If you want to see visible muscle tone, you have to build muscle. I’m not going to beat around the bush with this though.. it’s not going to be simple, but it will be worth it. Here are a few things you can do to ensure you are on the right path and also enjoy your journey.
- You have to lift weights.
I recommend two lower body strength training days if possible, and two upper strength training days like back and bis and chest and tris, or shoulders and arms along with chest and back. Going as heavy as possible for 3 -4 sets of 8 – 12 reps, taking as much rest as you need to get that volume in and being able to go as heavy as you can.
To learn more about the details about the best lifting program you can do to build muscle, read this. - Create performance based goals.
At the end of the day I want to look good. I like being lean, seeing abs, having a nice bum and I am not ashamed to say that – there is nothing wrong with having aesthetic goals. But performance based goals are my favorite and they can absolutely coincide.
Perhaps your goal is to lose 10 pounds of fat or two sizes so you can fit into a size six pant or haved toned arms. Awesome, you should honor that. But what if while working on those goals you set some performance based goals that will go along with those?
If you need to lose 10 pounds, you haven’t been doing daily workouts regularly and you enjoy running, perhaps sign up for a 5k, set a goal time like 28 minutes, then train for it. Or if you want a to have toned arms, perhaps test your max effort push ups in one minute, then work toward making your upper body stronger and test them again in six weeks.
For myself, like I said, my goal is to have visible abs and a perky bum and I love lifting and competing in CrossFit so my goal is to squat heavier. My one rep max is 230# for all time PR and I’d like to hit 235 sometime this year so I will train for it, and all the while doing that I will also be working toward my aesthetic goals as well.
It just makes the journey so much more fun, and it also takes your mind off of being hyper focused on what you look like which may ultimately drive you crazy. - You have a eat.
I’ve been conditioned to be scared to eat my whole life. Women are conditioned to want to be small. That’s why women count points, count calories, count macros, count calories burned, count minutes doing cardio and god forbid you don’t burn more than you take in…. that’s just a disaster!!! Overcoming this mentality is the first obstacle.
You need calories. Building muscle requires them. Get your daily calorie expenditure including activity, and try to eat MORE than what you expend. Mentally, it may not easy, but know if you are lifting regularly, you need this for recovery.
Just as an example this is what a day in my life looks like…
Wake up get ready and get out the door around 7am with Stringer, my pup. We walk about 1.5 – 3 miles (depending on the weather) in an hour. From 9 – 11 I train clients. From 11 – 1 is when I am at my gym lifting, learning gymnastics skills and doing HIIT cardio workouts.
From 1:30 – 2 I am walking again with Stringer. From 2 – 5 I am working on the computer, and at least two evenings a week I am training another client or two and walking Stringer again. I burn about 2400 calories a day. I need to eat all of that back and then some if my goal is to build muscle.
What is your day like? How many calories are you expending? Find out here. How can you eat those calories back in effort to build muscle and recovery properly and have energy? - You need carbs.
You cannot be afraid to eat carbs, particularly starchy carbs such as rice, potato, quinoa and other grains like oats. Carbohydrates help build muscle via insulin, a storage hormone. To learn more about the importance of carbs in building muscle read this.
Protein is also essential as protein is truly what muscle is made of and is necessary in muscle recovery because when you lift, you are breaking down the muscle tissue and protein is what helps rebuild the muscle for growth. Fat is important as it keeps your hormones in working order, fiber is important for a healthy gut and so many micronutrients are vital for our health, so when you eat all of the food you have to eat, make most of it healthy stuff.
5. Take progress pics.
Don’t use a scale and don’t just go by measurements. The scale will fluctuate and doesn’t show the whole picture of everything that is going on. Your measurements may not change and clothing may begin to fit tighter as you buid muscle too. But you can’t let that freak you out. If you go from having a flat bum to having a perky booty that is going to look GREAT, but your jeans may fit tigher and that could emotionally trigger you, but you have to remember this is part of the process.
I recommend taking progress pics every four weeks, front/ back/ side, full body, same pose, same lighting, same outfit (shorts and sports bra or bikini), same time during your cycle, same time of the day and same back ground.
For more details about taking progress pics, read this.
Most importantly, with all of this though, when you want to build lean muscle and see visible muscle tone, it takes time. Being patient is key.
If you are ready to take the time to build muscle, the Lean Body Workout Program + custom clean eating is on sale here: https://kyrawilliamsfitness.com/leanbodyworkoutprogrammealplan/
This will include your daily workout plans for 5 – 6 days a week to help you build muscle AND we will create a custom clean eating meal plan just for you based on your goals, body, daily schedule and all of your needs for just $79!!
Your Coach,
Kyra