"TONING"
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tgzerozone
Posts: 160
As I stated before. This term is so misunderstood and mis-used that I feel for the people that are told by whoever that they should do high rep low weights to "tone" up. As stated many times over by many different people (Wonder why it hasn't sunk in with everyone yet), it is nonsense.
I have a good article on the net that I would love to post completely but due to the direction in language etc on the article, I thought I'd take out the important part, edit it, and quote it. Hope this helps. Please stop "toning" get off your behind, and lift some heavy weights.
Quote below:
"When people (That knows something) are talking about toning, they're referring to myogenic tone, also known as tonus. This phenomenon's essentially a state of partial contraction of a muscle, and that includes both smooth and striated muscle(1)- you'll find a S$%tload of articles on Pubmed referring to the myogenic tone of the the vascular system, for instance. So basically, once you've achieved tonus, you're constantly flexing a bit, unconsciously. Tonic innervation, as it's called, is achieved in one of two ways- by improving neural efficiency and by stimulating fast twitch muscle fibers. You know how you do that? You lift very heavy weights for low reps. To rehash a bit, however, the former head coach of the Bulgarian Olympic Weightlifting team, Ivan Abadjiev, stated that "Consistent training with high intensity loadings can increase the density of nerve impulse that can be generated by the central nervous system. Over time this allows the athlete to recruit a greater percentage of their higher threshold muscle fibres and hence significantly improve power output. Additionally, there is evidence that Type IIa muscle fibres can actually be converted to the more powerful Type IIb fibre type. Abadjiev states that these adaptations are best achieved when loadings are near maximal."(2) High reps, conversely, stimulate slow twitch muscle fibers (Type I). These fibers, being less dense than high twitch fibers, will engorge with blood, giving anyone with a preponderance of them a pumped look when they lift. They won't maintain that look, however, which is why you'll see guys like Triple H walking around on the street and think he's a biker who plays pickup basketball in his free time, whereas you'd see a powerlifter like Joe Ladnier looking almost exactly the same walking around the mall as he would in the gym."
I have a good article on the net that I would love to post completely but due to the direction in language etc on the article, I thought I'd take out the important part, edit it, and quote it. Hope this helps. Please stop "toning" get off your behind, and lift some heavy weights.
Quote below:
"When people (That knows something) are talking about toning, they're referring to myogenic tone, also known as tonus. This phenomenon's essentially a state of partial contraction of a muscle, and that includes both smooth and striated muscle(1)- you'll find a S$%tload of articles on Pubmed referring to the myogenic tone of the the vascular system, for instance. So basically, once you've achieved tonus, you're constantly flexing a bit, unconsciously. Tonic innervation, as it's called, is achieved in one of two ways- by improving neural efficiency and by stimulating fast twitch muscle fibers. You know how you do that? You lift very heavy weights for low reps. To rehash a bit, however, the former head coach of the Bulgarian Olympic Weightlifting team, Ivan Abadjiev, stated that "Consistent training with high intensity loadings can increase the density of nerve impulse that can be generated by the central nervous system. Over time this allows the athlete to recruit a greater percentage of their higher threshold muscle fibres and hence significantly improve power output. Additionally, there is evidence that Type IIa muscle fibres can actually be converted to the more powerful Type IIb fibre type. Abadjiev states that these adaptations are best achieved when loadings are near maximal."(2) High reps, conversely, stimulate slow twitch muscle fibers (Type I). These fibers, being less dense than high twitch fibers, will engorge with blood, giving anyone with a preponderance of them a pumped look when they lift. They won't maintain that look, however, which is why you'll see guys like Triple H walking around on the street and think he's a biker who plays pickup basketball in his free time, whereas you'd see a powerlifter like Joe Ladnier looking almost exactly the same walking around the mall as he would in the gym."
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Replies
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i get what you're saying, but who cares what people want to call it and if it's the correct term or not. you know what they mean, they know what they mean.
i dont get why people get so offended by this term.
maybe i have a different perspective on this because my midwestern grandmother insists on calling bell peppers mangoes. i've long since given up on trying to correct her or bring her the actual fruit. now when i'm in town and she asks me to pick her up a mango for the spaghetti sauce, i just go ahead and get the green bell pepper.0 -
i get what you're saying, but who cares what people want to call it and if it's the correct term or not. you know what they mean, they know what they mean.
i dont get why people get so offended by this term.
maybe i have a different perspective on this because my midwestern grandmother insists on calling bell peppers mangoes. i've long since given up on trying to correct her or bring her the actual fruit. now when i'm in town and she asks me to pick her up a mango for the spaghetti sauce, i just go ahead and get the green bell pepper.
LOL that's so cute. ^_^
OP, I understand your frustration, but people don't really have another word that describes 'lean with visible, firm muscle mass under the skin'. So they use 'toned'. Heck, even I say it sometimes to my bf! He doesn't know what real tone is.0 -
Granted the responses, but that is not the whole deal.
It is about people not understanding what is related to the term and how to achieve what they want, and then going out and lifting 1 pound dumbbells for 15 reps.0 -
Granted the responses, but that is not the whole deal.
