getting toned without gaining muscle size

[JENNYZILLA]

Im looking to get toned without gaining alot of muscle,I know cardio is one thing I should do but as far as my training goes.....should I keep my rep range within the 20 -10 range for this or what? I lift from light to heavy(heaviest on my last set)
and im starting to lift heavier.Would lifting heavy with high reps be goodfor my goals?thanks

[MsFit]

Originally posted by JENNYZILLA
Im looking to get toned without gaining alot of muscle,I know cardio is one thing I should do but as far as my training goes.....should I keep my rep range within the 20 -10 range for this or what? I lift from light to heavy(heaviest on my last set)
and im starting to lift heavier.Would lifting heavy with high reps be goodfor my goals?thanks

If gaining muscle was only that simple. Genetics and gender play a big part in weight training/bodybuilding. You will not gain a large amount of muscle in the 10-20 range, unless each set is taken to complete, total failure. Heavy weight in the low rep range, between 4-6 to failure will build the most amount of muscle.
MsFit

[adrenalin18stud]

if your not bulking up, don't eat alot of protein and carbs, eat enough to support your bodyweight, i think its 1g of protein per pound ro something, or 1g per kg or bodyweight.

[ot_saturn]

dont worry bout getting big. Women cant build muscle mass easily without useing supplements. Just do cardio and weight train. Stick to 10 Reps and 2 or 3 sets or somthing. Whatever you do, dont sit on the leg adduction machine and do it for 20 mins while reading a magazine with like 10 pounds on the machine.
-Omar

[Machine]

Just to make sure you know exactly how to tone a muscle, it involves a fair-sized muscle and low bodyfat. So the larger your muscle, the more toned it will appear. Low bodyfat also helps. But building muscle is building muscle, you must lift heavy. The lower the rep range the better (to a point obviously) I'd keep it around 6-12, but no more than 12...

[adrenalin18stud]

Originally posted by ot_saturn
dont worry bout getting big. Women cant build muscle mass easily without useing supplements. Just do cardio and weight train. Stick to 10 Reps and 2 or 3 sets or somthing. Whatever you do, dont sit on the leg adduction machine and do it for 20 mins while reading a magazine with like 10 pounds on the machine.
-Omar

that is correct since women don't produce enough testosterone, women that have larger muscles have alot of body fat or take male hormones, just excercise acording to your fitness goals and you'll be fine.

[proteinmachine]

MEN CONTAIN TESTOSTERONE WOMAN ESTROGEN,
TESTOSTERONE IS WOT MAKES A MUSCLE GROW,WOMAN ON THE OTHER HAND ONLY CONTAIN A LITTLE NOT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT HUGE MUSCLE GAINS.SO WITHOUT TAKING TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT PACKS THE TRAINING U R DOING WILL AND ONLY BUILD MUSCLE TONE , KEEP YOUR REPS HIGH AND LIFT HEAVY FOR STRENTH I HOPE THIS HELPS

[silver01bullit]

I agree with adrenalin and ot saturn, it's pretty hard for women to get "bulky". Most avg. men produce anywhere from 5-10 mg of testosterone daily, the avg. woman produces .1 mg/ daily. Seems pretty hard to me to build muscle with such little testosterone.

Keep eating right and working hard.

[Rebecca95833]

I'm sorry, but this kind of post just irritates the hell out of me. I read it over and over in forums, and I hear it endlessly in the gym.

Understand that getting "toned" and gaining muscle are the same thing!!!!!

They work the same way.....lift weights, balance your training to work your entire body with a weight program, go progressively heavier (or your training is going eventually be stagnant), get your diet in order, do some (not massive amounts) cardio mostly for good cardio vascular health and general physical conditioning.

If you want a muscular look, then look to your diet...the less bodyfat you carry, the more muscularly ripped you will appear. If you want a smoother "toned" (you cannot know how I hate the word) look then keep a bit more fat on your body.

I was really pleased when M & F Hers first began publishing. I thought, Oh finally, someone is going to debunk the "toned" myth....but lately, hell, the women they are featuring in their magazine are skeletons, who appear to subsist on rabbit food and who don't train hard (that is obvious)!

There is nothing better you can go do for your female health, which will improve your physical and mental wellness for the long term than to get into a good, serious, consistent weight training program.

[adrenalin18stud]

well its mostly ignorant people or non-exercisers that don't weight train that believe the myth.

[tracyb555]

There is much misinformation out there regarding women and getting "toned". The average woman (or even the above average woman) going to the gym and lifting weights is not going to start looking big & manly. The women you see in magazines or on the internet who do look like men are likely taking steroids to look like that.

If you aren't worried about getting 'big', but just don't like that "ripped" look, just keep you body fat a little higher and you will be fine.

