Has anyone noticed any degree of toning in the... - Couch to 5K

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Has anyone noticed any degree of toning in their legs since starting the programme?

operation2015 profile image
operation2015Graduate
31 Replies

Just wondering:)

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operation2015 profile image
operation2015
Graduate
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31 Replies
Toonlou24 profile image
Toonlou24Graduate

Yeah!! Loads!!! It's great!!! Definitely slimmer and can feel the muscles toning.

no-excuse profile image
no-excuseGraduate

Yes everything's a bit firmer and trimmer! Bring it on! x :-D

the_tea_fairy profile image
the_tea_fairyGraduate

Yes, massively, but it may not start to be noticeable til the later weeks. Abs and bottom are way more toned as well :)

Rignold profile image
Rignold

What exactly do you mean by 'toning'? It is one of those odd weasel words I never quite understand. Muscles are muscles. They do not go from soft to hard or vice versa. You can increase the size of muscles, and you can reduce bodyfat, and beither or both of these will result in greater muscle definition you will see your muscles more clearly, but your muscles will not be more 'toned' than they were at the utset. This is one of those enduring myths of the fitness/diet industry.

That said, yes, I have lost around 14kg of fat and put on just under 4kg of lean muscle since starting the programmes, so have considerably more muscle definition than when I started. Still got a way to go, though. I do loads of core and abs work, and my abs are much stronger than they used to be - there is a serious six pack in there, but the last stubborn 10lbs or so of bodyfat means they are still covered up with adipose tissue, so all that hard work has no visible result yet...

... yet! Another few months and I'll give Peter Andre a run for his money yet. ;)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply toRignold

Oh no, you're not going to start singing " Mysterious Girl " are you Rig ?

Anything but that, please :-D

A serious six pack sounds good though :-) xxx

Toonlou24 profile image
Toonlou24Graduate in reply toRignold

Photo please!!!!!! Hee hee!!!

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply toToonlou24

Ha ha ! We don't really want to see it - said no one ever :-D xxx

in reply toRignold

How can you tell that so specifically? That you lost 14KG of fat but put on 4KG of muscle?

Rignold profile image
Rignold in reply to

By using Body Composition scales.

in reply toRignold

Ah! TFYI! Are they accurate? I've used the hand held thingies..apparently I have a lot of upper body fat, that's probably why I'm a good swimmer, I'm extra buoyant!

Rignold profile image
Rignold in reply to

I think its one of those 'pays yer money, takes yer choice' scenarios. I had a set before, which were about £12 from Argos and they did not seem very accurate - the readings would fluctuate rather wildly. Now I have a set which cost, er, rather more, and the readings are consistent and consistent with the weightloss and the results I expect. So as long as it stays that way I can tell relative change if not with 100% accuracy. You do have to be careful with doing the measurements at a consistent time of day etc though, and being dehydrated etc can produce anomalous results.

Ah well, my legs have always been about the same width from knee to ankle. Around week 8 I discovered that I had separate and definable ankles which were smaller than my calves...leg shaped legs ! Also instead of by bum overlapping my thighs it is now 'lifted up'. Definitely different and definitely an improvement.

runswithdogs profile image
runswithdogsGraduate in reply to

Ha! I also suffer from lack of ankles. But either they are starting to emerge, my partner is flattering me, or the optical illusion of bigger calves has me hopeful for ankles in 2015.

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply to

Ha ha Hen, " leg shaped legs" - Love it ! :-D xxx

Tikiczocky profile image
TikiczockyGraduate

I have longer neck, my cheekbones are more defined & the old bingo wings are smaller...honestly! It was around week 7 of c25k when I said to my OH, 'Do you think my face looks slimmer/different since I started running?' He said yes :D I'd lost about 1st 10lb (took about 9 months) by the time I started c25k (took me into healthy weight), but my skin had't all caught up....I think that is where my 'toning' came in.

My legs are noticably slimmer too...as for my rear...I'm reliably informed that it is fit (but my OH always said that)! ;-)

poppypug profile image
poppypugGraduate in reply toTikiczocky

Ha ha Tiki, to add my tuppence worth, my bum has definitely lifted , and so have my moods and self confidence :-) xx

5kOrBust profile image
5kOrBustGraduate

I have. Some trousers & jeans that were a snug fit are now much more comfortable. :)

useitorloseit profile image
useitorloseitGraduate

Yes - it's odd because I measured myself yesterday and there's not much difference except for my waist, which seems to have reappeared after spending years being the same width as my hips and chest - more of an 'hourglass' shape now (though as I am totally flatchested the effect is not particularly special). My bum is definitely less saggy. My clothes feel more comfortable. And if it's all in the mind, who cares? I feel better therefore I am!

Miles_Yonder profile image
Miles_YonderGraduate

Yes, same effect here. I keep asking people at work to give my hamstrings a squeeze. :D

aliboo70 profile image
aliboo70 in reply toMiles_Yonder

** is that what truckers do??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Miles_Yonder profile image
Miles_YonderGraduate in reply toaliboo70

Just me, I think! :D

aliboo70 profile image
aliboo70 in reply toMiles_Yonder

thats what i thought! :)

Miles_Yonder profile image
Miles_YonderGraduate in reply toaliboo70

What is it, exactly, you're trying to say?! :D

aliboo70 profile image
aliboo70 in reply toMiles_Yonder

Just that you're a one off! :) every workplace needs someone to liven things up! :)

Miles_Yonder profile image
Miles_YonderGraduate in reply toaliboo70

Thank you! :D I don't think my workplace see it quite like that though! :D

Slookie profile image
SlookieGraduate

Oh yes and it was contagious. Spread to my bum! :)

oh yes :) might be gradual thing but boy yes does it tone

Irishprincess profile image
IrishprincessGraduate

Yes. I was running last week and I saw my shadow and thought " my thighs don't wobble any more when I run!".

aliboo70 profile image
aliboo70

yes definitely! :) My calves make my skinny jeans a tad tight nowadays, but i have a gap at the top of my thighs now! YAY! :)

Yes, an inch and a half of grabbable flab gone from the top of my thighs, muscles getting quite hard! Gone down a size too..

runningphobe_no_more profile image
runningphobe_no_moreGraduate

Most definitely less flabby above the knee, and getting difficult getting shaped (not tight) jeans on and off over the calves. Surprised me no end. I wasn't expecting any visible results.

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