The keys to getting a “toned” physique are: Eat more of the essential nutrients (think protein, fats, fruit & vegetables) Use carbohydrate to help fuel exercise (think eating most of your starchy or sugary carbohydrates in the meal before and the meal after your workout)
It preserves muscles: Your body needs protein to build and repair muscle cells after a workout so if you want a toned bod, you need to up your intake. Plus, the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you'll burn at rest.
So, in order to safely and effectively gain muscle, you need to increase your total calorie intake by a minimum of 3500 calories per week. That works out to about 500 extra calories per day in addition with the total calories needs you determined from one of my previous posts.
Introducing certain nutrient-rich foods to your diet can help your muscles grow more defined and shed pounds in stubborn problem areas like belly fat. Millet and quinoa have a high magnesium content that enhances blood flow to your muscles and gives your body longer lasting energy (so you can do an extra rep or two).
You're doing too much cardio:
Cardio is an essential part of weight loss routine and is very important for your heart health, but doing only cardio or too much cardio can the reason your body is not ready to tone. You need a proper exercise and diet plan to make sure you tone your body right.
Cardiovascular exercise
Before you worry about toning up, you need to shed any excess fat. Running, biking, and swimming are the most efficient ways to accomplish this. While exercising for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week is the minimum amount recommended, you're probably going to want to do more to reach your goals.
“At 6 to 8 weeks, you can definitely notice some changes,” said Logie, “and in 3 to 4 months you can do a pretty good overhaul to your health and fitness.” Strength-specific results take about the same amount of time.
These physique athletes get as ripped as they want to be, exactly when they want to, simply by manipulating their diets in a cyclical fashion between pre-contest “cutting” programs and off season “maintenance” or “muscle growth” programs.
Consider increasing your protein intake to 30% of your calories or roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight/day if you are looking to drop some pounds and tone up.
If you can sustain a lifting program and eat a caloric deficit, your body will be able to pull from its fat stores to both fuel itself and potentially build muscle mass.
One of the most effective and easiest ways to look bigger is to eat lots of carbohydrates. The glycogen in carbs pulls lots of water into your muscles and can offer an inflated look.
Muscle fitness – expect to see small changes in the first few weeks. Within three to six months, an individual can see a 25 to 100% improvement in their muscular fitness – providing a regular resistance program is followed.
It depends on your body fat percentage (which most gym trainers will measure for free). If you're living with obesity (over 25% body fat for a man or more than 32% body fat for a woman), aim to lose fat first. The higher your body fat percentage, the harder it is to gain muscle while minimizing fat gain.
It is possible to see toning in a month if you work out every day although most people see noticeable results within 6 to 8 weeks.
You Don't Have Enough Training Volume
Hypertrophy adaptations (I.E. building muscle) are ruled by the principle of volume. The more volume in your training (more sets and reps) the greater the hypertrophy response you will get (up to a point of course).
So a key part of how to get toned without bulking is to use lighter weights. For best results, incorporate a combination of light weight days and moderate weight days. Perform exercises for a higher amount of reps and less sets. This will help you achieve muscular endurance and toning.
If you really want to see results reflected on the scale and continue to make progress over time, you need to commit to working out at least four to five days per week. But remember, you'll build up to this. To start, you might only want to do two or three days per week and slowly work your way up to five days.