The Best Full Body Toning Workout Plan For Women

Posted on 04 January 2024 in Workouts for Women, Starting Out at the Gym, Laura Melia, Fitness Tips & Advice, Workout Exercise & Routines

There are many reasons to work out, but a common reason cited by women is to 'tone up'. In this blog, PureGym Denton Gym Manager and Personal Trainer Laura Melia looks at what toning actually is, the best way to get toned, and shares a full body toning workout plan for females to try.

What Does Being 'Toned' Mean?

Being 'toned' usually refers to a physique that is lean with firm, defined muscles. This look is achieved by building muscle mass and attaining low body fat. As such, a workout plan for women to tone up should involve some kind of strength training to build muscle -- we touch on this more below.

What is Skinny Fat?

A common mistake beginners make is attempting to achieve a toned physique by losing weight through cardio and dieting, and neglecting building muscle. This can lead to what is commonly known as a 'skinny fat' appearance. This refers to when a person has a low weight or BMI, but with a high body fat percentage due to low muscle mass.

Being skinny fat can be associated with poor metabolic health, increasing risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and circulatory disorders.

How to Tone Up

There are two parts to achieving a toned look: building muscle and having a low body fat. This can be done by:

Challenging the muscles with [resistance training](https://www.puregym.com/blog/what-is-resistance-training-exercise-and-the-benefits/?) at least twice a week per muscle group. This can be with free weights, [resistance machines](https://www.puregym.com/blog/5-resistance-machines-gym-beginners-need-to-try/), resistance bands, or even bodyweight workouts. They key is to sufficiently challenge the muscles so that the body repairs and rebuilds them.
Eating enough protein. The amino acids in protein are used by the body to repair the muscles. If you are strength training without eating enough protein, you may struggle to grow your muscles.
Getting enough calories. It can be tempting to cut calories when you want to look leaner, but you need to have plenty of calories to build muscle and fuel your workouts. If you have excess fat to lose, choose a moderate calorie deficit to assist with weight loss while prioritising strength training and lots of protein -- this will allow you to build muscle while lowering your body fat. If you are at a healthy weight, you can either eat at maintenance calories or at a moderate calorie surplus.

Toning Vs Building Muscle: What's The Difference?

Although they're spoken about as different things, toning and building muscle both refer to the same thing -- increasing muscle mass. However, they involve slightly different goals, which can impact the process:

Toning refers to having both muscle definition and low body fat to create a lean, athletic look.
Building muscle refers to creating noticeably bigger muscle mass, which can impact your body proportions more dramatically - for example bigger glutes or arms.

Both involve strength training to stimulate muscle growth, and both usually involve some kind of nutrition and diet to help achieve the desired look. So why is it that people looking to tone up are often scared of building muscle?

There are a few reasons this might be the case, including lack of knowledge around what being 'toned' means or how to achieve it, and fear of getting bulky from building muscle.

Building muscle mass is actually very challenging, it requires a lot of training, eating in a calorie surplus, and a lot of patience! It's very rare for someone to accidentally build significant bulk without trying, particularly for women who are slower to build muscle than men due to hormonal differences.

Women's Full Body Toning Workout Plan

Looking for the best toning workout plan for females? Laura has shared this female body toning workout plan to try at the gym. It can be repeated two to three times over the week or combined with other workouts such as this full body workout with weights or this dumbbell full body workout. Make sure to start with a warm up, and end with a cool down, to prevent injury.

Choose weights that are challenging but allow you to complete the reps. As you get stronger each week, increase the reps of weights to continue to challenge the muscles. For example, if you can manage 10 reps of 10kg in week 1, you would take increase the reps until you can do 12, and then increase the weight so you can only manage 10 reps again. Continue to repeat this each week.

**Squats - 4x 8-10 reps** Choose from [bodyweight squats](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/legs/quad-exercises/squats/bodyweight-squat/), [goblet squats](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/legs/quad-exercises/squats/goblet-squat/), or [barbell back squats](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/legs/quad-exercises/squats/barbell-back-squat/) depending on your ability. Make sure you can complete your reps with good form, including getting your thighs parallel with the floor.
**Inclined shoulder press - 3x 10-12 reps** You can either do a [seated dumbbell press](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/arms-and-shoulders/shoulder-press/seated-shoulder-press/) and set up a bench up to create an incline back support or use the [shoulder press machine](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/arms-and-shoulders/shoulder-press/shoulder-press-machine/). Ensure your feet are flat on the floor, back is flat against the support, and that you fully extend the arms without locking your elbows out.
**Seated row - 3x 10-12 reps** You can either do [seated rows on the cable machine](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/back/rows/seated-cable-row/) or using the resistance machine seated row. Ensure you fully retract your elbows back, and be careful not to sway too much with the movement.
**Lying hamstring curl - 3x 10-12 reps** Make sure you adjust the [hamstring curl](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/legs/hamstring-exercises/hamstring-curls/) machine so that the pad rests above the heels. Keep your feet flexed and hips firmly on the bench during your reps.
**Bicep curls - 3x 10-12 reps** You can perform [bicep curls with dumbbells](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/arms-and-shoulders/bicep-curl/dumbbell-bicep-curls/) or using the bicep curl resistance machine. Make sure your upper arms and torso stay still throughout the exercise, and if using the resistance machine keep your elbows pressed firmly into the support pad.
**Tricep extensions - 3x 10-12 reps** Can be done with dumbbells as an [overhead tricep extensions](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/arms-and-shoulders/tricep-extension/overhead-tricep-extension/) or on the tricep extension machine. Keep your torso and upper arms still to avoid moving load away from the triceps.
**Press ups - 3x 8-10 reps** If you can't do full [press ups](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/chest/press-up/), perform kneeling push ups or incline push ups. Keep your core engaged to avoid the hips sagging -- they should stay in line with your shoulders throughout.
**Russian twists - 3x 10-12 reps** [Russian twists](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/abs/russian-twists/) can be made more challenging by holding a dumbbell, or by extending the legs out farther than the body.

