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If I had a nickel for every person that comes to me with this goal…I’d be able to retire at 28. I would say that 9 out of 10 people that come to me for help with their training program want to get “toned.” My goal today, is to dispel the myth of toning and show you why the magazines and media have it all (mostly) wrong.
What is toning?
Toning is mostly a made up term that someone, somewhere came up with. The media took it and ran with it, and now you see it in print every month in the popular “health” magazines and all over TV. The toned look is nothing more than an increase or a decent amount of lean body mass, and a relatively low body fat percent. These two things give an individual the “toned” or “defined” look that most people are looking to achieve.
The magazines have it all wrong!
What I’m seeing and hearing from the media is that to get the look that you’re after, you have to lift a relatively light implement for a high number of repetitions. While this may provide you with some benefit (better than nothing), if you really want to illicit some changes, you need to force your body to make some changes. In order to do that you have to get out of your so called comfort zone and provide your muscles and rest of your body with an appreciable amount of stress.
Here are some of benefits to lifting heavier weight:
- Increased resting metabolic rate so you burn more calories while at rest
- Increased lean tissue which takes up less space than fat, which will give you a leaner looking body, while actually being lean
- Strengthens your bones and connective tissue which will prevent injuries in your daily life
- Improves your balance and stability
- Improves your confidence and self esteem
I can understand your hesitations
I’ve heard plenty of reasons why someone doesn’t want to lift heavy weight. For the most part, I don’t have as much of a difficult time convincing my male clients. My female clients have a much more difficult time believing me. There are a couple fears or hesitations that I’ve heard.
- Fear of injury
- Fear of not knowing what is too heavy and what is too light and what is just right
- Fear of getting bulky
- Fear of pain
I’m here to tell you that your concerns are blasphemous! With proper instruction and proper execution, weight training with free weights is one of the safest forms of exercise you can take part in. The key is in the instruction and execution. Make sure your trainer or coach knows what they’re doing, and don’t let yourself get away with bad form. Your fears about not knowing where to start or where to go also goes along with finding a knowledgeable trainer to help you reach your goals. You’re an individual and need an individualized program. Don’t take the magazine page to the gym! For long-term success you need a long-term plan. Hire someone to help you! You wouldn’t try to diagnose your any other trouble you were having with your body would you? Your fear of getting bulky is a really old myth, which hopefully you’ve read about before. To keep it simple, here is what you need to know. Women do not have the ability of getting “too bulky;” the reason, you don’t have enough of the muscle building hormone, testosterone. While you have some of it, there isn’t enough to give you muscles that look manly. And lastly, to address your fear of pain, I’m not going to lie. Weight training has some discomfort associated with it. Like I said earlier however, to make an appreciable change, you must take your body out of its comfort zone! Soreness is to be expected, pain is not. If you’re in pain, you need to consult a professional!
The final points to getting “toned”
I want to eliminate the word “toned” and use the word “lean.” For those 90% that want to get “toned,” believe me when I say, you want to be lean. There are a couple of additional things that the magazines and media don’t tell you about. The first is diet. Without some kind of caloric deficit you won’t drop a single bit of fat. Some people call it the “math diet” (not a real diet). The idea is that you need to expend more calories that you’re taking in. Replace your unhealthy foods with quality food choices and you’ll reach your goals in no time. And finally, you must add some sort of conditioning to your regimen. From what I’ve seen, high intensity intervals work best for fat loss. Add some intervals to your program and train yourself like an athlete. You’ll save time, get lean, and get the body you’re looking for.
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