Most people hit the gym or incorporate exercise into their routine to tone their muscles and get an attractive look. The purpose is to tone the muscles, not bulk them up, unless someone is a weightlifter or bodybuilder.
But many times, people aren’t either aware of the difference or the accurate process to acquire the desired results with their body. As a result, those desiring a toned body end up getting a bulky physique. This is exactly the opposite of what they were looking forward to.
If you have also been wondering “how to tone muscle without bulking up” then we are here to help you find the right approach.
Follow this blog post to know how to define muscles without bulking.
Can You Put On Muscle Without Bulking?
The answer is yes, you can put on muscle without bulking.
But let’s first start by understanding the difference between the two to know how one can achieve a toned or bulky body.
If you want to have a slimmer and chiseled body, then that is called a toned or “lean body”. You can acquire it by toning or leaning muscles. On the contrary, if you inspire to achieve a prominent physique like a weightlifter or bodybuilder, then that is called “bulking” or “bulky body”. And you can achieve this muscular body by gaining a lot of muscles.
There are different exercises and approaches to building a toned or bulky body. Also, it depends on a lot of factors, including body type.
For most of us hitting the gym, the purpose is to acquire a lean body. Thus, in this article we are going to talk about building muscle without bulking.
What Is the Right Approach?
The catch here is that the road to a lean body often goes through a bulky body.
Why did we say that? Because, the trainees go for the traditional “bulk and cut” approach to get a defined body. Here, you are first required to go through a ‘bulking-phase’ where you put on substantial body weight to gain muscle. Followed by a ‘cutting-phase’ where you are required to drop the excess fat for the built muscles to show up.
Needless to say, this is easier said than done and also not the best approach, even health-wise. So it is very imperative to understand the right approach so that you don’t end up with a bulky body in place of your desired goals.
If you are a woman, then you must be more concerned about the bulking phase altogether. Because you are looking to define your muscles by cutting the fat, not adding the fat.
For women, the best approach must be to add muscle while staying lean, avoiding the harsh cutting phases altogether. But the question is how? You must obviously be curious to know what process to follow or points to consider for building muscle without bulking. Don’t worry, we have got you…
Points To Consider on How to Tone Muscle Without Bulking Up
In order to achieve a defined body without bulking, you need to gain lean muscle. Now what exactly is this lean muscle?
Lean muscle is the one with a very low amount of fat or a lot of tightly packed contractile tissue. But unfortunately, gaining lean muscle without gaining fat isn’t a cake walk.
Needless to say, strength training and proper diet are two of the most important factors in gaining lean muscle. Because the whole purpose here is to gain maximum lean muscle with minimum fat gain.
Taking a little more calories than usual in the form of carbs and protein while working on strength training by doing more sets and reps weekly is a healthy approach. As it is considered that short, frequent repetitions of weightlifting regime are effective to add strength to the muscle without bulking.
Let’s discuss each point for building muscle without bulking in detail:
1. Resistance Training
When we talk about resistance training (lifting weights), women often shy away, thinking this will make their bodies look bulky and muscular. However, this is far from the truth. In fact, if you desire to acquire a toned body then you have to weight train for gaining muscle and strengthening your core.
This weight training further revs up your metabolism so that the work you are doing on your arms can in turn make your whole body burn fat effectively. For maximum results, you should go for intensity rather than giving more time to resistance training weekly, along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
You can check out this video to find out the best resistance training exercises.
2. Cardio Training
In order to avoid fat gain, going for a day or two of cardio training weekly is a smart tactic. This will not only help you improve your heart health but will also build more muscle by avoiding clear lactic acid, cellular waste and unwanted fat.
You can incorporate activities like running, elliptical incline walking, swimming, jogging, tennis, bicycling, etc. into your regime. This will also improve your workout capacity, giving you more strength for resistance training and ultimately helping you build muscle faster and effectively.
3. Healthy Diet
Is there any need to say how much importance a healthy diet holds? A healthy diet is a must for everything, including meeting your fitness goals.
It is imperative to provide your body with the right nutrition that can be used as building blocks for muscles.
Amino acids in protein are the essential components required by your body to build and maintain muscles. Our body isn’t capable of producing all the amino acids, so we must get these essential amino acids through our diet.
Ideal sources for this lean protein are: wild-caught fish, pastured eggs, range chicken, grass-fed beef, protein shakes, and non-dairy protein powders.
While consuming the right amount of calories and required protein, you should also be mindful of avoiding sugary and fatty foods to obtain optimal results.