How to Tone Up at Home

If you're looking to tone up from home or are looking for a way to workout without a gym, our kettlebell workout is quick and efficient! See the full breakdown of how to perform each of the exercises in the video and give it a go!

Kettlebell swings

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower into a half-squat and pick up the kettlebell with both hands so your palms are facing your body.
Keep your core tight and a slight bend in your knees as you straighten your legs pushing from the heels and explode through the hips and swing the kettlebell to chest height.
As you swing the kettlebell down between your legs, return to the half-squat position. That's one rep. Make sure to keep your back straight at all times.
Complete 8-10 reps.
This exercise will work your posterior chain like virtually nothing else, it will have you panting for breath in seconds, and it will improve your overall athleticism by leaps and bounds.

Kettlebell squats 8-10 reps

Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with toes turned out slightly. Holding the kettlebell in front of you with both hands, push your hips back and lower into a squat position. Pause for a second then push your feet into the ground to extend your legs and lift your hips back up to standing position. That's one rep. Complete 8-10 reps. This is a great exercise for anyone with mobility issues when squatting as adding weight in front of your body can displace some of your own bodyweight and allow you to squat more comfortably. Single arm shoulder press

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Rest a kettlebell inside your shoulder holding it with one hand. Extend the other arm out to help you balance. Take a deep breathe in and brace your core. Press the kettlebell overhead by extending your arm. Exhale as you lock out. Try to avoid shrugging your shoulders to lift the weight up by keep your shoulders down. Slowly return the weight back to starting position. That's one rep. Complete 8-10 reps on each side. This is a good exercise for building upper body strength. As a single arm movement it can also help to address muscle imbalances. Single arm bent over row

Grab the kettlebell and hold it infront of you. Bend your knees slightly as you bend over on a bench or plyo box to get in the starting position. Keep your back straight. Rest your right hand on a box or bench for stability. Grip the kettlebell with a neutral grip. Pull the kettlebell up to your stomach, retracting your shoulder blade and flexing your elbow. Really squeeze those back muscles to lift the weight up. Keep your back straight. That's one rep. Complete 8-10 reps on each side. This exercise primarily targets your back but other muscles are also involved in the action of pulling the weight up and in to your body.

After completing each exercise back to back. Repeat 3 times. This workout will roughly take between 15-25 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Toning

**How can females tone up fast?** There is no quick way to get toned unfortunately. With regular training and a good diet, you should start to see improvements in your body composition within 4-12 weeks. Changes in the first few months are often at a more rapid rate, than for someone who has been training longer term, although improvements can be made over and over again.
**How can women tone their arms?** The best way to tone your arms is through a mixture of upper body compound exercises like [chest press](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/chest/bench-press/) and [lat pulldowns](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/back/lat-exercises/), and arm isolation exercises like [bicep curls](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/arms-and-shoulders/bicep-curl/) and [tricep extensions](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/arms-and-shoulders/tricep-extension/). This will help to create enough stimulus to build muscle in the arm. Depending on your body fat percentage and where you store fat, you may also need to lose some fat through a calorie deficit.
**How can women get a toned stomach?** For a toned stomach, you'll likely need to combine some fat loss with core strengthening exercises like [crunches](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/abs/crunches/) and [planks](https://www.puregym.com/exercises/abs/planks/). Genetics also play a big part in how 'toned' your stomach can look.
**Can women over 40/50/60 tone up?** There is no age limit to toning up or building muscle! In fact, as you get older it becomes even more important to build and maintain muscle mass as women who have gone through the menopause are at higher risk for muscular atrophy and bone loss. While hormonal changes associated with the menopause can make it more challenging to lose weight, resistance training can help to create a more toned appearance while improving muscle and bone health. Check out our [guide to fitness and the menopause here](https://www.puregym.com/blog/exercise-nutrition-and-the-menopause/) for more information.
**Does cardio help with toning up?** Cardio is not crucial for creating a toned appearance. If you are trying to lower your body fat, cardio can help, but a calorie deficit is more important in doing this. Cardio is great for overall health, so we do recommend including some cardio in your workouts, but if your goal is to tone up prioritise strength training.