Want to be Toned but Not Ripped
Replies
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Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I will be investing in some dumbells this week! Yay!
Instead of buying some dumbells, I would encourage you (if you can afford it) to look into a gym that has a squat rack. If you can find one (doesn't have to be a fancy gym, as long as they got a squat rack), checkout stronglifts (google it and there is a group for it on MFP too!) you will absolutely love it as it is very beginner friendly and will help you build strength very fast
Heres the group with all the info in the stickies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
Yes I agree. Curls are always better in the squat rack at your local gym.
Thanks I have a gym membership starting in September so I will utilize this.
Do not, I repeat do not curl in the squat rack. This is not serious advice lol0 -
Do both and check your mirror at least once a week. It's impossible to "get ripped" on accident or "all of a sudden."
It's hysterically laughable at how difficult it is to ACTUALLY get "ripped" or "bulk"... and what women (mostly women because occasionally men have this random thought too) think will get them there.
It's hard enough to get someone to EAT PROPERLY and put down the godramn twinkies much less pick up a black colored dumbbell and do some real work.
laughable. it's simple laughable. It makes me want to punch people- I've been trying to get cut for months- and I'm still not there.. seriously.. I wish this magical world of where "I picked up a heavy weight and it made me accidentally bulky" would happen- I need to find this place.
Really. i'd love to live in this fantasy world- because doing it the old fashioned hard- lift heavy and then eat at a deficit... it
s really tedious and boring. seriously.
Man did you slap a baby while typing this. Rawwwwwwwr
while drinking my brotein- I slapped 5 babies.
I felt immediately better.0 -
So, I might accidently get ripped?! This is so exciting0
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So, I might accidently get ripped?! This is so exciting
I know... I'm hoping for the day this happens.0 -
Hey Everyone!
Hoping someone would be able to give me a little advice. I am currently working towards a weight loss goal. I would ultimately like to be toned, but not ripped. (Think pageant girl instead of body builder). Do I lose the fat before I start lifting weights or do both simultaneously? I don't want to have huge muscles once I've lost the weight.
Thanks
Start lifting yesterday. Strength training will make a big difference in the way you look, regardless of what the scale says.
I haven't lost more than a pound or so in the last 6 months. All 4 of the pictures are at the same weight! I have been doing strength training for about 18 months. For the last 6 months I have been working with a trainer, and he has been TOUGH on me. People are walking up to me at the gym telling me that he trains me like I am a guy.
gray top pics by crochetmom2010, on Flickr
Untitled by crochetmom2010, on Flickr0 -
Yes I agree. Curls are always better in the squat rack at your local gym.
:grumble:
lol0 -
I must be the only girl in the world who actullly bulges really quickly, but that would be a different thread.
Anyway, I have the same goal as you. You would consider me to be reasonably slim when you look at me and I just wanted to tone up when I started to go to the gym a year ago. At the beginning it went well, bit of cardio, bit of weights. But because of my weightlifting paranoia I overdid the cardio by about 3:1. Ended up with looking wobbly as if I don't go to the gym at all. Am still slim but with bingo wings. Think that's because I haven't got much fat, but a bit too much skin.
Anyway, catching up now and reducing my cardio for the mo, so it's all good, you live and learn.
I think the best way for girl to do weights is low weight/ high repetition. Also on youtube you can find some good core exercises with no weights (only watched so far, not done any ) 0 -
The bulging is existing muscle swelling up, filling with glycogen and water. Muscle gains happen quickly for exactly noone, unless you are claiming to not be human.I must be the only girl in the world who actullly bulges really quickly, but that would be a different thread.
Anyway, I have the same goal as you. You would consider me to be reasonably slim when you look at me and I just wanted to tone up when I started to go to the gym a year ago. At the beginning it went well, bit of cardio, bit of weights. But because of my weightlifting paranoia I overdid the cardio by about 3:1. Ended up with looking wobbly as if I don't go to the gym at all. Am still slim but with bingo wings. Think that's because I haven't got much fat, but a bit too much skin.
Anyway, catching up now and reducing my cardio for the mo, so it's all good, you live and learn.
I think the best way for girl to do weights is low weight/ high repetition. Also on youtube you can find some good core exercises with no weights (only watched so far, not done any )
High weight low reps is the way to go, I'm afraid.0 -
The bulging is existing muscle swelling up, filling with glycogen and water. Muscle gains happen quickly for exactly noone, unless you are claiming to not be human.I must be the only girl in the world who actullly bulges really quickly, but that would be a different thread.
Anyway, I have the same goal as you. You would consider me to be reasonably slim when you look at me and I just wanted to tone up when I started to go to the gym a year ago. At the beginning it went well, bit of cardio, bit of weights. But because of my weightlifting paranoia I overdid the cardio by about 3:1. Ended up with looking wobbly as if I don't go to the gym at all. Am still slim but with bingo wings. Think that's because I haven't got much fat, but a bit too much skin.
