“I want to get toned” is what I frequently hear from my audiences, and new clients. I know what the person means, and because I don’t want to give a 30-minute lecture, I don’t elaborate on it.
But since this is my newsletter, let me get on my soapbox, and tell you the truth about toning.
So what’s the truth? It doesn’t exist.
When someone tells me that they want “long, lean muscles”, like a swimmer, or a dancer, what they don’t realize is that unless you’re a born swimmer or dancer, that’s impossible.
You see, the body can do 4 simple things:
- Gain muscle
- Lose muscle
- Gain fat
- Lose fat
Notice what’s missing from that list? Here’s what the body can’t do:
- Tone
- Sculpt
- Lift
- Shape
- Bulk
- Cut
- Shred
Once again, let’s review. What can the body do?
- Gain muscle
- Lose muscle
- Gain fat
- Lose fat
Got it? Good 😉
You can only change the size of a muscle. You can’t change its shape. Another thing you can’t change is your bone and joint structure. No matter how you exercise, no matter how you eat, your bone structure is your bone structure. For example, do you think that if Oprah started playing tennis every day, for 5 years, that she would look like Maria Sharapova? Nope. Can’t be done.
Original source: here.
Do you think that if Callista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) started lifting weights, one day she could look like Serena Williams? Also no way. Can’t change your body and joint structure.
So is all hope lost? Is there no way you can get toned? No, but we need to change your concept of what it means to get toned.
In my mind, “toned” is having low enough body fat, and high enough muscle mass that you can see the shape of a muscle. For women, think Jennifer Garner. For men, think Georges St. Pierre, or a Calvin Klein model.
So then, how do you get toned?
First of all, you need to have low enough body fat. How do you get low enough body fat? I discuss this extensively in the 300+ articles on my site. If you want specifics, check out these 3 articles:
How Dr. Cliff Got TV Ready in 7 Weeks
The Exact Plan That We Used with Lynn to Drop 14 Pounds in 10 Weeks, at Age 70
Next, you need to gain enough muscle. How do you do that? That’s also been discussed in other articles, like The Process of Muscle Building and Muscle Building.
Bottom line: want to get toned? You need to lose fat and gain muscle. If you want to figure out how much fat, and how much muscle, and the best way to get there, fill out this questionnaire to see if you qualify to work with us.