[scorpion]

This might be a little off topic but i my girlfriend is now working out with me and sees me taking my post workout shake. I think its a good idea for her to take some type of nutrients after the workout, wether it be cardio or weights, simply to provide a means to repair the damage done during the workout?

I was suggesting her about 30g protein and about 45g carbs. She is about 125 lbs, so i thought this a fairly good assumption.

Please give me your opinions on this subject because im not too sure anymore.

thanx!

[JoAnn]

I play full contact sports and I like to box, was a power lifter for 8 years. Being toned means being able to get in a boxing ring with a male sparing partner. Get hit, and get hit hard especially in the abs and not be hurt. Then beat the holly daylights out of him. I go to the gym three days a week, I do not diet, I work out my abs very HARD and do lots of cardio because boxing requires it. I am toned and feel great.

[ngapro]

Joanna- props to you for stepping into the ring but the problem with your post is that most women are afraid of looking like a man, so thwhen you say you box men and power lift,it could be intimedating for most women because they feel they MUST look manly to box! You and me know the differance, but due to lack of knowledge of the general public, they picture women on AAS"S boxing.
BECCA-BUMP!

MOST WOMEN (9 OUT OF 10) FILL WEIGHTS MAKE THEM LOOK TO MUSCULAR LIKE A MAN., BUT IF THEY JUST UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY MAKE ESTROGEN, NOT TESTOSTRONE, THEY WOULD NOT BE AFRAID ANYMORE- JUST READ ABOVE POST

[adrenalin18stud]

i've boxed myself and i've meet a few female boxers, martial arts competitors and alot of them have very nice toned bodies and can still look feminine and attractive.

the average guy wouldn't stand a chance in a fight against them either

[ngapro]

BUMP!

[kbfunTH]

Just to set the record straight, women do make testosterone and men do make estrogen. Women can also build good quality muscle without steroids or supplements. A quality and consistent weight training program is a must to accomplish this. To a certain degree, you can even build a nice physique using bodyweight movements.

Burning calories and eating optimally or also very important in achieving a lean and muscular (not manly) look.

If you are a woman and you want to look manly, take androgenic steroids.

Props to those of you that are involved in boxing/martial arts/mma! I myself have been training in MMA for about one year.

[ngapro]

KBfun-bump
The great thing is women can even increase their test levels naturally simply by adding in more clean EFA's throughout their daily clean eating habits, all the while dropping that ugly cholestrol down a few points! Not to metion a few unwated brown fat cells.
Most women metabolize fats very well, they are just scared of the caloric intake, thinking they will become fatter, too bad our PT's and genaral public are not more informative in most gyms-JMO

[Intenceman]

Originally posted by kbfunTH
Just to set the record straight, women do make testosterone and men do make estrogen. Women can also build good quality muscle without steroids or supplements. A quality and consistent weight training program is a must to accomplish this. To a certain degree, you can even build a nice physique using bodyweight movements.

----The amounts and ratios are completely the opposite- women produce testosterone- but from the adrenals, whereas men produce it inthe testes (not that it makes much difference)- the amount men produce is 10 -100 times higher. estrogen the same sort of situation, except reversed- I don't recall the exact numbers offhand.-----
-------quality certainly, but not large, except in maybe in a million.

Burning calories and eating optimally or also very important in achieving a lean and muscular (not manly) look.

Absolutely.

If you are a woman and you want to look manly, take androgenic steroids.

Yep.

Props to those of you that are involved in boxing/martial arts/mma! I myself have been training in MMA for about one year.

[LadyLisa]

Now I'm perplexed. I build muscle easily and am fairly strong. I don't think my testosterone levels are any higher than any other woman's.

I agree with the BF thinking though. If you want a "softer" look, keep your BF a little higher.

[Intenceman]

If you buiild muscle easily, you are very lucky -and odds are , your test levels are higher. Most GUYS do't build muscle easily, myself included.

[SlickRick]

Originally posted by JENNYZILLA
Im looking to get toned without gaining alot of muscle,I know cardio is one thing I should do but as far as my training goes.....should I keep my rep range within the 20 -10 range for this or what? I lift from light to heavy(heaviest on my last set)
and im starting to lift heavier.Would lifting heavy with high reps be goodfor my goals?thanks

Really what you are saying is that you want to get leaner so you can show a bit more vascularity while not looking like a toothpick. It's just tiresome to hear the word 'tone' especially once you have been in the field for quite some time.

Stick with heavier weights since that will hold muscle mass the best...the only benefit lighter weights will give you is glycogen depletion which too is a good idea to help bodyfat but not as a huge deal as some make it to be. YOu can try to implement both but focus on heavier weights in good form. Also if you are a newbie than just do reps in the 10-12 range to get good form and low sets. If you are not a newbie than try the other protocol.