The Great Toning Myth

By Author: Christopher Gomes
Total Articles: 4717
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There are a great many misconceptions in the world of fitness and exercise. One of the most popular beliefs is that in order to achieve a lean and toned appearance (as compared to a bulky muscle-bound look) women should perform high repetition sets of resistance training exercises while using extremely light weights. Unfortunately, this approach has proven to be counterproductive for many women.

As a personal trainer, I realize the fear of bulking up is a legitimate concern for many females, as most don't aspire to look like professional bodybuilders, and I don't blame them.

Let me start by saying that building a sizable amount of muscle is very hard work for a man, and even harder work for a woman. Building big, bulky muscles is extremely difficult and certainly does not happen over night. As a man, I have been lifting heavy weights for over ten years, and I in no way do I resemble a bodybuilder.

If you are a woman, lifting weights will give your body definition. One of the key ingredients in muscle growth is testosterone. Women have about 1/7th the testosterone of men, making it that much harder to ...
... build big, bulky muscles.

First things first. You cannot tone up muscles. You can build muscle, you can lose muscle, or you can maintain muscle. You cannot tone up body fat. You can reduce body fat, you can gain body fat, or you can maintain body fat.

What most people really mean when they tell me they just want to tone up is this: They want to reduce body fat and build (or at least maintain) the muscle they have. Toning is a product of a low body fat percentage combined with muscular definition.

In addition to your cardiovascular program, resistance training (with heavier weights) burns a great deal of calories during the workout itself. Since reducing body fat and/or losing weight is a matter of burning more calories than you consume, you must strive to burn as many calories as possible.

Additionally, and even more importantly, by following an organized weight-training plan using challenging weights, you will build muscle or at least maintain the muscle that you have. The more muscle you have on your body, the faster your metabolism runs which will reduce body fat.

According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, muscular hypertrophy (growth) is best achieved by performing eight to twelve repetitions at 70-85% of your 1 rep maximum. Lifting very light weights improves muscular endurance, but it does very little to actually build muscle.

If you are in a calorie deficit (which you should be, if you're trying to tone up), are performing regular cardiovascular exercises, and are not utilizing the recommended rep range (8-12) during your resistance training exercises, you run the risk of actually losing muscle. Since more muscle equals a faster metabolism, less muscle equals a slower metabolism.

Choose a weight that will allow you to complete eight to twelve repetitions with strict form before reaching failure.

Building a little lean muscle through an effective strength-training program will keep your metabolism running high all day long and reshape your body with tone and definition. Don't be afraid of building a little muscle--be afraid of losing it!
About Author:
Christopher Gomes is an NASM certified personal trainer, popular fitness author and founder of Fittplan.com.