Toning - after or during weight loss?

1saturn

So I've always done exercise but not that much "toning". I've lost about 12 pounds and am looking to lose another 10. Should I start the toning process? Someone once said toning is pointless when you haven't lost all the weight you want to. Others say you should tone as you lose. Which is it?

tryinghard71

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

1saturn

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

I don't want to look bulky.

Fitfully_me

What do you mean when you say toning process?

cwolfman13

"toning" doesn't really exist..."toning" is basically cutting fat to reveal the muscle that is underneath. Weight training or otherwise performing resistance training helps preserve muscle that would otherwise be lost while losing weight...more muscle, the more "toned" you look after cutting the fat.

I highly recommend doing some kind of progressive resistance training program (one that is established...not one that you just willy nilly come up with on your own) while you are losing. It's really hard to build muscle, so it's really best to preserve what you have and as you cut fat you will "tone up." You can't be "toned" without muscle mass.

Aaron_K123

What is "toning" exactly?

I don't want to look bulky.

You don't get "bulky" by accident. Muscle building is incredibly difficult it isn't something that happens without you working very hard for it. Have you ever met anyone you considered to be overly "bulky" who got to that point without intending to?

albayin

it seems "logical" to many, especially women, to "lose weight first" then "toning".

SideSteel

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

I don't want to look bulky.

You won't.

http://www.jcdfitness.com/2011/06/i-dont-want-to-get-big-and-bulky-fitness-marketing-and-its-effect-on-women/

cwolfman13

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

I don't want to look bulky.

Stop reading stupid women's fitness magazines...it's really, really, really, really, really....super dooper hard for a guy to "bulk"....it's about 100x harder for a female. It doesn't happen on accident...nobody lifts some heavy weights and becomes "bulky"...bulking is a deliberate action that requires a **** ton of dietary and training discipline, not to mention a calories surplus...it is mathematically impossible to bulk in a calorie deficit.

I'd highly recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women...it will alleviate much of this irrational fear you have. New Rules of Lifting Supercharged is also awesome, but it's a bit more advanced.

Tinker_Aria

Hello !

You must start weightlifting now.
You won't bulk up, but you'll speed up your metabolism, and burn fat even after your workout !

It's the best you can do for your body.

Bulking up is not possible only with simple weighlifting. You're not a bodybuilder, who spend hours and hours at the gym to bulk up !

I got great results with my weights and I love them !!

Good luck !

Unknown

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BlueBombers

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

^ This x 1000

No, it won't make you bulky. That's a bunch of crap. I'm a female and I am far from bulky.

Heavy compound lifts are the way to go. Start now.

navyrigger46

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

I don't want to look bulky.

So long as you're not on the juice it won't be a problem, women don't naturally gain much muscle. "Toning" is not a process, you can either build muscle, or cut fat, the "toning" is merely the muscle definition coming through as a result of diminishing body fat, so you need to either build more muscle, or lose more fat, because there are no special exercises that tone anything.

Rigger

TeaBea

So I've always done exercise but not that much "toning". I've lost about 12 pounds and am looking to lose another 10. Should I start the toning process? Someone once said toning is pointless when you haven't lost all the weight you want to. Others say you should tone as you lose. Which is it?

Without some form of resistance (strength) training it is harder for your body to KEEP lean muscle while eating at a deficit. Start strength training.....yesterday.

Losing fat + muscle does not result in a "toned" look.

ASKyle

What is "toning" exactly?

I don't want to look bulky.

You don't get "bulky" by accident. Muscle building is incredibly difficult it isn't something that happens without you working very hard for it. Have you ever met anyone you considered to be overly "bulky" who got to that point without intending to?

This. It is nearly impossible for women to achieve the bulky look you are imagining. Lift heavy.

1saturn

What do you mean when you say toning process?

Yoga, stretches and anything that aims to free up certain areas of the body. I call bull**** on anyone who says toning is rubbish. I lose most of my inches from toning certain areas of the body. Be it waist twist, yoga or dumbells. It works for me

bizgirl26

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

^ This x 1000

No, it won't make you bulky. That's a bunch of crap. I'm a female and I am far from bulky.

