exercises for tone muscles don't exist, but there is something better
What woman doesn't want to tone her muscles? At least in my work, the most common request is: “I don’t need to lose weight, I don’t want to lift a barbell, I need to remove my sides, tighten my buttocks and tone my muscles.” If such a woman gets to a smart trainer, he will give her a balanced and periodized program that will help her develop physical qualities, build muscle tissue and burn fat. And if she is trained by the same adept of “toning” and “relief programs” and her training will consist of the so-called exercises for tone muscles and relief, then this story will become endless.
I know a trainer who recommends doing crossover leg swings to all women who dream of toning their legs and buttocks. It's safe, but absolutely useless. In general, my article is for girls who have not yet decided on their goals and are looking for magical exercises and secrets. There aren't any, but there is something better.
Ideas about muscle tone
When they talk about muscle tone, they usually mean the desire to give the body some kind of athletic shape without pronounced muscles, but so that they are noticeable - raise the buttocks, remove the sides, make the stomach flat, etc. This is only possible if it is low enough for the presence of muscle to be noticeable. The more muscle and the less fat percentage, the more “relief” the body.
There are only two ways to achieve this:
1. Build muscles;
2. Reduce fat percentage.
Well, or at the same time, if you are a beginner.
The muscles are not visible either because they are hidden by a layer of subcutaneous fat, or because there are too few of them. Lack of muscle mass makes the body shapeless, as well as large fat percentage. So if you need muscle tone, you will have to work in these directions. Author Ekaterina Golovina First in both at once, and then in turn.
How does this work
No exercise for muscle tone does not exist. All you need:
1. Reduce fat percentage by reducing caloric intake, regular strength training and cardio.
2. Build muscle through strength training and eating in a slight calorie surplus.
Controlling nutrition with a calorie deficit or surplus, training the muscles of the whole body on one day or different days, low-intensity or interval cardio - these are the tools that will help bring the body into so-called tone.
No “magic” exercises. No leg swings, no glute bridges, no walking on a treadmill with 2kg dumbbells in your hands. No sports supplements or “relief” programs will help. All this is pointless, especially if you hope to lead to leg tone or burn fat from the sides. You either build muscle or burn fat. But it is not burned in individual parts of the body. Abdominal exercises will not make your stomach flat. Fat disappears from the entire body. It depends only on the genetics of each individual person what will begin to lose weight first. For both fat loss and hypertrophy, the whole body needs to be stressed, not just imaginary problem areas.
When you achieve the desired condition through nutrition control and training of all muscle groups, then you can already maintain it by eating on a maintenance caloric level and regularly training in a mode that will not allow you to lose these same muscles.
Many visitors to the gym, having read copywriting fantasies on the Internet and being impressed by female bodybuilders, are afraid to even approach the bar a meter.
Although squatting and pulling from the floor is an important life skill, unlike swinging your legs in a crossover. Squats, deadlifts and other multi-joint exercises not only provide a powerful metabolic response that promotes external changes, but also strengthen the skeletal system. Having learned how to do them technically, you, at a minimum, do not risk breaking your back when lifting a child in your arms, and, at a maximum, you will maintain normal mobility until old age.
You feel that the amount of adipose tissue begins to grow, muscles become sluggish and lose elasticity, the numbers on the scales creep up- This means we need to fight it.
Training the leg muscles plays a primary role in the process of getting rid of fat. The fact is that muscle training leads to an increase in the mass of muscle fibers, which burns calories in a completely natural way. In addition, to maintain muscle mass in tone, the body expends energy. Accordingly, the greater the muscle mass, the greater the consumption of this same energy.
Large muscle groups are concentrated in the thigh area. Training them burns many more calories than training any other muscle group. However, if you overdo it, you can get pumped up muscles. So, if you want to lose fat, have slender, elastic legs, and a toned figure, this article is for you. Read on to learn how to keep your leg muscles toned without much effort.
The most famous and most accessible way to burn calories- running. It is he who ranks 1st in popularity and effectiveness among all exercises for burning fat. Running exercises provide exactly the same effect as strength exercises, with the only difference being that the muscle relief is smoother.
