Usage of the word TONE

unreggd

What is your understanding of the word?

A lot of people use it here and get a rant about how the word means something else


My understanding of the word relates to how contracted a muscle is at rest. So if someone says they wanna "tone up" I take it as meaning they just want stronger/tighter, as opposed to bigger muscles.

Wikipedia wrote:

Muscle tone (aka residual muscle tension or tonus) is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles.

Hanley

The common "tone" refers to solid but not "overly large" (*barf* at me even saying that) muscles.

Typically it presents as low bodyfat/minimal muscle mass. Think Brad Pitt in fight club.

Althought not technicall correct, I will use it from time to time, if only to illustrate a point to someone who doesn't know better.

pbsuxok1znja4r

Annoying term. My friend whom I sometimes gym with uses it all the time in the worst ways. Telling me how just doing sit-ups will "break up the fat on my stomach, making it more toned" :rolleyes:

davyjose

I haven't a problem with the usage of it. As Hanley implied, a lot of people will use it for want of a better word, so if I know what they mean and they know what they mean, then where's the problem?

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

unreggd

Is it possible to have stronger tighter muscles without them bein bigger, or your BF dropping at all???

Hanley

unreggd wrote:

Is it possible to have stronger tighter muscles without them bein bigger, or your BF dropping at all???

Of course it is!! Strength comes from CNS adaptation first and foremost.

Case in point... Brian Schwab is dropping from 165lb to 148lb to be more competitive at this years PowerStation Pro-Am.

unreggd

Then thats the main understanding I have of it

just make ur muscles tighter and stronger, but not tryin to make them bigger, or lose much BF

Hanley

THey dont get "tighter" tho.

Patto

unreggd wrote:

What is your understanding of the word?

A lot of people use it here and get a rant about how the word means something else


My understanding of the word relates to how contracted a muscle is at rest. So if someone says they wanna "tone up" I take it as meaning they just want stronger/tighter, as opposed to bigger muscles.

Been doing a bit of googling on this one apparently mucle tonus increases after intense excresise and can be adjusted with message and high muscle tonus is benificial in competition (sprinting for example). I think contrast showers, ice baths etc have some influence also. I don't really understand this one propperly, anyone got any good links that explain this well

Hanley

Muscles tonus and the commonly refered to "tone" aren't the same thing. Is that what's causing the confusion?

Patto

Nope, I'm pretty familiar with how the word is misused espiceally in marketing. I bought a york ab roller at the weekend. It will "tone" my abs:rolleyes:

That was a joke btw!

I'm interested in recovery and preparation techniques and how muscle tonus is involved.

Hanley

Patto wrote:

Nope, I'm pretty familiar with how the word is misused espiceally in marketing. I bought a york ab roller at the weekend. It will "tone" my abs:rolleyes:

That was a joke btw!

I'm interested in recovery and preparation techniques and how muscle tonus is involved.

Ahhhh kk...

I'm gonna be totally un scientific here and say that contrast showers, ice and massage and wonderful tools for recovery and have kept me goign tthese last few weeks. I don't know the specifics of HOW they work. Just that they do.