I just want to tone, I don’t want to get big
by dailymuscle on January 9, 2006
Getting toned. I’ve been hearing this being said too often - especially by women. Then I came across a statement on ‘toning up’ in Mun’s blog today (where he says ‘If you want to tone the muscle, use a light weight‘) - and I think I need to say something to prevent more people from being misled by this term.
Toning, or firming-up is a result of an an increase in muscle tissue as well as a low enough bodyfat percentage to actually ‘reveal’ the definition/shape of the muscles and eliminate the wobbly ‘jelly’ effect.
Now, are you ready for the eye-opener?
Muscles do not go from soft to hard or from hard to soft - they either shrink or grow bigger. Muscles DO NOT “firm-up” or “tone“!
Surprised? Don’t be.
So how do I get ‘toned’ then?
In order to achieve the look of a ‘toned body’, you need to engage in strength training as well as shed that layer of fat covering your muscles, and there are no two ways about it.
Just because you are not looking to get “bulky” or add muscle mass - it doesn’t mean that you should avoid stressing your muscles with relatively heavy weights (yes, this goes for both WOMEN and MEN). Your muscles need to be stressed in order for them to change and grow. And women - don’t be worried about getting ‘bulky’ - your body lacks the male hormone to do so (testosterone). Even men who HAVE testosterone find it difficult to bulk up, so trust me on this.
So the next time somebody tells you that t hey just want to ‘get toned and not get big‘, they’re actually saying “I really don’t wanna work hard/watch my diet, but just want a great body.” Sorry people… but it doesn’t work like that.
Your friend and coach,
DM
Read also:
- Real Life Stories - I Just Want to Tone, I Don’t Want to Get Big
- Should You Just Stick To Cardio & Lift Light Weights To Transform Your Physique?
- I’m Just A Woman - I Don’t Want to Build Muscle!
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Yeah. I have the same problem too. I always wanna look less flabby and remove those butterflies under my arms. But I noticed that once I started doing some exercise, instead of shrinking, it builds up. Any advice?
Jessica - very rarely do women ‘bulk up’ like men as they lack the male hormone (testosterone) to do so. However, if you are indeed ‘bulking up’, I wouldnt worry too much about it if I were you.
Normally, when you first start resistance training (weights/exercises), you may gain a few pounds which is from the growth of lean muscle tissue. This is fantastic because your muscles are the ‘engine’ that burns your calories and maintains your metobolic rate. More muscle will only tighten and cause you to appear more ‘toned’ and there’s a limit to how much muscle you will gain, so don’t worry if initial results (clothes seem tighter, etc) seem otherwise. (Of course, if the weight is from excess fat from eating too much, then that’s another story.)
Also, bump up your cardio (see my post on “Can you get rid of trouble spots with the right exercise?”) and stick to your program - don’t give up! I assure you, you will see results. :)
hi there…i just wanna clarify that when women say “bulk-up” we do not mean Incredible hulk. women are very sensitive towards bulks……i guess when we say ” i duwanna look bulky, i just wanna tone up” literally can be translated as ” i duwanna look like serena williams, i wanna look like jessica alba. :>”
heh…..okay, anyway…….normally ladies are afraid of gym bcos we duwanna look muscular. We like to look faminine. But no with no flabs. so i really dunno whats the solution. perhaps u can shed some light.
Fashionasia: Serena Williams has a lean and muscular physique… but probably a bit too ‘muscular’ for most people. One of the reasons she is able to achieve such levels of muscular development is partially due to her genetics… So for an Asian woman.. try as hard as you may.. it will be very difficult to end up looking like her.. try as hard as you want.
So whatever your goals are, you should not let the fear of getting ‘muscular’ stop you from giving your best… cos all you’re doing is shortchanging yourself. Never have I EVER come across anyone who has complained that they grew ‘too much muscle’ or ‘overtoned’ their body because they pushed too hard in the gym. But what I do hear all the time.. is the ‘fear’ of getting muscular and stories of those who don’t succeed. See a trend here? Don’t be afraid of heavy weights.
So, to answer your question, basically do what I’ve always been preaching on my site - Lift sufficient weights + sufficient cardio + a sensible food intake, and you will see results. There’s no magic formula.
fashionasia: let’s go back to basic..high level of testosterone build muscle…high calories build muscle…if u hav enough these two things…u r goin to build muscle…ask urself if ur testosterone level is high or r u eating out on fast food and fried stuff lately…if not…then u r nowhere near of bulking up…dun worry…having a good figure like jessica alba is not hard…the solution is to train consistently, eat consistently and have a good rest…set a goal for urself…start slowly….try to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week…eat 5-6 ‘healthy’ small meals a day…ur body is like a wood stove…u have to keep a log on the fire all day long to keep it alive…dun give excuse to skip training(stop bein a naughty girl or i’ll spank u)…lol…this is just some free advice…workout should b enjoyable…
eiji22: Well said.
Fashionasia: You gonna get spanked! :P
ho ho ho….thanks for the spankings!! :>
im terrified to join gym + no time + lotsa excuses i conjure up…..
but last year i manage to shed like 4kgs by just going green for 3 days and then skipping meals here n there…buttsss….. cant do that long term. i crave thee glorious food!! heh
I agree that most women don’t ‘bulk up’, and they shouldn’t shy away from weight training, and the idea of not eating is rediculous. However, unlike most women, i DO have the problem of to muscular arms. I’m very thin, and my arm muscles are very ‘toned’, not covered by any fat. They are just way to huge- like rediculouslly definited huge male body builder arms on a tiny little body. While i don’t want to compromise my strength and am proud of it, i am tired of being “man arms”, and just want them to shrink a few inches. i want to look more feminine. is there any exercises i can do that will make them still strong but smaller?
