Research Corner - Q&A Toning vs. Bulking Up by Jeff Thaxton | Date Released : 10 Jul 2007 6 comments Print Close Question: What is the difference between toning and building bulk? Answer: Two of the most common terms associated with weight lifting are “toning up” and “bulking up.” Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they have different meanings and are achieved in different manners. To tone up means to reduce the appearance of body fat by tightening up the muscles and giving them shape. Bulking up means to increase muscle mass and make the muscles bigger. Toning up the muscles is normally achieved by following a weight lifting program that involves light to medium weights and higher repetitions. A typical program would consist of weight lifting exercises with a weight that can be lifted by a person 12 to 15 times consecutively, usually for one to three sets, depending on the person’s fitness level and total number of exercises. Two to three full body weight lifting sessions of six different exercises is a good way to start. Following a healthy diet slightly below a person’s caloric maintenance level will help to achieve a “toned” look. (This means burning more calories than you consume in a given week.) In addition, performing multiple bouts of cardio exercise in a person’s target heart zone will help burn more calories and tone the muscles. Sessions of 20 minutes performed at least three times per week is a good initial goal to strive for when attempting to tone up. Bulking up is accomplished by lifting heavier weights for a lower amount of repetitions per set. “Overload” must be achieved to bulk up. This means working the muscles more than they are accustomed to and increasing the work load (weight, sets or reps) as a person gets stronger. If increasing muscle mass is the only goal of a person, than a weight should be used that can only be lifted one to six times before failure occurs. Fewer repetitions are performed per set, but more sets of exercise may be performed than if the goal was to tone. Four to six sets of an exercise or multiple exercises isolating the same muscle group is commonly done to bulk up. Three to six weight lifting sessions per week is often performed by people seeking to bulk up, and split routines are more common. (This means only working certain muscle groups each day, such as back and biceps one day and chest and triceps the next day.) In addition to lifting heavier weights to bulk up, certain dietary guidelines must be practiced. A higher amount of calories than a person’s caloric maintenance level must be consumed to increase a person’s muscle mass. Also, enough protein (the building blocks of muscle) must be ingested (at least 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight). Positive and negative benefits of cardio exist when a person’s main goal is increasing muscle mass. Cardio sessions help a person recover more quickly after a weight workout and rid the body of lactic acid. Therefore, a person may be able to work out the same muscle groups sooner and harder than he or she could have without performing cardio. The negative to cardio is that it can make it harder to bulk up. More calories must be consumed to account for the calories burned during the cardio sessions. I believe that the positive benefits of cardio outweigh the negatives, and three sessions of 20 minutes each should be done. This is mainly due to the health benefits of cardio and working out your biggest and most important muscle, the heart. Back to top About the author: Jeff Thaxton Jeff Thaxton is a Certified Personal Trainer by the American Council on Exercise. He earned a BS degree in Exercise Science at Eastern Washington University in 2001 and has continuing education certifications in human movement, advanced program design, nutrition for special populations, counseling for health and fitness professionals, overcoming fitness plateaus and others. He is the owner of an in home personal training business called Fit for Life, and he has volunteer experience in physical therapy clinics and cardiopulmonary units. 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Also toning up can be achieved with the same rep ranges, but taking less rest time. the increased heart rate helps to burn calories, as does the heavy weights as they have a positive effect on metabolism during and post workout Reply riggs, gavin | 28 Jan 2010, 01:52 AM stick to 6-12 reps i would reckon for bulking, but how many sets and exercises would you recommend for each body part on a split routine?? Reply Alexander, Mark | 24 Nov 2009, 03:37 AM The only difference between Bulking and toning (cutting) is what the client would eat. I have personally have gone for a more toned look and my training never changed (I lifted 8-12 and heavy) and I still lost over four inches off my waist and only 1 inch off arm, hips and legs. Remember muscle can only be made bigger or smaller so I don't think the type of training has anything to do with it as both types burn calories and will maintain muscle Reply Leonardo, Armando | 11 Aug 2009, 12:24 PM In regards to bulking up I would stay at a rep range between 8 to 12. I would consider 6 reps still in the strength training range. There has also been research regarding the number of sets being performed and that doing more then 3 sets of the same exercise to islolate one muscle group has benefits but to minimal for it to be worth doing. Therefore in my opinion I would save my energy from that 4th set and move on to the next exercise. But everyone is genetically different and may benefit from doing higher numbers of sets during a bulking phase. Reply Pattni, Jaiman | 07 Jun 2009, 03:08 AM I would disagree with the rep range for bulking up. I would recommend a person keeps their rep range from 6-12 if they are looking for muscular hypertrophy, and their protien intake should be a little higher then 0.8 grams per kg of bodyweight. Reply davis, leo | 27 May 2009, 01:11 AM i see that you have highlighted that over load must be met achieve bulk but the same must be done to tone up and working in reps of 1-6 you’re more likely to build strength than size then if you was to do around 6-12 rep Reply Back to top