How to get a toned body?

I can't remember if this thread popped up recently or not, but I’ve got a question. Look, we all know losing weight isn't rocket science—if you actually find the motivation, you can look skinny in a month or two. But honestly? That’s not what I’m after. I don't care for that look. My goal is to keep my curves (even if they shrink a tiny bit because, you know, calorie deficits), but I want definition. I want to look toned. I’m 5'11" and about 163 lbs. I’m not overweight—everyone tells me I’m slim—but I feel sluggish, like my body is just full of junk. I’ve got a little extra around my stomach and hips. Every time I try doing cardio—like 40 minutes a day—plus cutting back on food, the scale goes down, but I still don't look how I want. My arms and glutes aren't any firmer; I'm just smaller overall. I don't have the cash or the time to join a gym (and when I ask people for advice on working out at home, they just bombard me with all these chemical supplements they say I need to drink, but they never give me actual, concrete instructions). I do have some dumbbells, a bench, and an elliptical at home (my brother uses it), but he only does muscle-building stuff and has zero clue what would work for me. Has anyone seen the movie "out of time" with Denzel Washington? You know, not the Black actress, but his wife—she is exactly my type. She has a waist, she has curves, and her glutes look firm, not scrawny! Is that even possible? I don't care how long it takes, I just need advice on how to get there. What should I eat, how many calories am I looking at, what kind of workouts...
Thanks in advance, I appreciate the help
Becky

So, is it just me, or does nobody have a single clue what they're doing? I just jumped headfirst into this whole training routine, so I'm basically teaching myself as I go, but if anyone actually has even one shred of advice... please, just throw it my way!

I get it, but you just don't have the passion for it. You can't have your cake and eat it too... you're more of an office person anyway.

I don't think that's quite right, shadowgardener12. I mean, if you’re persistent enough, you really can do everything on your own. Don't let her lose heart.
You have to stay active constantly, otherwise you won't get toned because you aren't moving... that's pretty basic logic, right?! And as for curves... I can't really give you much advice there, since mine stay exactly where they are no matter how I pose.😁
But I always do some exercises, I go for runs... and you could probably find some tips online... I think everything works if you just stick with it... if you relax a little, then you're good to go.
I remember seeing this book in the library this past summer—it was translated into English—about Pilates, specifically for body shaping. I'm not entirely sure how much "true" Pilates it actually is, but the exercises themselves seem really solid.
The workouts are broken down into categories: glutes and legs, waist and back... and I think they even have stuff for arms and general flexibility (which is super important). So, maybe try looking for it.
You can totally do this yourself; just don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. 🙂

Laura Green8 said:There’s this book—it was translated into English—that I spotted in the library over the summer. It’s about Pilates, specifically for toning up. I’m not entirely sure if it’s "true" Pilates, but the exercises themselves are solid.
They break everything down into sections: glutes and legs, waist and back... and I think they even have stuff for arms and general flexibility (which is huge). You should try to track it down.
You can totally do it on your own; just don't lose heart if you don't see changes overnight.🙂

Thanks for the tip, you're a lifesaver! Do you happen to know the title or what the cover looks like? Honestly, getting my legs toned is the easy part, but everything else—especially the abs, if I want to see even a hint of definition instead of just a stomach—is going to be a long haul. No biggie though, I’ve got patience.
Also, is it true you have to basically ghost sugar and grease? Like, I don't mind fatty foods much, but does one single square of chocolate a day just ruin the whole thing? I even heard some people say you're only allowed a tiny bit of sweets once a week. Is that just bodybuilding nonsense, or does it apply when you're just trying to get toned?

shadowgardener12 said:I get it, but you just don't have the heart for it. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You're clearly more of a "stay at home" type.

Just thinking out loud here... purely theoretical... how much money are we actually talking about per month in this space? How much would I need to set aside? It's total sci-fi territory for me right now since I'm still stuck in college.
Even though I'm riding with Laura Green8 on the idea that anything is possible if you're persistent... provided you're actually heading in the right direction.

I think it’s just called Pilates; there’s some woman working out on the cover. It has a white background, too. It's a pretty nice edition, though the format is a bit unusual—kind of somewhere between a standard sheet of paper and a regular book size. The pages feel a little wider than usual...
As for the sweets, I couldn't really tell you. I don't strictly follow any specific rules; I just kind of do whatever feels right at the moment. I rarely eat much sugar, except for those phases where I just have a massive craving for it... and even then, it's not frequent enough to be a real issue. I'm not too sure about anything else, either. If you're looking to get abs, I guess you'd have to watch what you eat—cut back on pasta, red meat, and stuff like that. That's usually how the belly happens, or so I've heard.

Not sure what the price tag is, but it’s Ashtanga yoga. It does wonders for your physique, along with a few other disciplines. Just watch your knees, though... it can be a bit hard on them. Easy.

You really ought to incorporate resistance training, specifically using weights

It will likely be quite similar to what your brother does, though you needn't worry about experiencing the same physiological response he does... you won't gain nearly as much muscle mass as him for one very simple reason, which is that as a woman, your hormonal profile is fundamentally different

Ideally, you should focus on the larger muscle groups first—things like your chest, back, and legs—before moving on to smaller areas such as your shoulders, arms, and calves

By the way, trying to explain all of this through a single message feels a bit excessive, if I'm being honest

You would be well-served to look up some bodybuilding exercise descriptions online

http://www.exrx.net/

And perhaps you could also take a look at

http://forum.bodybuilding.com and check out their F.A.Q. section

In most cases, you can certainly improvise an entire routine right at home, but these resources are perfectly fine for getting started... once you have had a chance to read through everything, please feel free to reach out if any part of it remains unclear

