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Basics of toning vs building mass

micheleg77 Posts: 11 Joined: 2001/09/25	2001/10/21, 01:27 PM I am new to weight training and am trying to lose weight and tone my body. Could someone tell me the basics about how you tone muscles without building mass? Appreciate the lesson!
ken30307 Posts: 51 Joined: 2001/10/16	2001/10/21, 04:39 PM Mi Michelle, great question! The basic thing about toning vs building is lighter weights and more reps....but some say that there is really no difference between toning a muscle and building a muscle...just that when you use lighter wieghts and more reps that the muscle just grows more slowly. The more I think about it, the more I believe them. I don't think that there is a difference on the cellular level. Women seem to ask this question a lot because most don't want to get big and muscular..but I never met anyone who grew big muscles accidently!
Arnold Posts: 1,112 Joined: 2000/11/27	2001/10/21, 05:34 PM There is a misconception that building mass comes with ease.. when in reality it takes years and years of commitment - so don't worry. But the main things to keep in mind when 'toning' is the goal: 1. Include cardio - 15 to 30 minutes following workouts 2. Stay away from 'MASS Builders' such as; squats, deadlifts, etc. 3. Keep your repetitions in the range of 10-15. Toning includes LARGE commitment to diet! If you need advice on diet let me know.. .o0 Arnold 0o.
micheleg77 Posts: 11 Joined: 2001/09/25	2001/10/22, 11:00 AM Thanks for the info! I've seen some postings that say you should use the heaviest weight you can use while still being able to complete the number of reps that is called for. My sets all start with 20 reps and I usually use 5lb dumbells. I am able to complete my whole set (20, 16, 15, 14reps), but just barely. I am really pushing myself to complete all of them. Is this ok? Or should I use more weight and not be able to complete my whole set? As for nutrition; I am eating 1400 - 1500 cal per day. hey consist of fat free yogurt, bagels, salads, fat free lunchmeat, fat free pudding, and diet and protein bars. Does this sound ok? Thank you so much for your input. It is so nice to have knowledgable people to turn to. So far, I'm down 12lbs and have 34 more to go. I believe free trainers is a big reason why I've made it this far!
ken30307 Posts: 51 Joined: 2001/10/16	2001/10/22, 06:29 PM I'd say give yourself a range... you are just building a habit now..I wouldn't push yourself too much at this moment. You are learning the exercises, getting comfortable with the weights and stuff like that. Regarding your nutrition...Just for a day..keep track of what you eat to be sure that you are in your range of protein, carbs, and FAT TOO.. You know, I've lost the most amount of weight when I stopped paying so much attention to fat. The reality is that calories are calories...and I have a sweet tooth..so I allow myself one sweet a day (and it's usually a REAL sweet like a brownie...and that's EVERY DAY. I would shoot for about 500 calories less than your suggested maintence ammount..or you'll shift your body into "starvation mode" which will lower your metabolism..exactly what you DON'T want. Sounds great..I'm inspired by you! Ken
micheleg77 Posts: 11 Joined: 2001/09/25	2001/10/24, 08:39 AM Thanks for the advice. For a suggested maintenance amount of calories...would that be the amount FT gives in their nutrition plan? I ask because they say 2200 cal per day. By eating 1400 to 1500 a day, working out with my FT program, and walking 3-4 days a week, I'm losing about 1lb per week. I was hoping to bring it to 2lbs a week so this process will go faster! But, I don't want my body to go into starvation mode. I read somewhere that by dropping your cal by 1000 per day for a week, you will lose 2lbs. Any other advise from anyone?? And Ken, as for a brownie a day...that sounds great! But what I miss the most is a beer during the Sunday football games!! And just reading that I could inspire anyone, made my day!! Thanks. Michele
ken30307 Posts: 51 Joined: 2001/10/16	2001/10/24, 10:19 AM Michele, I would stick to the 1 pound a week strategy...let me tell you why. (1) you'll feel less restricted and be more likely to stick to your program (2) it's going to be really cold soon, so when it gets warmer, you can reveal the new you! It's easier to reach big goals with small steps. I've tried to loose 2lbs or more a week and end up getting frustrated...plus I know that when I'm frustrated..I fall off my workout! Good luck! Ken
ltroisi Posts: 764 Joined: 2001/11/06	2001/11/07, 11:21 PM The advice is all good. Take a closer look at your diet as that will make a big difference in how you look. There are many sites that you can learn from. First replace the bagels with a slice of whole grain bread , lose the fat free lunchmeat and replace it with fresh chicken turkey tuna (processed meats are LOADED with sodium preservatives). In place of fat free pudding try making a pudding with a protein powder or at least add a spoon to it. Check the pudding for sugar, thats worse than the fat! And finally eat the protein bars as emergency food or occasional snack. Not all bars are good for you so read all the labels. A good rule of thumb is the "cleaner" the food the better it will fit into your nutrtion goals.
sugarmom Posts: 4 Joined: 2001/08/29	2001/11/07, 10:47 PM Hi, I am kinda new also at weight training and have done trainging for about four months now and still see no results,what am I doing wrong. My body is getting toned up but I want to build mass...What can I do..
Philia2 Posts: 4,078 Joined: 2001/10/19	2001/11/08, 02:56 AM Maybe you don't eat enough. If you're strictly following an exercise program for lean muscle mass and you still don't get any results, you need to look at your diet. Have you calculated how much proteins you need? Do you eat 5-6 times per day? Secondly maybe your body has got used to the exercises you're doing (if you haven't changed for four months!). Then you need to change your program.