It must be the word which has been spoken the most times in any gym! The big name gyms, equipment brands and magazines have successfully forced this term into the industry's vocabulary book (along with many more) purely to boost business and sales. However,
There is no such thing as Toning!
Muscles either increase in size (hypertrophy) or decrease in size (atrophy) depending on the demands forced upon them. If we begin to lift heavier loads than a muscle is used to (overload) then that muscle will change physiologically (adaptation) in order to handle these new loads next time they occur. The muscle fibres grow and the muscle is able to move a heavier load, and so on. Likewise, if a muscle is underused, then the fibres may shrink causing them to weaken.
It is common routine to perform lighter loads for many reps, but this will not cause any noticeable change. You have to push your muscles to provoke a change in strength, and what seems to be more important...appearance. If this is not true, wouldn't it be correct in thinking that people who chew a lot of gum will have toned, strong looking faces?
So it may be a good idea to think about the weight you are lifting? Explore slightly heavier weights but drop the reps down to 6-8, and keep on top of your conditioning to control fat storage (see next post).
It takes a lot of dedicated work and nutritional control to get "too big" especially for girls. Don't be worried about building a bit of muscle, it will give you that 'toned' look ;)
