There are many phrases used in exercise that bother me. “Toned” came up a few times recently. What does it mean? It is not a fitness term, per se. It is not a health-related component of physical fitness—okay, one might argue it falls under the category of “body composition,” but…. When people say they want to get “toned,” they are really saying that they want to lose body fat and not build “big muscles.” They mean they want to cut calories, do cardio, and lift only light weight. I will undoubtedly offend someone, but when I hear “toned” I hear someone saying “I don’t want to work hard to get into shape.
There is a long-term problem with getting “toned,” as well. The repetitive cycles of losing body fat via cardio and light “weight training” (and subsequent regaining of fat) lead to a progressive loss of muscle mass. According to Powers and Howley in Exercise Physiology, 10% of muscle mass is lost from 25 to 50 years, and an additional 40% is lost from 50 to 80 years. Loss of muscle mass leads to a loss of function. Loss of function leads to progressively diminished work capacity. In other words, “toned” doesn’t age well.
So, does this mean one should drop the cardio and become a powerlifter or bodybuilder. Well, not exactly, but…. I would suggest that, for more successful aging, one should embrace the principle of “progressive overload.” That is, one should embrace more intensive weight training and focus less on cardio. Maintain a healthy heart, of course, but realized that body composition is body fat and lean (muscle & bone) tissue. Gains in muscle mass = decreases in percent body fat (regardless of whether fat is lost). ”Skinny fat” is less healthy than muscled fat. (Of course, over-fat and obese are unhealthy either way.)
Loss of muscle (sarcopenia) often precedes or accompanies bone loss (osteopenia). Both result in impaired function with age—regardless of body fat. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Afraid that lifting heavy weights will give you big, bulky muscles? Reality check: People with big muscles work harder than you do. If you are so genetically inclined to easily gain muscle (which is exceedingly rare), you are lucky you don’t have to work so hard. The 3 days a week you spend in the gym are not going to give you a bodybuilder physique. Three to 5 sets (of, say, 5 repetitions) of the major lifts (variations the “basic 5”—squat, deadlift, bench, row, and overhead press) three times a week will give you the muscle tone (shape) you really desire and facilitate fat loss without extreme effort. Add to these a few sessions of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and/or high-intensity interval resistance training [HIIRT—or what some like to call “metabolic conditioning” (I don’t)], and you will soon have a leaner “fit” look that will maintain long-term function better than caloric restriction and traditional cardio.
Cardiorespiratory endurance is easier to maintain than muscle mass. The easy path is rarely the best path, though. Do the “hard” stuff that makes life easier.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!