best exercises to get "toned"
 

hey, i'm a college student, i'd love to be more toned, particularly in my upperthigh & "love handles" area. can someone suggest some good exercises to do? i usually do the elliptical machine, the bike & run but its not quite cutting it. THANKS :)

Hi Chrissy, getting toned as you call it is a function of fat loss through diet and exercise usually. You cannot..I repeat..spot reduce certain areas on your body. You can build muscle in certain areas of your body, but you cannot spot reduce fatty areas.

With that in mind, biking, running, and using the elliptical machine SHOULD cut it. You may not be putting in the correct amount of time using these devices. You may also be burning yourself out. Do you do all three in one day, or do you mix it up throughout the week?

I would focus on one exercise, for at least 25 mins a day, for 3-4 days. Get your body into a rhythm expecting to do this activity. Your diet is also important.

When you eat, what you eat, and how often you eat need to be looked at. How is your diet? How much water do you drink?

For exercises, you can focus on crunches, and deep knee bends (weighted or not). Have you looked at doing any weight exercises?

Pilates is great for toning.

Definately would look into weight training. Muscle burns more calories and you will find yourself shrinking as it also takes up less space. (in other words the scale may not move but your clothes will be looser).

For a small amount of money you can buy some dumbbells and a video or two (I recommend the Firm). You WILL see results! Good luck!

Hey I just wanted to say hi to one Iowagirl, from another one. *S*

Hi! :flow1: Great weather we're having!

You're right about that! And we deseve it too. LOL

To tone upper thighs without going to the gym: two words--SQUATS and LUNGES--they are **** but it's crazy how well they work. Doing 40 mins of cardio 3 times a week also took a lot of jiggle out of my legs. At first it feels like your clothes are tighter but as long as you drink enough water you should start losing inches and your body shape will change.
Love handles: Fat burning is the most important part. This can be done through diet and exercise. If you do your regular cardio workout and sprinkle in some high-intensity segments (bump up your speed and/or resistance for a minute, then go back to your normal pace/level) it might burn the fat faster. Add in some regular ab moves to tone your middle and that should take care of the rest.

Does the nearest gym have BodyPUMP classes? I go regularly and I can feel my muscles firming up - its just a matter of losing the fat, but underneath the fat, I can feel the hardening of my muscles.

Good luck!

My gym told me for toning that I need to do resistance training of some sort. They told me that cardio alone will not tone my body. I thought that it would, but after doing just cardio for over a year I really can say that I am not that toned. I'm fitter but not toned.

They do have a Bodypump class and I've done it in the past. I reccomend it too. After my first class I couldn't walk the next day as this class really worked on lunges. I ususally do an hour of cardio 2 to 3 X a week, 30 min on elipitical trainer and 35 min on treadmill. I tried the step class last week and now the cardio that I was doing seems rather tame. I think classes are the way to go. The workout is more intense and you have the added incentive of being part of a group.

I also do pilates, although not a much as I should. Life seems to get in the way, kids and homework, laundry, always something to take away from my time. When I was doing pilates on a regular basis I could really feel the difference. I was working my abs and I could feel them getting tighter.

They have a fat burn program at my gym. After 12 weeks (think this is the timeframe) they guarnatee that a woman will lose 9-12 pounds and x# of inches. Guarnateed, or money refunded, I believe, or maybe they give you another 12 weeks. The program is expensive at $700.00. They do this with diet and exercise.

From what I've read, weight training is the way to tone yourself.