Running strengthens joints and ligaments, buttocks and hips, allows you to quickly tone your legs and maintain them in this condition without much effort. Of course, you can run without adhering to any special rules, but correct running technique is the key to successful training.
Despite the apparent safety, running- Quite a traumatic experience. Damage to ligaments, sprains, and muscle pain await those who do not follow the simple rules of running.
The first rule: choose shoes. Before you start running, you need to choose running shoes. Beginners are better off relying on expert advice. Visit a sports store, explain how you plan to train, at what pace, and they will help you choose the right sneakers.
The second rule: first, the mandatory warming up of the muscles, only then the running itself. During warm-up, muscles become elastic, which prevents injury. Warming up also prepares the nervous system so that there is no stress from increased exercise.
Third rule: regularity. Running will not be beneficial if you do it sporadically. Only daily exercise will tone the muscles, otherwise it is not training, but a meaningless load that will bring nothing but fatigue. Find time to run every day, despite your busy schedule and laziness.
Fourth rule: love what you do. A positive attitude will definitely bring positive results. Be proud of your willpower and desire to be better, enjoy the training and its results.
- Walking
Walking will also help achieve excellent results. The difference from running is that the overall load on the body when walking is several times less. The main thing is to choose the right distance and pace of walking. In addition, while walking, calories are effectively burned, the heart, lungs and nervous system are strengthened. If desired, you can combine running and walking. For example, 20 minutes jogging, 10 minutes brisk walking, or vice versa.
Walking requires certain safety rules. Firstly, walk along special pedestrian paths, and if there are none nearby, then in a park or square. Walking in the green area is doubly useful. The main thing is to walk on a flat surface, otherwise the bumps will at best cause stretching. Secondly, clothing should be bright to remain visible to runners, other people and drivers. It’s great if the clothes are equipped with reflective elements. Third, try not to let your guard down. Sometimes you can think or listen to loud music on your headphones and not hear a cyclist, a car, or simply stumble.
- Squats
Do you want a round butt? Squats will come to the rescue. In addition, the exercise is good for toning the legs and vascular lower torso. During squats, the muscles of the thighs and buttocks are tense, and the blood vessels also experience beneficial stress.
The training of various muscle groups depends on the position in which squats are performed. Let's start with the easiest way to squat. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, and when squatting, transfer the load not to your knees, but to your hips. Imagine sitting on an invisible chair. The amplitude of squats is small; the knees should not go beyond an imaginary line drawn along the toes.
The next method is more complicated. Place your hands on the back of your head, spread your elbows 180°. Squat down. Then you need to jump sharply and return to the starting position. Does the exercise seem childish to you? It is unlikely that anyone will master it at least 5 times at the beginning of training. Watch your breathing: inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Breathe deeply. As soon as you feel a burning sensation or severe pain, take a break.
Squats in the pistol pose, when the emphasis is on one leg and the other is extended forward as parallel to the floor as possible, also trains the abdominal muscles. You can try squats with a barbell. The effect of this will increase significantly.
- Step
Everything you need for step exercises- platform with a flat surface: either a special step platform or any low bench. Place your hands on your hips, bend your right leg at the knee on the platform, move your weight forward, straighten your leg, take a step forward. Get on the floor. Next, place your left foot on the platform and continue as described above. Try to do the exercise 50 times, or 2 sets of 25, or 3 sets of 20. Advice for beginners- start with 20-30 times. Dumbbells intensify your workout.
- Lunges
Place your feet together, lift one leg as if you are about to take a step forward. Keep it bent at an angle of 90 degrees, keep your back straight. Slowly count to five and return your leg. Repeat the same with the other leg. In this exercise, it is very important not to change the angle of the leg. It is better to perform the exercise while standing in front of a mirror to control your position. Try to keep your balance and not fall. It is also important not to lean forward; you should be able to see the knee of your straight leg. As a result of such mistakes, there is a high probability of damage to the knee joint. Remember that the head, back and leg should be in one line.
- Lunges while walking
As the name suggests, this is a combination of the step and the previous exercise. The difference is that instead of returning your lead leg to its place, you step forward with it, bring the second leg towards the first, stop with your feet together, and lift the other one. And so on. This exercise is the easiest to perform. You just need to ensure the correct position of the body. Once you feel like you have mastered the proper form of walking lunges, increase the challenge by adding weights using dumbbells. Lunges perfectly train the leg muscles and keep the muscles of the hips and buttocks toned.
