Women - Get Toned with Muscle!

The majority of men I train have a goal of increasing muscle, while my female clients want to be more “toned.”  Well, “toned” means MUSCLE!  One cannot be toned without muscle.   Women are more likely to perform cardiovascular activity and exclude strength training.  Cardiovascular exercise is definitely beneficial, but it is just one component of an exercise program.  To increase muscle (aka being toned) you have to work your muscles harder than what they are accustomed to working.  I’ve had clients who want to lift three pound dumbbells during a personal training session, but they lift 25 pounds of dog food or 10 pounds of gardening soil throughout the week.  The three pound dumbbell will do nothing to improve their fitness level since they are already working harder while performing their daily activities. 

 The secret (it’s not really a secret) to looking toned is to increase muscle!  Women are often reluctant to strength train due to the fear of getting big and bulky muscles.  Fear not!  Most women do not

produce enough testosterone or have the genetics to become bulky.

I recommend strength training two or three days a week (make sure to have a rest day between workouts) - perform 8-10 different exercises (work the major muscle groups).  For the first week or two just do 8-15 repetitions for each exercise (this is called a set).  If you can lift more than 15 repetitions the weight is too easy and you should lift a heavier weight.  Pick up a weight, if it’s too light, pick up a heavier weight.  Don’t pay attention to the number, pay attention to how it feels.  The last few repetitions should be challenging, but always done in good form.

I like to use cotton and pennies to illustrate the difference between fat and muscle.  Let’s say I have 15 cotton balls that represent fat.  They are light, fluffy, and take up space.  Now, I have 15 pennies.  They are firm, compact, and take up a lot less space than the cotton!  What would you rather have – cotton or fat?  I’d rather have a lot of pennies! 

Muscle also burns more calories than fat.  One pound of fat only burns approximately 2 calories per day while one pound of untrained muscle burns approximately 5.8 calories per day; one pound of trained muscle burns 7.3 calories per day (Bryant & Green, 2010).

 

References:

Bryant, C.X., & Green, D.J. (2010). ACE personal trainer manual (4^th ed). San Diego: American

     Council on Exercise.