What size weights to tone with?

willis84

I don't want to build bulky muscles by using too heavy of weights. I would just like to tone my arms and get a little definition. What size hand weights would u recommend in achieving this?

mariobadr

"Toned" means your muscles have the appearance of being flexed (or half-flexed) even when they aren't. For that, I would recommend heavy weights with a low volume of total repetitions (5-8 reps per set, 3-4 sets).

Of course, in order to see said tone you'll require a decent body fat %.

chachadiva150

Honestly, what are bulky muscles? Do you have a link or a photo of someone "bulky?"

As a woman, I'm so tired of hearing this.

The point of lifting weight is resistance. After a while, whatever weights you lift will become too easy. You will have to increase weights or you'll just be wasting your time.

Nopedotjpeg

Heavier ones than you're using now.

Katie3784

Do not be afraid to lift heavy. You will not get bulky, I promise. I lift heavy(6-12 reps per set for 3 sets), and I am not bulky at all, just very toned. Pick a weight that you can do between 8 and 12 reps with.

UrbanRunner81

I use heavy weights, if anything I am getting smaller. Pick up heavy weights.

Kristinemomof3

You won't get "bulky" lifting heavy weights.

jamiesadler

Honestly, what are bulky muscles? Do you have a link or a photo of someone "bulky?"

As a woman, I'm so tired of hearing this.

The point of lifting weight is resistance. After a while, whatever weights you lift will become too easy. You will have to increase weights or you'll just be wasting your time.

This!!! As a woman you can not naturally get "bulky" muscles. I lift as heavy as I can and no big ugly muscles here. Don't use the barbie weights lift as heavy as you can but build to it.

BeautyFromPain

You won't get "bulky" lifting heavy weights.

Unless you use steroids

k2quiere

You won't get "bulky" lifting heavy weights.

Unless you use steroids

Or have an unnatural level of testosterone.

meshashesha2012

You won't get "bulky" lifting heavy weights.

Unless you use steroids

and eating way over your maintenance calories and working out for years and hours of practice...

i dont understand how women think they will pick up a heavy weight and magically they will have muscle gains that grown men with higher testosterone levels than then take years to get.

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

You won't get "bulky" lifting heavy weights.

Unless you use steroids

And nobody wants a woman who is 'roid ragin' and PMSing at the same time. Assuming you still have your period when you're on your 'roids.

kdeaux1959

Ones heavy enough to offer resistance. You should feel contraction at the end of the workout. Some women lift heavier grocery bags than the weights they attempt at the gym. Like some have said, go ahead and don't be afraid to lift. Your chemical make up will not allow you to bulk like a male. That being said, if you start seeing something you don't like, you can always back off.

CoryIda

You won't get bulky.

The heaviest weight you can maintain proper form for no more than 8-12 reps.

When you can do 12 with proper form, up the weight.

aproc

First off.....lifting heavy won't make you bulky... Second thing...you can't 'tone' what you don't have. You have to lift heavy to build muscle. Otherwise your not going to be 'toning' anything. You have to build some muscle first which won't happen using light weights.

The weights should be as heavy as you can lift through a full set of 8-12. When you absolutely cannot make another rep, then you know your using the right weight. If you could lift it longer then bump it up.

smlamb33

Check out the book "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler

Awkward30

I put on half a pound of muscle!

Now I'm huge!


OP: A good starting book is New Rules of Lifting for Women. If you want further convincing that lifting will give you the look you want, look up bikini competition workout on youtube and you will see a lot of little girls lifting heavy stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWH0TQJzA18

hesn92

It really just depends on what you can handle. Use a weight that you can do 8-12 reps with and the last couple reps should be very hard. (in good form)

I'm doing P90X now... there are some exercises where I need to use a 5 pound weight (don't laugh at me, I'm a beginner lol) but there are other exercises where I need 15's...

AZackery

I don't want to build bulky muscles by using too heavy of weights. I would just like to tone my arms and get a little definition. What size hand weights would u recommend in achieving this?

You don't have to use weights to get tone arms. You can do body weight exercises and get tone arms. If people watch the Insanity infomercial they will see what I'm talking about. Any size weights can tone a person's arms, if it was not so, then professional trainers(Jillian Michaels, Chris Freytag, Terry Simpson, Billy Blanks, etc.) wouldn't make workout strength dvds having people use smaller weights, such as 3lbs or 5lbs weights. A person can use a heavier weight if they want to, but I know that a person wouldn't use 20 or 50 pound weights doing a cardio/strength workout. I know that people wouldn't use 20 or 50 pounds weights trying to do Billy Blanks Cardio Sculpt workout. They would not last a few seconds using those size weights.

Since you want to sculpt your arms, what kind of workouts are you looking to do? Workout dvds or gym?

Sublog

I don't want to build bulky muscles by using too heavy of weights. I would just like to tone my arms and get a little definition. What size hand weights would u recommend in achieving this?

You could lift the maximum amount of weight you could lift 5 days a week for 3 years and not get bulky. Unless you ate like a horse and/or took steroids.

marycmeadows

Why do so many women think they are going to bulk up from lifting some weight?? I don't get it, you do not have a man's testosterone. lifting heavy will not make you bulk up. someone else mentioned it - check out new rules of lifting for women.