Heavy compound lifts are the way to go. Start now.

Yep I agree. This will make the most significant change on how your body looks. I repeat - You will not bulk up!

Aaron_K123

Perhaps you can post an image of a woman you consider to be too "bulky" so I can know what you even mean by that. Also maybe include an estimate of how long you think it took to achieve that much muscle.

As a woman you would be lucky to put on 6 pounds of muscle in a year through heavy lifting, its not something you just slap on overnight.

1saturn

"toning" doesn't really exist..."toning" is basically cutting fat to reveal the muscle that is underneath. Weight training or otherwise performing resistance training helps preserve muscle that would otherwise be lost while losing weight...more muscle, the more "toned" you look after cutting the fat.

I highly recommend doing some kind of progressive resistance training program (one that is established...not one that you just willy nilly come up with on your own) while you are losing. It's really hard to build muscle, so it's really best to preserve what you have and as you cut fat you will "tone up." You can't be "toned" without muscle mass.

But "toning" has always worked for me. I usually do yoga and stretches and for some reason it knocks inches off me. Especially my waistline and thighs.

albayin

as a woman, with a few extra pounds to lose, I can only speak from my own experience so maybe it can help to see where this "I don't want to look bulky" comes from.

When I first started lifting heavy, I still carry some jiggling fat on my lower stomac and thighs. They temporarily got bigger as my pants were no longer fit. Poeple also noticed that ...my relatives commented on my new "buffy" look. to my dismay.

I understand now it was just muscle swollen but at that time I didn't understand and felt very discouraged.

2 years later, this swollen went away I can fit in one size smaller with not much weight change. I look leaner and less jiggling...but I can understand why people are freaking out...

Aaron_K123

What do you mean when you say toning process?

Yoga, stretches and anything that aims to free up certain areas of the body. I call bull**** on anyone who says toning is rubbish. I lose most of my inches from toning certain areas of the body. Be it waist twist, yoga or dumbells. It works for me

Toning is rubbish. There is fat loss which reveals the underlying muscle and makes it appear more defined which occurs under caloric deficit and there is muscle building which requires caloric surplus and heavy lifting. "Toning" is some vague process that no one seems capable of describing directly.

Yoga helps with flexibility and things like core strength but you aren't going to build substantial muscle with yoga. Yoga is good, I do Yoga...but its not hypertrophic.

1saturn

Perhaps you can post an image of a woman you consider to be too "bulky" so I can know what you even mean by that. Also maybe include an estimate of how long you think it took to achieve that much muscle.

As a woman you would be lucky to put on 6 pounds of muscle in a year through heavy lifting, its not something you just slap on overnight.

Well, I probably didn't word that perfectly. I am not trying to strength train but aim to reduce fat and sculpt the overall bodyshape. If this is achieved by lifting then sure. I must admit I am not strong so I don't know if it's really suited to me.

thatjosiegirl

"toning"..ugh..I hate that word.

I say during and lift heavy.

erickirb

What do you mean when you say toning process?

Yoga, stretches and anything that aims to free up certain areas of the body. I call bull**** on anyone who says toning is rubbish. I lose most of my inches from toning certain areas of the body. Be it waist twist, yoga or dumbells. It works for me

Toning is rubbish. There is fat loss which reveals the underlying muscle and makes it appear more defined which occurs under caloric deficit and there is muscle building which requires caloric surplus and heavy lifting. "Toning" is some vague process that no one seems capable of describing directly.

Yoga helps with flexibility and things like core strength but you aren't going to build substantial muscle with yoga. Yoga is good, I do Yoga...but its not hypertrophic.

^ This and yoga and stretching will also not help you retain the muscle you already have like heavy lifting will.

Calorie deficit + heavy lifting leads to a lower BF%, which means you may actually be at your goal body at slightly higher weight then you thought was your goal weight.

