“I want to tone my arms and chest” are common statements we hear from guys who come in and speak to us at our gym facility.
How many people do you know who spend hours each week using cardio machines, countless stomach exercises and bicep curls in an attempt to get a toned stomach or firm looking arms. When you say the word “tone”, what you should be saying is that you would like to have less body fat so that your muscles are firmer, shaped and are more visible.
If you want to develop a better body shape, the definition will be coming from getting leaner, and the shape and firmness will come from building more muscle mass over a period of time. Have you ever found yourself losing lots of weight, yet you still don’t have a hard “toned” shape? Well, that’s because you’ve more likely burned off a good amount of muscle (remember its muscle that will give you shape).
READ MORE: Why quick fad diets won’t really work
Be warned though, crash weight loss diets are the quickest way to lose your shape. For those of you who think simply changing your rep ranges to higher numbers will help tone. Think again.
Whilst taking shorter rest periods can help with increase endurance of the muscle, you should really be focusing on your diet, an effective weight training programme and perhaps some level of supplementary cardio to address excess body fat levels.
So, ditch the “toning” myth we’ve been lead to believe for so long and keep focusing on getting stronger in the gym, build muscle tissue, be smart with your nutrition, and focus on reducing body fat levels if you want to get leaner and see more shape.
If you struggle to lose body fat and stick to a weights programme by yourself fill out a Contact Form and we’ll be touch.
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