There are a few misconceptions about toning workouts, and how effective they are for the goal of showing off lean well-defined muscles. People think this involves such specific workouts as spot reduction, shaping the thighs, and so on. In order to understand what it is, it is important to understand what muscle toning is not.
Let's look at some myths and see why they are false.
Myth: Strength Training Causes Women to Get Big
When people refer to being toned or cut, they are referring the type of body condition where the muscles show with "definition." This requires tight skin, low body fat percentage, and strengthening the muscles so that they develop. Women fear the term bulking up but it doesn't apply to toning workouts since large muscles will only grow because of male testosterone - and even then it takes hundreds of hours of intense work for a man to look like a bodybuilder. Women don't get "big" muscles on their arms and legs when they lift moderately heavy weights; they get a tight, nicely shaped definition to their physique.
Myth: High Reps and Low Weights = Toned Muscles
There have been many articles written that have promoted the myth that you should lift a lighter weight more times (high reps), as opposed to lifting heavy weights (with fewer reps) to "tone" muscles. The truth is that lifting a weight that is easy, no matter how many times you repeat it, will not benefit you; you are simply going through the motions. During your workouts, try to max out at 8-12 reps per exercise. Do two or three sets of each, resting no more than 30 seconds between sets. But here's the key: the weight must be heavy enough that the final two or three reps are fairly challenging but you can still do them with proper form. If you can do more than 12 reps with no problem, then you aren't pressing enough weight. Lifting moderately heavy weights up to 12 reps will build muscle and burn fat both during and for a long period after the toning workout ends.
Myth: You Should Exercise Daily to Tone the Body
Rather than focusing on ab crunches for your six-pack and curls for your biceps, the best way to break down and build up muscle for a lean and muscular look is through full body toning workouts. All muscles must be challenged and worked hard in order to make more muscle fiber, and then they require about two days rest in order to complete the all-important rebuilding phase. Lift well and do a variety of exercise to keep the muscles guessing, but don't strength train every day. What you can do daily, though, is follow a calorie-restricted diet to reach your goals that much faster.
Myth: You Can Get Toned Through Spot Reduction
If you have problem areas in the stomach, hips, or thighs, you cannot train only certain muscles during toning workouts with the intent of "spot reducing." There is no such thing as reducing in one specific area; it's all or nothing. Instead, you need to do cardiovascular exercise such as walking, jogging, dancing, etc., to help burn off the fat over your whole body. But you must also lift weights to grow muscles, which in tern helps to increase metabolism and burn even more fat. That's the way real "spot reduction" works!
Myth: There is Such a Thing as Toning
If you have the benefit of having a low percent of body fat and can be described as skinny or slender, but don't have much muscle definition, you can still be called "toned." A toned body has become a euphemism for a fit and lean body, but it really isn't about appearance since you have involuntary muscle tone whether you are fat or thin or fit. Technically speaking, tone refers to the effects of continuous nerve impulses on your muscles, which is known as Tonus, or Residual Muscle Contraction. Tonus is a passive tension, or partial reflex contraction of muscle, which helps to maintain posture and balance. So don't worry about lifting light or heavy to achieve a specific result as there's no such thing as a toning exercise.
Call it What You Will, It's Still Building Muscles
Nevertheless, you can still announce that you want to tone your body and you will be perfectly understood by any trainer. (Or at least they'll nod politely and try not to roll their eyes.) What the trainer will do, is develop a regime of toning workouts for you that will combine the things described above: proper diet (if you have excess fat to lose), aerobic exercise for overall body and heart conditioning, and strength training for muscle development. With this dedicated work you will be able to achieve a muscular, balanced, healthy, lean - and yes, toned - body.
About the Author:
Kevin Urban is the editor at http://www.HomeGymAdviser.com - Our home gym reviews are geared to helping you make the right choice according to your needs and budget.
Copyright 2009 HomeGymAdviser.com
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