Toning

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chloeobe
chloeobe Posts: 72
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I have been going to the gym but I feel as if I dont know what I am doing. I want to tone up all areas, especially my stomach, inner thighs, streamline my waist and "muffin top", my inner thighs. Can anyone please help me develop a workout plan to stick to so when Im in the gym I can follow it? Im reasonably fit but not strong, weight 110 pounds so not overweight just looking to tone up!

Thanks in advance!
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  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    http://stronglifts.com/

    Monday, Friday do workout A, Wednesday do workout B. Rinse, repeat.

    StrongLifts 5×5 Workout A
    Squat 5×5
    Bench Press 5×5
    Barbell Rows 5×5

    StrongLifts 5×5 Workout B
    Squat 5×5
    Overhead Press 5×5
    Deadlift 1×5
  • Mother_Superior
    Mother_Superior Posts: 1,624 Member
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    http://stronglifts.com/

    Monday, Friday do workout A, Wednesday do workout B. Rinse, repeat.

    StrongLifts 5×5 Workout A
    Squat 5×5
    Bench Press 5×5
    Barbell Rows 5×5

    StrongLifts 5×5 Workout B
    Squat 5×5
    Overhead Press 5×5
    Deadlift 1×5

    This, to which I would add, Youtube videos for proper form. Start with just the bar for each thing, add 5 pounds everytime you go into the gym, and make sure that you're eating enough, and get plenty of rest for repair.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I'm 110 pounds, you can check out my routine on my profile. I lift heavy 3-4 times a week.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?
  • edge_dragoncaller
    edge_dragoncaller Posts: 826 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

    You sure about that? I would guess that when doing a Bulk and Cut cycle, that the Cut portion of that is exactly what most people consider toning to be.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

    You sure about that? I would guess that when doing a Bulk and Cut cycle, that the Cut portion of that is exactly what most people consider toning to be.
    So... losing fat then.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,369 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. My BMI is 18.0 so I shouldn't be aiming to lose any weight but, at age 50, I definitely have some mushy parts I'd like to firm up. Guess I want to gain muscle AND lose fat??

    I've been faithfully doing strength work with a weight/cable type home gym for the past 2.5 years with ZERO results. :frown: I live in a small town with no gym facilities so I'm on my own with this.

    Came on here and saw the rave reviews for lifting so a couple of months ago I bought a barbell (just a 10 lb one) and some weight plates and started All Pro's program for beginners. Good thing I didn't go for the 45 lb bar because I'm nowhere near moving that kind of weight, even after plugging away at it for several weeks. And still just as mushy as ever, unfortunately. My weight hasn't changed, not even a tenth of a pound.

    I'm really not getting anywhere with this, and rather tired of my body feeling like I've been run over by a truck every day.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. My BMI is 18.0 so I shouldn't be aiming to lose any weight but, at age 50, I definitely have some mushy parts I'd like to firm up. Guess I want to gain muscle AND lose fat??

    I've been faithfully doing strength work with a weight/cable type home gym for the past 2.5 years with ZERO results. :frown: I live in a small town with no gym facilities so I'm on my own with this.

    Came on here and saw the rave reviews for lifting so a couple of months ago I bought a barbell (just a 10 lb one) and some weight plates and started All Pro's program for beginners. Good thing I didn't go for the 45 lb bar because I'm nowhere near moving that kind of weight, even after plugging away at it for several weeks. And still just as mushy as ever, unfortunately. My weight hasn't changed, not even a tenth of a pound.

    I'm really not getting anywhere with this, and rather tired of my body feeling like I've been run over by a truck every day.

    Use a tape measure. Are you making consistent gains in lifting? might have to change up what you eat a bit too, for bulk/cut... and you can't really gain muscle and loose fat at the same time. Except for newbie gains. Awesome that you are lifting!

    Do you put rest days in?
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    images_zps18515734.jpg
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,369 Member
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    Use a tape measure. Are you making consistent gains in lifting? might have to change up what you eat a bit too, for bulk/cut... and you can't really gain muscle and loose fat at the same time. Except for newbie gains. Awesome that you are lifting!

    Do you put rest days in?

    My waist has increased 1" and hips 1.5". My muffin top is even more noticeable now. :blushing: Not the desired result!

    Every other day is a rest day. Sometimes I've just been so sore that I've had to take two rest days.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

    It's only "not a thing" for people looking split hairs over semantics.

    We all know what the OP was essentially asking.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

    It's only "not a thing" for people looking split hairs over semantics.

    We all know what the OP was essentially asking.

