Toning Workout Routines?

xeunaex
xeunaex Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, I'm trying to gain a few pounds of muscle, and need some good workouts that focus on toning your whole body! :love: It would be great if you could give me a workout routine, instead of just a list of moves. I'm looking for how many reps, or sets I should do, what I should eat while doing it, how long I should... Basically just baby it down for me :) Much appreciated :flowerforyou:

Other info:
I'm not a big fan of pilates, but am willing to do them.
I have at the maximum 10 pound weights at home, and find it difficult to get to the gym because of my schedule.
I don't mind the word 'bulk' as long as I don't look like I could beat my guy up :blushing: (I'm going for curves)
My main targeting area is back and bum, but I know that spot reducing doesn't necessarily work, so whole body work outs are fine.

Replies

  • msrootitooti
    msrootitooti Posts: 253 Member
    I like Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones.. Also Women's Health has some great downloadable printable work outs. Check out their website!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Got a smart phone? Download Nike Training Club. It's free and full of workouts from 15-45 minutes, using body weight, dumbbells, etc. In the Get Focused section there are 15 minute workouts for legs, butt, arms, back, etc. Other areas have full body workouts 30-45 minutes long. You can choose one thing, or mix and match strength & cardio, etc. Good stuff, and great for at home workouts.
  • talidavis
    talidavis Posts: 2 Member
    Have you looked at hasfit.com? they have some some strength training workouts and a 90 day warrior workout. He also lists diet plans and stuff...oh, and it's free. It's worth checking out if you haven't already :smile:
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I have been working through the stages of New Rules of Lifting for Women. I love it and have already seen results (after 14 workouts). I highly suggest the book.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    I hate to say it, but you are (likely) not going to gain muscle using no more than 10 pound weights. There's no way that is challenging enough. You should be looking at a weight that fatigues your muscles in less than 10-12 reps at the most. Checkout the All Pro's Beginner's Routine in the bodybuilding.com forum. Or, look at New Rules of Lifting for Women or Jamie Eason's LiveFit. The issue there being you'll need different equipment and/or a gym. I'm doing Madcow's 5x5 at home, but I have a bench, bar, plates and a small rack.

    Go for big, compound lifts. If weights or a gym membership just aren't in the card, pick up some heavy resistance bands. Do squats, deadlifts, bent over rows, military press and bench. Do some corecentric work on "off" days. PUsh-ups and pull-ups are good, too.

    You are also not going to gain a lot of muscle not eating at a surplus. As someone new to lifting, you can see some gains while eating at maintenance or even at a deficit, but that will taper off after a few months. In order to actually build muscle, you should eat at a calorie surpluss. I'd start by adding 200 or so calories to your maintenance. Also, I think 1/2-1 pound of muscle a month is fairly standard, so adding a "few pounds" will take at least 3-6 months. And, realize a bit of fat will come with that. You should also make sure you're getting adequate protein. The conventional wisdom is 1 gram per pound of LBM, but I have also heard to go for 1 gram per pound of actual body weight (or your goal body weight) when trying to gain muscle.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    If you don't have access to any weights greater than 10 lbs, then I suggest you look into higher intensity bodyweight based regimens. You will need to purchase either a pullup bar (cheap doorframe mounted ones are like $25) or a suspension trainer, but it really is all you need. Bodyweight training is an excellent tool for getting to your goals and building functional strength. Heavy lifting is great too, but you never NEED anything more than bodyweight resistance to get to your goals. The only tool you will need is something that allows you to perform resisted pulling movements to hit the upper back, forearms, and biceps. A pullup bar or suspension trainer is great for that.
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
    A lot of people miss use the word "tone." There is no routine that will get you toned. Getting toned is low enough bodyfat and enough muscle.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    I just posted on this yesterday, same question. Hope it helps! :smile:

    Looking "toned" is all about body fat %, and the size of your muscles (their actual shape is purely genetic). 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.

    The thing is, your body builds your muscles to handle the loads you're putting on it. So heavy weight lifting basically gives the best results for the effort, and it's always effective so long as you increase the weight. If you use less weight like in calisthenics or only use 10 lb weights, you're going to develop more slowly (if at all), and eventually hit a plateau because the weight never really increases.

    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, while completing all your sets. Make sure to rest in between sets... give yourself 2-3 minutes of rest (that's what I do, so that I can make sure I'm giving it my all on my next set and so I can lift heavier). Once you can comfortably do more than 8 reps in a set, 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. You're a girl, not a wimp, and lifting light weight with high repetitions is basically just weighted cardio, you're burning calories this way, which helps with BF%, but it's just inefficient and won't help with the size of your muscles in any significant way. 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 (your body will actually break down muscle over time to fuel the cardio if you're not lifting to maintain what you have).

    Awesome (though admittely not perfect) book on this is "Thinner, Leaner, Stronger" by Mike Matthews. It's not expensive, you can get it on Amazon, and you will learn a lot!

    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!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Hi, I'm trying to gain a few pounds of muscle, and need some good workouts that focus on toning your whole body! :love: It would be great if you could give me a workout routine, instead of just a list of moves. I'm looking for how many reps, or sets I should do, what I should eat while doing it, how long I should... Basically just baby it down for me :) Much appreciated :flowerforyou:

    Other info:
    I'm not a big fan of pilates, but am willing to do them.
    I have at the maximum 10 pound weights at home, and find it difficult to get to the gym because of my schedule.
    I don't mind the word 'bulk' as long as I don't look like I could beat my guy up :blushing: (I'm going for curves)
    My main targeting area is back and bum, but I know that spot reducing doesn't necessarily work, so whole body work outs are fine.

    Squats, lunges, pushups, planks, body weight exercises (google there is some crazy challenging stuff out there). Also the book 'new rules of lifting for women' is great. Jillian Michaels DVD's. Her yoga meltdown workout is free on youtube, it's a good work out!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Also since you at are your goal weight you're going to need more calories, lot's of protein and heavier weights!!
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
    I have been working through the stages of New Rules of Lifting for Women. I love it and have already seen results (after 14 workouts). I highly suggest the book.

    I just downloaded this book to my Nook last night and look forward to reading it.. Were you a beginner? Did you lose the weight first and then start the strength/muscle building. My son is physically handicapped and he isn't getting any lighter. I recently lost 10 lbs, down to my goal weight of 115, and ready to tone this body up!
  • twinsmom7602
    twinsmom7602 Posts: 55 Member
    I just posted on this yesterday, same question. Hope it helps! :smile:

    Looking "toned" is all about body fat %, and the size of your muscles (their actual shape is purely genetic). 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.

    The thing is, your body builds your muscles to handle the loads you're putting on it. So heavy weight lifting basically gives the best results for the effort, and it's always effective so long as you increase the weight. If you use less weight like in calisthenics or only use 10 lb weights, you're going to develop more slowly (if at all), and eventually hit a plateau because the weight never really increases.

    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, while completing all your sets. Make sure to rest in between sets... give yourself 2-3 minutes of rest (that's what I do, so that I can make sure I'm giving it my all on my next set and so I can lift heavier). Once you can comfortably do more than 8 reps in a set, 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. You're a girl, not a wimp, and lifting light weight with high repetitions is basically just weighted cardio, you're burning calories this way, which helps with BF%, but it's just inefficient and won't help with the size of your muscles in any significant way. 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 (your body will actually break down muscle over time to fuel the cardio if you're not lifting to maintain what you have).

    Awesome (though admittely not perfect) book on this is "Thinner, Leaner, Stronger" by Mike Matthews. It's not too expensive on Amazon and you will learn a lot!

    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!


    This helped me immensely yesterday, THANK YOU! :)

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