Which Is Better – Toning Or Bulking?

There are two terms frequently overheard in the gym – toning and bulking. You may even hear them used interchangeably. However, they should not be used willy-nilly like that because they mean two different and separate things.

Toning refers to giving muscles a more defined shape and thus in the process, presents an appearance of reduced body fat and an increase in muscle mass. Bulking, on the other hand, is actually making the muscles bigger and thus presents an actual increase in muscle mass.

So boiling it down, toning is an appearance of increased in muscle mass whereas bulking is actually an increase.

Free Download: 10 Muscle Toning Mistakes Women Make

 

How Gender Differences Affect Strength Training Outcomes

It has long been thought (incorrectly, it’s important to add) that women will bulk up like men if they lift heavy weights. And, because that’s not the “look” most women want they stick with lifting lighter weights.

The truth is, regardless of how much weight a woman lifts, she won’t bulk up like a man. Not only will it not happen, it can’t happen. It’s physiologically impossible for a woman to bulk up due to the hormonal make-up difference of each gender. However, she can certainly tone up and get that lean-looking, sexy body that many women strive to get.

Men bulk up because of the amount of testosterone in their body. While women have a small amount of that male hormone too, it’s not enough to develop a significant increase in muscle size. In fact, women have 10 to 30 times less testosterone in their body than men. The women bodybuilders that do get big are taking some sort of hormonal supplement and doing a specialized training program designed just for the purpose of getting bulked-up muscles.

The Benefits of Lifting Weights

But getting a healthy sexy body should not be the only reason you should lift weights as a woman. Strength training increases bone density and hence will reduce your risk of osteoporosis – a disease that targets women later in life to a greater extent than men.

Another reason why strength training is a healthy way to train is because it burns off fat. Regardless of if you’re working on toning or bulking, if you replace fat with muscle, you’ll burn more calories even while resting because it takes more energy to support muscle than it does fat. Partly why you look more toned is not an increase in muscle, but a decrease in body fat allowing your muscles to show through.

Are You Toning Or Bulking?

When it comes to strength training and muscles, men and women have very different views on what looks good and the muscles they want to develop. Women tend to work on getting a great looking butt and set of abs, whereas men tend to focus on getting a dynamic chest and biceps. Because of this difference, each gender tends to train differently.

To have an effective strength training program, regardless of gender, an individual should work a muscle 8 to 12 times using weight heavy enough so that the last two lifts are extremely difficult to do. Only then over time will the muscle worked grow and adapt thus making you not only stronger, but leaner and more toned too.

Free Report: 10 Muscle Toning Mistakes Women Make

No matter what your gender is, you should embrace the weights and add strength training into your workout routine. You don’t even have to use weights in order to tone your body. Strength training for women is an important part of an effective exercise routine. However,  there are a  variety of common mistakes that make the job of muscle toning much harder than it needs to be. Download my free report, 10 Muscle Toning Mistakes Women Make to help you get the best results from your toning or bulking workout.