Building lean muscle and a sculpted physique involves a proper resistance training program, not endless amounts of cardio. Women have been sold for the longest time that toning meant super high reps and a ton of cardio. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Nowadays they are ditching the old school mentality and incorporating compound movements and pushing heavy weight. If you want to build muscle and create a strong, “toned” look, the secret is lifting weights.
The Science
Lifting weights does not make you bulky. Women have way less testosterone than men. You will grow muscle (even in above average conditions) at a rate lower than men. You don’t just wake up one day too jacked. It takes time, and you will hit a point during the process where you know you have reached your goal long before you even look in the mirror and say you are too bulky.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. This will help make it easier to stay leaner year-round, even compared to those who only do cardio. The issue with cardio is your body learns to burn less calories over time, because it wants to adapt. Lifting weights is an ongoing process where the adaptation is to add muscle. Muscle is calorically expensive so your body will continue to burn a little bit more in calories the more you add. It will also add those lines you hope to see in your beach body.
How to Structure Workouts for a Sculpted, Toned Physique
You want to make sure you are focusing on progressive overload. This means adding 1 more rep or 5 more pounds than the week before. Here is what it may look like:
Prioritize Strength Training
Aim for 2-3 days per week, hitting all major muscle groups with a mix of compound and isolation exercises.
Example Weekly Split:
Day 1
- Barbell Squats 4x5
- Bench Press 4x5
- Weight/Assisted Pull-ups 3x5
- Shrugs 3x3-6
- Barbell Curls 2x6-8
- EZ Bar Skullcrushers 2x6-8
Day 2
- Deadlifts 4x5
- Overhead Press 4x5
- Seated Row 3x5
- Dumbbell Shrugs 3x3-6
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls 2x6-8
- Dips 2x6-8
Day 3
- Romanian Deadlifts 4x5
- Lunges 4x6-8
- Incline Bench 4x5
- One Arm Dumbbell Row 3x5
- Lateral Raises 3x6-8
- Preacher Curls 2x6-8
- Tricep Pushdowns 2x6-8
Choose a weight you can hit the top end of the range with only 1-2 reps left in the tank. Once you can hit that top end, increase the weight. You may find it brings you back to the lower end of the range. Work your way back up and then rinse and repeat.
Keep Cardio for Overall Health
You can still keep cardio in your plan. It’s great for endurance and overall health. Keep it to 2-3 sessions of low intensity cardio (like a light jog or walking pace). If you need some extra metabolic conditioning, you can incorporate 1-2 sessions of HIIT (sprints outside or on a bike) instead.
Eat Enough to Build Muscle, Not Just Maintain
Women tend to under eat. Especially now, when you are trying to gain muscle, your body needs and wants the fuel. Focus on 1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight. This will be more than you are used to, but it will ensure you are eating enough to grow. From there, start with a handful of carbs with each meal and a thumb size serving of fats with each meal. This is a loose, non-measuring way to get started. You can add or remove as needed depending on how you look and feel.
Building muscle takes time. It will take 2-3 months to notice strength go up, and some changes to start physically appearing. Within 6-12 months you will notice drastically different changes if you follow the steps above. Utilize tools such as taking photos, monitor your increases in strength, and focus on how you feel. Don’t just rely only on the scale for progress. What will most likely occur at first is the weight stays the same because you are putting on muscle and losing fat at the same time. This is the ideal scenario.