Anyway, catching up now and reducing my cardio for the mo, so it's all good, you live and learn.
I think the best way for girl to do weights is low weight/ high repetition. Also on youtube you can find some good core exercises with no weights (only watched so far, not done any )
High weight low reps is the way to go, I'm afraid.
I'm more confused about the girl who bulges???
I thought that was mostly a male problem of blood transfer LMAO0 -
I think the best way for girl to do weights is low weight/ high repetition. Also on youtube you can find some good core exercises with no weights (only watched so far, not done any )
No, women train the same way as men. Unless one has a testerone imbalance they will not bulk just by lifting heavy weights.
That is just not the way it works.
The ''toned''look comes from muscle which are built by lifting heavy, not lifting small weight for god knows how long.
Nothing less nothing more
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Do both and check your mirror at least once a week. It's impossible to "get ripped" on accident or "all of a sudden."
It's hysterically laughable at how difficult it is to ACTUALLY get "ripped" or "bulk"... and what women (mostly women because occasionally men have this random thought too) think will get them there.
It's hard enough to get someone to EAT PROPERLY and put down the godramn twinkies much less pick up a black colored dumbbell and do some real work.
laughable. it's simple laughable. It makes me want to punch people- I've been trying to get cut for months- and I'm still not there.. seriously.. I wish this magical world of where "I picked up a heavy weight and it made me accidentally bulky" would happen- I need to find this place.
Really. i'd love to live in this fantasy world- because doing it the old fashioned hard- lift heavy and then eat at a deficit... it
s really tedious and boring. seriously.
THIS!0 -
I think the best way for girl to do weights is low weight/ high repetition. Also on youtube you can find some good core exercises with no weights (only watched so far, not done any )
No, women train the same way as men. Unless one has a testerone imbalance they will not bulk just by lifting heavy weights.
That is just not the way it works.
The ''toned''look comes from muscle which are built by lifting heavy, not lifting small weight for god knows how long.
Nothing less nothing more
I really wish people would stop saying "...unless a woman has a testosterone imbalance it's impossible to bulk up." This isn't true, even with testosterone levels comparable to man, women don't just get bulky. Neither do men!
Furthermore, that little qualifier freaks out a lot of women who have hormone imbalances and scares them away from lifting, when lifting actually really helps us to balance our wonky hormones.
I agree with the rest of the post regarding training--women can and should lift according to the same principles as men.0 -
if by "testosterone imbalance" you mean they eat at a calorie surplus AND take steroids- then yes you are correct they will do this so called "bulking"- otherwise ^^^ Lupercalia is correct.0
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I should have also mentionned eating above maintenance, was wrtting in a hurry :ohwell:
Bottom line, it's already hard enough as a man to get bulky, it's even worse for a woman, it takes a lot, and I mean A LOT to gain.
It doesn't just ''happen'' like that0 -
if by "testosterone imbalance" you mean they eat at a calorie surplus AND take steroids- then yes you are correct they will do this so called "bulking"- otherwise ^^^ Lupercalia is correct.
Yeah I wrote it quickly0 -
I should have also mentionned eating above maintenance, was wrtting in a hurry :ohwell:
Bottom line, it's already hard enough as a man to get bulky, it's even worse for a woman, it takes a lot, and I mean A LOT to gain.
It doesn't just ''happen'' like that
werd
that mythical "accidental bulking" world again.. it's like a unicorn- I've heard of it- but I've just never seen it!!!!
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My starting goal was the same as your current one.
To start, I just did calorie deficiency, because I *needed* to see the scale drop to a lower number.
Once I got to a place I was happy (ier) with my weight, I started in with cardio and light weights/high reps. I stuck with that for several months. I did see some progress, but it was S.L.O.W.
I recently started with Stronglifting 5x5, and in the past few weeks I have seen significant improvement to how I look, although the scale is going down a lot more slowly (I am diminishing in measurements, so it's muscle replacing the fat).
So, my suggestion is to figure out what you need to see first to stay motivated. Do you need to see the scale going down, or do you need to see improvements in the mirror, first? I would have been more discouraged to see the scale staying the same, even if I looked better, because I had a mental block about that high of a number on the scale. Now, I care a lot less about the weight, and I care a whole lot more about how I actually look.
The thing to keep in mind, when you see lady bodybuilders, is that they are *very* low bodyfat, and they are flexing. You will see more muscle showing when you are in the middle of an exercise (lift) than you will when you are at rest. When you see pics of ladies lifting, you are seeing their muscles at their peak of performance. They look more like those beauty pageant queens when they are at rest.0 -
Well maybe I think I'm bulging because I gain muscles but still like to eat a muffin, so there is fat as well? Or does that not make any sense.
