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Answer:
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!
2. BASIC
Nutrition - A Quick, Common-Sense Guide
To What You Should Be Eating to Stay Healthy
and Get Results Right Now
3. All
Fitstep.com Fat Loss Articles and Information
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 18 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.
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