It’s a trope I see in fitness magazines, online and in-person discussions about fitness. Women want to get “toned.” Hell, I have even said it myself, before becoming a certified personal trainer. But the truth is that getting a lean and defined physique means you have to build muscle while losing fat.
Yet many women upon hearing that think, “I don’t want to bulk up. I want to lean out.” As a result, they often eschew heavy weights and take up running or some form of high-impact cardio in hopes of getting “toned.”
The word itself perpetuates a myth that frustrates many fitness professionals. Muscles do not get hard or soft—they either shrink or grow in size. In other words, muscles themselves do not "firm-up" or "tone” — they change size and your appearance at the same time.
Let’s look at the science behind this. When you lift at a certain level of intensity, your muscles respond by breaking down (what we call micro-tears) and then rebuild. That isn’t to say that you’re gonna get ripped overnight. On the contrary, It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and calculation to make those intense gains. A plan and consistent adherence will take you far, however. That’s why I recommend at least 4 days of strength training a week (2 times upper body and 2 times lower body) to increase muscle mass and achieve and sustain a healthy body composition.
But know how much and how quickly your muscles react to this stimulus is really individualized. The extent of that growth will vary based on a number of factors, such as genetics. so not everyone will get the same results. That’s why two people can do the same routine and not look the same.
Bottom line? Don’t be resistant to resistance training! Your goals can be within reach once you understand the basics of kinesiology. Better yet, work with a certified personal trainer and you can get a plan in place that will deliver realistic results.