- Moving the foot from heel to toe
The above describes exercises aimed at strengthening the upper legs. The next exercise trains the lower legs. Moving your foot from heel to toe is very effective for your ankles and calves.
Place your legs straight. Sit down with your knees bent. Keep your back straight. Lift the heel of one foot up while keeping your toes on the floor. Stay in this position for five seconds and lower your heel. Repeat the same with the second leg. The exercise can be performed standing. In this case, you need to rise on your toes with both legs at once. Use the back of the chair to control your balance. Since this exercise is very simple, you can perform several sets of 50-60 repetitions.
Avoid the following mistakes while doing this exercise. Don't try to complete it as quickly as possible in order to move on to more effective (in your opinion) exercises. Rise onto your toes as slowly as possible, stay in this position for at least 5 seconds, and longer if you have the strength. It's quite difficult. The second mistake is not trying to get up on your toes as high as possible. Don't pretend to be a ballerina. This will not benefit the muscles, but will only lead to pointless injury.
- Cycling
No list of physical exercises for muscle tone would be complete without training on an exercise bike. Outdoor cycling can't compare to any other form of exercise in terms of effectiveness. If you can't ride a bike, use an exercise bike at the gym or even at home. Cycling strengthens the muscles of the lower body, abs, and back muscles responsible for posture. This simulator also belongs to the group of cardio simulators: it strengthens the heart muscle and trains the lungs.
Cycling causes our body to lose a large amount of moisture. This may cause dehydration. A sufficient amount of water improves metabolic processes in the body, transports nutrients to needed places and promotes detoxification of the body. Therefore, you should always have a bottle of water with you.
The bike settings should be adjusted solely to your parameters. This provides comfort and additional safety. Seek advice from a specialist who will help you choose the bike that is right for you, and it will serve you faithfully for many years.
- Leg flexion-extension
Another simple exercise to tone your legs, which you can do even while sitting in an office chair. The main thing is that the surface on which you are sitting is hard. Straighten your back, lift both legs up and hold them in this position for several seconds. Your hands can be on the seat (if you are afraid of falling) or on your knees. If you have a sedentary job, this is an excellent exercise to disperse muscles that have stagnated in one position. Take a break from work every 40-50 minutes, and exercise during the break.
Gyms are equipped with special simulators, which make it much more convenient to perform such exercises. Of course, the effect is higher than from practicing at home or in the office. The load on your legs can be adjusted according to your physical capabilities. This type of exercise allows you to achieve positive results in training in the shortest possible time.
Sit down, press your back tightly against the back of the seat. Keep your hands on special armrests or take them behind the back of the chair. Start slowly raising and lowering both legs at the same time. In this exercise, the main thing is to do everything slowly. If your strength allows, give your legs additional load. It is very difficult for beginners to do at least 5 repetitions. Increase the number of movements from workout to workout until you can complete 3 sets of 20 repetitions. If you can do more, just great!
- Proper nutrition
And finally, let's talk about proper nutrition. Without it, any physical activity, any exercise is completely useless. Proper nutrition increases the effectiveness of training significantly. Make a choice to avoid fatty fried foods, introduce vegetables and fruits into your diet (the more, the better), and minimize the consumption of confectionery products. Start your day with breakfast. Remember one immutable truth - it is simply necessary to have breakfast. With breakfast you will avoid lethargy and slight dizziness throughout the day. The better your breakfast, the less you will eat in the evening. Never start your work day on an empty stomach. This is the surest and most reliable way to get gastritis, and then an ulcer.
If you exercise in the morning, breakfast is a must. Try to eat at least 40 minutes before starting your workout. During the day, snack not on cookies and sandwiches, but on bananas, nuts and yogurt.
The main thing to remember is that our condition depends on ourselves, and no one will help us if we don’t want it ourselves. Make sports a lifestyle. Overcome yourself and your laziness, start exercising and very soon you will not be able to remember how you lived without sports before. A beautiful figure and a healthy body are in your hands! Don't miss the chance to have a slim, fit figure and a great mood!
