Men and women have obvious differences with their bodies that are easy to see with the naked eye. When it comes to changing the body from flabby to toned, the underlying route to take is the same. If you are one of the many who is not happy with what you see in the mirror, you need to become more disciplined and be more active.
Eat Healthy
Body toning doesn't start in the weight room; it starts at your dinner table. If you continue to feed your body the wrong kind of foods, it will react with low energy levels, more weight gain and a bloated feeling. Have your diet consist of lean, muscle-building protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy sources of fat. To keep your metabolism revving, regulate your appetite and constantly feed your muscles, eat small, balanced meals no more than three hours apart throughout the day. Cottage cheese with chopped up peaches and sunflower seeds mixed in is a meal example.
Perform Interval Training
A fast way to tone up is by doing interval training. This form of cardio involves alternating between high and low intensity. When doing interval training, start with a light five-minute warm-up and end with a light five-minute cool-down. With your intervals, have your low intensity bouts last two to three times longer than your high intensity bouts. Perform any type of cardio, such as running, elliptical training, swimming, stair climbing, jumping rope or rowing. All of these exercises not only burn calories, but they also help tone muscles. Do interval training three nonconsecutive days a week.
Lift Weights
Lifting weights is important for body toning. To get the best effect, perform compound exercises that work multiple muscles at the same time. Burpees, squats, clean and presses, lunges, triceps dips, twist curls and bicycle crunches are examples. Work out three days a week on the alternating days of your interval training. When doing your exercises, use moderate weights that allow you to do 12 to 15 repetitions.
Perform a Dynamic Warm-up
Before you start your weight training routine, perform dynamic stretches which are done in motion. This will alert your muscles and joints to the action they are about to be under. Arm circles, alternating toe touches, shoulder circles, side bends, knee highs, trunk rotations and leg swings are examples.
Be Patient
Trying to do too much too soon will have a negative effect on your body. Going on crash diets and spending three hours in the gym at a time will not only burn you out, but it will also open you up for injury. If you have weight to lose, follow the Centers for Disease Control's healthy weight loss recommendation of one to two pounds a week. To promote this weight loss, reduce your caloric intake by 250 to 500 calories a day. This way you are cutting back enough to promote weight loss, but not so much that you are going to feel deprived.
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