"You can't tone fat" - T or F

tdotdiva

Sorry if the title s unclear or if this subject has been discussed in the past.

I know a few people that are "amateur professional" trainers (note sarcasm) -a couple of them swear that trying to target a particular area of concern (thighs, belly, arms etc) while you are still overweight is useless. That said, they continue to boast the importance of weight training.

Maybe I'm confused..

If I understand correctly - weight training helps you to burn fat. Is this only the case until the fat is gone and then muscle starts to get toned?

If I do 100 sit ups a day, my belly wont slim down any fastrr than if I just do cardio and some all-over weight training? The science of this concept confuses me.

Hoping for some fresh perspective from people that are actually working out, not reading things on the internet and regurgitating half-facts.

Thanks in advance!

JenMc14

You can't spot reduce. You can do sit ups all day long, but if your diet isn't in check and you're not in a deficit, then you won't reduce bodyfat. Your body doesn't burn the fat from the specific area you're working, it's an all over body process. Your body picks where fat comes win, if mostly comes down to genetics. I swear my first 8 pounds came from my face. My belly was still a bit flabby at my lowest (117), and it's where I gained the most back when I got back up to 135. A good lifting program with compound weights will help you retain LBM while losing fat. You don't really need targeted exercises.

sjaplo

If I do 100 sit ups a day, my belly wont slim down any fastrr than if I just do cardio and some all-over weight training? The science of this concept confuses me.

Well there's your problem - sit ups work the back muscles - I bet they're nice and toned - you just can't see them. :laugh:

Most exercise helps burn fat (ok not technically - technically it's glycogen) - but you have to eat at a defecit in order to burn the fat. Otherwise you just replace the glycogen you have used.

Weight training in a defecit strengthens existing muscles, so the body targets fat as fuel to balance the defecit - hence fat loss. "Toned" is a misnomer - what actually happens is you remove the fat covering the muscle, thus making it visible.

belgerian

If you want to "tone" Im assuming that means more muscle showing you need to reduce your BF percentage. This can be done either by increasing your muscle mass, which usually includes a increase in fat as you have to eat at a surplus to gain muscle. You can decrease your Fat which means loosing some muscle mass as you have to eat at a deficit. Most will agree to accomplish what you want you need to do weights along with cardio, with a calorie deficit. This will decrease your BF and help you maintain your muscle mass. Then when you get your toned look you want, you could start building muscle but again along with the bulk you will get some fat also. All I have learned has been pretty much from this site and various others.

JoRocka

fat doesn't tone.

it comes- goes or stays the same.

what you are "toning" (which is kind of a rubbish word to begin with) is the muscle.

Muscle definition (typically what 'toned' is referring to) comes from lose of body fat and strength training.

richardheath

Fat covers muscle. You can work your muscles all day long, but if you have a layer of fat over them, you won't look "toned".

Weight lifting helps preserve muscle while at a calorie deficit. So the weight you lose is fat, not LBM.

Finally, when you have lost the fat, you get to see the muscle definition (i.e. you are "toned").

And no - you cannot spot reduce. The fat comes off from where it wants to. Full body compound lifts are the best bang for your buck, along with some cardio.

cwolfman13

If I understand correctly - weight training helps you to burn fat. Is this only the case until the fat is gone and then muscle starts to get toned?

If I do 100 sit ups a day, my belly wont slim down any fastrr than if I just do cardio and some all-over weight training? The science of this concept confuses me.

Any exercise is going to burn calories and thus increase your body's calorie requirements...if you consume less energy than your body requires your body must dip into energy reserves (fat stores). It is not any specific exercise that targets fat and no, you cannot spot reduce.

weight training helps to preserve the lean muscle mass that you already possess so that as you cut fat, you reveal that muscle underneath and that is when you start to look "toned". In the absence of weight training you will lose more muscle mass along with your fat...as muscle mass is required to be "toned" this would not be a good thing.

When you are in an energy deficit your body burns fat from wherever it wants...secondary fat stores are generally the first to go. these would be the face and extremities. The mid-section is a primary storage area...these are deep storage fat...they are generally the most stubborn and last to go...and no amount of crunches and what not are going to make things move along any faster. Core work, along with (and more importantly) compound lifts are going to strengthen that core and provide for the preservation of that muscle so that when you cut the fat you will have a nice solid mid-section.

tdotdiva

Thanks everyone!