So many of my female clients approach me with this question. You may find yourself or a friend asking or thinking about it yourself, from time to time. Repetition in this area is good for emphasis. Not only on the work itself, but in the steps to bring about a reality to the end state and desired goal.
We work hard on our body but are frustrated when we do not see the results you would like or prefer to see. Sometimes we feel like we are in a catch-22 cycle. I liken the process to doing the laundry weekly, which I hate like no other chore, "wash, rinse, dry and fold." No doubt, the more clothes I buy, the longer the process becomes (yes, the time in between is longer) and the bigger the pile remains! The process and steps are always the same, "wash, rinse, dry and fold." You will understand what I mean as you read on.
A young 25+ year old woman is looking for a longer, leaner look in her jeans. She has "always been lucky to be very slim," but started noticing she started to gain a little more body fat and, thus "started to get much more wobbly" about the hips, thighs and glutes. Although she still considered herself to be slim, she was not satisfied with the tone and shape of her body any longer. She needed to "cleanup" her program, i.e., do the laundry, and wanted a few tips how to wash away the fat while building new muscle.
Wash Cycle
When doing the wash, first, we must get all the dirty things sorted out into specific piles so that the colors don't blend during the wash cycle. To clean up the body fat in an over-20 body, it is a good idea to include a number of personal training sessions into a program so that you learn how to perform all the exercises well and in good form. Our 25+ year old states that she,
"Started doing personal training once a fortnight for 30 minutes and 2 group personal training sessions each week (60 minutes) in hope that this will bring me back to my regular small size." She noticed that the work seemed to be "building up my muscles and I actually feel bigger rather than smaller." She further stated, "I have always been very lean, but it seems like I am getting bigger from all the training... my jeans are starting to feel tighter on me around the legs and are uncomfortable, which is unusual for me."
Using the right tools in the wash cycle is tantamount to success. You cannot use bleach on colors and wouldn't use fabric softner without first using detergent. Right? Thus, my admonition for washing away body fat is as follows:
Cardio and Strength Training are crucial to the maintenance of a healthy body, toned form and physique. Cardiovascular training (bike, elliptical, running, hiking, kickboxing and even dancing) will assist you in building and toning your heart muscle while supporting your weight management efforts in balancing the calories you intake as food. You need to do this to use and burn excess body fat that surrounds the muscle you are building. Strength Training (weight machines, dumbbells, dynabands, resistance training) will tone and tighten the underlying muscle but body fat reduction is imperative to reduce, eliminate the "wobble" and "giggle" frequently found and hated by women in our hips, legs, arms and abdominals as we get older.
Rinse Cycle
The rinse cycle of the clean-up process with the laundry adds a bit of "softness and suppleness" to the fabric of our clothes. Stretch and massage of the muscles of the body, whether following a workout, in between sets or as a separate process altogether should not be ignored as regular part of a fitness program. Unfortunately, in our haste to "lose and burn the fat" many people overlook the importance of this cycle or aspect of the fitness regimen. Our 25+ year old did not mention it as a variable in her program.
My admonition to elongating an overworked muscle and gaining flexibility, tone and length is regular stretching and lengthening thru Pilates and Yoga exercises; excellent disciplines to pursue for lengthening the muscle while you develop it. Strength training alone will build tight, taut and sometimes seemingly bulkier muscle mass (the latter is more likely on men than women, due to our constitution and hormones). As the muscle is developed and trained, the fibers grown stronger, denser and create the defined curve so characteristic of a toned body.
Working the muscle - while lengthening it - from origin to insertion with slow, repetitive, eccentric exercises and stretches will create a longer defined line of the fibers of each muscle involved. Stretching while strengthening should take time, never be skipped nor rushed. The use of resistance bands, movement with light hand weights and balls can add additional resistance and oppositional stretch.
Dry & Fold Cycle
Our 25+ year old further stated that she had, "a fast metabolism and I eat lots of small meals throughout the day. I generally eat pretty well. I have not been weighing myself, so I am not concerned with getting heavier from the muscle, I am just concerned that my legs and bum in particular are actually wider and more prominent than they have ever been before." Just wondering if you can give me some ideas as to how I can tone up but still remain really lean. I just want to get rid of the fat and not really build much muscle.
Metabolism and dietary habits are key; just as the last very important step of drying and folding the laundry is to wearing the clothes. If you eat high-fat, high-carb foods with regularity you will continue to spin like a mouse on a wheel to achieve the long, lean look you desire. Several small meals, consisting of quality protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates are the foods of choice for active individuals seeking to manage body fat and muscle definition. Use the vitalhealthzone.com VitalHealthZone to uncover the best models for eating to support lean muscle development.
Repeat
There is a balance you want to achieve with both cardiovascular and strength training. I personally use and recommend that 25+, 45+ and 65+ year old's incorporate a minimum of 2-3X week of 30-40 minutes of cardiovascular training and 2X week of 45-50 minutes of strength training and perhaps 1-2X a week of a stretching and muscle lengthening program as a clean-body maintenance program. Too much of one will result in the loss of either strength, tone and definition or stamina, flexibility and endurance.
Lastly, my personal favorite "cleanup tip" for legs and glutes? Lunges are my favorite exercise for tightening and toning the legs and glutes. Everybody hates lunges; easy they are not! However, they are very effective for elongating the leg muscle. Ask your trainer to incorporate them into your personal fitness program regularly and feel free to use the article entitled "Twenty Minutes to Longer, Leaner Legs!" which can be found listed on my EzineArticles.com Author Page, as below.
Gina Jackson made a conscious career and lifestyle change to fitness in 2000 and assists clients in lifestyle fitness training programs; she is the Fitness Consultant, creator and energy behind the Prescription4Fitness.com Prescription4Fitness.com which provides fitness resources, tips, articles and MP3 downloads designed to assist all in realizing their fitness goals.
In addition to being a webmaster, Gina holds an MBA, from New York University, has Advanced PFT recognition as a member of the International Association of Fitness Professionals (IDEA); and is certified as a NY Power Pilates Teacher and a proud Business Member of the Pilates Method Alliance.
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