How to tone up
Do you want to know how to tone up your muscles? Weight training is the best way to tone up. Weight training helps you look good ( and helps with weight loss), cardiovascular training makes you feel good and helps with weight loss. Both together is obviously better, but I would go 70% in favor of weights and 30% of your time dedicated to cardiovascular type training (running, cycling) I am about to share with you 5 key steps of how to tone up and give you an example work out to follow.
How to tone up your muscles using resistance training:
Repetition range
Use a high repetition range for best results. Great results have been achieved with lower repetitions so this is not an absolute rule. (read my post Strength training, How to increase strength without bulk part 2: for runners and triathletes). Between 15 to 30 repetitions are best if you use high repetition training.
Rest period
As a rule of thumb of the lower repetition range (1-6) the longer the rest (3-7 minutes). The higher the repetition range (15+) the shorter the rest (15-30 seconds), and this is because you need to keep the blood flowing through the muscles. You will get a pumped feeling from doing this.
Intensity
Intensity is measured by the percentage of your 1 repetition maximum. This is the amount of weight you can only lift once. A simpler way to gauge your intensity is that when you are doing a set of 30 repetitions it should be a struggle to get to 30. There should be no way that you could carry on to 35, and if you can the weight is too light.
Body weight training vs weight training.
Do both, they are both types of resistance. Whether the weight is external (dumbbell) or your own body weight is irrelevant. The muscles will work to overcome the resistance and in the process tone your body.
Reduce body fat
It’s no good spending hours in the gym working on your body and your diet is poor. Lean bodies are built in the kitchen as well as the gym. Getting your diet right is essential, high protein diets are best for maintaining muscle mass and improving definition.
Topic. How to tone up
Susan Cooper says:
I love the comment about how ineffective a good exercise program is when the person’s diet is poor. A healthy lifestyle is a whole package.
gerald says:
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment
Retha Groenewald says:
Great post. Your explanation is practical, it made sense.
gerald says:
Thank you
Dan Meyers says:
I never realized the reps and wait time were inversely related. I don’t make it to the gym much, so I do much more cardiovascular than weight training.
gerald says:
Glad you enjoyed the post
Krystyna Lagowski says:
I always assumed weight training was just for athletes who wanted to build their biceps. Guess I was wrong! Thanks for setting me straight.
gerald says:
Hi Krystyna. I really appreciate your comment. I really would like to see more women doing weights rather then just running on treadmills. Thanks for stopping by
Rynessa Cutting says:
As a woman I can tell you that I am deathly afraid of becoming muscular. When I go to the gym I’m mostly on the elliptical- I’ve never lifted weights. The thing is, I’m really slim so I don’t need to lose body fat (except for my abdomen)and I just assumed that it would be best if i did cardio. I honestly have not even considered lifting weights, but I’ll check it out now