No More Muscle please

moranc

How do I tone without gaining more muscle? I am drinking my 8+ glasses of water, staying either at or slighly below my calorie goal each day and work out about 3-4 times a week. I like to jog but can't really do it outside anymore due to weather and it getting darker sooner and I don't have a treadmill so I went back to my DVD's I have at home. Lately I've been alternating each day between 30 Day Shred and Jillian's other DVD-Burn Fat Boost Metabolism but have less weight loss than I have since starting this program. I have enough muscle from growing up involved in athletics...I don't want to look like a body builder. Can anyone suggest exercises that I can do at home (I don't belong to a gym) that would help tone muscle and burn calories in order to continue losing weight, instead of building muscle? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

YogaRunner

The workout DVD ChaLEAN Extreme was created exactly for that purpose. I can't recommend it highly enough. Check it out here
http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/risag?bctid=25219364001
Message me if you want more info.
Risa

SHBoss1673

Generally, unless you're in a very very small minority, females don't produce the hormones that allow for major muscle growth in the quantities necessary to build much bulk. In other words, train all you like, you're not going to "bulk up".

IRun24

I agree with SHBoss. As a woman, you are not putting on as much muscle as you think, especially with a calorie deficit. You are probably hitting a plateau right now – either from not having as much of a calorie deficit as you think or simply because your body is getting used to what you are eating and how you are exercising. Now is probably the time to mix it up - both with calories AND with types of exercise. Good luck!

rml_16

Generally, unless you're in a very very small minority, females don't produce the hormones that allow for major muscle growth in the quantities necessary to build much bulk. In other words, train all you like, you're not going to "bulk up".

What he said.

christina1109

You can always go purchase some small hand weights ($3-7 per weight) and some resistance bands to do workouts at home.

moranc

Thanks for the ChaLEAN Extreme suggestion. I already have 10 Minute Trainer which is also from BeachBody and I love their workouts so I'll definitely check this one out!

Vipecap

You would need to be taking a plethora of extra shall we say "supplements" to gain anywhere near enough muscle to look like a bodybuilder. Women's bodies just don't produce enough naturally of certain hormones to reach that level. You could be lifting more frequently and more weight than most of the men on this site and you wouldn't have that issue. As for "toning", most people tend to use toning when describing looking lean. That comes from diet and lowering your overall bodyfat.

edorice

Insanity workout has no weights.
www.teamwalkerfitness.com

JenniferEdwardz

How about a jump rope? If you jump rope for 5 minutes 3 times a day you will burn and once your heart rate is elevated it stays up for a while so try that a few times a day.

When I hit the wall, I try to make 2 nights a week a very Lean Cuisine nite- nothing else. Really resticting 2 meals a week in addition to my normal 1200 cal diet. This really helps me on weeks where the scale is not budging.

Good luck

iplayoutside19

staying either at or slighly below my calorie goal each day

In addition to what other people have said. Building muscle takes energy, and you're not consuming enough energy.

You're fine doing what you're doing.

Iluvchopsticks

The best way to do this is by adopting a routine that is more cardio focused then weight focused. It is important to involve some resistance training in order keep lean but if you don't want to bulk up anymore focus on cardio. I saw a post recommending Chalean Extreme which is a great program but it is more weight based. Chalene Johnson, the maker of Chalean also has a new program out called Turbofire. That might be perfect for you because it is mostly cardio with a little light resistance training mixed in. The music and energy is off the hook and it is a ton of fun. I've done a LOT of exercise programs and DVDs and this is definitely one of my favorites!

Joyjmb

'Walk Away the Pounds' video series by Leslie Sansone keeps me sane when its all rainy out.
You march and step - decent cardio!
Cheap on Amazon, or free from Netflix!

moranc

The best way to do this is by adopting a routine that is more cardio focused then weight focused. It is important to involve some resistance training in order keep lean but if you don't want to bulk up anymore focus on cardio. I saw a post recommending Chalean Extreme which is a great program but it is more weight based. Chalene Johnson, the maker of Chalean also has a new program out called Turbofire. That might be perfect for you because it is mostly cardio with a little light resistance training mixed in. The music and energy is off the hook and it is a ton of fun. I've done a LOT of exercise programs and DVDs and this is definitely one of my favorites!

Thanks for the suggestions! Turbofire sounds like it might be just what I'm looking for.

Lyadeia

Keep in mind this: gaining muscle does not mean gaining size of muscle. There are hundreds of women, such as myself, that lift weights and can easily pump as much as the men...but we are not "bulky." Gaining muscle is not a bad thing, and to tone the muscle, basically what you are doing is making it stronger and tighter. Exercise principles are the same for men and women, but like what was stated before weight lifting will NOT bulk you up because you lack the correct hormones to do so.

And just as Chalene Johnson says in her ChaLEAN program, I don't know who started that rumor that weight lifting bulks you up, because the truth is, women who do it get smaller, leaner, and tighter bodies!