Best exercise for weight loss & toning

hakamruth

Squats for toning the lower area and ab are great. A few years ago I did a class called "WillPower and Grace" (lots of squats, can look it up in youtube) once a week and I really slimmed down on all the lower areas in a few weeks. I fit into my clothes better and I looked better overall. Kickboxing was a good workout that helped me tone my whole body. Any combination of cardio and strength training will help you get toned. If you want more muscle definition in one area you will want to do certain strength training that targets that muscle group. Just do what keeps you motivated. As you see your body change it will motivate you to do other types of exercises that will target other muscle groups and get them burning.

Sued0nim

usmcmp wrote: »

rabbitjb wrote: »

It's really easy to think I'm going to exercise this area because this is the area I want to improve my muscles in

However you're a newbie, I assume, and really it takes years to work up to the stage where your body fat % and musculature is at a point that will benefit from isolation exercises

The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is focus on compound lifts ...sure you want to do shed loads of squats cos well squats rock and throw in lunges whilst eating at a defecit ...because it's about getting your bf down...and whilst you eat in a defecit you are trying to preserve your musculature (you won't be gaining, beyond some minor newbie gains)

But if you think I'll do 100s of crunches and have fabulous abs... It doesn't work like that

As @usmcmp (who has amazing abs) says ": Losing fat is like trying to dry out a sponge. You can't dry a corner while the rest of it is still wet. You won't magically lose belly fat or thigh fat or any other fat. It will come off where it wants to. Keep working at it! It is possible!"

The abs have landed :bigsmile:

JoRocka

So- let's back up for a second.

I see the "tone" conversation- but let's back up and talk about- what are you training to?
like do you want to ACCOMPLISH something (Squat 150 pounds- squat 250?)
or
Are you training because you want to LOOK visually like someone?
OR
Are you just trying to be healthier and generally more fit??

(There is no wrong answer here- wanting to look a certain way is not bad)

Because it seems a little vague about what your goal is -toning up your a** isn't particularly helpful. LOL SO just trying to get a little more of a clear picture about what you're after.

Kennesaw24

Weights. Weights. Weights.

Learn proper form. Try CrossFit for a few weeks (to learn). Stick with the basics. Don't be timid. Just do it. There is nothing that works as well at making you look good (well, body weight exercises awesome, too).

usmcmp

Kennesaw24 wrote: »

Weights. Weights. Weights.

Learn proper form. Try CrossFit for a few weeks (to learn). Stick with the basics. Don't be timid. Just do it. There is nothing that works as well at making you look good (well, body weight exercises awesome, too).

I don't know many CrossFit boxes that promote proper form.

loiscoles

JoRocka wrote: »

So- let's back up for a second.

I see the "tone" conversation- but let's back up and talk about- what are you training to?
like do you want to ACCOMPLISH something (Squat 150 pounds- squat 250?)
or
Are you training because you want to LOOK visually like someone?
OR
Are you just trying to be healthier and generally more fit??

(There is no wrong answer here- wanting to look a certain way is not bad)

Because it seems a little vague about what your goal is -toning up your a** isn't particularly helpful. LOL SO just trying to get a little more of a clear picture about what you're after.

There isn't an actual person I want to look like. It's a lot more to be generally healthier because I'm so unfit, but also to just have the 'toned' look. My legs hold more fat and muscle than the rest of my body. I don't want to change that, I'm just looking for results more around there than the rest of me. I'm not trying to target weight loss on specific areas, but I'm more bothered about the muscle there being different than it is on say my arms which despite a little fat, aren't too bad.

usmcmp

loiscoles wrote: »

JoRocka wrote: »

So- let's back up for a second.

I see the "tone" conversation- but let's back up and talk about- what are you training to?
like do you want to ACCOMPLISH something (Squat 150 pounds- squat 250?)
or
Are you training because you want to LOOK visually like someone?
OR
Are you just trying to be healthier and generally more fit??

(There is no wrong answer here- wanting to look a certain way is not bad)

Because it seems a little vague about what your goal is -toning up your a** isn't particularly helpful. LOL SO just trying to get a little more of a clear picture about what you're after.

There isn't an actual person I want to look like. It's a lot more to be generally healthier because I'm so unfit, but also to just have the 'toned' look. My legs hold more fat and muscle than the rest of my body. I don't want to change that, I'm just looking for results more around there than the rest of me. I'm not trying to target weight loss on specific areas, but I'm more bothered about the muscle there being different than it is on say my arms which despite a little fat, aren't too bad.

"Toned" is generally a word used to describe someone who has lower body fat and adequate muscle. If you are unhappy with your legs and you think they have too much fat then you'll need to keep losing fat. You want to do some form of resistance training while losing the fat to ensure that you keep the muscle you have. That helps your body get that "toned" look when you are done.

cnbbnc

My two cents is to keep a calorie deficit going, continue some cardio if you enjoy it, and look up the strong curves program, which sounds like it will help you with the strong/firm (aka toned) look you want.

Unknown

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