10 Tips for Getting Toned

John Lofye • February 7, 2025

10 Tips for Getting a Toned Body




1.       Getting toned comes from building muscle and having low enough body fat to see the muscle.


2.      You must be in a caloric deficit to lose body fat.


3.      Research shows that you must overload muscle twice a week to see muscle gains. 


4.      Long and slow activities like walking are great for using fat as energy. Although you burn more calories running, those calories tend to come from glycogen that is stored in the muscles. 


5.      You can exercise all day long but if your diet stinks, you will not see results.


6.      If you are not losing weight (scale weight decreasing, losing inches, clothes fitting better), you are not in a caloric deficit.


7.      You can still lose weight and not see a huge drop on the scale. The scale is not the best way to measure body fat loss if your body composition is improving and you are gaining muscle.


8.      Building muscle will help increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories at rest. 


9.      You can burn calories by increasing your activity level, but it is generally not enough to create a caloric deficit. You must combine the increased activity level with improved eating habits to get results.


10. If you perform strength training, walking and sensible eating habits, you will become more toned. That is a fact.

Do I Have the Time?

By John Lofye • February 13, 2025
Do I Have the Time? Time is often the biggest stumbling block when it comes to adhering to a fitness program. A certain amount of guilt can be associated with dedicating time toward exercising each week. Should I be spending that time with my kids and family? Am I neglecting my family if I spend 2-3 hours a week working out? Or is the payoff worth the investment in time? Here are some observations that will hopefully answer those questions: 1. Exercising will give you more energy to play with your kids by boosting your metabolism. You can also incorporate some form of exercise during your playtime together. Go to a jungle gym with your child and create an obstacle course. Perform some bodyweight exercises or go for a bike ride or walk. Stretch before playing catch. Make it fun and age appropriate. 2. Exercising will give you more patience . Exercise is a great mood stabilizer. The stabilizing effect can make you less likely to get angry even during the most trying times. 3. Exercising will give you a better chance to see your children grow up and start their own families. Longevity is one of the greatest benefits of exercise. You can’t do your family much good if you are not alive and well. 4. Exercising will set a great example for your child or children. If your child grows up watching you exercise, the chances are great that they will exercise too throughout their adulthood. What a great gift to give your child. 5. Exercising will improve other relationships too. Whether it is a spouse, friend, significant other or family member, the physical and emotional benefits will make it easier to maintain healthy relationships. 6. It feels good. If you are lucky, you will learn to enjoy the actual time you spend working out. The key is to choose activities that you enjoy. It does not have to be heavy and intense weightlifting or demanding HITT workouts. It may be as simple as performing calisthenics or going on a bike ride. 7. Moderation is the key. You are doing great if you can perform strength training activities twice a week and slow and steady cardio three times a week. Forty to sixty minutes a workout session is all the time that you need to illicit a positive result. Spending too much time working out will be counter productive since it will wear you down and make you less available for your family. Spending 2-3 hours a week performing some type of exercise will yield incredible returns for both you and your family. You are not being selfish by spending that time for yourself. You are instead investing time in yourself which will in turn make you better for those who are around you each day including your children.