Want to be Toned but Not Ripped

hi Charlott, welcome

You won't get bulky muscle if you weight lift. However if weight lifting doesn't catch your interest, you can always seek other activites like boxing or yoga or anything really. Anything that uses your muscles at least a little bit will help reduce your body fat (with the main help frmo your diet of course) which is the main goal you seek (from my understanding). However if weight lifting DOES interest you and the only reason you're holding back is because of your fear of getting bulky, I made a thread a while back you can check

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy

PS. lifting has many advantages from being strong to getting strong joints etc. But once again, that isn't the only way to achieve your fitness and goal. Find something you enjoy and get started!

Do both and check your mirror at least once a week. It's impossible to "get ripped" on accident or "all of a sudden."

It's hysterically laughable at how difficult it is to ACTUALLY get "ripped" or "bulk"... and what women (mostly women because occasionally men have this random thought too) think will get them there.

It's hard enough to get someone to EAT PROPERLY and put down the godramn twinkies much less pick up a black colored dumbbell and do some real work.

laughable. it's simple laughable. It makes me want to punch people- I've been trying to get cut for months- and I'm still not there.. seriously.. I wish this magical world of where "I picked up a heavy weight and it made me accidentally bulky" would happen- I need to find this place.

Really. i'd love to live in this fantasy world- because doing it the old fashioned hard- lift heavy and then eat at a deficit... it
s really tedious and boring. seriously.

I think you should eat some more twinkies and turn down the cranky dial.

Do both and check your mirror at least once a week. It's impossible to "get ripped" on accident or "all of a sudden."

It's hysterically laughable at how difficult it is to ACTUALLY get "ripped" or "bulk"... and what women (mostly women because occasionally men have this random thought too) think will get them there.

It's hard enough to get someone to EAT PROPERLY and put down the godramn twinkies much less pick up a black colored dumbbell and do some real work.

laughable. it's simple laughable. It makes me want to punch people- I've been trying to get cut for months- and I'm still not there.. seriously.. I wish this magical world of where "I picked up a heavy weight and it made me accidentally bulky" would happen- I need to find this place.

Really. i'd love to live in this fantasy world- because doing it the old fashioned hard- lift heavy and then eat at a deficit... it
s really tedious and boring. seriously.

Is everything ok at home bro or are you just angry that you ran out of your brotein?

I want to be Ripped, but not Toned!

I want to be shredded, not ripped.

OP: you will not wake up ripped.

They are all just dumb terms!

This content has been removed.

Thinking you can gain a significant amount of muscle by accident is silly when you consider a natural pro bodybuilder would be happy with 5lbs of clean muscle a year.

Anyway, start lifting now. You can't get big and muscular without the dedication or drugs to do so. By the way, toned isn't a real thing; it's a term created by women's media because it sounds sexier than lose bodyfat. Which is what you want to do.

And once more... Just in case you're still not convinced it's the right answer... lol
QFT

Thinking you can gain a significant amount of muscle by accident is silly when you consider a natural pro bodybuilder would be happy with 5lbs of clean muscle a year.

Anyway, start lifting now. You can't get big and muscular without the dedication or drugs to do so. By the way, toned isn't a real thing; it's a term created by women's media because it sounds sexier than lose bodyfat. Which is what you want to do.

^^^ this

and just to add, if you want the "softer" look rather than the female bodybuilder look, the difference is how low you take your body fat percentage:

13% = ripped like a bodybuilder, lots of muscle definition, popping veins etc

15% = more like a fitness model with visible abs and quite a lot of definition, but the definition is softer

18-22% = more like a bikini model, where the body is lean and firm, but there's not so much muscle definition.

So to answer your question - yes absolutely hit the gym and the weights, but keep your body fat percentage above 20%. Low 20s is probably best for the look you're describing. If you want a better idea, Leigh Peele's blog has pictures of women at different body fat percentages, pick the one you like the best and aim for that body fat percentage, and lift weights so you have a nice, firm shape when you get to that body fat percentage.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I will be investing in some dumbells this week! Yay!

I hope that means you will be investing in dumbbells of substantial weight, not 1lb, 3lb, 5lb or 10lbs. Check out New Rules of Lifting for Women or Stronglifts. Both programs have active groups here.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/771-women-strength-training

Hmm yes, this really is a dilemma. So many people have gotten huge and ripped accidentally. It's the next biggest problem we face as a society after obesity.

:laugh:

I'm still waiting for that one day I will wake up with nice big guns...

Yes me too!! Until then i just use the pink weights

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I will be investing in some dumbells this week! Yay!

Instead of buying some dumbells, I would encourage you (if you can afford it) to look into a gym that has a squat rack. If you can find one (doesn't have to be a fancy gym, as long as they got a squat rack), checkout stronglifts (google it and there is a group for it on MFP too!) you will absolutely love it as it is very beginner friendly and will help you build strength very fast

Heres the group with all the info in the stickies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I will be investing in some dumbells this week! Yay!

Instead of buying some dumbells, I would encourage you (if you can afford it) to look into a gym that has a squat rack. If you can find one (doesn't have to be a fancy gym, as long as they got a squat rack), checkout stronglifts (google it and there is a group for it on MFP too!) you will absolutely love it as it is very beginner friendly and will help you build strength very fast

Heres the group with all the info in the stickies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

Omg. I didn't even know there was a group. Thanks, Taunto! :smooched:

Putting in the 112th vote for "Both". Weight training is a great way to burn calories while increasing the efficiency of your muscles.

I understand what the OP means by toned, though. With women, it's kind of in contention for what gets called "skinny fat". We want enough muscle to be able to open our own pickle jars and not look like stick figures, but not so much that we look "gross". We can drop enough body fat to look "ripped" but still look like Olive Oyl. If someone has Shelly Duval as an inspiration, great, but that's not what this post is about.

Personally, I try to lift, run, and do yoga and since I still have a fairly high body fat percentage, it comes across as bulky, and I'm fine with it.

Lift while you lose!
To be really ripped you have to attain a pretty low body fat percentage, so if you ever feel like you're a bit too "ripped", just gain a little fat

these threads always get me. Good luck looking like a bodybuilder. seriously.

Weight lift and do cardio as you eat at a deficit and you will get that beauty queen look you're going for. you will not ever look like a body builder eating at a deficit or even eating at maintenance. Just workout, for crying out loud.

Some folks are new and have heard a lot of broscience from family and on the internet. No need to get angry. Just point them towards the right direction with facts. The kind of replies I am seeing in this thread discourages people from asking and continuing believing in the broscience. Try being patient

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I will be investing in some dumbells this week! Yay!

Instead of buying some dumbells, I would encourage you (if you can afford it) to look into a gym that has a squat rack. If you can find one (doesn't have to be a fancy gym, as long as they got a squat rack), checkout stronglifts (google it and there is a group for it on MFP too!) you will absolutely love it as it is very beginner friendly and will help you build strength very fast

Heres the group with all the info in the stickies
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

Yes I agree. Curls are always better in the squat rack at your local gym.

Thanks I have a gym membership starting in September so I will utilize this.

The curls comment was a joke between iron and me. Don't do curls in the squat rack (and if you choose to do stronglifts, you won't have to do curls anyways so no biggie)