5 Reasons You May Never Have a Toned *insert eyeroll here* Physique
First, "toned" means having some muscle (but you are are afraid that if you say "muscular" aloud you'll instantly get all bulky and shit like some Amazon female bodybuilding competitor you saw at The Ahhhhhnold Classic). Can we just say "muscular" or "fit" or "athletic", please? FortheloveofallthatisbadassandACCURATE, please?!?!?
Down to the business at hand:
You are always/often/usually/most-of-the-time eating less calories than you burn (at a caloric deficit). Muscles are like balloons. Food fills them up. Extra food makes them grow/ get bigger. Not enough food makes them deflate/shrivel up like prunes/disappear altogether. If you are not regularly, consistently, MOST-OF-THE-TIME eating enough food/calories, you will actually a) LOSE whatever muscle you've worked to build; and b) not build any new muscle at all. ZERO. ZILCH. NADAAAAAAAAAAAA.
You don't get uncomfortable during your workouts. It should hurt. it should burn. It should make you feel icky in the short-term. It should make your face look hideous and unattractive. It should make you spit and gasp and grimace. It should make you drop f-bombs. How often should your workouts be uncomfortable? All-the-fucking-time. Every-fucking-one.
You do not train PROGRESSIVELY. Meaning, when the weight/reps/sets get easier, you don't add more. The body adapts. You have to stress it out. Stress it out, man. Force it to LEVEL-THE-FUCK-UP.
You get 30,000+ steps a day for your job and you do cardio-based/type workouts, plus you like to run half and full marathons, so you're always training for one - AND you eat at a caloric deficit.
You're afraid your belly will be bloated/flabby/squishy. Seriously? Are you seriously fucking kidding me right now? So you wear a bikini/crop tops A LOT then? Mmmhmmm.
~Brooke J. Savage
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
NASM Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
NASM Certified Weight Loss Coach
Certified Bad Ass / Owner of Savage Strong Fitness & Nutrition Consulting