Workout – Tone and Shape
A trim, shapely physique is the one goal that simply holds universal appeal. But it’s not so simple to achieve it because it requires a balance of muscle work and burning fat in order to reach that “just right” result: neither heavily muscled nor lacking definition.
That means the kind of work you’d put in to build muscle is too much load—you’re better off pairing movement that requires some muscle with movement that elevates your metabolism. That’s what this workout is designed to do. The combination ensures muscle mass retention and elevation of your metabolism to the point at which it’s burning stored fat and not just the carbs from your pre-workout snack.
Warm-Up
Workout
- Perform 12 to 15 reps of each movement before moving on to the next in each pair.
- Perform each pair as a superset, twice, before moving on to the next superset pairing.
- Perform the entire circuit of supersets two or three times.
- Choose weight that’s heavy enough to create fatigue but not total exhaustion.
Superset 1A: Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Begin standing with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells at your sides.
- Bring the dumbbells up over your shoulders, then press them up straight above your head.
- Bend your elbows to return them to shoulder height. Repeat, bracing your core to keep from swaying.
Superset 1B: Backward Stepping Lunge
- Begin standing with your feet under your hips, hands at your sides.
- Take a long step back with your right leg and bend both knees to come into a lunge, keeping your spine long and tall.
- Press through your front foot to return to stand. Step your left leg back to come into a lunge, then pressing through your front foot to return to stand. Repeat, alternating legs.
Superset 2A: Lateral Lunge With Dumbbell Biceps Curl
- Begin standing with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells at your sides.
- Step your right foot out laterally and sink back into a lunge, bending your left knee and sitting back on your left hip. At the bottom of the lunge, perform a biceps curl.
- Return the dumbbells down and press through your left heel to return to stand. Repeat on the opposite leg, alternating legs.
- Modify it: If your disruptors are high, eliminate the lunge and perform the biceps curl while standing in place. You’ll minimize neural demand and fatigue while still burning calories.
Superset 2B: Close-Grip Push-Up
- Begin in a high-plank position with your feet hip-width apart, your toes on the ground and your hands close together, forming a diamond with your pointer fingers and thumbs.
- Brace your core and create one long line from heels to head.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the ground.
- Press back up and repeat.
Superset 3A: Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
- Begin standing with your feet under your hips, holding dumbbells at your sides.
- Tip from your hips, keeping your knees soft, to bring the dumbbells down with straight arms.
Your eyes should focus on the ground in front to maintain a neutral spine.
- Pull your elbows toward the ceiling to row the dumbbells up to rib height, squeezing your shoulder blades in toward your spine.
- Return the dumbbells back to start and repeat.
Superset 3B: Side-Plank Bend
- Begin on your left side with your left forearm on the ground in front, your left elbow under your shoulder and your left leg extended, foot on the ground.
- Place your right foot on the ground in front of your left foot and bring your right arm straight up to the ceiling, stacking your right hand over your shoulder.
- Dip your hips down toward the ground, then press them up to the ceiling. Repeat.
Cool-Down
Photo credit: Studio Firma, Stocksy
GIFs: Mark Kuroda, kurodastudios.com
Model credit: Nieka Mamczak, 24 Hour Fitness