Comments on: How to get Toned | The reality of the concept.

By: Marianne

Marianne — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:51:39 +0000

In reply to Mickela. Agreed, Mickela :)

By: Mickela

Mickela — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:22:15 +0000

Whenever I see articles or websites that are supposed to show us how to get toned or look hot or sexy, I tend to steer clear of them.
these are just gimmicks.
Strong and healthy will make you look toned or firm or whatever they are labeling it now a days. Also training for a goal or a sport not a look should be the approach to exercise. Not looking cute in workout clothes. It baffles me to see all this crazy superficial stuff.

By: Michele

Michele — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:42:42 +0000

In reply to Marianne.

Thanks for responding. I didn’t break my neck. I literally woke one morning with numbness in my right hand that wouldn’t go away. I didn’t really have any pain and was exercising 4-5 times per week until the first neurosurgeon told me to stop. My MRI showed 3 disc herniations with severe spinal cord compression at C5-6 (spinal canal at that level was 5mm) and to a lesser extent C4-5 and C6-7. Basically, I was told that I was crushing my spine.

Anyways, I asked my physical therapist a ton of questions the last time I was there. She said that I’m so early in the healing process and still wearing a bone growth stimulator, so of course I have many restrictions. She said in the future, I should be able to work with 25 lb weights, possibly up to 30. She wouldn’t advise overhead work and said I will always have to be mindful of my spine. She said something like Insanity will never be good for me due to such high impact movements but I should be able to do a lot with some modifications. She also wants me to verify this with my doctor who performed the surgery. I feel much better about things as long as I know there is light at the end of the tunnel 🙂

By: Edel

Edel — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:28:31 +0000

The fitness industry is tied up in marketing and distorting language. When I first started out I felt totally lost what is HIIT? I thought ‘it doesn’t sound good’ and what is tabata? ‘sounds like a kind of middle eastern dish to me’ and ‘paleo must be a dinosaur epoch’ and that was before I tried to picture what the exercises meant. Took me a while to grasp fitspeak. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/07/us-fitness-jargon-idUSTRE7A63B420111107

By: Melly

Melly — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:43:55 +0000

I picked up a copy of People magazine when I was at an appointment. The cover story was something like, 20 Best Bodies. I checked them out (your body beats any of the women pictured in the magazine), most of the female bodies were ‘toned’. Slight musculature, some soft pudge, no striated muscle, not on the women. The men, on the other hand, they had real muscle definition. I could hear your words in my head. So glad to have your words to counteract mainstream cultures hoopla.

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:42:41 +0000

In reply to Marianne. Oh no I think I have become a KB snob too. LOL not really but I do try sell it as I do your 500 rep workout at the YMCA where I work as a part time trainer in the States. I have your video queued on my phone to show and give you credit . I'm doing an experiment before I get into my heavy marathon training in August I want put on some muscle weight ( 500 rep KB 4 x week) so my running training does beat up my body as much and when you get into running for 3 hours the whole body is effected not just the legs hip etc.

By: Tara

Tara — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:10:31 +0000

Hi Marianne! Still bustin’ butt here and finally able to truly follow the program I purchased from you awhile back. So yeah, people use that ‘toned’ term so often, I think it stems from the 70s or 80s lol…with leg warmers and thonged leotards. I used to use that term ages ago, now, i use the word ‘firm’….I just want to be firm and I know that for me, firm means to have some muscle definition, whether it be in the delts, abs, or calves…heck anywhere there is definition on my body is awesome at my age as I’m working so hard for it, but I agree as well, that trainers should ask what ‘toned’ means to their client when asked about his or her goals. It would clear up much of the trainee’s confusion. This was certainly an interesting article, but then all your articles are a great read! Thanks for bringing them 🙂

By: Marianne

Marianne — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:09:45 +0000

In reply to Denise.

Haha, you can rant away 🙂

Yes, until the next post …

By: Denise

Denise — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:05:40 +0000

In reply to Marianne. You are so right about the fitness industry! I was going to add my two cents about that but didn't want to overwhelm the post with my comments (or venting). Thanks for your honest and wise response. I appreciate how real you are about fitness! Until next post...

By: Marianne

Marianne — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:46:40 +0000

In reply to Denise.

Denise, I think you have just highlighted the difference between understanding that “being toned” is the end result, not the “how”. People will have VERY different *opinions* about how to get to a goal, but that is not the same as them all not understanding that being “toned” means having lower body fat to the point that it reveals a desired amount of muscle definition. How much definition (how toned) will be up for the individual to decide. In reading each one of the example you listed, you showed a *very* good example of another prevalent problem in the fitness circle … which is myths and un-evidenced opinions about how to safely and effectively lose body fat while preserving lean mass and over all health.

In other words, you have given me more fuel to my fire about trying to call these trainers/gurus out for this mass of confusing information. Just because something worked for them, does not mean it will work for everyone else in the same way.

The reality is that each one of the above ideas has *some* truth, but they will depend so much on individual factors, that no-one can predict how well the results will stick. Many trainers/gurus will opt for more extreme approaches to encourage radical “immediate” results so they can show transformations to sell themselves as good trainers. I bet if you followed up with those poor clients who detoxed on 800kcals per day they would have gained everything back with interest.

The problem is that trainers/gurus think if they all sing from the same hymn book, they won’t stand out and won’t have anything unique to sell… so instead, they sell hype and they sell extremes and exaggerations (none of which represent reality) and they are competing with other trainers in the industry instead of working together to actually help people. Some of the confusion gets worse when someone tries to tell the truth and show people that keeping things simple is the best and most realistic approach, no matter what your goal.

Clearly, I better shut up, before I end up writing a whole other blog.

Thank you for writing your concerns and your experience. I value input like this and I think your feedback will resonate with many other readers. So, to anyone else, please feel free to chime in on this. I want to gather your opinions up because it is this exact method to getting business that I can’t stand!

Hope this didn’t sound like a rant at you … just the way things are 🙂