    I think the point of her post wasn't to split hairs but rather to educate the OP that muscles cannot be 'toned'.
  • chloeobe
    chloeobe Posts: 72
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    Apologies for my wrong wording Im not an expert. All I want to do is turn the excess fatty tissue areas ie my muffin top and the inch on my inner thigh etc that wont shift through diet as I dont want to lose weight. I dont want to build muscle either, I want to convert the fat into muscle
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

    It's only "not a thing" for people looking split hairs over semantics.

    We all know what the OP was essentially asking.

    I think the point of her post wasn't to split hairs but rather to educate the OP that muscles cannot be 'toned'.

    Oh really?

    I'd say you can tone muscles from a strength training programme combined with a calorie controlled diet.

    "Tone" is just a word.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    Apologies for my wrong wording Im not an expert. All I want to do is turn the excess fatty tissue areas ie my muffin top and the inch on my inner thigh etc that wont shift through diet as I dont want to lose weight. I dont want to build muscle either, I want to convert the fat into muscle

    Unfortunately you can't turn fat into muscle - it just doesn't work like that physically.

    Strength training is a great calorie burner as you get an after burn affect for hours afterwards, compared to cardio that stops burning calories the minute you stop exercising.

    When you lose weight with a strength training programme, you minimise the amount of lean muscle mass lost and maximise the percentage of fat loss.

    This sounds like the answer to your question i.e looking "toned"
  • chloeobe
    chloeobe Posts: 72
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    All I really was asking for was some tips in how to "tone" up ie turn wobbly bits firm. I dont have any weight to lose so I need to do strength training but just need some sort of programme to work to as I feel lost when I go to the gym. Just wanted some of your programmes or tips rather than an argument :laugh:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,719 Member
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    Apologies for my wrong wording Im not an expert. All I want to do is turn the excess fatty tissue areas ie my muffin top and the inch on my inner thigh etc that wont shift through diet as I dont want to lose weight. I dont want to build muscle either, I want to convert the fat into muscle
    Physically impossible. You can't convert one tissue to another. However you can recomp, but that's a slow process. A good basic approach would be to learn some good compound strength movements and then apply some good HIIT cardio. Learn and try that for a month.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • chloeobe
    chloeobe Posts: 72
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    OH MY GOD stop judging me on my grammar its just the way im trying to explain things....

    Never mind I found some good videos of exercise programmes on Youtube and they didnt talk down at me :brokenheart:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,719 Member
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    "Toning" isn't a thing. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

    It's only "not a thing" for people looking split hairs over semantics.

    We all know what the OP was essentially asking.

    I think the point of her post wasn't to split hairs but rather to educate the OP that muscles cannot be 'toned'.

    Oh really?

    I'd say you can tone muscles from a strength training programme combined with a calorie controlled diet.

    "Tone" is just a word.
    Incorrectly used though. For instance you don't "tune" a car engine. You "tune up" a car engine. Correct terminology applies to muscle too. You don't "tone" muscle, you "tone up" muscle. You don't it by "toning" exercises, you do specific exercises with weights.
    I despise the word because the fitness industry disguised it to try to FOOL women into thinking that "toning" wasn't lifting weights. They did it specifically because females spend more money on body improvement then men and figured if they could somehow get females to think differently about lifting, they could incorporate classes with this wording and of course make more money. So rather than tell the truth, they chose to masquerade it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
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    All I really was asking for was some tips in how to "tone" up ie turn wobbly bits firm. I dont have any weight to lose so I need to do strength training but just need some sort of programme to work to as I feel lost when I go to the gym. Just wanted some of your programmes or tips rather than an argument :laugh:

    I understand what you're looking for. But, unfortunately, you cannot make fat not wobbly. You can be at a weight you're happy with and not want to lose more but still need to lose fat. Does that make sense? Take me, I'm 5'4", 130 and a size 2 in many brands. However, I'm 27% bodyfat. So, while I'm happy with my size, and content with the number on the scale (for the time being), I have wobbly bits. So, you have to lose fat. This involves continuing to eat at a deficit. You need a good lifting program so that your body is burning fat for fuel and not LBM. I'd recommend doing 2-3 days a week of deadlifts, squats, bench press, over head press and bent over rows. 1 warm-up set, 2-3 sets at a weight that fatigues your muscles in less than 10 reps to start with. For the first week or two, only use the bar (or bodyweight) to get form down perfect, then start adding the weight. Do cardio 2-3 days a week, anything that you enjoy. But, the resistance training is key to maintain your muscle, and at a good weight, not 5 or 8 pound dumbbells.

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