The Difference Between Toning & Burning Exercises

While all exercise provides varying degrees of both muscle toning and fat burning, different types of exercises concentrate more heavily on one than the other. Strength-resistance-based exercises are geared more toward muscle toning, whereas cardiovascular or aerobic-based exercises primarily assist with fat burning. However, both types of exercises are key to optimal fitness and overall health.

  1. Fat Burning

    • Since 3,500 calories equals 1 pound, you’ll need a deficit of 3,500 calories for each pound of weight you want to lose. For example, by reducing your daily intake by 500 calories, you’d lose about a pound per week. However, this basic dietary formula doesn’t factor in calories burned through exercise. Exercises developed to elevate your heart rate are referred to as cardio, or aerobic, exercises. As the Breham Fitness Center points out, these exercises don’t literally “burn” fat or calories, but instead, raise your metabolism so your body uses your calories more efficiently. Factors such as your weight, nutritional intake, exercise intensity and exercise type will affect how quickly you burn calories. However, various resources provide information on how many calories can be burned per hour when engaging in a specific activity. For example, Mayo Clinic.com reports that depending on the person’s body weight, water aerobics can burn 402 to 600 calories per hour; running 5 mph will burn 606 to 905 calories per hour, and using stair treadmills will burn 657 to 981 calories per hour.

    Muscle Toning

    • Unlike muscle mass, which generally refers to the size of a muscle, muscle tone pertains to passive muscle tension, as well as the muscles’ associated definition and firmness. Muscle tone is also linked to muscle strength. The use of the term “muscle toning” -- also called “muscle sculpting” – is somewhat debatable. Some groups, such as A Workout Routine.com, assert that you can’t actually tone a muscle. Instead, you can build muscle and simultaneously lose fat so you can more easily see muscle definition. However, others, such as Muscle and Strength.com, purport the use of the word “toning,” while offering similar recommendations on resistance- or strength-training exercises, coupled with fat-burning exercises and nutritional guidance. Strength-training exercises that use weight machines or free weights include those that tone the shoulders, biceps and triceps, such as dumbbell presses, barbell curls and cable rows. Muscles in the thighs, hamstrings and calves can be engaged via barbell squats, cable abductor raises and deadlifts. Toning workouts for the chest, back and abdominals include dumbbell flat presses, reverse lat pulldowns and dumbbell pullovers.

    Overall Benefits

    • While fat-burning and muscle-toning goals will vary with each individual, physical activity as a whole provides an array of overall health benefits. The World Health Organization reports that physical inactivity is the primary cause for many diseases, and the fourth leading risk factor for mortality on a global scale. According to Mayo Clinic.com, regular physical activity assists in weight management; helps combat chronic diseases, such as heart disease, arthritis, cancer and diabetes; boosts energy and helps regulate your mood and sleep quality.

    Basic Requirements

    • In order to get the maximum overall health benefit from physical activity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. Additionally, adults need at least of two days per week of muscle-strengthening activities that engage all major muscle groups, advises the CDC.