For my fitness clients looking to slim down and tone up, I make sure they combine strength training and cardio.
This article will explore various types of workouts that my clients have successfully used to achieve their goals.
From compound movements like push-ups to HIIT to burn more calories, you’ll know by the end of this article what exercises to add to your next workout to get those muscles toned.
Let’s begin.
Quick Summary
- Lose weight and tone your body by including weight lifting and cardio into your gym routine.
- Do not target the same muscle group during consecutive sessions for adequate rest and recovery during strength training.
- To maximize your efforts, add a fat burner supplement to a good exercise and healthy diet body toning workout plan.
Workout and Tone Your Whole Body
The following workout plan includes exercises to work each major muscle group in your upper and lower body.
You will mix up the reps, sets, and rests each week for three weeks.
You will do this three times for nine weeks, at which point you will need to change the exercises so your body doesn’t get used to them.
This plan works great on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule, but if this doesn’t work for you, ensure you are strength training on non-consecutive days to allow for rest and recovery.
Warm Up
Spend 5–10 minutes warming up before exercising. Doing so increases the temperature and flexibility of your muscle fibers, ensuring an efficient and safe training session.
A general rule of thumb is that the more intense the upcoming activity, the longer you should spend warming up [1].
Keep it simple with walking, push-ups, or sit-ups. You can even do a slower version of the activity you will be doing.
For example, if you are cycling, spend a few minutes warming up by pedaling at a leisurely pace.
Cool Down
As important as warming up before exercise is, so is cooling down, which allows for gradual heart rate and blood pressure recovery.
You can do the activity at reduced intensity for 5–10 minutes to cool down. For example, if you run, slow the pace to a jog or walk to cool down [2].
Workout One: Shoulders, Biceps, and Triceps
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Cable Upright Row
- Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
- One-Arm Cable Curl
- Barbell Curl
- Dumbbell Concentration Curl
- Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks.
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension
- One-Arm Reverse Pushdown
Workout Two: Thighs, Hamstrings, and Calves
- Barbell Squats
- Leg Extension
- Dumbbell Walking Lunges
- Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift
- Lying Leg Curl
- Cable Abductor Raise
- Standing Calf Raise
Workout Three: Chest, Back, and Abdominals
Workout three has you engaging your core muscles and gaining muscle mass in your chest and back.
- Barbell Incline Bench Press
- Dumbbell Flat Press
- Dumbbell Incline Fly
- Reverse Lat Pulldown
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Cable Weighted Crunches
- Leg Raises
Week One
For week one, perform 2-4 sets of 8–10 reps for each exercise. Rest for 60–90 seconds between sets.
Week Two
Week two focuses on developing not only muscle tone but also work on muscular endurance.
By altering the rep and rest intervals, you can kick-start the fat-burning effect that will leave you feeling stronger and leaner.
Perform three sets of 15–20 reps per set of the above exercises.
Rest a maximum of 30 seconds between sets.
Week Three
Week three will introduce a drop set; once you’ve completed reps on the last set, you’ll reduce the weight by 30% and push to failure, giving your muscles an extra challenge to push the limits.
Cardiovascular Training
Variety is key to cardiovascular training, so switch up cardio workouts so each training session will work different muscle groups.
It doesn’t have to be a lot; even alternating between running and cycling will provide the benefit.
Low Impact Steady State Cardio (LISS)
Some firmly believe that you should spend cardio days doing HIIT to get the most benefit from your time. While LISS requires more time, there are several benefits [3].
These include:
- An excellent option for beginners
- Aids weight loss
- Reduces injury risk
- You can use it as a recovery session a day after HIIT
- Improves mood
- It allows you to train for endurance events effectively
- Quick recovery due to less stress on the body
A brisk walk, cycling, swimming, and using a rowing machine are all great LISS options.
“When doing LISS cardio, the goal is to keep your heart rate around 50 to 65 percent of your maximum heart rate.”
- Sara Lindberg, BS, BMed
High-Intensity Interval Training
Incorporating HIIT into your fitness journey is a great way to burn calories, promote weight loss, and get toned quickly.
There are many other benefits to HIIT [4].
HIIT can:
- Regulate blood sugar levels
- Improves cardiovascular function
- Reverse age-related muscle decline
- Offer more enjoyment than other types of exercise
Here is a sample HIIT workout.
Static Cycle:
- Minutes 0-4: Begin with a light pedal at medium resistance.
- Minutes 4-10: Pedal at high resistance for 15 seconds (total effort), then low resistance (recovery) for one minute and 15 seconds. Do four complete rounds.
- Minutes 10-20: Pedal at full speed with high resistance for 20 seconds, then pedal at low resistance for one minute and 40 seconds; complete six rounds.
- Minutes 20-25: Cool down by pedaling at low resistance. Take your time and don’t skip this part, as it helps regulate body temperature and heart rate and prevents the buildup of lactic acid, which causes muscle cramping and stiffness [5].
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FAQs
What Is the Fastest Way to Tone and Tighten Your Body?
The fastest way to tone and tighten your body is with proper nutrition, strength training, and cardio exercises, particularly high-intensity interval training. You can often maximize your efforts by taking an all-natural fat-burning supplement.
How Long Does It Take To Get a Toned Body?
How long it takes to get a toned body depends on many factors, including your initial body weight, body fat percentage, dietary changes, and the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts. With consistency, most see improved body composition in 4–8 weeks.
Work Out, Get Toned
With consistent effort and dedication, this body-toning workout routine and a healthy diet can help you achieve your desired physique with cardio and strength training.
Consider adding a fat burner supplement that can be effective at helping boost metabolism, increase energy, and aid fat loss, making it a great complement to your workouts.
You’ll find the best ones that passed our rigorous testing by clicking the following links:
Incorporate strength, cardio, diet, and a fat burner, and you’ll be well on your way to a toned body.
References:
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/warm-up-cool-down
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20045517#
- https://www.livescience.com/what-is-liss-cardio
- https://health.usnews.com/wellness/fitness/articles/benefits-of-hiit-workouts
- https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/exercise-and-lactic-acidosis
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