"I Don't Want to Get Bulky, I Want to Tone" – A Quick Guide
Sometimes clients tell us that they don’t want to get “bulky” with genuine concern that doing too much of a specific type of resistance or weight training will make them get too big. Have you ever wondered whether the type of training you do will get you looking too beefy? If you have, you’re not alone.
If you really want to nerd out about how specific rep ranges may make you more or less strong (or bulky, etc.), take a look at this 2021 metanalysis. It may just leave you up in arms ;)
"I Don't Want to Get Bulky, I Want to Tone" – Let's Debunk That Myth
If you’ve ever said, "I don’t want to get bulky, I just want to tone," - again, you’re not alone. This concern comes up so often, especially for people just getting started with weightlifting. We predominantly hear this from our female clients, but it’s not constrained to one gender (so no call outs here). But here’s the truth: getting bulky isn’t something that just happens because you pick up a set of dumbbells. It’s a lot more complicated (and harder) than that. AND the science isn’t 100% conclusive.
Let’s dive into where this myth comes from, what it really means to "tone," and why you don’t need to fear the weights if a sleek, defined body is your goal.
The Myth of Bulking Up Overnight
Somewhere along the line, people started associating lifting weights with suddenly blowing up into a muscle-bound Hulk version of themselves. Admittedly, there are some people who genetically (or for other reasons) can have an advantage when it comes to packing on muscle. However, most of you will see pictures of bodybuilders with massive biceps and think, "I don’t want to look like that." And I get it—no one wants to go to the gym and come out looking like a cartoon superhero unless that’s the goal. And if that’s you, then all the more power (and bulk) to you!
But here’s the thing: building that much muscle is an incredibly long and difficult process. Those bodybuilders you see have spent years (sometimes well over a decade or more) of lifting heavy and high volumes of a variety of rep ranges and exercises, eating for periods in a calorie surplus, and following extremely strict routines that most of us will never be capable of. Again, many of these folks also have genetics and hormonal (and other) support. They train specifically to maximize muscle growth (hypertrophy) with absurdly high volumes, which is NOT EASY. For someone who's just getting into lifting or focusing on general fitness, the odds of getting bulky without intentionally working for it are slim to none.
What Does "Toning" Really Mean?
Now let’s talk about "toning." I get why people use the word, but here’s a little secret: toning isn’t really a thing in the way most people think. I’m not here to be a jerk and dismiss that it isn’t a thing though. When you say you want to tone, what you’re probably aiming for is a more defined, lean look where you can see some muscle but not to the point where you feel like it's excessive. That is in fact the goal of most people we work with a Resilient Body to some degree.
In reality, "toning" comes down to two things:
Building some meaningful/appreciable muscle
Losing or having enough body fat (that persons unique composition or body fat percentage) to reveal that muscle.
Lifting weights helps build that muscle, and it’s important to remember that muscle is what gives your body that sleek, sculpted look. But the key is pairing this with dietary and lifestyle choices that help manage your body fat percentage. Toning doesn’t mean lifting light weights for a million reps—despite what many people think. It’s more about finding the right balance between strength training, cardio, and nutrition.
Why You Won’t Accidentally Get Bulky
As I mentioned earlier, bulking up takes many years of effort and very specific training. Unless you’re consistently eating more calories than you burn (perhaps with periods of deficit or maintenance calorie consumption), lifting with the goal of adding mass in a variety of rep ranges and different targeting exercises, and strategically pushing yourself into progressive overload (lifting heavier over time), you probably won’t get that "bulky" look.
Muscle growth (hypertrophy) requires a few things: likely higher volume training (lots of sets and reps), a variety of rep ranges from low to moderate to high, a variety of exercise selection, a caloric surplus (eating more than you burn), and a focus on lifting heavier and heavier weights over time usually occurring for many years at the onset of training (and perhaps continuing), and of course proper recovery and lifestyle habits (cue stress management). If you're not doing all of these things with LASER focus, you’re not going to wake up one day with oversized hulk muscles.
