Difference between toning and building?

Fruitylicious03
Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
edited November 8 in Fitness and Exercise
Is there a difference between toning and muscle building? Can you tone with bodyweight exercises? Or do you HAVE to do heavy lifting for that? :|

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    yes- is the short answer.

    Mostly because "toning" isn't really a thing. A can physically change in the following ways grows- or shrinks- or stays the same.

    Mucles can get stronger or weaker and not change much physical size as well- that is possible.

    getting bigger and getting stronger aren't necessarily the same thing.

    As far as toning- really what that is about is the layer of body fat on top of the muscle.
    You can be strong and not look "toned" or fit... because you have body fat on top of the muscles.

    You can be thin with little fat and still not look fit because you no muscular structure under neath.

    so in order to "tone' you want to be slightly defined- which means some muscles- with lower body fat.

    lower body fat is/can be achieved through diet control alone.

    body weight exercises can absolutely get you the muscle definition you want- but you have to educate yourself on some progressions- so you don't just do endless reps of body weight squats and body weight push ups- there has to be movement forward in terms of difficult of the body weight work.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    Okay. If you were to name a maximum number of reps of bw exercises I should do before adding progression, what would that number be?
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Tone as in being able to see some muscle definition? If so, that requires you to lower your body fat percentage which requires a calorie deficit. To build muscle, you have to be in a caloric surplus.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    j6o4 wrote: »
    Tone as in being able to see some muscle definition? If so, that requires you to lower your body fat percentage which requires a calorie deficit. To build muscle, you have to be in a caloric surplus.

    Not really...toning as in not being so..."fluffy". I've lost a lot of weight and now it's as if my fat is more jiggly. I'm not looking for a 6 pack but more sort of firming up again.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Fruitylicious03 wrote: »
    j6o4 wrote: »
    Tone as in being able to see some muscle definition? If so, that requires you to lower your body fat percentage which requires a calorie deficit. To build muscle, you have to be in a caloric surplus.

    Not really...toning as in not being so..."fluffy". I've lost a lot of weight and now it's as if my fat is more jiggly. I'm not looking for a 6 pack but more sort of firming up again.

    That firm, tight, non fluffy looks comes from having a lower body fat percentage. If you don't want a 6 pack, just don't lower your body fat percentage till you have one. Whatever type of resistance training style you want to do, you will have to combine it with a calorie deficit to lose the fat and get rid of that fluffiness.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    Fruitylicious03 wrote: »
    j6o4 wrote: »
    Tone as in being able to see some muscle definition? If so, that requires you to lower your body fat percentage which requires a calorie deficit. To build muscle, you have to be in a caloric surplus.

    Not really...toning as in not being so..."fluffy". I've lost a lot of weight and now it's as if my fat is more jiggly. I'm not looking for a 6 pack but more sort of firming up again.
    When fat gets reduced by a large amount on the body (usually 80lbs or more), there can be excess skin issues. While resistance training can "harden" the muscle underneath, it does nothing to firm up the outer layer of fat or skin. So time will tell if retraction and more fat loss helps to give your body a more "taut" look. Either way, there's nothing wrong with exercise for health and muscle improvement.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Fruitylicious03 wrote: »
    j6o4 wrote: »
    Tone as in being able to see some muscle definition? If so, that requires you to lower your body fat percentage which requires a calorie deficit. To build muscle, you have to be in a caloric surplus.

    Not really...toning as in not being so..."fluffy". I've lost a lot of weight and now it's as if my fat is more jiggly. I'm not looking for a 6 pack but more sort of firming up again.
    When fat gets reduced by a large amount on the body (usually 80lbs or more), there can be excess skin issues. While resistance training can "harden" the muscle underneath, it does nothing to firm up the outer layer of fat or skin. So time will tell if retraction and more fat loss helps to give your body a more "taut" look. Either way, there's nothing wrong with exercise for health and muscle improvement.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png


    Okay thank you. I didn't lose that much though just about 40lb. I did hang on to it for a LONG time before deciding to lose it though (12 years) so it can be because of that perhaps. I will do the bodyweight exercises. Hopefully it helps a little. I'm still in the process of losing about 15lb before reaching maintenance. :)
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Fruitylicious03 wrote: »
    I will do the bodyweight exercises. Hopefully it helps a little.

    If you're not already then I'd recommend identifying a bodyweight programme and following it. As JoRocka mentions upthread while it's effective it's slower and a bit more challenging to progress effectively.

    Personally I prefer bodyweight work for a number of reasons, and it clearly can work to reduce bodyfat percentage and improve aesthetics.
  • Fruitylicious03
    Fruitylicious03 Posts: 301
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    Fruitylicious03 wrote: »
    I will do the bodyweight exercises. Hopefully it helps a little.

    If you're not already then I'd recommend identifying a bodyweight programme and following it. As JoRocka mentions upthread while it's effective it's slower and a bit more challenging to progress effectively.

    Personally I prefer bodyweight work for a number of reasons, and it clearly can work to reduce bodyfat percentage and improve aesthetics.

    I am not following a specific program but I did attend an aerobics gym class for a little while. Basically what I'm doing is taking what I've learned from that, still doing the same things I learned, but increasing reps and adding weight to it.

    The trainer at that class didn't challenge me enough really because she added challenge too slowly.

    Word to the wise though...if you are like me (I suck at regular push ups, just started doing them), and you struggle doing 20 a day on Thursday, it's not really so wise to bump it up straight to 80 on Friday... ;) Lol

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I would go with what jorocka said …but I would consider adding in some heavy lifting with compound movements and keep eating in a deficit of about .5 pound per week loss….
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Okay- aerobics gym class probably isn't going to get you what you want.
    - I'm guessing. I mean it's possible to get SOME take away- but most of those are built around to things- heart rate- and burn. People feel more achomplished if they are sweating- out of breath and their muscles burn. Those aren't indicators of you reaching your goals- but people like to feel that way- and those classes give them that.
    -
    what you need is something that's essentially a progressive loaded body weight program:
    it's the equivalent of "heavy lifting" - I say that loosely because- it's harder- more challenging- takes more discipline- and takes a long time and has less "support"

    Heavy lifting works because its' easy to reach (gyms everywhere- home gym) plenty of proven beginner programs- and tons of advice/research done- and it's 100% tailorable with wights ranging from 1 pound to 45 pound increments to move up/down.


    If you want body weight- check out
    You are your own gym
    Body by you
    convict conditioning
    nerdfitness- best beginner body weight workout
    strength unbound

    angry trainer fitness
    lovingfit.com
    body rock/dailyHIIT

    these last few are less about progressions- but have good home/body weight workouts in general to look up- information is generally sound.
  • Wronkletoad
    Wronkletoad Posts: 368 Member
    rosstraining.com has really good bw exercise sets too
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Fruitylicious03 wrote: »
    I am not following a specific program but I did attend an aerobics gym class for a little while. Basically what I'm doing is taking what I've learned from that, still doing the same things I learned, but increasing reps and adding weight to it.

    I gathered that you weren't given the question, hence the suggestion. Decent plans that are out there include You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning and Body By You. There are others.

    The point is, someone else has done the homework for you. Using the same exercises will cease your progress, you need to get into more challenging exercises.
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