By the way, Pilates is fine, I suppose, but you’re never going to see the kind of results you get from lifting weights... a much smarter approach would be to commit to a heavy lifting routine for about six months first to build a solid foundation, and then transition into Pilates once you've actually built some muscle

Just one more thing... I'm not quite sure what kind of advice you've been receiving, but there is really no need to start swallowing all sorts of chemicals; if you simply pay a little more attention to your diet, you'll find your way... you can find plenty of guidance through those links I shared earlier

I couldn't help but notice that one of our forum members is quite the seasoned veteran, so perhaps you might find value in taking a look at this...

http://www.zdravlje.savjetnik.com/

Ugh...
You’ve got a massive mountain to climb here. It comes down to strict discipline: clean eating, cutting way back on carbs and junk fats, and loading up on healthy fats and protein. You have to be precise about it.
As for working out, you need to hit the gym at least four times a week, and match that with four cardio sessions. But I’m talking about actual, effective training—not those sessions where you just do some half-hearted bicep curls while staring at your own teeth in the mirror and posing for a selfie. 🙂
A few supplements won't hurt either. You'll definitely need a good multivitamin, flaxseed oil if you can get it, and whey protein right after your workouts.
Honestly, answering your question properly would require writing a whole damn book. At the end of the day, though, your persistence is more important than anything else. You can find all the specific guides and instructions you need online.

I honestly don't get why everyone obsesses over hitting the gym five times a week and all that nonsense. Half the people I see just spend 45 minutes fixing their hair in the mirror and call it a workout.

Then, four months later, they have the nerve to ask how I achieved my results, even though you can't see any change in them at all.

"Just skip the steroids," I told them. If you actually want to be healthy and fit, stay away from the gear. Cut back on processed carbs, watch the saturated fats, and just train. Three sessions a week for two hours is plenty—provided you actually put in the work for those two hours. That means 30 to 45 minutes of cardio, and I don't mean strolling aimlessly like you're on a Sunday walk. Follow that up with at least an hour of heavy lifting.

What people get wrong is pushing themselves way past their limits. If your body isn't responding and you aren't seeing progress, stop forcing it. You’ll just burn out and wreck your health. Change your routine instead.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I finally managed to get to my computer, since I don't have one on me right now.
It’s time to actually get moving. In a few months, I’m hoping to see at least some tiny bit of progress. I’m not trying to hit some impossible goal by next summer like most people—you know, those types who hit the gym in the fall just to look good for beach season. My friends are all like that. Me? I’ll be ready when I’m ready. There's no rush. Honestly, I'm not sweating it... though I do have to force myself to do those ice skating drills, which is easily the worst part of this whole thing. Everything else is fine.
Thanks,
Becky

swiftscout8 said:Look, just forget about the gear. If you actually want to be healthy and fit, stay far away from the chemicals.

What exactly do you mean when you talk about "chemicals"? Are we talking about anabolic steroids?

Just a quick word of caution here: you can put in an incredible amount of work on muscle density, definition, and all that other stuff, but you’re never going to replicate the physique of a Black woman who just happens to sprint for the bus once a month... there is simply a different physiological makeup at play; Black people naturally possess a muscle structure that tends to be much firmer and more compact than what you see in white people...

Susan James42 said:Just one warning: you can do an incredible amount of work on muscle density and definition, but you're never going to look like a Black woman who just runs for the bus once a month... Black people simply have different muscle structures; they always look tighter and more compact than white people...

Exactly. And don't even get me started on skin elasticity. My boyfriend is Black, and his physique is honestly indescribable—plus his skin is so elastic it's unbelievable. Even though he’s put on a little bit of a gut because of my cooking, his skin is so tight you can't even grab hold of it; there's no sagging.
That actress you mentioned in the movie is just naturally built that way. Getting curves, especially breasts, is difficult. You shouldn't expect to go from doing two reps to four and suddenly see a transformed backside; that takes real struggle.
I've been working out for a year, but I only started training intensely three months ago—every other day, sometimes even two days in a row for two and a half hours—and you can actually see results. I'm most impressed with my midsection; it's so firm that my abs are starting to show. I have to mention that I spend at least thirty minutes on core exercises, mostly various ab workouts, plus about forty minutes of running or cycling to burn fat.
Anything is possible if you don't quit. I used to make excuses to avoid the gym; now, I can't live without it. I was always slim, but my body lacked tone. What I've achieved so far is truly impressive.

granitesailor33 said:Exactly, and don't even get me started on how elastic his skin is. My boyfriend is Black, and honestly, he’s got a backside that words just can't do justice—plus his skin is so incredibly elastic, it's unreal. I mean, because I'm such an amazing cook, he’s picked up a little bit of a belly, but since his skin is so stretchy, you can't even really grab it or tell there's extra weight there.
And that woman from the movie you mentioned? She was just born with those curves; it's not like you can just manifest a chest or hips out of thin air. It's totally unrealistic to expect that doing some basic floor exercises is going to transform your butt overnight, though it can happen if you're actually putting in the grueling work.
I've been working out for a year now, but I only started training intensely about three months ago—like, every other day, sometimes even two days in a row for two or two and a half hours at a time—and man, can you see the results. I'm most impressed with my stomach; it's gotten so firm that I can actually see my abs starting to show. But I have to mention, I spend at least thirty minutes specifically on core work, mostly various crunches, plus I run and bike for about 40 minutes total to burn off the fat.
Look, you can achieve anything, you just can't quit. I used to be the queen of making excuses to avoid the gym, but now I can't live without it. I've always been slim, but my body felt sort of... unconditioned, I guess? And what I've achieved so far is actually pretty awesome.

That is seriously motivating, bravo granitesailor33 👍 Way to go!