Jackie: Way too huge? Have you got a second opinion before or is that just you talking… ? I’ve never come across anyone so far who wanted to lose their muscle mass - you’re officially the first. Instead of concentrating on losing the mass on your arms, has it ever occurred to you that you could also add some mass to the rest of your body to compensate for the ‘differeence’ ? Muscle tissue is your friend! I just can’t imagine anyone wanting to lose it…
I have the same problem Jackie does! I think my arms look terrible. I completely overdid it at the gym this summer. A few of my insensitive co-workers even crack jokes about my unusually muscular arms and it’s really starting to get to me. I would say my arms are only slightly bulkier than the rest of me, though, but that isn’t saying much because I am one muscular lady! I definitely want to lose some of the mass in my arms and throughout my body, but I’m continuing to weight train a few days a week because I want the mass that I lose to be fat and not muscle. Hopefully that will make me look more feminine since I’ll be toned and not bulky. My fingers are crossed, but no matter what, I’m a weight training maniac for life!
It HAS occured to me that I could increase my body mass elsewhere, to make myself look proportioned. but here’s the problem- i dont want to! i’m very very happy with the rest of my body! i’m ripped everywhere with long lean muscles, and i look good! why change the 90% of my body that i’m happy with to make my arms look normal and proportioned with the rest of my body? That seems slightly backwards to me. I dont want to be a body builder, that’s why I came here. I’m not talking about extreme shrinking here; as i said previously, i’m proud of my muscles. But i would like to tone them down. As far as getting a second opinion, is it not MY goals that are important, not what everyone else thinks? But for the record, they think my arms are huge too. All my male friends sadly claim that my biceps are bigger than theirs.. and they are. The last time i wore a dress my friends told me to flex and took pictures and laughed and thought it was kind of sickening. As entertaining as that is, it’s kind of… not. Why on earth do i need my biceps to be the same size as my neck?
Thora: It’s good to know that you’ve got the right attitude and understanding of weight training. Well done! How’s progress coming along? Do update us okay? All the best.
Jackie: If only everyone felt the same way you do, the fitness world would be a far less confusing place than what it has become today. :) Well done on your progress!
I’ve learned that even though I thought I looked terrible when I started weight training, because I thought I looked too bulky, I just needed to press on. I thought I looked bigger, and therefore fatter, because my muscles has grown, but my fat stores had not really budged. You are going to be “thicker” when you first start, but once you get your percentage of body fat down, the nice lean muscle mass is more visible and you look tight and fit instead of big and bulky. Women just have to get over the weight-training “hump”. They have to trust that what they are doing is healthy and not making them fatter, though the mirror and the scale may initially tell them differently. That is what I did and I couldn’t be happier. I am skinnier yet much more muscular than before. It just takes a lot of trust and perseverance. Doing yoga has also really helped me get into the mindset of listening to and trusting my body and knowing what’s best for me. WOMEN NEEDN’T BE AFRAID OF WEIGHTS. I once was and discovered that it just isn’t worth it to sacrifice health for fear of being “big”. I am NOT big. I am a fit, balanced, and whole human being, completely in touch and in harmony with my body. And all this because I got over my fears and picked up the weights. YOU CAN DO IT TOO! Good luck to all you women who want a better life.
Thora: That is powerful, incredible advice. Thank you.
1 answer to this
circuit training
kwong_wai_yi@hotmail.com
DailyMuscle,
I am a runner and already have a musclar build. I was a sprinter thoughout high school and college. Now I am running longer distances for myself. However, my body is not like the typical distance runner. I have an athletic, somewhat muscular build. Sometimes my legs get heavy, making me wish I has smaller thighs. I’d like to carry less weight around. Presently, I avoid doing squats or heavy lifting. Like what you described above, I’m a victim of higher reps and light weight training. Not that I am fat, but my goal would be to have slimmer thighs. With my athletic build, it can be hard to find a decent pair of jeans or khakis. So my question is, if I am already muscular, what exercises can I do to tighten or slim down my legs? Thanks.
wow. thank you so much !
i learnt alot reading the comments left by others.
i’m asian (thaichinese), fourteen & about 5″3.
the doc said i would probably go 1 or 2 inches taller and that’s it.
i guess there goes my dream of becoming a model.
anyway, thanks for shedding the light on weights & stuff.
i was really worried of becoming a short, stocky “fat” chinese girl.
so i did some exercises my friends told me about & i started developing “hard” & “thicker” thighs & i got worried so i skipped out.
but right now, since i do not have the help of professionals, i stuck to simple jump rope, swimming and also yoga as well as dancing & a healthy protein diet & i’ve slimmed down a little.
anyway, i’m not so afraid of getting fat but rather short.
i’m still quite insecure about being labelled a shorty, so i know this is completely irrelavant to this post and all.
i’ve heard people taking human growth hormone pills and surgeries to lengthen legs and stuff.
but i don’t think i’ll have access to those here in Malaysia so i was wondering.
dailymuscle, is there any SPECIAL exercises to increase my height?
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