to show you or write you a program. BodyPump classes are a great introduction as the classes are fun and not as intimidating as a weights room. You could also try Pole Dancing or Adult Gymnastics which are also great full body programs that incorporate weight bearing exercises.
You should also ensure you are getting in adequate amounts of protein into your diet. Protein helps with muscle growth and repair so try to increase your intake so that your hard efforts in the gym go towards gaining muscle, rather than wasting it. (See below for a graph!)
The key with any exercise you choose is to change it up every few weeks, your body will adapt to everything so it is important to keep challenging yourself. A really great example of this is when I started teaching bodypump in 2011. I noticed big changes in my physique for the first year, then after that not much else changed & my body rarely hurt from doing a class.
It’s important to keep your body guessing.
Less fat: There are literally tens of thousands of different methods that people use to lose weight. Take one google search of ‘weight loss’ and it will pump you out a good 525,000,000 results. The key to long-term weight loss is to find a method that suits you, and a something that you can sustain for the rest of your life. So, if you cannot substitute a meal with a shake for the rest of your life…ITS NOT GOING TO WORK! If you cannot maintain eating 1000 calories per day for the rest of your life, you will regain the weight (yes, that was a sneaky dig at The Biggest Loser)
My point is, there is no cookie cutter plan that will be appropriate or suitable for everyone. (mmmm cookies). Some overweight people consume very little calories and still gain weight, while some thin people can eat large amounts of calories and never gain weight. 1400 calories may be far to little for someone who is very active, where as 1400 may be way to many for someone who is inactive. Metabolism speed varies from individual to individual and what works for one person may not work for another.
However, I don’t want you finishing this blog post without some advice to point you in the right direction.
So here is my suggestion if you are looking for long term fat loss:
Each macronutrient you eat performs a different role in the body (eg: Carbs help with energy, Protein build muscle (hello toning!) and fat helps with brain function & hormone production)
I have found that most people eat the majority of their intake in carbohydrates and fats, and do not eat enough protein. So by increasing protein and decreasing carbs and fats (not eliminating!) they will start to see changes in their physique.
So because I am awesome and generous and want to help you, I have attached this handy dandy graph, which puts foods into different macronutrient categories for you, as a starting point try simply decreasing carbohydrate intake slightly and increasing protein intake. (This graph is taken from my E-Book ‘Have your cake & get lean too- A guide to counting macros. Which is the awesomely amaze balls approach I use with my superstar clients)
To download the graph so you can print it out & stick it on your fridge: Click Here.
In summary, if you would like to get toned- start by lifting some heavy stuff (aim for 3 times a week), and adjust your eating habits to promote long term sustainable fat loss. I suggest you start by adding more protein to your daily intake.
If you would like to know more about counting macros you can read about my E-book here.
Yours in muscle filled extra toned hugs,
Mel xx
Questions, Comments-
Email me at melvfitness@live.com.au
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