How To Tone Without Getting Bulky? (20 Science-Based Tips)

How To Tone Without Getting Bulky

Nowadays, exercise has become an essential part of our life. It helps people lose weight and lower the risk of developing certain diseases, including obesity and high blood pressure.

However, most people are afraid of becoming bulky. People want to look fit without bulking up. This is why you need body toning exercises. 

In this article, we are going to look at the best ways on how to tone without getting bulky.

How To Define Muscles Without Bulking

How To Define Muscles Without Bulking?


There are many steps that you can follow to tone your muscles without necessarily having to look bulky. Here are the first tips to keep an eye on when you want to define your muscles.

  • Slim Down and Cut The Fat

Having too little body fat can be just as dangerous as having too much. Your body needs a certain level of “essential fat” to function properly.

A body fat percentage between 10 to 13 percent for women and 2 to 5 percent for men is optimal. That being said here are 10 proven tips on how to cut down fat.

1. Be a Mindful Eater

It’s easy to overdo it when you’re eating something tasty and that’s why it’s good to focus on foods that will force you to curb your hunger.

2. Do Not Skip Breakfast

Skipping breakfast will not help you cut down the fat. You could miss out on essential nutrients and you may end up snacking more throughout the day causing weight gain.

3. Lower Your Calorie Intake 

You must decrease the number of calories you are eating. This is because your calorie intake determines your muscle mass hence making it hard to tone.

4. Increase Protein Intake

It is vital that you consume an adequate protein intake. This will prevent your body from entering the starvation mode. Additionally, protein intake will help in building muscle fibers. 

5. Do Not Ban Foods

One of the most imporant tips on how to tone without getting bulky. Do not ban any foods from your diet plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more.

6. Drink Plenty of Water

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up consuming extra calories; when a glass of water is really what you need.

7. Start Meal Prepping

Meal prepping reduces the stress that comes with trying to eat healthier. Solving all your food decisions in advance really frees up some of your willpower and mental stress.

Try to plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the week, making sure you stick to your daily calorie. This will help you reach your goals faster and easier.

8. Exercise in The Ways You Enjoy

Do you know what you don’t have to find the motivation to make yourself do? The things you enjoy. And that simple fact is the key to working out consistently.

9. Sleep and Recover

Recovery is important to maintain and improve performance while preventing injury in all levels of athletic training.

Moreover, sleep quality before and after exercise is crucial when you’re looking to tone without getting bulky.

10. Love Your Body

Attitude is everything when it comes to slimming down, and, according to studies, positive thoughts about your body have been linked to weight loss.

  • Build Muscle Without Getting Bulky

Building muscles requires you to lift weights. This is known as strength training workouts. 

Opt for multi-joint exercises that engage multiple muscle groups, such as: Squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, pull-ups, and deadlifts.

Aim to lift heavy weight for 3-4 Sets of 8-12 reps. Ensure you get enough rest between sets (2-3 minutes).

Below you will find 5 reasons why weight lifting is crucial to tone without getting bulky.

Build Muscle Without Getting Bulky

 

1. Ensures Your Weight Loss is From Fat

Resistance training will help you hold on to your muscle tissue while you lose fat.

If you are a newbie to resistance training, you might even experience muscle gain while you’re restricting your calories! This is the crowning achievement, burning fat and gaining muscle at the same time.

The key here is to make sure you are eating enough protein and getting 7-9 hours of sleep.

2. More Muscle Equals More Fat Burning

Increasing your muscle mass is one of the best ways to level up your metabolism.

Simply put, the more muscle you have, the higher your basal metabolic rate (BMR), meaning the easier it is to keep the weight off once you’ve decided to move into maintenance.

Thus, having more lean muscle means burning more calories in a resting state.

In fact, many people find that with very little muscle, you have to keep cutting calories lower and lower to keep off the weight you’ve lost.

 

3. Treat Weight Training as a Lifestyle

If you’re working out just because you want to change how your body looks, you’re likely to quit earlier.

Losing fat or building muscle takes a long time, especially if you’re doing it healthily.

Ideally, you’re slowly transitioning into something that you can healthfully sustain for the long term.

That’s why it’s a good idea to set goals that aren’t related to aesthetics. 

4. Gives You Confidence

Building your physical strength and eliminating doubt about what you are capable of is an amazing mindset to have.

The dedication needed to build strength and change the way your body looks with resistance training will carry over into other areas of life.

It helps educate your brain that if you apply a certain level of dedication to anything, you can achieve it.

5. Weight Training is Essential To Look Fit

Weight training is by far the most effective form of strength training.

Simply losing weight probably won’t get you that toned physique many people desire. This is where lifting weight comes to place.

As a general rule, to build muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus, and to lose fat you need to be in a deficit.

So, if you are wondering how to tone without getting bulky, while taking in less energy than you’re burning, you need to work your muscles.

Are There Any Exercises That Don’t Build Muscle?


This is a question that most people consider before signing up for a gym session. There are indeed exercises that don’t build muscles. Some of the activities to have in your sessions include aerobic and endurance-based exercises, such as swimming, running, biking, playing sports, and even walking.

They don’t all need to be done every day, but variety helps keep the body fit and healthy and makes exercise more interesting.

How To Tone Arms Without Getting Bulky?


When it comes to toning your arms, you can still workout without worrying about them to become bulky. Here are the type of exercises to include in your routine.

