How do I get more toned / How do I tone my [bodypart]?

The word “toned” is frequently misused as shorthand to the extent that it has made a simple concept into something that is unclear. Muscle tone is simply the amount of tension a muscle maintains when it’s at rest. This misuse of “toned” to describe a specific look has led to the idea of “toning” an area of the body, which in reality is impossible because targeted reduction of fat is impossible.

A more accurate way to view it is that the “toned” look is nothing more than a combination of having low enough bodyfat for muscular definition to be visible, and enough muscle mass underneath for there to be something to show. Looking at it this way, it becomes immediately obvious what steps to take – some amount of getting leaner, and some amount of building muscle, depending on what your body currently looks like.