exercises to tone?

ryanh89
ryanh89 Posts: 13 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
my problem areas are my stomach and around the hips, anyone have any tips? exercises? to help take care of this?

Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Eat less, lift more. And for the love of god, tone is a girl word :)
  • ryanh89
    ryanh89 Posts: 13 Member
    haha im desperate, you got the point i was trying to get across. but for the future, i won't use it anymore.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Eat less, lift more. And for the love of god, tone is a girl word :)

    :huh:

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  • nicolemontagna22
    nicolemontagna22 Posts: 229 Member
    Circuit training. I started jillian michaels 30 day shred.
    It's a good starting point since its only 28 mins long with warm up and cool down. I see results already.
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
    Yes, a lifting program would do wonders. Sadly we can't really spot reduce our problem areas, wish we could. There are plenty lifting workouts and groups here on MFP. Clean up your diet a bit, leaner proteins, more fiber, complex carbs. And throw in a few HIIT cardio sessions per week.

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,974 Member
    Exercise doesn't spot reduce any area. Just stay in calorie deficit consistently.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    If you want to lose fat, you need to create a caloric deficit: eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. You can do this through diet alone, or by adding exercise to burn more calories. There are no exercises you can do that will remove fat from any one part of your body - all you can do is reduce you body fat % overall. It will eventually come off the trouble spots.

    Lifting weights will help you maintain the muscle you have, which generally results in more pleasing aesthetics once the fat has been removed - I agree with the previous poster that suggested weight training. Eat at a moderate deficit (-15% your TDEE or so) and lift (find a good progressive program, like Stronglifts or Starting Strength). Be consistent, be patient. It'll happen.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Tone shouldn't even be a girl word! :tongue: What does that even mean?

    Generally, someone who wants to "tone" wants to see a little firm definition in their body, yeah? And you do that by lowering body fat percentage - lose the fat and reveal the muscle you already have that's hiding under there. A small calorie deficit is best for losing the fat, and exercise involving weights, the heavier the better, is great for maintaining lean muscle while losing that fat, and looking awesome as the fat comes off.

    Great post about that very thing here: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/lose-fat-without-losing-muscle/
  • harphy
    harphy Posts: 290 Member
    Do weighted crunches like this guy.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSs5QsIU7MI
    He lifts his head way to high. Just to the point you can feel abs tighten is enough. If you are doing with dumbbels lift them in straight arms towards the ceiling. As you lift uppper body, lower dumbbels down at the side of your hips but don't allow them to touch the floor. Repeat.
  • 40DayFit
    40DayFit Posts: 246 Member
    Whatever dumbassedness has people assigning gender to word choice (and subjugated gender at that), it sounds like you're looking for increased fat loss.

    As we reduce fat, we increase the likelihood that we can see the muscle that lies beneath. One way to do this is to emphasize fat loss, through cardio and eating under our maintenance calories. Another is to include muscle-building into the exercise protocol, so that as we build thermogenic muscle, wehave more muscle to reveal as fat eventually reduces.

    However much muscle you have under your "problem areas," unwanted fat can get in the way of seeing your muscle tone and shape. What sort of exercising are you doing currently? There are a lot of free resources on high-intensity interval cardio training to reduce fat, and on strength training to build muscle. Those, plus tight attention to calorie intake and managing protein and other macronutrients, can help you design a plan to reveal the muscle you'd like to see.

    As for the chiding you got for using "girl words," I'm surprised you weren't challenged for acknowledging that you have hips! I appreciate that you are asking for help, and I hope you find the guidance and support that will help you ultimately decide for yourself how to procede.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Eat less, lift more. And for the love of god, tone is a girl word :)

    Yeah, pretty much this. But there is no such thing as toning.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    For the record, I think "tone" is a stupid word. Truth is that marketers cleverly put this in the vernacular of women's fitness because of the average smuffy's aversion to getting "ripped" or "jacked."

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  • 40DayFit
    40DayFit Posts: 246 Member
    However problematic the verb "tone" may be, the OP's question and desire for help is genuine and deserves to be the focus of his thread.

    I'm with you on the gender-typing of women's fitness. However, I don't think OP needs to be derided, as he was, for using a phrase in the common vernacular of beginner's fitness.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    There is nothing wrong with the word toned or definition it is just the meat head bro science brigade like to sneer, diet cardio and weights is the simple answer, no doubt others will mention 5x5, stabilisers, core, splits.starvation mode blah blah

    Get out of breath as often as possible and cut down on the crap you eat, this is and always has been the answer
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    i wish there was a way to spot reduce!! i would have a tiny belly, firm *kitten*, equal sized legs!!! lol.. deficit and lift weights, good luck

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