body toning.......?

[ciaobella]

i was just wondering how long it takes (working out 4-6 days a week and staying on this woe) to achieve a relatively toned body from a slightly-moderately flabby body (not like crazy female body-building toned but just have some definition)? I was thinking that it probably takes a little over a 6-9 months or so....am I way off track? would it take a lot longer??? any good moves that don't necessarily have to be done at a gym that would really enhance the results???
Since jan i have been working out mainly just to burn cals and lose weight, not specifically toning up but now that i have reached my first mini-goal i want to start body sculpting so that i can look my best...can i expect any noticeable results in 3 months?

[Isabeau]

Depending on what you're doing, I'd have to say yeah, you'll see a difference. Way back when I started the Body for Life lifting program alternating with cardio (running) there was a remarkable difference by the end of twelve weeks. Doing cardio and getting your heart rate up will burn fat and strengthen your heart and lungs, weight training builds muslce. Throw in some cross training like swimming, cycling, yoga, pilates etc. You'll be amazed what you can do!

[sadie147]

I've heard that really noticeable results from weightlifting can take up to a year..however, I did see a difference after about 2 months myself. I have a little bit of definition in my arms that was never there before. Though I don't exactly have perfect rippled biceps, i can actually see now that i do have some! Keep it up you will see some difference in a couple of months. Make sure you're doing a proper lifting program (I really like http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html as well as body for life), giving your muscles the proper 'rest' days, never working out the same muscle groups two days in a row, working opposing muscles, doing enought reps and lifting enough weight etc.

Hope this helps!

[Tommy]

Results will show in a relativly short time but it's sometimes hard to notice the gradual changes that take place. Take pictures and record your measurements to see the progressive changes. Also monitor your body fat percentage.

[Jake]

You'll see a few changes and muscle gains within 1-3 months but a total transformation you are looking at a minimum of a year. This doesn't mean you won't have results and noticable changes, just you won't look like Arnold anytime soon, but that'd be a bad thing for most women anyway. :yikes

[ttdriver]

I definitely agree with the previous posts .. it doesn't happen quickly, but it does happen if you are PERSISTENT. Weight lifting will give you definition and cardio will burn fat so you'll be able to see the definition better as your body fat decreases.

Just take it slow and progress steadily ... PATIENCE IS KEY!

Betty

[snorkelman]

Some good responses above (I particularly like the link provided by sadie147).

In general if you are doing both cardio and weight training and your goal is fat loss, then you need to be checking your percentage of body fat on a weekly basis.

Why? because if you lose too much weight, it may be muscle loss (that is why weight training is important).


The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), recommends a weight loss goal of one to two pounds per week. This is about the same as half a percent of body fat per week.

No matter what you hear about people losing weight quickly (yes I lost 11 pounds during induction) the safest approach to fat loss is a gradual one.

Focus on body fat loss. Weight loss is meaningless if you are losing water or muscle mass. You will probably never know how much of your weight loss is muscle if you do not monitor your body fat.

So, yes you WILL see noticeable results in 3 months. The biggest results will be from 4-6 days of cardio because that is how you mainly lose the fat. When you add weight training to the mix, you will build muscle mass (not to be confused with massive muscles). Building muscle mass is the same thing as "getting buff" or "tone" or "cut" or "ripped."

You can only do two things: 1) add or lose fat and 2) build or lose muscle.

[ttdriver]

The biggest results will be from 4-6 days of cardio because that is how you mainly lose the fat. When you add weight training to the mix, you will build muscle mass (not to be confused with massive muscles). Building muscle mass is the same thing as "getting buff" or "tone" or "cut" or "ripped."

:yes :yes :yes :yes :yes

Betty

[Tommy]

In general if you are doing both cardio and weight training and your goal is fat loss, then you need to be checking your percentage of body fat on a weekly basis.

Why? because if you lose too much weight, it may be muscle loss (that is why weight training is important).


The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), recommends a weight loss goal of one to two pounds per week. This is about the same as half a percent of body fat per week.

No matter what you hear about people losing weight quickly (yes I lost 11 pounds during induction) the safest approach to fat loss is a gradual one.

Focus on body fat loss. Weight loss is meaningless if you are losing water or muscle mass. You will probably never know how much of your weight loss is muscle if you do not monitor your body fat.

So, yes you WILL see noticeable results in 3 months. The biggest results will be from 4-6 days of cardio because that is how you mainly lose the fat. When you add weight training to the mix, you will build muscle mass (not to be confused with massive muscles). Building muscle mass is the same thing as "getting buff" or "tone" or "cut" or "ripped."

You can only do two things: 1) add or lose fat and 2) build or lose muscle.

Body fat percentage is key! I do agree with this. But also keep in mind that the averages for what you can lose of fat per week will differ according to your current body fat percentage.

A heavier person can safely lose more fat per week with no muscle lose then a leaner person. The higher my body fat percentage the more I can lose per week. The close I get to my goals the slower I make the weight lose.

As already mentioned above, check you BF% once a week to determine the rate you can lose without muscle lose.

A combination of cardio and weight lifting will optimize your goals. But prioritizing cardio over weight lifting may not be the best choice. Cardio burns the most calories during exercise but it may come from muscle along from fat. Weight lifting will help prevent muscle loss. And any extra muscle gained will lower your body fat percentage.