As a trainer, one of the biggest misconceptions I hear from people is that they don’t want to “build muscle”; they just want to “get toned”. The two main things that affect the shape of one’s body is the amount of lean muscle mass and amount of adipose tissue (body fat). Although everyone has a different genetic makeup, we all have the ability to change or improve the shapes of our bodies.
What gives a “toned” person that look is the development of their muscles combined with the loss of some body fat. Muscle development can occur from weight lifting, sports conditioning such as push-ups, dips, and crunches, and from various types of fitness classes that don’t use weights such as Pilates.
The extent of the muscle development depends on the amount of resistance used, the intensity, and the frequency of the exercises. Two people starting the exact same workout can get totally different results in their appearance depending on the amount of body fat each person has. Although both will gain lean muscle mass and strength, the one with less body fat will have a more defined or “cut up” look.
Building muscle also increases a person’s metabolism, burning off more fat than a person of the same height and weight with less muscle. So for the people who say they want to “lose weight first than tone”, they should do some resistance training as well as cardiovascular exercises for quicker results.
I look at a person’s body before I train them like a sculptor looks at clay. It’s all about symmetry and remodeling what is already there. A woman that comes to me with a “pear” shape that is bottom heavy will usually tell me she’s not concerned with her upper body and only wants to work on her legs. Of course I would give her specific exercises to lift her butt and build her quadriceps and hamstrings while doing cardio so when the fat does come off, she’ll have a better shape to her legs.
What’s more important is that I would have her doing her upper body…heavier than her lower body! By building her upper body, while trimming down the lower body, we would be creating more of an hourglass figure instead of a pear.
Poor posture is another thing that can be improved by weight lifting, yoga, and Pilates. Not only do weight-baring exercises strengthen the bones, but stronger muscles around the spine will help to support it and straighten it out to an extent. As with any good habit, the earlier a person starts making changes, the better the better the results will be.
Cindy Fox - "Fitness Diva"
www.cindyfoxfitness.com
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