How to Get Toned Muscles

Soft or "flabby" muscles are usually the result of excess body fat under the skin and within the muscle fibers. Another cause is muscle atrophy from lack of use. The best way to tone up your muscles is to get rid of excess fat with diet and exercise and use resistance training and stretching to strengthen the muscle.

Instructions

Diet

1. Reduce your caloric consumption. The best way to determine the number of calories you need is to multiply your target weight by 10. If your target is 140 pounds, then you need a minimum of 1,400 calories a day.

2. Eat several small meals a day. Eating several small meals keeps your metabolism going, helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels and prevents overeating. For a 1,400- calorie diet, try three 400-calorie meals and two 100-calorie snacks a day.

3. Get enough protein. The body uses protein to build muscle. Protein also slows down the rate of absorption for carbohydrates so that you'll last longer between meals. You don't need to load up on mega-doses of protein, but make sure that you have some protein with each meal and snack.

4. Get enough calories. Not eating enough is just as bad as eating too much. If you don't eat enough, your body will go into famine mode and store more calories as fat. Not eating enough will also prevent you from building muscle. If you find yourself struggling to maintain your current caloric intake, increase your daily limit by 100 calories and monitor your progress.

5. Increase your vegetable and whole grains and decrease your fat intake. Divide your plate into three unequal sections---the vegetables and grains should take up the larger sections while the lean meats should make up the smaller section.

Exercise

1. Incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your routine. Cardiovascular exercise burns calories and excess body fat. A minimum of 30 minutes a day, most days a week is enough for basic health. You can do the 30 minutes in one large chunk or break it up into smaller bits throughout the day. On a one-to-10 scale, the intensity should fall between six and nine.

2. Resistance train at least three times a week and make sure the weights are heavy enough. If you can do more than 15 repetitions without struggling, add more resistance. Do between 10 and 15 reps. On a one-to-10 scale, the first rep should be at least a five and the last should be at least a nine.

3. Work alternate body parts. Do not work the same muscles two days in a row. Work the arms one day then alternate to the legs. Even if you only want to tone one area, work the whole body to avoid muscle imbalances and injury.

4. Get plenty of rest. Lifting weights sets the stage but the body only builds muscle at rest. Give yourself at least 48 hours before working the same body part and get plenty of sleep.

5. Stretch. Stretching keeps the muscles flexible and improves blood flow. The more blood flow a muscle gets, the quicker it heals and the stronger it gets. Stretching exercises, like yoga and Pilates, also help tone the muscles by forcing you to work your muscles to maintain the postures.

References

• "Personal Trainer Manual";American Council on Exercise;1997

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• MuscleandStrength.com: Fat Loss and Toning Workouts