Tips for women and muscle toning

1 Push yourself. Overtraining is pretty easy, however you want to make sure you cannot do one more repetition in a set because you are too exhausted. You want it to burn (this feeling is lactic acid stimulating muscle growth) and want to make the next set harder to do.

2 Add resistance. You'll get a burn when you add resistance training, and with resistance comes stronger muscles and a more toned look.

3 Harness the big tree exercises. Train the trunk of the tree most, not the limbs. The big three exercises when you build muscles include the deadlift, squatting, and the bench press. They should always be included in your workout plan in some fashion as they build condition, strength, and bulkiness.

4 Workout a few times a week. You should workout at a minimum of 3 times a week - that should provide more than enough exercise required by your body to build nicely toned muscles.

5 Keep it balanced. You want to focus on both cardiovascular workouts like running and biking while you try to build muscles. However, you never want to do both extremes at once - for example, training to run a marathon while still lifting 5 times a week. It is great to mix cardio and strength training, but just don't push each to the max at the same time. It is also great to combine your cardiovascular exercise into your strength routines, such as jump roping or short sprints between strength exercises.

6 Eat well. Not only does this mean eating healthy, but you need to eat for your muscles to build and not deplete. If you're cutting calories as part of a weight-loss regime, they will leave your muscle and you'll be fighting to build them back up. If you are trying to lose weight at the same time as you're building your muscles and are required to drop the amount of food you eat, make sure at the very least to keep your protein levels the same as before. You can work out how many calories you need on a daily basis by using a BMR calculator.

7 Measure body fat, not weight. If you are part of a diet and weight loss regime and perform strength training, be sure to measure body fat - not your weight. If you're actually gaining muscles, you will be gaining weight (pounds on the scale), even if you're losing calories in other places on your body. Remember, weight does not equal size - it's about how you look in the mirror, not how much you weigh!

8 Carbohydrates are your friend. If you're exercising and performing cardio and weight strengthening exercises everyday, your levels of glucose are being depleted. If you fail to fuel your body with a sufficient amount of protein, your body will begin to ravage your muscles to extract protein (for carbohydrates). It depends on how much you're exercising, but you should consume anywhere from 2 to 3.5 grams of carbs for every pound of body weight you have daily.

9 Consume protein before and after workouts. Consume about 10 to 20 grams of protein less than an hour before training to help increase the muscle-building effect of training. This equals to about the same size as 1 or 2 glasses of milk. After your workout, have a protein shake.

10 Try supplements. While the results vary for all individuals and should be taken only under the advice of a medical professional, many supplements may have the ability to enhance your training - making you workout harder and for longer period of times. This could lean to increased muscle growth. Additionally, recent research performed has demonstrated that a creatine supplement combined with proteins and carbohydrates may encourage muscle building.

Shoot for the stars, but it might take a while. It takes a long time to send a rocket shuttle into space. You need to make sure to set systematic, reasonable goals for your muscle building program that you can track, progress, and meet overtime. The bottom line is that if you keep training you will lose weight, and you will also gain muscle and strength. It's time for the women to get in the gym and start training with resistance!

Chad Cannon is the owner of Shaping Concepts Fitness Training Center in Bluffton, SC, and is an independent distributor for AdvoCare International.