"TONING" is a misconception in weight loss and fitness. A ra

ninerbuff

The one word that irritates me in fitness is when people state they are "toning", want to be "toned", looks "tone", etc. There is NO such thing as "toning". Your muscle is either growing and/or getting stronger or getting smaller and weaker. That's it. Body fat that covers your muscles hides DETAIL and DEFINITION. The less body fat you have, the more detail and definition you have. So when someone says they want to be "toned" and not "bulky" or "muscly" they are in others words really implying that they don't want their body fat to be too low. That's it.
Now you can "tone up" your muscle by doing strength training. But it doesn't make it "tone". It makes it stronger.

Okay end of rant..............................................................but just to back up my rant you can also read this:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/toning.htm

lockef

"20 more reps... gotta burn in the cuts bro!"

iwillsoonbeslim

Tomato / tomAto \

KimertRuns13_1

Word.
Thank you. The word tone makes me cringe.

bry_all01

my bad. I say toning or I want to get more toned. Maybe I should say ripped, instead?

joejccva71

Good post bro.

rodneyderrick

Lol. I guess we all have our rants.

rossi02

The one word that irritates me in fitness is when people state they are "toning", want to be "toned", looks "tone", etc. There is NO such thing as "toning". Your muscle is either growing and/or getting stronger or getting smaller and weaker. That's it. Body fat that covers your muscles hides DETAIL and DEFINITION. The less body fat you have, the more detail and definition you have. So when someone says they want to be "toned" and not "bulky" or "muscly" they are in others words really implying that they don't want their body fat to be too low. That's it.
Now you can "tone up" your muscle by doing strength training. But it doesn't make it "tone". It makes it stronger.

Okay end of rant..............................................................but just to back up my rant you can also read this:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/toning.htm

I know this is your rant, but I found this very informative.. so, thank whoever annoyed you enough to motivate you to post this for me! :flowerforyou:

MJ7910

they might just need to work their muscles and weight train a little bit to make them more noticeable. they probably will lose some fat in the process so that the muscle tone is more obvious. maybe they just mean they have let their muscles get weak and they want to work on that. seems like it's just semantics. for me, i can definitely tell i have more toned muscles now. although i have lost some fat, my arms are the same around as they were before but they just look better because i have been working those muscles through upper body weight lifting. maybe that's all they mean

ninerbuff

Tomato / tomAto \

Pronunciation isn't the same as actual definition.

megz4987

Tomato / tomAto \

Pretty much.

When I say toned, yea I mean less fat and tighter physique. When I say not bulky, I do not mean less fat, I mean I don't want huge muscles, I do not want my muscles to GROW too much. I do not want to look like the hulk. or Chyna.

Avalonis

The one word that irritates me in fitness is when people state they are "toning", want to be "toned", looks "tone", etc. There is NO such thing as "toning". Your muscle is either growing and/or getting stronger or getting smaller and weaker. That's it. Body fat that covers your muscles hides DETAIL and DEFINITION. The less body fat you have, the more detail and definition you have. So when someone says they want to be "toned" and not "bulky" or "muscly" they are in others words really implying that they don't want their body fat to be too low. That's it.
Now you can "tone up" your muscle by doing strength training. But it doesn't make it "tone". It makes it stronger.

Okay end of rant..............................................................but just to back up my rant you can also read this:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/toning.htm

Yes, but TONING is a term used to describe both having fairly decent muscle definition from low body fat, but still having some semblance of muscles without looking like a bodybuilder.

Its a common term. Don't push your quirks about definitions onto us

SarabellPlus3

I have a question... I keep reading here that we can't build muscle in a deficit. BUT, we 'get stronger' in a deficit. IE: I've been doing the 30DS, and eating at a good deficit. I KNOW I can do a lot more push-ups, for instance, than when I started. I know from here that it is NOT from me building muscle, as that'd be all but impossible. So I thought the word for this would be "toning."

