getting "toned"?

K

katia7

Cathlete
I read that a muscle can ether get bigger or smaller, and there's not such thing as getting "toned". That toning simply means to build muscle and loose body fat. Is that true?
Also they said that to build muscle you need to do no more then 12 reps, otherwise it's more of endurance which doesn't build muscle.
So that made me wonder, if all this is true...
Does that mean that with ME or PH type of workouts, muscle can't be build? Then what physical results do they give, besides just getting your endurance up?
And what videos would give that lean toned look, but won't increase the size of legs and arms?

Thank you,
Katia
 
RE: getting

Katia, I've also heard this side of the argument before. I guess that's one of those things that may be true for some people and not for others. I used to work out my legs using heavy weights (PS and PLB) and I they did get hard and strong. My butt went up but my thighs got bulky, not toned. After suffering overuse injuries, I had to tweak a lot of my lower body workouts. When I was able to get back to using weights for my legs, I used LL and started with a pair of 8s. I worked my way very slowly to 10s and 12s, and by the time I got to 15s I saw this toning in my thighs that I never saw before with PS or PLB. I think it also helps that I do a lot of kickboxing, which, due to time constraints, I've been substituting for floor work lately -- just so I can do leg work and cardio in one session. It may be that this is simply how my lower body responded to this kind of training.

It's different for my upper body. I do consistent alternating sessions of strength and endurance training to get that non-bulky, toned look. That's probably because I'm pear-shaped. Hope this doesn't confuse you even more.:)

Pinky
 
RE: getting

It is my experience that if you are new to Cathe or lifting weights that you can do endurance tapes and build muscle. If you are not new to Cathe and are an experienced lifter, it is my opinion that you CANNOT build with endurance but can maintain good "tone". Your strength will decline however. You are right about the reps and you are right that there is really no such thing as "tone". With endurance work, you can maintain muscle hardness and not gain size, but it is inferior when it comes to shaping your body.

If you want to build muscle you should do 8-12 reps. 8 would lean more toward building with an emphasis on strength and 12 would lean more toward building with an emphasis on endurance and "leaning out". They like to describe the high rep endurance work as "lifting without bulking".

In my honest opinion, or atleast what is the case with myself, you cannot progress too far without upping your weights and eventually decreasing reps. Doing 20 reps limits you in that in order to be able to finish the 20 reps you are using a lighter weight than what you would be capable of lifting for, say, 8-10 reps. I get much better results in the 8-12 rep range rather than going any higher. I don't do Cathe's endurance work very often at all anymore.

This is why you will see so many positive reviews on P90X...that new workout system everyone is talking about. Reps stay relatively now, but intensity and/or poundage is high. Results come FAST.

Seriously, I think the reason many women fail to see their ideal shape in their bodies is because they just never push hard enough or they work out wrong. They think they can forever stay with those little vinyl-covered weights and get somewhere!

Pinky comments on her thighs. Yes, it is true if you build muscle over already existing fat, you will get "bulkier". I am not saying Pinky has a high fat level at all, but it is common for women to carry a higher percentage of fat in their lower body. AND, because women tend to want their legs so skinny, they always feel too "bulky". My legs are bulky in most people's eyes no matter how thin I get, so I emphasize the positive. I work with what God gave me. If I can't be Barbie, well then, I damn well can be Zena.:)

Ok, I digress. I will get off my soapbox now...
 
RE: getting

One more thing..

If you can keep your body fat down, it is best I think to try to go as heavy as challenges you. If you notice bulking, then you can go lighter. I just think women often make the mistake of thinking it is the weights bulking them instead of considering their body fat level and trying to improve that FIRST before ditching the weights. It is easier to think it is the weights and NOT how you are eating....


To stay lean and "toned" you could literally do any Cathe tape, with an emphasis I would say on the Pyramids. They are in between extreme endurance and extreme strength and would probably work well. So would MIS. PH would do wonders probably for the lower body.

Just my take on things....
 
RE: getting

Another thing I've discovered (with P90X): at first, I was getting a bit bigger, but after a while, I started leaning out. I think I was first adding muscle without losing fat, then the fat started coming off. One mistake many people may make is that they give up weights if they notice any size increase, and miss out on the fat burning stage.

For staying "toned" I would recommend PH, but I really recommend a variety of workouts (PUB/PLB, PS, ME) with perhaps an emphasis on PH.
 
RE: getting

Thanks ladies :)

I'm not a pear shape, more of an apple I think (gain mostly in my abs, butt and inner theighs, but have no hips at all). I've gained some weight over the past year (was sick and couldn't workout much, diet wasn't great either). I got my fitness level back (can do 1 hr workouts, FINALLY!) and really want to loose this weight. Although I've never done really heavy weight work, I'm afraid of starting to because I don't want to gain any more size, I hardly fit into most of my clothes as it is. My diet is pretty clean, just have to watch those calories, and I do cardio about 3 to 4 times a week (leaving 2 to 3 days for weight work).
Here's what I can't decide... should start with PLB/PUB or stick to ME/PH till I loose some weight and then start doing heavier weigth work? What do you think will give me faster fat loss results?

Thank you,
Katia
 
RE: getting

Hi Janice (Zena),

Your response was awesome and very well written. I've been thinking a lot about Pure Strength lately. Often I feel like much of the exercises are endurance based. For example, it seems like there are endless sets of bench press. I'm wondering if anyone else has felt this way and cut out some sets in order to increase weight. Also, and I could be mistaken on this, but doesn't endurance usually require lighter weights? I'm just thinking about squats in PS and PH- I think Cathe uses around 40lbs with the barbell in each workout, but shouldn't there be a difference in weight if one workout is supposed to emphasize strength and the other, endurance? And finally, this is a little unrelated, but why are there never rests between sets in ab work? I usually need to take a small rest between every few sets or a certain number of reps. Any insight?

If anyone has an advice/comments, please share, and thank you in advance!!! :)

Gina
 
RE: getting

Hi Katia! All of these wonderful ladies here gave you great advice already but I'll only add that when you do pick a weight please make sure that its challenging enough for you while using impeccable form. If you can't do as many reps as Cathe does that's fine; just make sure your always using good form. Once you start to lose your form other muscles are going to come into play & you may injure yourself & you won't any longer be working that particular muscle. Also keep eating clean get rid of all junk food in the house & stick w/PUB & PLB for starters & stick w/it for at least 6 weeks. Measure yourself all over from biceps to calves & in 6 weeks time take measurements again. I want you also to jot everything down; how much weight you used, how many reps you did & what exercise it was. This way you'll know what you did & how you want to progress from this sheet the next time you do it. Its very helpful. Good luck! Kathy:D
 
RE: getting

Thanks everyone :) You've be SO helpful :D
I'm doing pyramids now :) My arms feel OK, but my legs.. OMG they're sooo sore. I was wondering if you could look at my rotation? Will doing pyramids once a week each be enough?

1 hr cardio
30 min + PUB
1 hr cardio
C&W
1 hr cardio
PLB
rest

for 1 hr cardio I use SB, KPC, RS
for 30 min cardio I use any of timersavers cardios or CTX cardios and sometimes half of IM2 (can't do the whole thing justyet)

Thank you,
Katia
 
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