Can someone explain why it is that when you check out what the models with the long lean muscles and the lady who trains Gwyneth Paltrow do, they all say they don't lift heavier than 3 pound dumbbells? And they do more aerobics and core exercise?
Surely there must be a difference between lifting heavy and lifting like a girl - if you are a girl.0 -
Thinking you can gain a significant amount of muscle by accident is silly when you consider a natural pro bodybuilder would be happy with 5lbs of clean muscle a year.
Anyway, start lifting now. You can't get big and muscular without the dedication or drugs to do so. By the way, toned isn't a real thing; it's a term created by women's media because it sounds sexier than lose bodyfat. Which is what you want to do.
strong this^
ripped is not easy; shredded is even harder0 -
Thinking you can gain a significant amount of muscle by accident is silly when you consider a natural pro bodybuilder would be happy with 5lbs of clean muscle a year.
Anyway, start lifting now. You can't get big and muscular without the dedication or drugs to do so. By the way, toned isn't a real thing; it's a term created by women's media because it sounds sexier than lose bodyfat. Which is what you want to do.
strong this^
ripped is not easy; shredded is even harder
Talk for yourself, I just wanted to be tone than bammmmmm I got too mooscoolar0 -
Surely there must be a difference between lifting heavy and lifting like a girl - if you are a girl.
How to piss off 99% of strong women on MFP.
WTF does that even mean? My gf squats more than most males :laugh:0 -
Surely there must be a difference between lifting heavy and lifting like a girl - if you are a girl.
How to piss off 99% of strong women on MFP.
WTF does that even mean? My gf squats more than most males :laugh:
I mean my body will look different whether I keep lifting heavy or light. Or will it not make any difference?
You need to define 'strong' first before you can know who I'm pissing off.0 -
I don't even English, bro.
Is toned supposed to be beach body lean at like 13-15% bf and ripped is sub 10% bf?0 -
I don't even English, bro.
Is toned supposed to be beach body lean at like 13-15% bf and ripped is sub 10% bf?
When we women say toned, we mean we wanna look like these models. Slim lean and tight. But not muscley. That's why a lot of us fear heavy weights.
Idiots like me, anyway.0 -
I don't even English, bro.
Is toned supposed to be beach body lean at like 13-15% bf and ripped is sub 10% bf?
I would have gone with sub 8%, but seems about right. For women, increase bf% by 9 or so.0 -
I don't even English, bro.
Is toned supposed to be beach body lean at like 13-15% bf and ripped is sub 10% bf?
When we women say toned, we mean we wanna look like these models. Slim lean and tight. But not muscley. That's why a lot of us fear heavy weights.
Idiots like me, anyway.
whether you look muscly or not depends on your body fat percentage. For a woman to have visible muscle definition, she needs to have very low body fat percentage, i.e. around 15%. We have fat under our skin, that goes over the muscles. If you have very little fat under your skin, then your muscle definition will show. If you have more fat, it hides the muscle definition. The "toned but not ripped" look comes from having strong muscles under a layer of fat that's big enough to hide the definition, but still small enough that you don't look fat or bulky. The body fat percentage that you want is between 18 and 25%. If you have low body fat percentage and weak muscles, you'll still look soft and a little "flabby" even at your goal weight. If you have strong muscles but enough fat over them (i.e. the 18-25% range I just said) your body will look firm, "toned" but you won't have visible muscle definition.
SO don't fear the weights, you need them for strong muscles that will give you the "toned" look under your 18-25% body fat. just keep your body fat percentage above 20% and you won't look muscly. And keep it below 25% and you won't look bulky either (bulky comes from having a higher body fat percentage, i.e. more fat under the skin)
Hope that explains it clearly.0 -
these threads always get me. Good luck looking like a bodybuilder. seriously.
Weight lift and do cardio as you eat at a deficit and you will get that beauty queen look you're going for. you will not ever look like a body builder eating at a deficit or even eating at maintenance. Just workout, for crying out loud.
Some folks are new and have heard a lot of broscience from family and on the internet. No need to get angry. Just point them towards the right direction with facts. The kind of replies I am seeing in this thread discourages people from asking and continuing believing in the broscience. Try being patient
^^:flowerforyou:0 -
Then you just stop cutting bodyfat when you get to the point you like. That's really all there is to it. Lifting heavy weights in of itself does not really affect your bodyfat all that much - it has to be coupled with a tightly controlled diet to achieve fat loss. Fear not weary traveller, for the road doth split wherest thou desires.I don't even English, bro.
Is toned supposed to be beach body lean at like 13-15% bf and ripped is sub 10% bf?
When we women say toned, we mean we wanna look like these models. Slim lean and tight. But not muscley. That's why a lot of us fear heavy weights.
Idiots like me, anyway.0 -
ah i just posted something similar! i want to zap the flabbiness. i have never did weight training. where do i start?!0
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