It is about people not understanding what is related to the term and how to achieve what they want, and then going out and lifting 1 pound dumbbells for 15 reps.
Ahhh. Well yes, that I agree with. I do super low reps for my legs because they're some meaty hamhocks and I don't need any hypertrophy. But I do 8-12 and lots of drop sets on my upper body because I do want some hypertrophy there. Lo and behold, my legs stay the same and my shoulders are starting to pop.0 -
Granted the responses, but that is not the whole deal.
It is about people not understanding what is related to the term and how to achieve what they want, and then going out and lifting 1 pound dumbbells for 15 reps.
wait.....................that won't work????0 -
Granted the responses, but that is not the whole deal.
It is about people not understanding what is related to the term and how to achieve what they want, and then going out and lifting 1 pound dumbbells for 15 reps.
wait.....................that won't work????
Aw man, and I had just invested in a brand new set of pink Hello Kitty 2lb weights! Bummer!0 -
i get what you're saying, but who cares what people want to call it and if it's the correct term or not. you know what they mean, they know what they mean.
i dont get why people get so offended by this term.
maybe i have a different perspective on this because my midwestern grandmother insists on calling bell peppers mangoes. i've long since given up on trying to correct her or bring her the actual fruit. now when i'm in town and she asks me to pick her up a mango for the spaghetti sauce, i just go ahead and get the green bell pepper.
I LOVE this! I live in the midwest, and my grandmother would call fruits and vegetables the wrong thing all of the time too. Once I realized it, I'd just go get what I knew she meant. Very cute.0 -
i get what you're saying, but who cares what people want to call it and if it's the correct term or not. you know what they mean, they know what they mean.
i dont get why people get so offended by this term.
maybe i have a different perspective on this because my midwestern grandmother insists on calling bell peppers mangoes. i've long since given up on trying to correct her or bring her the actual fruit. now when i'm in town and she asks me to pick her up a mango for the spaghetti sauce, i just go ahead and get the green bell pepper.
LOL that's so cute. ^_^
OP, I understand your frustration, but people don't really have another word that describes 'lean with visible, firm muscle mass under the skin'. So they use 'toned'. Heck, even I say it sometimes to my bf! He doesn't know what real tone is.
exactly. i think it's more an issue of misinformation about women and lifting weights. i used to work out with a girl friend who was deathly afraid of weight lifting because she heard it would make her bulky. i convinced her to pick up a weight heavier than 5 pounds by saying it was "toning" .:laugh: it worked too.
2 years later, she's now "toning" faithfully lost tons of weight and slimmed down. recently we shared a laugh when she admitted that she was pissed at me when she finally realized that had convinced her to be a weight lifter by calling it something else.
:devil: mouhahahahahahahahaha :smokin:0 -
Toning is just a fluff word, like "sculpting". You lose/gain fat and muscle. That's really all there is.0
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i get what you're saying, but who cares what people want to call it and if it's the correct term or not. you know what they mean, they know what they mean.
i dont get why people get so offended by this term.
maybe i have a different perspective on this because my midwestern grandmother insists on calling bell peppers mangoes. i've long since given up on trying to correct her or bring her the actual fruit. now when i'm in town and she asks me to pick her up a mango for the spaghetti sauce, i just go ahead and get the green bell pepper.
LOL that's so cute. ^_^
OP, I understand your frustration, but people don't really have another word that describes 'lean with visible, firm muscle mass under the skin'. So they use 'toned'. Heck, even I say it sometimes to my bf! He doesn't know what real tone is.
exactly. i think it's more an issue of misinformation about women and lifting weights. i used to work out with a girl friend who was deathly afraid of weight lifting because she heard it would make her bulky. i convinced her to pick up a weight heavier than 5 pounds by saying it was "toning" .:laugh: it worked too.
2 years later, she's now "toning" faithfully lost tons of weight and slimmed down. recently we shared a laugh when she admitted that she was pissed at me when she finally realized that had convinced her to be a weight lifter by calling it something else.
:devil: mouhahahahahahahahaha :smokin:
Bahahaha that 's too funny!0 -
Some examples:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/541582-want-to-tone-up-and-have-definition-but-not-look-muscly?error_user_id=7102605&error_username=tgzerozone&hl=toning (Tone but not get overly muscly? huh?)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/519639-benefits-of-lifting-low-weight-high-reps?error_user_id=7102605&error_username=tgzerozone&hl=high+reps (One post stating high reps low weight will make them look lean instead of bulky. HUH?)0 -
i get what you're saying, but who cares what people want to call it and if it's the correct term or not. you know what they mean, they know what they mean.
i dont get why people get so offended by this term.
maybe i have a different perspective on this because my midwestern grandmother insists on calling bell peppers mangoes. i've long since given up on trying to correct her or bring her the actual fruit. now when i'm in town and she asks me to pick her up a mango for the spaghetti sauce, i just go ahead and get the green bell pepper.