Aaron_K123

"toning" doesn't really exist..."toning" is basically cutting fat to reveal the muscle that is underneath. Weight training or otherwise performing resistance training helps preserve muscle that would otherwise be lost while losing weight...more muscle, the more "toned" you look after cutting the fat.

I highly recommend doing some kind of progressive resistance training program (one that is established...not one that you just willy nilly come up with on your own) while you are losing. It's really hard to build muscle, so it's really best to preserve what you have and as you cut fat you will "tone up." You can't be "toned" without muscle mass.

But "toning" has always worked for me. I usually do yoga and stretches and for some reason it knocks inches off me. Especially my waistline and thighs.

That is just fat loss because you are at caloric deficit.

1saturn

What do you mean when you say toning process?

Yoga, stretches and anything that aims to free up certain areas of the body. I call bull**** on anyone who says toning is rubbish. I lose most of my inches from toning certain areas of the body. Be it waist twist, yoga or dumbells. It works for me

Toning is rubbish. There is fat loss which reveals the underlying muscle and makes it appear more defined which occurs under caloric deficit and there is muscle building which requires caloric surplus and heavy lifting. "Toning" is some vague process that no one seems capable of describing directly.

Yoga helps with flexibility and things like core strength but you aren't going to build substantial muscle with yoga. Yoga is good, I do Yoga...but its not hypertrophic.

Well I don't know the word it would be more PC to use on this site but you all are aware of what I am trying to say....

SideSteel

Perhaps you can post an image of a woman you consider to be too "bulky" so I can know what you even mean by that. Also maybe include an estimate of how long you think it took to achieve that much muscle.

As a woman you would be lucky to put on 6 pounds of muscle in a year through heavy lifting, its not something you just slap on overnight.

Well, I probably didn't word that perfectly. I am not trying to strength train but aim to reduce fat and sculpt the overall bodyshape. If this is achieved by lifting then sure. I must admit I am not strong so I don't know if it's really suited to me.

Toning is rubbish.

You can do two things:

1) Increase muscle size.
2) Decrease body fat.

Both of these contribute to looking "tone".

1saturn

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

I don't want to look bulky.

You won't.

http://www.jcdfitness.com/2011/06/i-dont-want-to-get-big-and-bulky-fitness-marketing-and-its-effect-on-women/

I'm quite weak and I don't know if this would really benefit me. I do yoga and that has worked for me. For what I want it to work for.

1saturn

Perhaps you can post an image of a woman you consider to be too "bulky" so I can know what you even mean by that. Also maybe include an estimate of how long you think it took to achieve that much muscle.

As a woman you would be lucky to put on 6 pounds of muscle in a year through heavy lifting, its not something you just slap on overnight.

Well, I probably didn't word that perfectly. I am not trying to strength train but aim to reduce fat and sculpt the overall bodyshape. If this is achieved by lifting then sure. I must admit I am not strong so I don't know if it's really suited to me.

Toning is rubbish.

You can do two things:

1) Increase muscle size.
2) Decrease body fat.

Both of these contribute to looking "tone".

Ok I want to decrease body fat if that makes it clearer.

erickirb

Lift heavy. You will change your whole body.

I don't want to look bulky.

You won't.

http://www.jcdfitness.com/2011/06/i-dont-want-to-get-big-and-bulky-fitness-marketing-and-its-effect-on-women/

I'm quite weak and I don't know if this would really benefit me. I do yoga and that has worked for me. For what I want it to work for.

Being weak is probably the best reason to start lifting heavy (heavy for you).

navyrigger46

What do you mean when you say toning process?

Yoga, stretches and anything that aims to free up certain areas of the body. I call bull**** on anyone who says toning is rubbish. I lose most of my inches from toning certain areas of the body. Be it waist twist, yoga or dumbells. It works for me

Sounds like you have it all figured out, so why ask a question of all us novices? How about an experiment? Do some of those toning exercises and show us pictures of your loss, if it's really like you say you should have no problem maintaining everything else while losing every ounce of fat from one specific spot. You choose the spot, we'll wait patiently.

Seriously though, heavy compound lifts are what you need.

Rigger