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Online Fitness Programmes - GET TONED

The majority of our body fat sits on top of our muscles just beneath the skin. “Toning up” is achieved by reducing this fat from around the whole body to a point whereby the muscles underneath begin to show in greater detail.

“I don’t want to get too big or bulky, I just want to tone up.”

“I just want to firm up my tummy”.

“I’m a bit wobbly in this area and I’d like to firm it up.”

“I’ve lost weight everywhere else but over here the fat just doesn’t seem to budge.”

“I just want to look toned.”

These are some of the things I hear everyday!

There are 3 parameters against which any body can be measured. These are; fat levels, muscularity, and proportions.

the majority of our body fat sits on top of our muscles just beneath the skin. The bottom line is that the amount of fat obscuring the muscle will determine how “toned” it looks. This is without doubt the most important principle you need to remember.

With no fat beneath it, the skin will tightly hug the muscle, revealing its contours in full detail. The more fat there is beneath the skin, the softer and rounder the area will look until the detail and shape of the muscle beneath is no longer even visible.

Bodybuilding champion Ronnie Coleman, and Marathon running champion Paul Tergat are both lean. Their muscles have virtually no body fat obscuring them and are revealed in graphic detail. The blindingly obvious difference between them however, is the level of development of their muscles. Tergat has little muscle mass, while Coleman’s muscles are huge. These athletes represent the extreme opposite ends of the muscularity spectrum. Consider 100m sprinters like Linford Christie and Jon Drummond. They are also similarly lean, but their level of muscularity is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, probably somewhat closer to Tergat than to Coleman. So far we can agree that an attractive body should be lean, and only moderately muscular.

But not all athletes who are lean and only moderately muscular have what may be termed as “attractive” physiques, because there is a third important parameter; proportion.

Consider the physique of ex-champion Greek middleweight Olympic weightlifter Pyrros Dimas. A striking characteristic of his physique is that the muscular development in his legs far exceeds that of his upper body. So although he is lean and moderately muscular, his body does not look proportioned. Equal development throughout the whole body seems to create better proportion and a more attractive body. By targeting specific muscles with training we can influence the overall shape of our bodies.

In the movie Casino Royale, Daniel Craig was lean, moderately muscular and well proportioned. In Troy, Brad Pitt was a little more muscular than Daniel Craig, maybe slightly less lean, and also well proportioned. These actors both fall into a bracket of what may nowadays be defined as a universally appealing physique. In the movie 300, we saw a whole bunch of examples of this type of physique, and walk into any newsagent nowadays, and the magazine covers will give you a whole lot more. These images constantly sifting into our subconscious might even be the driving force that shape our perceptions of what is indeed “attractive”.

As for female figures, it is refreshing to see that actresses and models are moving away from the anorexic “skin and bone” look and towards a much healthier and fitter form. In preparing for her role in Dukes of Hazard, Jessica Simpson reportedly used Squats and Lunges to build enough muscle around her hips, buttocks, and legs to create her proportion and shape. She is lean, but not so lean that she no longer looks feminine like say, a world class female marathon runner. The same can be said for Jessica Alba in the movie Into the Blue. She is similarly lean but not too lean, showing just enough muscularity to create her aesthetically pleasing proportions.

So keep these 3 parameters in mind, man or woman. Fat levels, muscularity, and proportion. Try to measure your own body as it stands right now in light of these 3 parameters. How much muscle do you have? How much fat sits on top of these muscles? And what is your overall shape? This awareness will allow you to strategically modify this or any programme in order to better suit your own needs.

Start today with these points:

Start every workout with some tough cardio training to optimize fat-burning

Decrease your total Calorie intake and focus on low glycemic carbohydrates

Lift weights strategically to bring up weak bodyparts with the goal of achieving proportion and symmetry - focus on developing a tight washboard stomach, pecs, and a V-shaped back.

Here are some of the things you will find in the Get Toned programme:

Why resistance training won't make you too big or bulky
Defining the ideal body for both men and women
The effects of body fat, muscularity, and proportion on the appearance of your body
Why spot reduction is a myth and how to work around it
Detailed guide on exercise performance
Tips to increase the effectiveness of each and every exercise you perform
Detailed workout plans for both men and women
Eating plan

The Get Toned programme will help you:

Improve the shape and overall appearance of your body

Improve your cardiovascular fitness and general health

Strategically target specific body parts to influence your overall shape

Sort out your "problem areas"

Boost your self-esteem and sense of well-being

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