How To Tone Arms Without Getting Bulky

  • Exercise #1 To Tone Your Arms: Triceps Dips

  1. Place your hand with shoulder-width apart on a secured chair or bench.
  2. Press into your palms to lift your body and slide forward just far enough that your behind clears the edge of the chair.
  3. Lower yourself until your elbows are bent between 45 and 90 degrees.
  4. Slowly push yourself back up to the start position and repeat.
  5. Control the movement throughout the range of motion.
  • Exercise #2 To Tone Your Arms: Biceps Curls

  1. Stand holding the dumbbells at your side, palms facing forward.
  2. Lift your arms straight up until they’re at a 90-degree angle to your trunk.
  3. Now curl the weights to your shoulder as you count to three, then straighten to a count of three.
  4. We recommend aiming for a higher rep range (15-20 Reps) using a light weight.
  • Exercise #3 To Tone Your Arms: Arm Circle

  1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
  2. Raise your arms in the air, extending out from your sides.
  3. Make small circles with your arms, starting in a clockwise direction and switching to a counter-clockwise direction for a more robust workout.

How To Tone Legs Without Getting Bulky?


Many people want to lose thigh fat fast. Focusing on the following exercises that tone the leg muscles, and making lifestyle changes to lose weight, can help you achieve this with ease.

How To Tone Legs Without Getting Bulky

  • Exercise #1 To Tone Your Legs: Jump rope

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, the handles of the jump rope in your hands and the rope behind your legs.
  2. Jump 1-2 inches off the floor, letting the rope just slide through under your feet.
  3. Keep elbows close to your side as you swing the rope, making the circular movement with your wrists.
  • Exercise #2 To Tone Your Legs: Side Leg Raises

  1. Lie on your left side, left elbow bent, left hand supporting your head.
  2. Ensure that your right leg is stacked on top of your left.
  3. Place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Keep legs straight.
  4. Keep your upper body steady, as you raise your right leg from the hip, as high as you can.
  5. Hold for a few seconds and then release it to the starting position.
  6. Repeat with the other leg.
  • Exercise #3 To Tone Your Legs: Glute Kickbacks

  1. Start by getting down on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders.
  2. Making sure that your back remains straight and parallel to the floor.
  3. Kick your heel up toward the ceiling.
  4. Hold this position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat with the other leg.

Apart from exercise, you need to check your diet. Eating healthy also determines body fat and muscle. Below, we have listed top 5 healthy foods to eat to get in shape.

What To Eat To Get Lean and Toned?


Heading to the gym and working out is not enough. You need the right diet to tone your muscles.

Here are some of the best foods on how to tone without getting bulky.

What To Eat To Get Lean and Toned

  • Eggs

This is usually an easy fix that you can have in the morning or evening.

Eggs contain high levels of protein and healthy fats. The proteins are made up of amino acids and also large amounts of amino acid leucine.

This particular nutrient is good for muscle gaining. There are other essential nutrients that you will get from it, including choline and B vitamins. 

  • Chicken Breast

Most people love chicken breast because it contains enough nutrients for muscle building.

Chicken breast contains vitamin B6 and B vitamins niacin. These kind of nutrients are vital for helping your body functions properly during exercising.

Research has also shown that the chicken breast may also help in fat loss.

  • Lean Beef

Lean beef contains high protein levels. Other nutrients that you can get from it include creatine and minerals.

According to research, lean red meat increases the amount of lean mass gained through weight training. Hence, you can opt for it as well.

  • Soybeans

They contain vitamin K, phosphorus and iron. There are also several vitamins, minerals, and healthy unsaturated fats.

The iron present in the beans is used to store and transport oxygen. In the blood and the muscles as well.

When working out, you need to intake the right amount of iron in the body. Soybeans are the best iron supplement.

  • Beans

There are a variety of beans on the markets, and it’s the perfect diet if you are looking on how to tone without getting bulky.

The most popular ones are: Pinto, kidney, and black beans. They contain fiber and vitamin B. Other nutrients that one gets from these seeds include phosphorus, iron, and magnesium. 

How To Lose Weight Without Gaining Muscle?


Exercises are essential to keep fit and healthy. However, if you want to lose the extra body fat without gaining muscles there are the things you can do to pull this off.

In this particular section, we are going to look at some of the methods on how to lose weight without gaining muscle.

How To Lose Weight Without Gaining Muscle

  • Keep an Eye on Your Diet

Weight loss depends on the kind of diet you are having.

Your meals need to contain low calories and carbs. However, when reducing your intake, it should be done gradually and not cut off completely. To give the body time to adapt to the new diet.

On the other hand, you need to increase protein intake to replace the low carbs. This helps in building muscles and burning fat. Moreover increasing the levels of fiber contribute to your diet success.

  • Eat Spicy Foods

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, a spicy compound that can boost metabolism and reduce your appetite slightly.

However, people may develop tolerance to the effects of capsaicin over time, which may limit its long-term effectiveness. This is why you may want to opt for other alternatives such as these 30 best fat burning herbs and spices.

  • Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits have several properties that make them effective for weight loss.

They contain few calories but a lot of fiber. Their high water content gives them low energy density, making them very filling.

  • Do Aerobic Exercise

Cardio ensures you burn calories without gaining mass. Plus, it includes a variety of workouts that one can do including: Swimming, jogging, playing a sport, etc.

  • Get Enough Sleep

Did you know lack of sleep leads to weight gain? This might be one the reasons why most people suffer from overweight.

It is vital to get the required amount of rest, which is 7-9 hours. This helps the body to relax and repair the tissues.   

Final Thoughts – How To Tone Without Getting Bulky?


Toning muscles is an objective that you need to consider. This is because it improves your physical appearance and even boosts your self-esteem.

Some of the above tips are purely dietary, involving eating more protein or cutting calories to lose weight.

Others such as improving sleep quality or adding a workout routine are more lifestyle-based.

If you implement a handful of these tips, you’ll be well on your way to tone your body without getting bulky.

If you’re baffled about which supplement you need, or stumped by what will supercharge your strength soonest to achieve faster results..

Take this short quiz to find out which supplement is the best for you and your individual goals – This works for both men and women!