For most people, especially those new to lifting, building noticeable muscle takes months, if not years. Newbies have an advantage with the relative dose being more stimulating since the baseline is zero when you first start. However, even then, achieving that "bulky" look requires working on specific muscle-building goals, not just general strength and physical preparedness training.
How to Train for Strength and Definition Without Bulking Up
According to the current evidence out there, if you're aiming for strength, some size, and definition without adding excessive size, you’ll want to focus on lifting moderate to heavier weights (1-8 reps) close to failure (less than 5 reps more possible, likely closer to a couple to none) but with lower volumes (i.e., fewer sets and reps). You can play with a frequency (days per week) and exercise selections that you enjoy and feel good for your body. This approach can build strength, some size, and even endurance without promoting the same level of muscle growth that high-rep, high-volume hypertrophy training does or training so many sets across a ton of different exercises. It is time and fatigue optimized as well. It takes less time and generally promotes less local muscle and overall system fatigue. You’re not at the gym doing 20-30 working sets of 15-20 reps (Ouch!).
Here's what that might look like:
Lower reps, heavier weights: Instead of doing 12-15 reps per set, focus on doing 4-6 (or even 8) reps with a weight that challenges you but still allows you to maintain pretty good form while getting really close to failing.
Compound movements for strength and overall development: Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses use multiple muscle groups and help build strength without targeting a single area for additional bulk. They are extremely time efficient as well. These can be performed in a huge variety of ways.
Isolation work for targeted areas: If there are specific areas where you do want more shape or size—like your glutes, arms, or shoulders—you can then include isolation exercises (e.g., bicep curls or glute kickbacks) with moderate reps to failure (8-12, or even slightly more or less) to stimulate more muscle growth in those areas. These can come at the beginning or end of your session depending on a few factors.
By working out in this way, you’ll build strength and muscle density without piling on too much size. You’ll also see more definition as your muscles get stronger and you get leaner, but you won’t be creating the kind of bulk that people often worry about. Again, it’s extremely hard!
The Importance of Diet in Achieving Your Goals
Let’s not forget the role of nutrition. No matter how you train, your diet will play a significant role in whether you build muscle, lose fat, or maintain your physique. If your goal is to avoid bulk and focus on tone, keeping your calorie intake aligned with your energy expenditure can be very helpful.
If you're eating in a slight caloric deficit while keeping up adequate protein intake (burning more than you consume), your body will tap into fat stores while maintaining the muscle you're working so hard to build. The result? A leaner, more toned look.
On the other hand, to build significant muscle (bulk), you’d need to be in a calorie surplus at times, eating more than you burn and potentially focusing heavily on additional protein, other macro and micronutrient intake to fuel muscle growth.
So again, it’s unlikely that lifting a few times a week and eating balanced meals is going to result in accidental bulk.
The Bottom Line
You’re not going to get bulky unless you really, really try. If your goal is to look toned and strong without adding too much size, it’s absolutely possible through a combination of weight training, cardio, and smart nutrition. You can safely lift heavier weights, get stronger, and build a defined physique without worrying about turning into a Ronnie Coleman or Iris Kyle overnight.
So go ahead—embrace the weights! Use them to shape your body, build strength, and feel powerful. If you follow a balanced approach and focus on what you want to achieve, you’ll get the toned look you're after without any unwanted bulk.
And remember: you’re in control of your fitness journey. You can always adjust your training to target the areas you want to build or tone. The most important thing is to enjoy the process, feel confident, and be proud of what your body is capable of achieving.
Got questions or need help creating a plan that fits your goals? Work 1:1 with a personal trainer, join our semi-private group classes, or our online program to move your body in ways that align with the paradigm above. We’d love to help you realize your best looking and also healthiest bod!
Some September Announcements:
We have a couple personal training spots open and are running some specials on manual therapy if you are looking to work 1:1 or perhaps get some self care time. Book here using code MT15
Joey is BACK!
We have some very cool new equipment we have begun using in our 1:1 personal training and semi-private group training. Still more to come in the month ahead.
Health coaching spots remain closed until the tail end of Summer, but will open this back up again later this month along with another nutrition seminar to follow. If you’re interested, please book a free consult with us to get a jump start.