HEALTH & FITNESS with Les Mills
TONED?
"I want to tone up." Most people think that toning means getting more definition in your muscles. How do you get more definition? By doing more reps with lighter weight? NO! Toning is so murdered if you went to the gym today all you would hear would be "I want to tone up"
What 'Toning' Really Means:
So what is toning? The word tone simply describes the state of your muscles. The tone of your muscles can be changed, especially the resting tone, but it will not come easy - haven’t you heard that before!
Over the years, people have taken the word 'tone' and changed it to mean how lean we are or how defined our muscles appear. So badly in fact that it's even a gender specific word now. Women go to the gym to 'tone up' while men go to the gym to 'Get Big’. Honestly they are the exact same thing. Becoming lean and building muscle requires lifting weights; the difference is in how much you lift.
While you can lift weights to change your body, you're limited as to what you can really change about your muscles. Your muscles either;
1. Get Bigger and/or stronger
2. Get Smaller and/or weaker
Whether you're a man or woman, wanting to bulk up or slim down, you'll do similar kinds of exercises and training methods. The difference lies in the weights, reps and sets you'll do, as well as your calorie intake. This leads me to another common myth.
Spot Training / Reduction
You might say, "I want to tone my thighs, so I'm going to do leg extensions" Fine...you can (and should) work your thigh muscles, but will that get rid of the fat around your thighs? No. If you reduce your calories, lift weights and do some cardio, you can build muscle & lose body fat. You can and will lose it over your thighs. But your body will decide when the fat will go. There are many variable factors here including your genetics, hormonal status and nutrition. Not surprisingly spot training will work on a psychological level – why? It is important to feel the areas of concern; this helps with connecting to your goal and will also improve your adherence and commitment to stick with it.
So, what is the Point?
Instead of focusing on individual body parts, you need to focus on the whole body, working with a cardio and weights routine that ultimately enhances your overall goals. To make this shift in perspective, it helps to know what strength training will do for you:
• You'll build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.
• You'll strengthen muscles and connective tissue which helps you perform better
• You'll preserve muscle mass. Unless we lift weights we all lose muscle as we age.
• You'll build stronger bones.
• You'll improve your flexibility, stability and balance.
Now after all you've read here, you may be wondering exactly what to do to get more definition in your body. The answer is simple: Lose body fat. To lose body fat you need 3 key components: Regular cardio exercise, consistent strength training for all your muscle groups and a healthy, lower calorie diet.
So whatever your goal is, don't be afraid of heavy weights. It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to bulk up, even men find it difficult - you don’t just wake up one morning and suddenly BOOM I’M HUGE!
Written with the assistance of Les Mills Takapuna Personal Training Apprentice Nooroa Packer.
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