Some thoughts and discussions from me.
So You Want to See Muscle Tone? Lift Heavy to Get Lean
Good morning, friends! I hope you all had a great weekend. I spent some time with friends at a brewery on Friday, and went on a long hike, followed by brunch with some girlfriends on Saturday.
My happy place.
Sunday is almost always a rest day from the gym for me. Yesterday it was one of the few days out of the year when Colorado doesn’t get a full blast of sunshine, so after a short walk with my dog, I sat at my desk and cranked out a few workout programs for some online clients I have starting up this week.
After finishing up one, I was writing an email to a client, explaining the program I designed for her based on her goals. Because she had similar goals of many of the women I train, I thought the topic would make a good blog post for you all to read, too 
Nearly every female client I currently train came to me with an initial goal of getting some definition “definition" – they tell me they want to see muscle tone. They didn’t want to look like a body builder, but rather have toned, defined shoulders. It’s a common goal, but there’s a big misconception on how it’s achieved.
While “toning” might not have a completely tangible definition, I honestly don’t mind the word. I understand what women mean when they tell me these aesthetic goals. They want to see the shape of their muscles in their arms in shoulders. Depending on body fat levels, this might also involve a little fat loss programming.
However, in addition to that, how to get those toned, defined shoulders might surprise you. Hint: it’s not high reps, low weight.
(Although – I very clearly remember doing my share “toning videos” with my pink dumbbells back in the day. Oh, and of course 50 leg lifts on each side would make me bikini ready! Heh, gone are those days 
)
If the goal is to improve muscle tone, in most cases, the program design to successfully achieve that goal would be strength (not hypertrophy, or muscular endurance.)
If someone’s goal is toning, 9 out of 10 times, they also have a goal of fat loss – whether it’s 10 pounds or 50 pounds. And if you’re eating in a deficit for fat loss, then it’s very important to maintain what muscle you already have (and get stronger – bonus.)
How do you do that? It’s not by lifting a light weight for 25 reps – but lifting a heavier weight for fewer reps of big, compound muscle movements. AKA, training for STRENGTH.
Now, I’m not saying that training for strength is the be all end all for toning. Of course, there are multiple factors – nutrition will the key factor in fat loss, and sprinkling in some metabolic resistance training, finishers, and cardio interval work will supplement these goals.
I typically have clients with these goals start out every session with me with two main lifts – some variation of the squat, deadlift, press, or chin up to work on for the duration of the program. It’s their main goal to improve in these two exercises for next 8 weeks or so.
Following that are secondary exercises, where I might prescribe a metabolic resistance circuit, designed to keep the heart rate high with compound movements and little rest. After that are any rehab or pre-hab exercises, and then, if time, a finisher. So, it might look something like this:
Of course, a good mobility warm up and some foam rolling is a must no matter the goal.
What’s your favorite big, compound exercise? (Mine’s the deadlift – hands down!)
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looks a lot like the programming i do for myself girl 🙂 i focus on main lifts such as the OH press, deadlift, squat, and pull ups 🙂
Meg @ A Dash of Meg recently posted…Recovery Week Challenge
I did a 16 week lifting program which I loved! I hit PRs in major lifts and have never squatted that much before. I was hoping to lose bodyfat but I didn’t lose any. =/ However, I didn’t incorporate cardio into my routine because I had just finished a marathon so figured my body needed a break from cardio. Do you have clients do those cardio based finishers after every session? I guess that was what my problem was!
Patty @ Reach Your Peak recently posted…Motivational Monday!
I think that women are beginning to realize that lifting heavier weights is the way to go. I still do have some friends who are nervous about getting “bulky” and getting muscular enough that they won’t fit into their clothes, but I try to convince them that this is not true!
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal recently posted…How to prepare for your first race
I want so badly to be able to do a pull up!! I love compound movements! Heavy squats are my fav!!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted…Why I Don’t Read About What to Expect
YES! i try and tell this to girls all the time – lift heavy! great post!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted…William’s Newborn Pictures
I need to up how much I’m lifting. Thanks for the great post!
Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie recently posted…Girl Gone Veggie 2.0
I’ve seen a dramatic difference in my body since I’ve been lifting heavier and doing more HIIT style cardio workouts. I enjoy it more too – a win-win!
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries recently posted…Embrace Those Rest Days
I enjoyed reading this post and the post about cutting down on cardio. I had been a cardio queen for two years and for the first year and a half, my weight just melted off; however, I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. Why not?? I wasn’t weight training! I started doing so last spring and continued through the end of summer but the problem was that I was doing the exact same routine the entire time. I began to see results and plateaued again. I’ve started lifting light weights again but, after reading this post, it sounds like I need to make some changes that will hopefully help me move past this plateau!! 🙂
Diane @ Life of Di. recently posted…Oh Glorious Day: Easter 2014.
a great reminder 🙂 ladies to pick up some heavy weights!!
we are trying to play around with different weight amounts and reps
purelytwins recently posted…16 minute plank core cardio purely training #59 workout
yep
samantha recently posted…Body Image Band-aide
Deadlift and squats are mine. I still eat too much though which hinders my fat loss ha ha
samantha recently posted…Body Image Band-aide
Very interesting Paige, I have thought about this a lot recently within my own training. As an elite runner, I was concerned about putting on too much bulk, so I was just using lighter dumbbells for my exercises, I have noticed that my arms and shoulders have actually leaned down a lot since I stepped up to the 12.5-15lb weights in each hand, even if that means I can lift less reps. I know 15lbs is probably baby weight to you, but for me it is a big step up, and I have noticed a difference. Was interesting to read about here on your post. Thanks 🙂
Tina Muir recently posted…Marvelous Monday and Thorlos Socks Review
This is such a great post! I used to be afraid to lift heavy because I didn’t want to bulk up but now I love knowing how strong I am. This is my first time finding your blog and I love all of your helpful tips!
I really needed to hear this today. I’ve just been having a conversation with my coaches about getting some muscle definition, and this is the reinforcement that I need to get there!
LOVE this post!!! Lifting heavy has changed my body like never before, for the better.
Brittany recently posted…8 Signs You Need a Rest Day