Will using the elliptical at high intensity cause me to become thinner? (I don't want that, because I am already thin).?

[Stacyzee]

I am a slim woman and I want to get into toning.
I already do 40 minutes of the elliptical on low intensity (although I know I can do far more).

I want stay my weight, which is 120-125 lbs.
But I want to tone and build a little bit of muscle?

Will doing the elliptical at high intensity cause me to build muscle? or cause me to become even skinnier than I am?

[Anonymous]

Well if you're trying to get lean muscle and toned up, why are you focusing all of your efforts on cardio? If you have an already low body fat, that's step 1 in getting a nice muscle tone all throughout your body. The second step is to actually pack on a bit of muscle so you have something to show.

If your body fat is already low and where you want it to be, you should turn your efforts to weight training, resistance training, and bodyweight exercises. You also should be eating a decent amount of lean meats to fuel the muscle growth after your workouts. I wouldn't think you would need to go on an all-out bulking/surplus diet, but you need to at least give your body something to work with to supplement your workouts.

[Stacyzee]

Interesting.
So, you don't think I should do a lot of cardio?
What are examples of resistance training exercises.

[Opinion Owner]

Don't get me wrong, cardio is good. Having a good cardiovascular endurance is always good for you, and is why I've started doing my weight training routine at a quicker, more intense pace.

But anyway, if you incorporate elastic bands into your exercises, they're really good resistance training methods. I do a split of weight training and an MMA workout. When I'm practicing throwing strikes at the air, I'll wrap a band around my upper back to provide some resistance to my strikes. That's just an example of how to provide resistance to a normal exercise.

You can use a band, cable equipment, extra weights for normal exercises (back extensions, suspended situps, etc.). Basically, you're doing mostly aerobic exercises right now. You should consider doing more anaerobic exercises, which is essentially fat burning + muscle building. My MMA workout is an example of an anaerobic exercise routine.

[Opinion Owner]

https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

Try this website out. I've found it to be really good in finding new exercises to mix into my workouts, as well as good articles with lots of information based on your body type and exercise goals.

[daniel7]

that will only make you burn fat not muscle, so no, if you are lean already you won't get skinnier you'll get toned (:

[Stacyzee]

I have a butt.
Do you think it will make me lose it?
I hope not , lol ;P

[daniel7]

absolutely not

[Rocco-K]

Go on the stair master and see how it feels for you. That should tone your legs and your booty.

[Stacyzee]

I have the step up aerobics machine in my home.

I want to tone my overall body not just legs and butt though.
That's y I am using the elliptical.
Can u answer the original question? Do u think high intensity will make me thinner?

[Rocco-K]

As long as you have a enough resistance to get that sore muscle feeling after the workout and you keep your caloric intake up with lean protein you should build some muscle and stay toned, without losing weight.

[Stacyzee]

Thanks