What does it mean to tone a muscle? as opposed to gaining muscle?

Answer 1

"Toning" muscle is a misleading term. Muscle tone in the scientific sense means continuous or partial contraction of muscle. It's the muscle's ability to respond to a stretch.

However when people use it in the context of fitness, what they are usually referring to is lean muscle mass combined with muscle definition.

For example, you can have a great deal of muscle, but if your body fat levels are above a certain level you will not see the separation between major muscle groups. This would not be an example of someone who is "toned" in the fitness sense of the word.

It's really a pretty useless word because it means so many different things to different people. In bodybuilding, you typically refer to muscle separation and striation (which is when you can literally see fiber grouping within a muscle -- think someone who is really lean and ripped), lean muscle mass and "hardness" which is an aesthetic measure of muscle density. "Tone" is not a word that get's used very frequently.

Answer 2

Toning is a term that people use to decribe getting some definition without gaining any mass - basically getting rid of some bodyfat via weight training. Gaining muscle mass involves putting on weight to bulk up the muscles via weight training.

Answer 3

toning is probably the most inaccurate verb used in fitness today. it is physiologically impossible to tone muscle, it is always tone. subcutaneous fat (body fat) covers muscle tissue so the true definition of the muscle can not be seen. so toning is nothing more than reducing body fat.

gaining muscle is just that, increasing the amount muscle mass

Answer 4

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Answer 5

diet, but a lot of protein and exercise EVERY day for 1 hr....here is a hint dont lift as much as u can lift lift like 5 or even 10 lb. weights in each hand and just do different lifts..make sure you stretch before-hand

Answer 6

Thankyou all for your replies and opinions!

Answer 7

I was curious on the answer too