4. Body Type
We all know that what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. Our fitness goals also work on the same principle. Starting from diet, strength training, and other cardiovascular activities, everything shows results based on what works for one’s body type and the body’s unique requirements.
Thus, it becomes imperative that you first know and understand your own body before starting your fitness journey.
There are three major body types: ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs. Two of these three body types are said to bulk up easily, so it becomes essential to know how to train which body type correctly.
Ectomorph: People with a small body frame or a naturally slim body are called ectomorph body types. This body type has a faster metabolism and tends to not build muscle very quickly or easily. For ectomorphs, toning down is easy and bulking up is difficult.
This means that if you are an ectomorph body type, then it would be harder for you to put on muscle mass as well as to retain it. Thus, activities like HIIT or squats aren’t necessarily going to bulk you up.
You should do resistance training or cardio to have a toned physique without getting the skinny-fat look.
Mesomorphs: Considered the ideal body type, mesomorphs are the average sized body frame. This body type is one that gains or loses weight quickly. These people generally have a toned physique and can build muscles easily.
If you are a mesomorph body type, then you should mind your protein intake to be sufficient for maintaining muscle mass during the lean phase. Keep your calorie range in the deficit zone, and fat intake should be increased than in the bulk phase.
Endomorphs: Those with a naturally large body frame and a slow metabolism are endomorph body types. People with this body type can bulk up or put on fat easily. If you have an endomorph body type and you do the wrong resistance training exercises or diet, then it is more likely for you to bulk up easily.
As a solution, you should consider doing plenty of cardio while limiting or avoiding HIIT and weights in order to gain a leaner look.
Answering the Questions That You Are Most Likely Searching For
Can You Tone up Without Gaining Muscle?
No, you cannot tone up without gaining muscle. But it is important to understand that by gaining muscle you aren’t necessarily going to bulk up or become muscular. To tone your muscles, you should do exercises which will build muscle.
When you couple weight training with the right amount of calorie and protein intake, you can effectively build lean muscles. It means defined muscles without the extra fat that can make you look bulked up.
How Can I Get Lean and Toned Without Getting Bulky?
There are many factors to keep in mind in order to get lean and toned without getting bulky. Your diet and workout are the most essential things to consider. A healthy diet, along with resistance training and cardio, is considered the best way to get a toned physique.
The right approach is to first figure out your body type. Knowing what works best for your body type before adjusting your diet and workout regime will help you achieve optimal results.
Will My Legs Get Bigger From Cycling?
The answer is no. On the contrary, if you cycle conscientiously along with a healthy diet, then you may achieve a lean physique. Even though you desire to gain those tree-trunk legs, you cannot acquire the results just by cycling, as it requires a hell lot of effort.
Unless you are riding at heavy resistance for long durations, doing a lot of squats, and maintaining the same levels of fat by eating a lot, you are unlikely to get bigger from cycling.
Will Pump Classes Bulk up My Thighs?
No, pump classes aren’t going to bulk up your thighs. You need to understand that building muscles is a tiresome and time-consuming job. It isn’t going to happen in a day or two or just by accident.
If you are concerned about how to get thick thighs, you need to follow a diet plan and intense workout routine for the same in order to gain bulky muscles.
While during plump classes you are performing very high rep and pretty light-weight, thus it is not going to bulk up your thighs.
Is Dancing Going To Help Me Get Lean Legs?
Yes, it can lean your legs to an extent. Dancing is also a form of physical activity, so it is definitely going to work your muscles up. But, how much transformation it can bring into your body also depends upon the type of dancing and your body type, how it responds to which physical stimulus.
How Heavy Should My Weights Be?
If you are a female desiring to tone your arm muscles, then you should consider 2-to-3-pound dumbbells, going up to 12 to 15 reps. When you can do it with little effort, you can further gradually go up to 5- to 10-pound dumbbells. For men, on the other hand, they can gradually take it up to 10-to 20-pound dumbbells.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, resistance training, cardio, and a healthy diet are the three pivotal pillars to achieving a lean and chiseled physique. In this blog, we have explained how every factor contributes towards a lean or bulky body. We hope we have added some value to your understanding of gaining a toned and lean body.
Now, as you have all the required information on how to tone muscle.
So what are you waiting for? Figure out your body type and adjust your diet and workout routine accordingly, and make the most of it to achieve the body of your dreams!
I’m a triathlete and life coach, with a focus on holistic health, fitness & women’s issues.
I also write about my gastronomic adventures and my love for the outdoors.