When we meet someone for an initial consultation, one of the first questions we ask will be about the specific goals they want to achieve.
One of the most common responses is “I want to tone up.”
This is usually followed up by a comment about not wanting to get bigger from lifting weights.
The good news is we can help you do that.
The bad news is that it rarely means what you’re thinking.
Increasing muscle tone typically is the result of 2 components: increasing lean muscle and decreasing body fat resulting in more definition for your muscles.
Everyone is different and some people will lose weight without increasing muscle tone while others may increase muscle tone but not lose weight.
We all have lean muscle mass and our body fat is like the hoodie that hides our muscle tone.
If you can remove the hoodie (body fat), the muscle tone becomes more visible.
Increasing the amount of lean muscle on your frame doesn’t mean you’ll get bigger or heavier, but it will help change your body composition.
Your body composition has more to do with your muscle tone than your body weight.
Your body weight is a trailing indicator and NOT the most important metric.
My favorite analogy is comparing your Body Composition with your Payday.
If you received 10 pounds of money every payday, you suddenly care if the 10 pounds is made of pennies or twenty dollar bills.
There is zero chance you just accept a bag of money and say…”Yep! That’s 10 pounds!“
The same holds true for your body weight. What matters more is your body composition as this controls your muscle tone.
If you’re not sure where to start, this post will point you in the right direction.
Strength training 2 to 3 times each week will help increase your lean muscle mass.
Improving the quality and quantity of your nutrition will help you reduce body fat.
Staying properly hydrated with water and electrolytes allows your body to perform optimally.
Getting enough quality sleep will allow your body to properly recover and reap the rewards of your training and nutrition.
