What does everyone do for toning?

SharonBrobst wrote: »

I recently met my goal weight loss and now realize I need to tone up. I am not interested in building muscle mass but just toning up the flab that is left after losing 30 lbs. :-) Any suggestions?

I try and eat less crap. Not a joke, that's really part of my strategy.

I like the term 'conditions' used above. It's good to have a term that doesn't involve adding more muscle mass that still describes that the muscles can change when you work them well. Maybe that happens less often with men, that they don't often have disused-acting muscles until they get old?

I know lots of women who could 'tone up' their triceps or inner thigh muscles, for example, and I don't mean putting on mass (although that works, too, obviously). I don't mean losing fat on top of the muscle, because disused muscles are often seen in skinny (skinny fat) folks.

'Conditioning' the muscle works fine as a term for me. But I don't think it's particularly helpful to act like someone has to put on mass or lose weight to show the existing muscle and those are the only two choices. Unless conditioning the muscle counts as putting on mass? But it's easy enough to do in a deficit, so I don't think it could mean that. Maybe they just hold more glycogen, etc. In any case, they get tighter and look better, so I do think it's a real thing.

I do think heavy weights are the quickest way to do it, too But lots of activities work out a muscle enough to have it not lack good muscle tone (see what I did there ?).

SharonBrobst wrote: »

Thanks all. There is a lot to learn I know. @ninerbuff I have been to my GP, Ortho, PT, Pain Management, Chiro etc.. in the end there is nothing they can do, unless it gets worse. I just have to learn to manage my pain as best as I can because I refuse pain killers.

I already have resistance bands and exercises from my time in PT, perhaps I will start there. I don't mind gaining some muscle...I am currently pretty weak from little to no exercise in the last 8 years since my car accident. I just started walking 15 miles a week in May of this year which have been great for the legs...I just need to work on the rest of the body now.

Whatever exercises you've learned, then only thing you have to do "tone-up" your muscle more, is to just increase the resistance. If you're doing body weight exercises, change the angle. One piece of equipment I would consider is a Suspension trainer. TRX is popular, but I purchased a knock off brand for $30 that does the same thing and is decent quality (WOSS suspension).

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

cafeaulait7 wrote: »

I like the term 'conditions' used above. It's good to have a term that doesn't involve adding more muscle mass that still describes that the muscles can change when you work them well. Maybe that happens less often with men, that they don't often have disused-acting muscles until they get old?

I know lots of women who could 'tone up' their triceps or inner thigh muscles, for example, and I don't mean putting on mass (although that works, too, obviously). I don't mean losing fat on top of the muscle, because disused muscles are often seen in skinny (skinny fat) folks.

'Conditioning' the muscle works fine as a term for me. But I don't think it's particularly helpful to act like someone has to put on mass or lose weight to show the existing muscle and those are the only two choices. Unless conditioning the muscle counts as putting on mass? But it's easy enough to do in a deficit, so I don't think it could mean that. Maybe they just hold more glycogen, etc. In any case, they get tighter and look better, so I do think it's a real thing.

I do think heavy weights are the quickest way to do it, too But lots of activities work out a muscle enough to have it not lack good muscle tone (see what I did there ?).

Many times I just let clients know that if they stick with the exercises we put together for them, their muscles will end up firmer and "harder". Most understand that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

why is it decieving? i think it's encouraging.

SharonBrobst wrote: »

This whole thread kind of makes me laugh. Sometimes people can get so caught up in the semantics of words. It's like talking to my husband (who talks in a blue language) and I talk pink! LOL We laugh about it all the time.

But even so...I have gotten a lot of good information.

good

arditarose wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

moyer566 wrote: »

@ninerbuff or you could read what it said, which said it likely isn't a real thing but it does give a good definition of what people mean connotatively. or you could be snarky. w/e. and the webster dictionary clearly says "having or showing strength or firmness" so it kinda is denotatively as well
rather than worrying about semantics, people could say what she needs to hear. which is the same as if she wanted to improve her strength. she just uses a different word. in conversation, it's not a big deal

Snarky? I just stated that having the correct terminology isn't a bad direction to learn.
If you didn't know it, "toning" was an invented word by the fitness industry to deceive females that they were doing something other than lifting weights. In other words, they feminized it, when in truth they were still just lifting weights. There's still misinformation being passed around that weight lifting will make females bulky.
This was done because females spend more than males when it comes to personal improvement. Personally I don't think people have to be deceived to buy into a system if it's merits are good.
So I'm not cool with a word that that basically insinuates that women weren't smart enough to figure out weight lifting doesn't cause excessive muscle gain.
Semantics to you, probably, but I don't teach my clients or others that way.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Thank you. This is how I feel too. It is nice to clear this up in threads as well, because it CAN hinder women from reaching their goals. To get the look you want, you have to understand that you cannot tone a muscle. Period. You have to establish a goal, and eat and train to meet it.

lol
There are only four letters standing between women and the body of which they've always dreamed!!
DAMN YOU TOOOOONE!!!!!!!!!!

Tone is not a verb. it is an adjective. You cannot tone. You can build or develop your muscles so that they are stronger. Strong, well developed muscles are attractive on a woman. They are also healthy especially in the upper body, where women tend to be less naturally strong than men.

And then there's that ongoing mythology of female bulking. The odds of a woman becoming a green super hero by lifting heavy weights is so small as to be ludicrous.

I see the guy posting above agrees with me. I'm saying this from experience. He's talking theory. Nothing wrong with theory, as long as you can translate it to "you can do this".

AppetiteControlFreak wrote: »

Call it what you want

If it jiggles it isn't a muscle

So continue to lean down and lift to strategically add some nice shaped muscle that flatter and gets the appearance you want

Body recomposition is the most rewarding phase of the weight loss fitness quest

The scale may not move as 5 lbs of fat is exchanged for 5 lbs of muscle, but the look will be amazing

This. It just has to included that doing it this way is a LONG process and by no means one that will happen in a 90 day span.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

JoRocka wrote: »

moyer566 wrote: »

Burt_Huttz wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

moyer566 wrote: »

don't worry about the toning semantics people

yoga, pilates, body weight, resistance training, barre

Correct terminology is okay to learn.

yup, doesn't even exist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_tone

really?
toning

did you even read that?

Don't be silly @JoRocka reading comprehension and understanding context is not a widely used skill on MFP, have more realistic expectations.