Buzz
In fitness communities, the term 'toning' is often met with skepticism, as it’s frequently misused. It can imply achieving a slender physique without adding bulk, or it’s marketed as a cost-effective alternative to gym memberships or equipment.
When the term is used accurately, it refers to having visible muscle definition while maintaining a feminine or lean appearance, as we touched on in our discussion about the fear of getting bulky.
What occurs when you exercise a muscle?
When you challenge your muscles, they adapt and improve. Although the cellular processes during exercise are complex, weight training primarily leads to two key changes in your muscles:
Your ability to activate the muscle improves (neuromuscular adaptations)
The muscle increases in size (hypertrophy)
Only the second change—muscle growth—has a visible effect. Both changes, however, influence your strength and what you can achieve with that muscle. Strength and size gains are interconnected: focusing on one will inevitably lead to improvements in the other. Training for strength results in larger muscles, while building muscle size requires gaining strength.
While the human body is intricate, these two outcomes are the most significant. Other less noticeable effects include:
Enhanced ability of muscles to sustain repeated contractions (muscular endurance)
Calorie expenditure during the workout
These benefits aren’t limited to strength training. Activities like running also help you burn calories and improve endurance.
The last two effects don’t visibly alter your appearance. Endurance levels aren’t something you can see, and while burning calories might lead to fat or muscle loss, it depends on your calorie intake. Exercise alone doesn’t directly reduce body fat.
How can I achieve that 'toned' appearance?
When it comes to visible changes from exercise, there are only two factors we can influence:
Increasing the size of specific muscles through resistance training (like weightlifting)
Consuming fewer calories than you burn while engaging in resistance training to maintain muscle mass, which leads to overall fat loss.
While you can focus on enlarging specific muscles, spot-reducing fat isn’t possible. Fat distribution is largely genetic, meaning exercises targeting areas like the stomach or thighs won’t slim them down. You can build muscle and reduce overall body size by maintaining a calorie deficit, then observe the results.
To clarify another common misconception: You can’t create 'long, lean muscles.' Lean simply refers to low body fat, so achieving a lean look requires fat loss.
Muscle length isn’t something you can alter—it’s determined by bone attachment. Some people desire less rounded muscles or a less pronounced bicep peak, but these traits are genetically determined by tendon length and muscle attachment points.
What is the purpose of a 'toning' workout?
Given what we know, achieving muscle definition while appearing slimmer involves weightlifting and mindful eating. Adding cardio is also beneficial, as it supports overall health and doesn’t hinder muscle growth.
So, what’s the deal with all these 'toning' workouts? Is there a specific rep range for 'toning'? Do you really need lighter weights for 'toning' compared to building muscle? The truth is, these are just marketing tactics to sell products.
Here’s the reality about rep ranges: Performing up to 15 reps effectively builds muscle and strength. Even up to 30 reps can stimulate muscle growth if you push to failure (meaning you can’t complete another rep). Beyond that, or if you stop before failure, you’re not significantly increasing muscle size or strength. You’re improving endurance, but that won’t visibly change your body.
What about weight size? To stay within those effective rep ranges, you need to use weights that feel 'heavy' for you. For beginners, a five-pound bicep curl might be challenging—that’s your 'heavy' for now. As you progress, you’ll need heavier weights. (Note: Different exercises target different muscles, so someone using five pounds for curls will need more weight for goblet squats.)
The same principles apply to bodyweight exercises. If 10 air squats are difficult, they’re helping build muscle in your legs and glutes. But if you can do 50, you’ll need to add weight or switch to a more challenging bodyweight exercise.
“Toning” workouts to steer clear of
If your goal is to get 'toned,' the muscle-building exercises you need are identical to those used to bulk up. The distinction lies in diet and time commitment—building significant muscle requires a surplus of food and years of effort. Even with intense gym sessions, you won’t accidentally become Hulk-sized in a year, which is reassuring for those not aiming for that look.
Therefore, standard strength training is what you need. With that in mind, let’s examine some workouts often marketed as 'toning':
HIIT workouts: Genuine HIIT improves aerobic performance (like running speed) but doesn’t offer unique benefits for calorie burning or muscle growth. Many popular routines aren’t true HIIT but rather circuit training.
Circuit training: This involves performing a sequence of exercises with minimal rest and repeating the cycle. It combines strength and cardio, making it ideal for time-crunched individuals. Crossfit WODs (workout of the day) also fit here. While separating strength and cardio may yield better results, circuit training is effective if you enjoy it.
High-rep exercises with light or no weights: Many booty band and ankle weight routines fall under this category. If they challenge you enough to qualify as strength training, that’s great! However, most don’t, especially beyond the beginner stage. At that point, they primarily build endurance rather than muscle. If you enjoy them or prioritize endurance, go ahead—but they won’t 'tone' your body.
