I want to tone up
“I WANT TO BE MORE TONED”
I hear this line everyday. I don’t think I have had a client yet who hasn’t told me that they want to be more toned. BUT what does this really mean?!?!
ACCORDING TO DICTIONARY.COM THE DEFINITION OF TONED IS:
Verb (used with object), toned, toning:
To sound with a particular tone
To give the proper tone to (a musical instrument)
To modify the tone or general colouring of
To give the desired tone to (a painting, drawing, etc.)
Photography. to change the colour of (a print), especially by chemical means
To render as specified in tone or colouring
To modify the tone or character of.
There is nothing here that relates whatsoever to the way in which it is so commonly used. “Oh you’re looking so toned!” or “I don’t want to lose weight, I just want to tone up.”
ANYONE ELSE CONFUSED? WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TONED?
I believe what we really mean is I want more definition. Definition is a combination of muscle and body fat. So to have definition we need to build up the muscle underneath and reduce the body fat on top.
Why do we need to do both? Because if we just reduce the body fat there wont be any ‘tone’ it will be just lose skin, cue skinny fat. Therefore we need to include weighted exercises to build up the muscle underneath. But when I say this to women the response is normally “Oh but I don’t want to be muscly, I don’t want to lift weights, wont that make me bulky”.
This couldn’t be further from the truth!
Weighted exercises are a way to help you shape your body. You want a killer butt just like Beyonce? Or Khloe Kardashian? Well I can tell you right now they did not get that booty from body weight squats or from running on the treadmill. They got that butt from squatting their hearts out (with added weight!), deadlifts and lunges. Nice arms? Shoulder presses, rows, chest presses. Combine these exercises with some cardio or high intensity exercises and voila! Toned!
Those women body builders that you see, that is years and years and years of very hard work, hours and hours at the gym, very precise nutrition and supplements and some seriously heavy weights. Not something you can get to without help from a professional body building coach.
Don’t be scared to lift heavy weights, don’t stick with the 2kg dumbbells. With proper, form and instruction you can shape your body.
I can help you shape your body, get in touch with me via email at totalbody-pt@outlook.com to arrange a consult.
