Here at Her Campus we don’t like the word weight loss. Weight loss really means very little these days; losing weight can mean losing fat but it can also mean losing muscle and definition. Many crash diets that calorie restrict leave you losing weight quickly but the weight you lose is as much fat as muscle, meaning you end up being a lighter, but not a slimmer, person (and the second it reaches Christmas you put the weight back on). Weight is only one measure of a healthy body (hence why we shouldn’t all be obsessed with it) and things like body fat ratios and waist measurements are a much better way of showing off that hard work in the gym.
Most girls want to look good in a bikini. And even if you never wear bikinis, most of us want to know that we could look good in a bikini (if we lived in LA or by a beach)
So here are ten top tips to get toned. You might well lose weight as a result but if you follow this advice you shall lose fat, and not muscle. And remember that even if you don’t lose weight, you will look learner, more toned and won’t have to panic in May when you realise you have not worked out since November and you are going on a beach holiday (we have all been there!)
1. Don’t be protein obsessed
This may sound counter intuitive but many people think you need a ridiculous amount of protein to build muscle! This is a myth created by the people selling protein bars and protein supplements. The truth is that if you eat enough calories, then it is almost impossible to NOT get enough protein. Everything from vegetables to oats has protein in and your body only really needs 10% of its daily calories to come from protein to maintain its muscle. When you are growing muscle we recommend increasing this and recommend having some form of protein in each meal. But things like peas, nuts, beans and oats are powerhouses of protein – so as long as you include some of these in each meal you will be okay.
2. Train hard
Spending hours at the gym is boring and pointless. Short, intense bursts of energy that push your body to the maximum is much more effective for building muscle. Instead of squatting 3 million times, try doing harder exercises for shorter reps, such as squat jumps or adding weights. HIT or Tabata style workouts are our personal recommendations as they build muscle and include cardio that will also get rid of the fat on top of the muscle, revealing nicely toned abs.
3. Mix it up
Building muscle doesn’t mean just doing crunches every day. To get a toned stomach (and who doesn’t want that!) you need to strengthen your entire core (that’s back, sides and front!) So try doing planks – these may hurt like hell, but they strengthen every muscle you are aiming for. Trust us, after years of thinking crunches would get us hard-core abs, we realised that actually doing a mixture of core workouts was much more effective!
4. Water
We all know we should drink lots of water. If you want to look toned and have a flat stomach then you need to de-bloat. And to do that you have to drink water. It sounds counter-intuitive but drinking lots of water will aid digestion and will actually make your stomach leaner. So when you wake up drink at least 500ml to get your digestion working and to get you feeling more lively and toned.
5. Fats
Many diets recommend either eating only fats and no carbs, or no fats and only carbs. But to truly see results you need a good ratio of fats, proteins and carbs. If you eliminate any of these entire groups you will struggle to see maintainable results. Fats are key for hormonal health and are particularly important for women and our fertility and hormonal balance. If you don’t have enough fats your body won’t build muscle (and you will lose you periods and hair!) But this doesn’t mean eat lots of cream and cake. By fats, we mean healthy fats. Fats from whole real food sources. Fats such as nuts, nut butters (in moderation as it is too easy to eat the whole jar and feel sick), seeds (chia seeds are amazing for helping you stay fuller for longer), cocoa and avocadoes.
6. Recovery
It is easy to overdo it. You do 50 squats a day for five days and then give up as your legs are numb and tingling and you vow never to squat again. A sustainable way to tone up (and lose weight on the side) is to take time to recover. The truth is muscle doesn’t grow when you are in the gym lifting weights. The muscles actually get broken when you use them and then rebuild stronger in the periods between workouts. So sleep is vital. If you don’t sleep and rest, your muscles will keep tearing and won’t repair. If you look at any Hench bodybuilder they will take a few days off a week and anyone looking to tone up should too! (But don’t spend the day on the sofa eating chocolate and undoing all your hard work!)
7. Fruits and veg
Make sure you have protein, fats and that you also have lots of fruits and veggies. These foods should be what most of your diet consists of. They are loaded with fibre which will keep you fuller for longer and aid digestion keeping your stomach flatter. They also have antioxidants to improve your skin and will keep you feeling and looking better (no-one has ever regretted eating too many vegetables!)
8. Say no to processed
Processed foods are the enemy. Your body often doesn’t know how to handle them and so they can lead to overeating and weight gain. Too much sugar, E numbers, salt or weird chemicals really mess with your body and can ruin any work in the gym. Of course avoiding all processed food is nearby impossible but opt for delicious bars such as trek or lara bars that are entirely natural, plant-based and have no ingredients that you need to be a chemist to understand.
9. Cardio and strength
Just doing lots of push ups will get you the strength but to see the definition in those wicked strong arms you need to get rid of the fat on top. Unfortunately you can’t really chose where you lose fat from so to get more toned and show off all those muscles, you need to lose fat everywhere. To do this you need to sweat and do some cardio. Running marathons won’t get you far either but neither will only ever doing strength. To really see definition you need to incorporate some cardio (whether that is Zumba, circuits or swimming) and strength. This has the added bonus of making you fitter and meaning you also don’t get out of breath every time you go up the stairs!
10. Moderation and enjoyment
A good laugh can count as an extra-ab workout and going clubbing can be some good dance cardio. The point is, you need to live a little. Spending every day counting macros and lifting may get you results but it will be such a boring life! It’s much better to do some good work but also have fun and realise that there is no point working really hard if you never go out and socialise and show off your tight new body in some killer dresses!
Getting toned, fit and happy is achievable for everyone. You don’t need to live off lean chicken breast and squat all day, every day. You need balance, moderation and hard work all together. This way you can get toned over Christmas and won’t be running to the gym the week before your beach holiday. You will feel more confident and can know that if you did want to be a Victoria’s secret model, then you could be!