Toning???

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twinsmom7602
twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello everyone! This is my first post in this forum! I am finally getting to my goal weight. NOW comes the hard part. I seriously need to tone my butt and thighs. Anybody care to share what works best for them? I am 5'6 and weighing in right now at 116, my goal weight is 115. I am going to start JM 30 Day Shred tomorrow, will this help in the firming and toning area, or is there another avenue I should take?? Any suggestions would be gladly welcomed! This place is awesome!
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  • mich1902
    mich1902 Posts: 182
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    Lots of folk have had success with shred. I presonally need motivation like paying for the gym! Ways to look toned would be to get the fat off of the muscles that you already have. Do you know what your body fat% is? Another way would be to try and build muscle but if you are focused on a nuber the scale gives you then that likely isn't for you. I would say find out your body fat percentage and then have a look at what your goal percentage would be. I'm aiming for 22% but doing it by strength training and on a 20% calorie defecit from tdee to keep losing fa(as i've still weight to lose)t. My calorie split is higher in protein as well 45p/30c/25f.
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
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    Right now, I am happy with the number on the scale. :) I am ready to get some muscles going. ;) I have a son who has cerebral Palsy, and he is getting heavy, and Momma isn't getting stronger. HE is my motivation right now. So Yes, I need to get the fat off and get the muscles going. I plan to up my calories when I hit 115 just to maintain that weight.
  • dbkrantz
    dbkrantz Posts: 138
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    How about "No more trouble zones"? It's also from JM and it seems to have amazing reviews. It's mostly strength training
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
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    I do not know my body fat %???
  • dbkrantz
    dbkrantz Posts: 138
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    Actually, I just remembered:

    Killer Buns and Thighs also form JM. i've done it a few times and loved it! It should really help with the butt and legs.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Strong lifts 5x5. lift heavy.
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
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    Thank you I will look into that. :) Starting the Shred tomorrow, I got her killer buns and thighs last night. :)
  • xFamousLastWordsx
    xFamousLastWordsx Posts: 301 Member
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    Definitely try Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs! It also has 3 levels like 30 day shred does...so I did it for 30 days too, 10 days at each level. I have noticed a huge difference in my butt and my thighs. :)
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
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    I can handle that, seeming how I lift 50+ lbs with my kiddo many times a day. :)
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
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    I just got that last night. It is on my to-do list. Maybe I will try that BEFORE the 30 day shred????
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    If you are already happy with your current weight and are looking to add muscle/tone to your body then you're going to need to move on to a higher intensity strength training regimen. Something like Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength, GSLP, or something else along those lines. New Rules of Lifting for Women is also good. Be warned, these require gym equipment.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    Strong lifts 5x5. lift heavy.

    I second this. Jillian is not going to help you lift your child. Heavy weights will

    My son (9) has ADHD and can get pretty out of control. I started lifting heavy for myself, but it has helped tremendously for the times I need to deal with him.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I just got that last night. It is on my to-do list. Maybe I will try that BEFORE the 30 day shred????

    30 day shred is primarily a weight loss/fat loss regimen. it won't build muscle. it won't do much for you if you're already at a weight you're happy with. adding muscle is done via completely different means.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Why do people wait until they've lost weight to start "toning"??
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    Right now, I am happy with the number on the scale. :) I am ready to get some muscles going. ;) I have a son who has cerebral Palsy, and he is getting heavy, and Momma isn't getting stronger. HE is my motivation right now. So Yes, I need to get the fat off and get the muscles going. I plan to up my calories when I hit 115 just to maintain that weight.

    Since you have to do a lot of lifting for your son I would suggest having a professional teach you how to properly lift so you don't hurt yourself as well as helping you to gain muscle. Probably get you lifting heavier and heavier in some way so that you will be able to handle your son and you'll gain muscle in the process. Physical therapists are excellent with this sort of thing or even a professional weight trainer at the gym. I'm sure its not easy getting time for yourself with a special needs child to take care of but if you can get some time alone this would probably be ideal plus give you some "me" time you need and deserve.
  • Zimabob
    Zimabob Posts: 8
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    Try "The Butt Bible". It's toning only and you don't need a lot of equipment. It's on YouTube. The workouts are divided by upper body + abs and lower body. There are three levels for each. Of course, they get progressively more difficult, so start at level 1. :)
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    Strong lifts 5x5. lift heavy.

    Or Starting Strength. :bigsmile:
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    I don't know anything about Shred, but I agree. Looking "toned" is all about body fat %, and the size/shape of your muscles. If you want to tone your thighs and butt, it will be a mix of lowering your body fat % and actually building more muscle... that is, making the muscles larger. (Read: You're a woman, you don't have enough testosterone to get bulky without making it a full-time job, so don't worry about building muscle.)

    Do both until you're satisfied, but be careful to take care of yourself. Eat enough to sustain a healthy weight and to give you enough energy for your exercise.

    To make the muscles larger, I would say do between 6-8 repetitions of *heavy* weight per set, and 3 sets per exercise. You want to be lifting enough weight that you can at least complete 6 reps, and at most complete 8 reps. If you can comfortably do more than 8, up the weight by 5-10 lbs and see how that feels.

    Important: For the first couple weeks you might want to start off slow and lighter to get a feel for the exercises, avoid getting too sore, and get a feel for what your body is capable of. Always be mindful and safe, and keep good form!

    I talk to my girl friends about this all the time, don't get in the mindset of lifting light weight if you want to look toned. It's not going to help, it's a total myth. Lifting light weight with high repetitions is basically just weighted cardio, you're burning calories this way but it's just inefficient and won't help with the size of your muscles. Just do regular cardio in that case and you'll probably last longer and burn more.

    Another important point is that you won't have much muscle gain while you're dieting. You actually have to overeat by a few hundred calories a day to maximize that (for men, it's recommended +500 of maintenance). It's important to do your weight lifting and eat right while dieting though so you don't loose the muscle you have.

    I'm still new to all of this myself, and I'm in the beginning stages of reaching my goals, but I've done a lot of reading and practice. If I can help more, let me know! :smile:
  • chunkmunk
    chunkmunk Posts: 221 Member
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    My daughter has trisomy 12p and is completely unable to support her body weight and requires 24 hour care. I'm a bit bigger than you, at 140, but I also wanted to get strong in order to be able to care for her and not hurt myself.

    I started doing DVD programs that incorporated weight training, first ChaLean Extreme and then P90x. For the past 10 weeks I've been doing Stronglifts 5 x 5, and its those last 10 weeks that have made a huge difference in my strength. Chalean and p90x helped me look better, but if you want strength, go for a heavy lifting program like Stronglifts or Starting Strength. The caveat is that you need a gym memberhship or a very well-equipped home gym (barbells and powerrack) but for your utlimate goals heavy lifting seems to be something to really consider. The bonus is that heaviy lifting makes you look better too. :wink:

    Best of luck to you and to your son.
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
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    Strong Lifts 5x5 or New Rules of Lifting for Women. two amazing programs.

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