Q. I want to tone my muscles and not build bulk. How many reps should I do? How many sets should I do? What exercises would help me achieve this? What exercises should I absolutely avoid?

I have to be honest...the first thing I do when someone tells me they "just want to tone up" is slap my palm to my forehead and groan. It's not because I'm frustrated with that person...quite the contrary!

The reason is the whole insidious but popular myth that it's possible to just "get toned" in the first place!

It's a myth that is found every aspect of popular fitness and it's time to put a stop to it once and for all before it robs yet another unfortunate person of their results.

Please realize, I'm NOT frustrated with the the person asking me the question about how to "get toned," but I AM frustrated with a fitness industry and popular media that LEADS people to believe they can make changes to their body without any real meaningful work and without actually building any honest-to-goodness, fully-functioning, metabolism-boosting muscle!

To be blunt and to put it another way, tricep kickbacks with a soup can will NOT stop your underarms from flapping in the wind.

You see, I'm frustrated because this is a myth that keeps people doing useless training that gets them nowhere. And then they give up and may write off all fitness and training as useless for them.

This is something I can't stand to see because I desperately WANT you to succeed in changing your body and getting healthier (it's why I'm in the business I'm in). But ineffective training information can stop you right in your tracks.

Now if you're reading this article because it's your goal to "get toned," PLEASE keep reading because I'm going to lay it all out for you right now...

1. You can't "tone" muscle. You can build muscle. You can lose muscle. Or your muscle can stay the same.

2. You can't "tone" fat. You can gain fat. You can lose fat. But you can't "tone" it.

The look that most people would describe as "toned" is ALWAYS a result of building muscle (or keeping the muscle you've got!) and losing fat...PERIOD. If you don't have muscle mass, you can lose fat but you'll just be a smaller version of what you are right now.

The problem arises when a person uses exercises and programs that bend to the desire not to build a single extra ounce of muscle for fear of "getting big bulky muscles." By doing that, you basically throw out most, if not all, of the most effective things you can do for fat loss!

Unfortunately, what you pretty much achieve with a goal of "toning up" is nothing at all.

And please believe me, I'm not saying this to be mean or discourage anyone from exercising. I'm saying this becuase you DESERVE to know the truth...

Toning up is a myth.

If you want results, you just need to train with challenging exercises and targeted fat-loss programs. It's not glamorous but it works!

And before I go any further, I do need to lay another myth to rest really quickly...merely touching a dumbell or barbell is NOT enough to build massive muscles and make you "bulk up," ESPECIALLY if you're female.

I can only WISH it were that easy! To really build the amount of muscle it takes to get that "bulky" look, you need to train specifically for muscle growth and eat plenty of food. It's hard work and it definitely doesn't come as easily and many people fear!

But by staying away from those challenging weight training exercises, you're NOT going to get the best fat-loss results possible.

You DON'T need to do bicep curls with a jar of pickles. You need to do squats and lunges and work the big muscles of your body that DRIVE your metabolism to burn fat 24 hours a day.

You DON'T need to lie on the floor and do five hundred crunches to tighten your stomach. You need to do interval training for cardio to burn the fat off to show those abs!

Bottom line: if you are serious about wanting results for the effort you put in but an exercise or program isn't challenging you, it won't get you there.

If you DON'T want results and you prefer to spin your wheels, no problem! Just grab a magazine at the grocery store and do the latest toning program that "all the celebrities are using!"

Like I mentioned above, it takes more than touching a dumbell to get massive muscles...but a little hard work will go a LONG way towards building the body you want!

So now that you know what to do (burn fat and build muscle), how do you do it?

Glad you asked!

Below, I've listed some excellent resources you can check out to get started on your journey...

1. How To Lose Fat NOW - A Basic Fat-Loss Program That You Can Put To Work Today!

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue49.htm

2. BASIC Nutrition - A Quick, Common-Sense Guide To What You Should Be Eating to Stay Healthy and Get Results Right Now

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue43.htm

3. All Fitstep.com Fat Loss Articles and Information

http://www.fitstep.com/fat-loss/fat-loss.htm

4. Turbulence Training Membership Site

This is packed with excellent information on fat loss, bodyweight training, training at home and at the gym and much more! Craig Ballantyne's membership site has got plenty of programs and exercises to get you started and keep you moving in the right direction.

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/tt-members.htm

5. Burn the Fat - Feed the Muscle

One of the most comprehensive and powerful books on fat-loss ever written, Tom Venuto takes you step-by-step through everything you need to know how to lose fat and keep it off.

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/burnfat.htm

REVIEW
http://www.fitness-ebooks.com/fat-loss-ebooks/burn-the-fat-feed-the-muscle-review.htm

6. Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss

Crafted over 16 years, Metabolic Surge is the result of the combination time-tested training experience and the latest scientific research on the most effective methods of fat loss. By following specific dietary and training programs, you will see EXTREMELY RAPID fat loss, all while hanging onto every ounce of muscle mass.

http://www.fitstep.com/metabolic-surge/metabolic-surge-rapid-fat-loss.htm

REVIEW
http://www.fitness-ebooks.com/fat-loss-ebooks/metabolic-surge-rapid-fat-loss-review.htm

Conclusion:

Building the body you want is definitely possible! It's my hope, after reading this information, you've got a fresh perspective on the kind of things you can do to REALLY get the results you want and not fall into the "toning up" trap that stops so many people in their tracks with training and eating.

Because with the right training and right nutrition, you'll get to where you want to be MUCH faster.

 

Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss
Lose the Fat and Keep the Muscle!  

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to lose bodyfat while keeping and even  
building muscle mass.   

This free course will give you programs,   
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