You want that tone and definition.
You want to be lean and have some muscle.
But how should you go about achieving it? Lifting with high reps and feeling “the burn”?
Or doing a bunch of HIIT cardio?
The truth is, getting toned and defined doesn’t require some magic trick or particular type of exercise. It’s actually a lot more simple than that.
I’m gonna break down some of the common myths about getting toned, and then go over the realities of it. Some good, some maybe not so good..
COMMON MYTHS
Let me go over how getting toned doesn’t work..
MYTH 1: NOT EATING CARBS
There’s a ton of myths around carbs in general, but in terms of getting toned and defined, ditching them seems to always be one of the first things a person does.
Don’t get me wrong, doing this can lead to losing body fat and looking more defined, BUT.. it’s not inherently because of the carbs. Let me explain…
When a person who is used to eating carbs suddenly decides to cut them out, they end up removing a lot of food from their overall eating routine. This means eating less food and less calories overall. Which is what actually leads to the weight loss, not the fact that they’re specifically avoiding carbs.
Because at the end of the day when it comes to weight loss, being in a calorie deficit will always matter more than avoiding certain foods or macronutrients such as carbs.
So if you’re looking to lose body fat and get toned, focus more on your overall calorie intake rather than torturing yourself by not eating delicious carbs.
By the way, this brings up the myth that carbs make us fat. They don’t. I’ve written a lot about this before, but there’s nothing inherent about carbs that would make us store fat. Anyone who thinks so simply doesn’t understand how carbs actually work.
They’re actually our bodies’ preferred source of energy, which is why people tend to feel like shit when they cut out carbs.
MYTH 2: THE KEY IS HIIT CARDIO
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, has been a popular form of cardio for years. It’s basically doing intervals of short bursts of intense cardio with short periods of rest in between.
It’s been thought that this type of cardio is great for getting a person lean and shredded.
Is it, though?
Here’s the thing, HIIT training is great and has its benefits, but just like cutting carbs isn’t inherently magical in itself for getting toned, neither is doing HIIT training.
The main reason why is because, as mentioned, being in a calorie deficit is the only cause of weight loss. HIIT training can burn a lot of calories, but if you’re not in an overall calorie deficit, you simply will not lose fat and get toned, no matter how much HIIT you’re doing.
Another caveat of HIIT training is that for most people, it isn’t very sustainable. In order to lose fat and keep it off, you’d want to find activities and types of exercise that you can incorporate into your lifestyle over the long term.
HIIT training can also potentially negatively impact muscle growth and recovery.
However, if you want to do HIIT, by all means go ahead! It can work, just know that in order to get toned you don’t have to take that route, and you still have to keep an eye on overall calorie intake. And don’t overdo it.
MYTH 3: DOING HIGH REPS AND ‘FEELING THE BURN’
This is another common tactic people jump to when they want to get toned. Lifting in a high rep range and feeling the muscles “burn”.
It’s been believed that this technique and burning feeling are specifically building and shaping the muscles being worked while burning the body fat around those muscles.
I’m just the messenger… but that’s not how it works.
For one, it’s been proven again and again that training to lose body fat in a specific area, “spot reduction”, is a total myth.
We cannot control how or where our body burns (or stores) fat, and everyone is different and will burn and store fat differently.
Training in higher rep ranges can help to build muscle, but it doesn’t guarantee looking toned, and it’s not necessary to look toned. Its main function is that it helps to train muscular endurance.
And as far as the burn is concerned, it has nothing to do with toning the muscle, and it’s also not indicative of burning fat. The burn is simply caused by a buildup of acidity, or hydrogen ions, in the muscles due to anaerobic (without oxygen) energy breakdown.
Those are the three common myths around getting toned. So how does someone actually get toned and defined?
Here it is..
The secret, magic trick to getting that toned and defined look..
HOW GETTING TONED ACTUALLY WORKS
There are two main factors to getting toned, and they’re probably more simple and straightforward than you thought..
- Build some muscle
- Have low enough body fat to see the muscle
That’s it. That is the “secret recipe” for getting toned and defined. Now let’s briefly go over each..
BUILDING MUSCLE
The first step is to build muscle. Lifting moderately heavy weights with enough intensity to challenge the muscles to grow. Performing both compound and isolation exercises, such as squats and bicep curls, respectively.
LOW ENOUGH BODY FAT
In order to have low enough body fat to see those sexy muscles, here are some practical tips and habits to not only help lose body fat, but also to help keep it off:
- Eat plenty of nutrient dense, fibrous foods (fruits, veggies, leafy greens, beans, whole grains)
- Get enough protein: 0.7g – 1g per pound of body weight
- Get plenty of daily movement and steps in: aim for 7k – 10k steps per day
- Aim for 30g of fiber per day
SUMMARY
There is no magic trick to getting toned.
It does not require cutting or demonizing carbs.
It does not require “feeling the burn”, or lifting in high rep ranges.
And it does not require a HIIT cardio protocol.
All it comes down to is building some muscle, and having low enough body fat to see the muscle.
The rest is genetics.
We all store and burn body fat differently. And we can’t control where it comes from, where it goes, or at what rate
That being said, in order to get toned:
- Lift weights
- Get enough protein (roughly 0.7g – 1g per lb of body weight)
- Eat plenty of nutrient dense, fibrous foods like fruits and veggies, and aim for 30g of fiber per day
- Get plenty of overall daily movement and steps in, aiming for 7k – 10k
Thanks for reading!
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