Maintain muscle tone
Many of us consider ourselves physically active and are proud of it.
However, there are some surprises here: even if you run errands at work all day or clean up the house every day, this is not enough to add elasticity to the muscles of the thighs and buttocks.
But you're not doing anything to maintain the hundreds of other muscles in your body. Every week they become more lethargic and weak.
Decreased muscle tone is a process that entails the production of fat. Strong muscles help the body resist fat storage by producing special fat-burning enzymes and using fat to add energy to each muscle fiber.
As your muscles atrophy—which happens when you begin to lose muscle tone—the signal that stimulates them to produce those same enzymes gradually weakens. When this happens, fat accumulates in the body. When stored in the body, it is retained in fat cells rather than being released into the bloodstream to stimulate your muscles, which have become less active.
To support the muscle mass you build in your body, it automatically burns 75 calories per day. However, if your body is building fat rather than muscle, you only need two calories a day to maintain it.
Decreased muscle tone becomes a signal for fat accumulation. To turn off this storage mechanism, you must maintain your physical fitness.
If you regularly go to the gym, do aerobics, run, bike or walk, your muscles are in much better condition than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Reducing muscle tissue affects your metabolism at rest, that is, when you rest, read, watch TV or sleep. As a result of this, and because the body needs less and less energy to function, it becomes much easier for excess calories to accumulate in the body. When they no longer need to be released to provide energy for muscle activity, they begin to fill fat cells.
There is no reason for us to lose muscle mass. New research shows that the vast majority of us can
maintain the tone of your muscles until you are ninety years old. But even if atrophy affects some types of muscles, it can be overcome with a few weeks of good exercise.
From the book Normal Physiology: Lecture Notes author Svetlana Sergeevna Firsova From the book Normal Human Anatomy: Lecture Notes author M. V. Yakovlev by Daniel Amen From the book Brain against excess weight by Daniel Amen From the book Brain against excess weight by Daniel Amen From the book How to stop aging and become younger. Result in 17 days by Mike Moreno From the book Eat Less. Stop overeating. by Gillian Riley From the book Life by the Cosmic Clock author Gennady Petrovich Malakhov From the book Self-hypnosis, movement, sleep, health author Nikolai Ivanovich Spiridonov10.02.2017
Thanks to the muscular system, we are able to move and lead an active lifestyle. Healthy movement is everything: our mood, well-being and spirituality. Therefore, it is very important to always keep your muscles trained.
In the human body, only a few muscles work in “automatic mode” - these are the diaphragm and myocardium. Thanks to their contractions, breathing is carried out and the heart contracts. The work of other muscles depends on our direct efforts at a particular moment.
What is muscle tone?
In short, muscle tone is a certain degree of elasticity. This is their minimum tension, which remains in a state of complete relaxation.
Of course, the muscles should be toned, but you shouldn’t overdo it either. Excessive overexertion (hypertonicity) leads to painful sensations and limits our movements in the same way as muscle flaccidity.
Causes of unpleasant symptoms and diseases
As a rule, in childhood and youth there are no problems with mobility. The problem of decreased muscle elasticity begins to appear after 25-30 years. It is at this age that the body already needs additional care, and if you take it in time, you can avoid many problems. The reasons are very simple:
- Decreased physical activity
- overeating, unhealthy food
- bad habits
Gradually, the percentage of muscle mass decreases, and fat increases. As a result, we become lethargic, it is increasingly difficult for us to take on active activities, our well-being and mood deteriorate.
Let's keep our muscles toned!
If you think that to have healthy muscles you need to join a gym and start working out, you are wrong. For the average person, regular home exercises for each muscle group are sufficient. A 25-minute warm-up in the morning and evening - and over time the results will become noticeable!
In addition, massage is of no small importance. The range of massage effects is incredibly wide: with its help you can both relax trained muscles and warm them up. Home massage using a massage chair will help you support your body without extra effort!
- When muscles are toned, we feel more energetic and healthier.
- Trained muscles help blood circulate faster, so the body's cells receive more oxygen.
- Regular, albeit small, muscle load helps to lose weight and reduce fat deposits.
