How do I get my muscles toned without getting "big"?

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  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    JoRocka also recommended good body weight programs such as nerd fitness (yeah, bodyweight means using just your body usually, it can also include using bars to lift your bodyweight as well). Make sure it`s a good one that will challenge your muscles.
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    Thank you. I'll check out "You Are Your Own Gym". Body weight exercises are exercises that don't rely on weights or equipment right? And yeah, I'm not looking to get big. Just in better shape than I am. Also could you explain the difference and benefits between using a barbell and using dumbbells? Thanks again~

    You can't get big over night. Or on accident.- IT TAKES DEDICATED WORK. If there was a magical land of getting big over night- it would be an island full of people- because getting big takes months and months of hard heavy work and dedicated diet.

    Barbell- olympic barbell- .. it's long- about 2.5 inches in diameter- and you you put round or hex weights on the sides. and then a collar to keep them from sliding off.

    Dumbbell's- they are hand held.

    Sorry, your posts are just very overly complicated and it's hard for me to understand what you're trying to say when I don't know anything remotely related to exercise and fitness, so it just goes over my head. I'm trying to understand but it's an overwhelming amount of information to absorb and take in. If you can avoid using phrases I probably won't understand, that would help me read your posts better so I can get the jist of it.

    I understand that fitness and diet can be overwhelming- but it feels a little bit like you are either extremely young- and possibly violating the terms of the sites agreements.

    OR you are choosing to NOT looking anything else up and educate yourself.

    I know I'm a bit wordy- but I've laid out quiet a bit of information for you if you are willing to pick it up and educate yourself. But YOU have to be willing to do some work.

    I'm here to help- really I am- but it's hard when it feels a little bit like I spent five minutes typing something up and the person asking didn't bother reading it.

    Oh no. Sorry for any misunderstandings, but I'm not trying to get big. That's not the goal for me. I just want to get my body in shape. Not necessarily big. I just want to stop looking skinny and I want to have some muscle tone on my body. I know it's not an easy process but I'm willing to do what it takes because I just want to feel comfortable with my body and I just don't want to look like a weakling anymore. But yeah, I don't want to get big. And thanks for clarifying Barbells. And I'm 20 years old, I wouldn't say I'm young but I would say I'm clueless and not very educated at all when it comes to fitness, so I'm very slow when it comes to learning things like this.. Sorry if I seem like I'm being difficult. I'm just being presented a lot of different information, and I'm not really certain where to start first. I wish I wasn't having such a hard time with this because I hate to feel like a burden. I'm trying to listen, trust me, I'm just not sure what advice to follow since a lot of you guys are offering different advice and I'm not sure if I explained my goals clear enough, but yeah as I mentioned I don't want to get big. I just want to start training at home and see if I can tone up and get some muscle on me, so I just feel a little confused on where to start first. I'm not sure if I need to change my diet first, or if I need to buy other equipment, or if I need to read a certain book that you suggested, I'm just really misguided.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    How about p90x? I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's something.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Lift for strength rather than bulk. Lift heavy but don't eat at too much of a surplus if any -- Heavy weights to failure in 6-8 reps for 4 sets per exercise (as opposed to slightly less weight for 8-12 reps of 3 sets. Integrate cardio to bring down your body fat percentage (which is what toned really is)... You can do this without cardio, but cardio really does help with establishing the deficit.
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/

    Thanks a lot. Question though. Is doing body weight exercises more effective than using equipment like Dumbbells? Or are you supposed to do both together in order to achieve results?
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/

    Thanks a lot. Question though. Is doing body weight exercises more effective than using equipment like Dumbbells? Or are you supposed to do both together in order to achieve results?

    You can do both.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    Don't worry about "getting big." You are going to know if you are getting big. It's not like you are just going to wake up in the morning and look like the Incredible Hulk. :wink:
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/

    Thanks a lot. Question though. Is doing body weight exercises more effective than using equipment like Dumbbells? Or are you supposed to do both together in order to achieve results?

    You can do both.

    Oh okay. Does doing both help speed up the process and help reach results faster?
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/

    Thanks a lot. Question though. Is doing body weight exercises more effective than using equipment like Dumbbells? Or are you supposed to do both together in order to achieve results?

    You can do both.

    Oh okay. Does doing both help speed up the process and help reach results faster?

    I would think so. You should check out the links. There are exercises that use some equipment. What weight are your dumbbells (did you say that already).
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/

    Thanks a lot. Question though. Is doing body weight exercises more effective than using equipment like Dumbbells? Or are you supposed to do both together in order to achieve results?

    You can do both.

    Oh okay. Does doing both help speed up the process and help reach results faster?

    No one can really tell you this. It depends on your genetic makeup, among other things. Results vary widely, especially if you take into consideration how consistently you work out, if you push reps to failure, etc.
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    https://www.marklauren.com/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/

    Thanks a lot. Question though. Is doing body weight exercises more effective than using equipment like Dumbbells? Or are you supposed to do both together in order to achieve results?

    You can do both.

    Oh okay. Does doing both help speed up the process and help reach results faster?

    I would think so. You should check out the links. There are exercises that use some equipment. What weight are your dumbbells (did you say that already).

    Ahh I see. I'm on the Mark Lauren page but it says that you have to pay in order to access the exercises? Maybe I'm on the wrong page. And my weights are 20lb each.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Check out nerdfitness then.

    You can also maybe get You are Your Own Gym (book) out of the library.
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    Check out nerdfitness then.

    You can also maybe get You are Your Own Gym (book) out of the library.

    Hm, I'm on NerdFitness and I found a list of exercise routines, but I'm not really what I'm looking for. Is there something specific I should be looking for? There is just so many exercises and routines. Not sure where to begin.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • Fujiberry
    Fujiberry Posts: 400 Member
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    You won't look like the Rock just because you did one too many bicep curls, really.
    It will take you several years to just get 1/4 as big as that guy.
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    You won't look like the Rock just because you did one too many bicep curls, really.
    It will take you several years to just get 1/4 as big as that guy.

    I never said I wanted to look like the Rock. Why can't people my post properly?
  • MatrixGravity
    MatrixGravity Posts: 55
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    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    This looks like a very good routine, I'm going to try do it every morning. Thanks a lot. So these type of basic exercises that don't use equipment at all are known as "Bodyweight Exercises" right? It seems like I'm getting the terminology down a bit at least.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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  • Fujiberry
    Fujiberry Posts: 400 Member
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    You won't look like the Rock just because you did one too many bicep curls, really.
    It will take you several years to just get 1/4 as big as that guy.

    I never said I wanted to look like the Rock. Why can't people my post properly?
    Kind of missed my point there.

    The point people are trying to make is that it's soooooo ridiculously hard to get big. One too many bicep curls, a dumbbell that's 5 lbs heavier than you want it to be, an extra set of an exercise, eating a lot, exercising 5 days a week--- NONE OF THAT will make you big. None of it. None.

    Even if you got to a gym and lifted your heart out and stayed consistent, your body will not look 'muscular/toned, but slim' in just a few months or even a year.

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