So, I see no. LOL What the heck is the word for it, then? And what DOES happen, then?

ninerbuff

my bad. I say toning or I want to get more toned. Maybe I should say ripped, instead?

Ripped, cut, defined, etc. How about "I want to look fit?" You're my girl here so I can't rip on ya too much!Few more days left right? And DON'T train legs this week!!!!

anubis609

Tomato / tomAto \

Pretty much.

When I say toned, yea I mean less fat and tighter physique. When I say not bulky, I do not mean less fat, I mean I don't want huge muscles, I do not want my muscles to GROW too much. I do not want to look like the hulk. or Chyna.

Estrogen kind of prevents that from happening. Chyna is suspect for questioning.

allie1904

I have a question... I keep reading here that we can't build muscle in a deficit. BUT, we 'get stronger' in a deficit. IE: I've been doing the 30DS, and eating at a good deficit. I KNOW I can do a lot more push-ups, for instance, than when I started. I know from here that it is NOT from me building muscle, as that'd be all but impossible. So I thought the word for this would be "toning."

So, I see no. LOL What the heck is the word for it, then? And what DOES happen, then?

This is what I thought to..

kikislove2

i think people know what they mean personally when they say the want to tone up..whether it's losing fat or making you muscles stronger, the overall look you end up with is a leaner, toner body..so if they choose to say toned, i don't see what the big deal is. but to each his own..

lawtechie

From Webster's dictionary;

Tone:
a : the state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor
b : normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli; specifically : muscular tonus

Sounds like people can tone their muscles to me!

Kimdbro

I'm working on "toning", I want to be "toned", hoping to "tone", and really like it when other people look 'toned'
tone, tone, tone, tone, tone, tone.....

This thread reminds me of watching a movie with my husband and the actor/actress says "looks like he used a silencer" and my husband freaks out and screams at the TV "It's a supressor!!!" Ya whatever. No one cares.... he used a supressor, COMMONLY KNOWN as a silencer. POINT? Looking for defined muscles, stronger muscles, grown muscles.... commonly known as TONED MUSCLES. Jesus what a pointless thread. I'm bored or I wouldn't have wasted my time with a response.

ninerbuff

The one word that irritates me in fitness is when people state they are "toning", want to be "toned", looks "tone", etc. There is NO such thing as "toning". Your muscle is either growing and/or getting stronger or getting smaller and weaker. That's it. Body fat that covers your muscles hides DETAIL and DEFINITION. The less body fat you have, the more detail and definition you have. So when someone says they want to be "toned" and not "bulky" or "muscly" they are in others words really implying that they don't want their body fat to be too low. That's it.
Now you can "tone up" your muscle by doing strength training. But it doesn't make it "tone". It makes it stronger.

Okay end of rant..............................................................but just to back up my rant you can also read this:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/toning.htm

Yes, but TONING is a term used to describe both having fairly decent muscle definition from low body fat, but still having some semblance of muscles without looking like a bodybuilder.

Its a common term. Don't push your quirks about definitions onto us

The terminology is wrong then. Look it up in a dictionary. You can "tone up" muscle, but muscle isn't "toned".

Avalonis

I'm working on "toning", I want to be "toned", hoping to "tone", and really like it when other people look 'toned'
tone, tone, tone, tone, tone, tone.....

This thread reminds me of watching a movie with my husband and the actor/actress says "looks like he used a silencer" and my husband freaks out and screams at the TV "It's a supressor!!!" Ya whatever. No one cares.... he used a supressor, COMMONLY KNOWN as a silencer. POINT? Looking for defined muscles, stronger muscles, grown muscles.... commonly known as TONED MUSCLES. Jesus what a pointless thread. I'm bored or I wouldn't have wasted my time with a response.

+1

Jorra

Physiological definition of muscle tone:

Muscle cells are made up of tiny units called sarcomeres. These sarcomeres contract in unison to contract the entire muscle. When a muscle is contracted for a long period of time the sarcomeres need to "take turns" contracting. Tonic muscle contraction can either occur smoothly or "spasmy." If your muscle isn't "tone" it will spasm and shake much more easily and quickly because the sarcomeres are not taking turns smoothly.

