Strength & Toning Tips for Women

Learn how to build strong, sleek muscles and a great-looking body fast!

Many women are interested in strengthening and toning their muscles. And for good reason: strong, toned, well-defined muscles look great, feel great, and get peoples' attention! They also come in handy when you need 'functional' strength to lift/move/open/throw/etc. an object. This section is devoted solely to providing useful strength & toning tips for women.

Tip #1: Use light-to-moderate resistance and lots of reps

Strength & toning for women is all about creating sleek, strong, well-defined muscles - NOT the big, bulky muscles most men go after. The trick to toning your muscles without making them bigger is to use lighter weights and higher volume (which means 3 or more sets per exercise and 10-20 repetitions per set).

Tip #2: The Pilates solution

One of the best, most enjoyable ways to strengthen and tone muscles is to perform regular Pilates workouts, which involve no weights - just your own body. Many gyms now offer 1-on-1 Pilates instruction as well as group classes. Another good option is the very popular Winsor Pilates workout videos.

Tip #3: Get on a circuit

Circuit training is a great option for strength & toning for women. It involves performing one or two sets of a certain exercise, using relatively light weights and little rest between sets, and then moving on to another, complementary exercise. Many of the new 'women-only' gyms focus on circuit-style workouts, which are highly effective for not only muscle-toning, but fat-burning as well.

Tip #4: Do it at home

Millions of women strengthen and tone their bodies in the privacy of their own homes by using home workout videos. The best videos usually take you through one or more aerobic-style workouts and often show you how to work the entire body. Certain video-makers, such as Beachbody, are much better than others. They focus on producing ultra high-quality, fun, exciting workouts that don't allow you to get bored.

Tip #5: Eat well

No matter how much you focus on muscle strength and/or toning, if your muscles are covered by a layer of fat you'll never be able to admire them - and neither will anyone else! A healthy diet is an integral part of creating a toned body, especially for women. Women's bodies tend to 'hold on' to fat more than men's so it's nearly impossible for them to get that 'lean' look without a relatively clean diet.

Probably the best 'popular' diet on the market right now is the South Beach Diet, mainly because it offers a viable solution for long-term weight loss and weight maintenance. The Zone is also a very healthy diet.

Well, that's it for now. These strength & toning tips for women should help get you on your way to a much better-looking body. We'll be adding more in the near future so check back soon and be sure to sign up for our free fitFAQ.com Fitness Newsletter!