The Muscle Toning Myth

Author: Tommy Leung | 08/25/2008 | Fat Loss, Fitness, Muscle Building

There is a common myth believed by a lot of people. It is taught by high school gym teachers–at least mine did. It is given as advice and accepted as truth. It is the myth of creating muscle tone by lifting light weights a very high number of repetitions. The reality is that lifting a light weight a ton of times is going to do nothing–at least not what you are looking to do.

I’ve always wondered where this myth came from or why people believe that it makes any sense. I believed it once upon a time until Men’s Health set me straight. It may make sense if you believe you can spot reduce fat–you can’t. Fat is lost proportionally throughout the body. Some places will always have more fat than others. Trying to spot reduce fat through exercise is literally an exercise in futility.

A more fundamental question to ask is why do people want to “tone”? I don’t think anyone is actually trying to improve muscle tone but rather, muscle definition. The toning crowd wants muscle definition but doesn’t want to be huge. They fear looking like a bodybuilder. I find that laughable because they think they can go to the gym and lift hard enough to even remotely achieve those kinds of results. It takes years of dedication to look like the bodybuilders we see on TV. So, you toners, let’s not get ahead of yourselves.

The only way to achieve muscle definition is to reduce body fat so that your muscles show through better. The process of lifting a light weight doesn’t do much for fat loss–you are absolutely better off on the treadmill. To speed up the process of muscle definition you can reduce fat and make your muscles bigger. A bigger muscle will look more defined. Worrying about becoming Arnold is really the least of your worries. Go grab something heavy that you can lift 8 - 12 times; not something you can lift 30 or more times.

Now, if you really are one of those people who believe in this toning myth, I really hope you try what I’m suggesting. Toning really is a gigantic waste of time. Lifting heavier weights will actually be work. It will be a lot harder than lifting bean cans but, you’ll actually be accomplishing something! I have a friend who used to believe this myth. I showed him the light. He is now in the best shape I’ve ever seen him. He doesn’t look like a bodybuilder and he probably never will. However, he is lean and mean–more “toned” than ever before.

By Tommy Leung