Definition of Tone (Muscle Toning)

Tone up means maintaining a certain degree of muscle tone or firmness, which is achieved by performing a specific type of training routine.

A toned muscle is a muscle that becomes firmer and more defined, while maintaining its size and volume, even while at rest. Toned people have a body that appears muscular by the definition of the muscles without having to achieve the increase in size typical of bodybuilders.

The tone of the muscles depends on several factors

Muscle tone is a quality that muscles have, it consists of a degree of slight contraction that manifests as a certain degree of endurance when it comes to mobilizing it.

This quality depends on two factors main. On the one hand, there is the muscle tissue, which depends on the proportion that exists between the muscle fibers and the volume of water of the muscle, always finding that the greater the amount of fibers, the firmer, and on the other, an effect of nervous system

on the muscle is known as the myotatic reflex, which causes the muscle fibers to be stretched to activate a series of receptors that cause them to contract. This is a process that happens all the time in a continuous way and is responsible for the fact that we can maintain the postures, such as standing, and even that the Balance.

Types of exercises aimed at toning muscles

Muscle toning is achieved with the implementation of a routine that combines aerobic exercises with resistance exercises. These training programs should be carried out after a warm-up phase to avoid the appearance of injuries due to exerting a cold muscle. Likewise, the way in which the breathing, which must be coordinated with the physical activity so that lifting weight expels the airWhile relaxing the muscle you breathe in again.

Aerobic exercises are intended to reduce the volume of adipose tissue that is located between the skin and the muscles, with or that the latter can be better visualized.

Resistance exercises help the muscle to acquire firmness that is maintained both during muscular activity and in the rest phase. These exercises are carried out in the form of series, working one muscle group one day and the next day a different group, usually sets are performed for arms, chest and back, abdomen and legs and buttocks.

Main exercises used to tone muscles

There are several programs aimed at toning the different muscles of the body, in general these include an almost constant type of exercises performed with weights. It is commonly believed that you should use low weight and do many repetitions, however this formula may increase resistance but will never achieve the defined effect at the muscular level.

A firm and defined muscle is achieved using exercise schemes with certain repetitions, but with a lot of weight, which demands a greater work on the part of the muscle constituting a stimulus so that it increases the size of its fibers. These routines are obviously less intense and demanding than those required to achieve muscle level. of a bodybuilder, in which the muscle develops a hypertrophy condition that goes far beyond the toning.

Not all exercises are effective in achieving this goal. The most used are based on combining routines that include squats, lunges, work with the weight of the body such as push-ups and the use of weights and dumbbells. It is generally recommended to work a single muscle at a time or by regions, for example, arms and abdomen in one session and buttocks and legs in another.

In the case of cardiovascular exercises, it is recommended that these be carried out after resistance exercises to achieve a better result in training.

Photos: Fotolia - Nejron Photo / Peter Atkins

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