Given this definition, there's no "look" to tone. It's a physiological state during a certain type of muscle contraction.

lockef

I do not want my muscles to GROW too much. I do not want to look like the hulk. or Chyna.

You can work out twice a day, 5 days a week, lift heavy, eat yourself out of house and home and STILL not get that muscular.

ArroganceInStep

So you're saying I just did a thousand bicep curls with 2 lb dumbbells for nothing!?!?!?!?!?

Rae6503

I have a question... I keep reading here that we can't build muscle in a deficit. BUT, we 'get stronger' in a deficit. IE: I've been doing the 30DS, and eating at a good deficit. I KNOW I can do a lot more push-ups, for instance, than when I started. I know from here that it is NOT from me building muscle, as that'd be all but impossible. So I thought the word for this would be "toning."

So, I see no. LOL What the heck is the word for it, then? And what DOES happen, then?

This is what I thought to..

Pretty sure you can strengthen muscles while on a deficit. You just can't make them grow or get bigger. They most likely won't gain mass because that requires excess energy and you body is in an energy deficit.

2bFitNTrim

i think people know what they mean personally when they say the want to tone up..whether it's losing fat or making you muscles stronger, the overall look you end up with is a leaner, toner body..so if they choose to say toned, i don't see what the big deal is. but to each his own..

Ditto this ^^

ninerbuff

I have a question... I keep reading here that we can't build muscle in a deficit. BUT, we 'get stronger' in a deficit. IE: I've been doing the 30DS, and eating at a good deficit. I KNOW I can do a lot more push-ups, for instance, than when I started. I know from here that it is NOT from me building muscle, as that'd be all but impossible. So I thought the word for this would be "toning."

So, I see no. LOL What the heck is the word for it, then? And what DOES happen, then?

You're more "conditioned and fit". That's why it's called "fitness training", "conditioning training" and not "toning training". So to be described in good condition or fit is a good way to be described.

ONE03

Tomato / tomAto \

Pretty much.

When I say toned, yea I mean less fat and tighter physique. When I say not bulky, I do not mean less fat, I mean I don't want huge muscles, I do not want my muscles to GROW too much. I do not want to look like the hulk. or Chyna.

Same here.

frugalmomsrock

From Webster's dictionary;

Tone:
a : the state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor
b : normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli; specifically : muscular tonus

Sounds like people can tone their muscles to me!

Talk about taking things out of context. ROFL.

Just because I'm a b-word like this. KEEP READING THE DEFINITIONS.

28.
tone up,

b.
to gain or cause to gain in tone or strength: toning up little-used muscles.

It does have to do with muscles also. Here's a little lesson. It's a VERB. You can become "toned up" if you can tone up and be in the process of toning up.

Just sayin'.

ArroganceInStep

I have a question... I keep reading here that we can't build muscle in a deficit. BUT, we 'get stronger' in a deficit. IE: I've been doing the 30DS, and eating at a good deficit. I KNOW I can do a lot more push-ups, for instance, than when I started. I know from here that it is NOT from me building muscle, as that'd be all but impossible. So I thought the word for this would be "toning."

So, I see no. LOL What the heck is the word for it, then? And what DOES happen, then?

The word you're looking for is 'stronger'

LizC26

Ok, I'm so confused with all the stuff I've read on here....See if you can follow me and help me understand.

♦ You cannot gain muscle eating at a deficit.
♦ You can only gain muscle very slowly, (not overnight or even weeks)
♦ There is no such thing as "toning" your muscles---only make them grow or shrink.


Given these facts, explain how someone (i.e. me) hasn't lost 1 pound in the last 3 weeks, but has lost several inches. I'm not even strength training and I'm definitely eating at a deficit.


AND, How can you get stronger without building muscle??