LOL that's so cute. ^_^
OP, I understand your frustration, but people don't really have another word that describes 'lean with visible, firm muscle mass under the skin'. So they use 'toned'. Heck, even I say it sometimes to my bf! He doesn't know what real tone is.
exactly. i think it's more an issue of misinformation about women and lifting weights. i used to work out with a girl friend who was deathly afraid of weight lifting because she heard it would make her bulky. i convinced her to pick up a weight heavier than 5 pounds by saying it was "toning" .:laugh: it worked too.
2 years later, she's now "toning" faithfully lost tons of weight and slimmed down. recently we shared a laugh when she admitted that she was pissed at me when she finally realized that had convinced her to be a weight lifter by calling it something else.
:devil: mouhahahahahahahahaha :smokin:
Haha nicely done! You have more patience than I do hahah
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What about the people, such as myself, that has lifted heavy in the past and was a competitive swimmer through college? All of my muscle didn't just magically vanish because I gained 25 pounds. It was still there, underneath all of the fat. So for me, utilizing my muscles through body weight resistance and light weights has helped me MAINTAIN my muscle that I have worked so hard for while I've been losing fat from changing my diet.
While I agree with lifting heavy, it just isn't always applicable and incredibly variable. Especially for those (like myself) that have the tendency to gain muscle mass very easily. I was that built 12 year old girl that no one could understand why she was so muscular. A lot of it has to do with genetics, diet and hormones.
While I agree that the term "toning" is dumb, muscle is muscle regardless. I just don't think lifting heavy is always necessary in every situation.0 -
What about the people, such as myself, that has lifted heavy in the past and was a competitive swimmer through college. All of my muscle didn't just magically vanish because I gained 25 pounds. It was still there, underneath all of the fat. So for me, utilizing my muscles through body weight resistance and light weights has helped me MAINTAIN my muscle that I have worked so hard for while I've been losing fat from changing my diet.
While I agree with lifting heavy, it isn't always applicable. Especially to those (like myself) that have the tendency to gain muscle mass very easily. I was that built 12 year old girl that no one could understand why she was so muscular. A lot of it has to do with genetics, diet and hormones.
Actually lifting has very little (almost nothing) to do with maintaining muscle mass. It's about caloric deficit. No matter how much you lift, if your deficit is too large, you'll lose it. And if you go from lifting heavy to doing super high reps with light weights, your fiber type will change.0 -
What about the people, such as myself, that has lifted heavy in the past and was a competitive swimmer through college. All of my muscle didn't just magically vanish because I gained 25 pounds. It was still there, underneath all of the fat. So for me, utilizing my muscles through body weight resistance and light weights has helped me MAINTAIN my muscle that I have worked so hard for while I've been losing fat from changing my diet.
While I agree with lifting heavy, it isn't always applicable. Especially to those (like myself) that have the tendency to gain muscle mass very easily. I was that built 12 year old girl that no one could understand why she was so muscular. A lot of it has to do with genetics, diet and hormones.
Actually lifting has very little (almost nothing) to do with maintaining muscle mass. It's about caloric deficit. No matter how much you lift, if your deficit is too large, you'll lose it. And if you go from lifting heavy to doing super high reps with light weights, your fiber type will change.
Fair enough. That is why I always make sure I am getting enough protein and eating an appropriate amount for my BMR and TDEE. Either way, I'm trying to say that my muscle isn't just withering away because I haven't been lifting heavy. My body fat percentage has dropped along with my weight and that in itself should be proof.0 -
I'm 49, about 116 pounds and I've never done any formal exercising in my life. To say that I'm out of shape is a major understatemtent.
I've been doing Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack for 3 weeks now. Three weeks! And I STILL can only do 20 minutes of the beginner session. It's pathetic. My muscles literally lock up and I can't do the moves.
So with that in mind, how could I possibly lift weights? I'd love to since people say it works, but I don't want to hurt myself either. I have to be extra careful of my back and neck.
Shouldn't I get in halfway decent shape with the workout dvd before I try to lift?0 -
Not knowing exactly what the workout DVD is about (As far as I know it is a type aerobic light weight exercise DVD)
I've heard great stories about the JM dvd's but as far as I can understand, they help you drop fat (As you indicated your bodyfat % went down). This will cause the muscles that you already have to be more visible. Nothing happened with the muscles, you just got rid of the fat around it.
Keep it up though, as said, I have nothing against them.
EDIT: Further, not knowing how tall your are, 116 should be fine shape to start lifting weights. If you are not VERY short, then surely you don't have much fat around and already in pretty good shape.0 -
I'm 5'5". The DVD focuses on abs with cardio in between sets. I'm close to being happy with my weight, but I'm pathetically weak. I'm really intrigued about what I'm hearing. I think lifting might be something I want to try in the near future. Thanks.0
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You should.
As said, not knowing much about the JM workouts, from what I have heard, I would be willing to say that results are not going to much different if you do not use any weights at all. I would imagine using weights make you burn more energy which in turn makes you burn more fat. Good for burning the fat yes, but not building any muscle.0
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