How to I tone up without using weights?

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IKilledBambi
IKilledBambi Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm having an issue with trying to maintain my weight and tone up without using weights. Everything I used to include weights in my workout, I get bulky (manish). I can get great definition in my legs without weight, but my upper body is suffering... what can I do? No weights.
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Replies

  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    You get bulky? That's odd.

    Have you tried body-weight exercises? Every heard of the TRX?
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    That's what I was thinking... Bulky?
  • IKilledBambi
    IKilledBambi Posts: 6 Member
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    I am doing body weight exercises, I tend to keep gravitating to my lower body. I've not heard of TRX.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    https://trxtraining.com/?c3api=3300,69624524329,trx&gclid=CKilnYaTw8sCFQEdaQodkkQAAQ
    Doesn't look like much, but fantastic for body weight exercises. Very portable.
  • IKilledBambi
    IKilledBambi Posts: 6 Member
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    Oh nice! I'm going to have to try that.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    A lot of gyms have them, if you'd like to try one out before purchasing.
  • clickers90
    clickers90 Posts: 3 Member
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    Being toned is just a fancy word for more muscle mass, so if being toned is your goal then you would ideally want to focus on lifting heavy weights. No you won't get bulky it will sculpt your physique. Consistency is the key once you get the basic fundamentals right your on to a winner
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,718 Member
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    TRX is great! If possible, get proper instruction on using it at the gym first. The smallest form changes can drastically increase or decrease the effectiveness.

    Also, have you tried using weights for just your upper body? If you feel your legs are fine with body weight only exercises but want to increase muscle definition in your upper body I'd go with lifting.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    What is you calorie intake like? If you eat at a deficit and lift heavy you will not get bulky.
  • IKilledBambi
    IKilledBambi Posts: 6 Member
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    I eat about 1,200 or less for my calories... perhaps the weights that I'm using are too heavy for just toning.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    IKilledBambi wrote: »
    I eat about 1,200 or less for my calories... perhaps the weights that I'm using are too heavy for just toning.

    really now...come on

    eating 1200 or less any weight is too heavy.

    I bench 135 do I look "manish" or "bulky"...

    I squat 200...DL 235....
    BTW I eat 1800 a day cutting 2400 in summer maintaining.

    toned is not a real thing, it's gimmick from the fitness industry.

    google I am my own gym, ice cream fitness or try fitnessblender.com
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    IKilledBambi wrote: »
    I eat about 1,200 or less for my calories... perhaps the weights that I'm using are too heavy for just toning.

    lmao.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
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    I gained 15 pounds over the last year from lifting heavy. I wear the same size clothes I wore last year when I was 15 pounds lighter (they're actually too big but I'm too cheap to buy new pants). I have lots and lots of muscles but I am by no means bulky. Lift heavy and the fat will melt away and you will look thinner.

    And what everyone else said about TRX. It's no joke. One of the toughest leg exercises I do is with a TRX.
  • Mapalicious
    Mapalicious Posts: 412 Member
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    You're not going to get 'bulky' from just adding light weights, that is a complete myth. In fact, it is almost the number 1 myth in every single article I could find on women and weight-lifting.

    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/11/7-strength-training-myths-every-woman-should-know/

    http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm

    http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/2-myths-about-women-and-weight-lifting-debunked



    If you've experienced what appears to be "bulking" when you start weight training, it might actually be that your building muscle w/o losing fat...in which case you need to change your balance. What's been recommended to me is a 1/2 pound a week cut with 1-2 weight training sessions a week alongside other cardio. That's what I'm doing now. There is zero "bulking" and I am a naturally muscular-looking person (if you know what I mean...I show muscle very quickly when I have it...)
  • ash_law
    ash_law Posts: 70 Member
    edited March 2016
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    IKilledBambi wrote: »
    I eat about 1,200 or less for my calories... perhaps the weights that I'm using are too heavy for just toning.

    really now...come on

    eating 1200 or less any weight is too heavy.

    I bench 135 do I look "manish" or "bulky"...

    I squat 200...DL 235....
    BTW I eat 1800 a day cutting 2400 in summer maintaining.

    toned is not a real thing, it's gimmick from the fitness industry.

    google I am my own gym, ice cream fitness or try fitnessblender.com

    @SezxyStef thank you for this, someone needed to say this.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Mapalicious wrote: »
    You're not going to get 'bulky' from just adding light weights, that is a complete myth. In fact, it is almost the number 1 myth in every single article I could find on women and weight-lifting.

    https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/11/7-strength-training-myths-every-woman-should-know/

    http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/womensfitnesstopics/a/womenmyths.htm

    http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/2-myths-about-women-and-weight-lifting-debunked



    If you've experienced what appears to be "bulking" when you start weight training, it might actually be that your building muscle w/o losing fat...in which case you need to change your balance. What's been recommended to me is a 1/2 pound a week cut with 1-2 weight training sessions a week alongside other cardio. That's what I'm doing now. There is zero "bulking" and I am a naturally muscular-looking person (if you know what I mean...I show muscle very quickly when I have it...)

    One more: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/muscle-tone/


    Ain't nobody gettin' bulky on 1200 or less calories per day.
  • IKilledBambi
    IKilledBambi Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you those who gave me good advice without criticism. I'm here for advice and or motivation just like everyone else.
  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
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    It's not criticism, its education.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,243 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/977538/halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky
  • datsundriver87
    datsundriver87 Posts: 186 Member
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    You just have to come to terms that the science of weight lifting is real and even if you don't want to believe it it applies to you. You WILL NOT get bulky eating 1200 calories a day, you could lift 500 pounds and not get bulky eating 1200 calories a day, so one of two things happened you felt like you were getting bulky when really you were losing fat because you are actually eating 1200 calories a day, or (IMO the more likely) you felt like you were getting bulky because your eating over 1200 calories a day and either eating Maintence (which is a very slow process of gaining muscle and losing fat) or eating at a surplus (gaining muscle and fat much quicker). There is no other option unless you have a medical condition and no I'm not criticizing just trying to help you understand the truth

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