Do you want that summer body before the weather warms up? Well, there is a secret that most girls do not know about and you are about to find out!
Most girls stay clear of the weight room on campus because they either do not know what to do, or are intimidated by the atmosphere of all guys lifting. However, if you add a weight routine when you go to the gym, you will get a lean, more toned, and strong body FASTER!
How you may ask? When you do just cardio, you are only making areas of your body slimmer without any control of your trouble areas. After a 20-30 minute cardio warm-up, whether it is on the machines or a run outside, you should hit the weight room.
Once you are in the weight room, allow yourself about 10 minutes of stretching your legs, arms, and back to avoid any future injuries and increase your flexibility. Then, plan each day based on the areas of the body that you want to focus on. So, one day you will do all legs and the other day you will do arms, etcetera. Ideally, you would want to do 2-3 sets of 20-25 repetitions with each exercise.
On the days that you decide to focus on achieving that toned 6-pack that you have always wanted, start with 50 basic crunches followed by side crunches. Continue with planks (both on your elbows and on your side), bicycle crunches, crunches on the yoga ball, and reverse crunches. You can also add vertical crunches, Russian twists, and the rowboat.
The love handles are one of the trickiest areas to get rid of. There is a machine in the weight room, called the Roman Chair, which targets that specific area (as well as every other abs). You start with back extensions lying facedown along the machine, and once you are in a secure position grab a 10 lbs. weight and bend down at the waist. Then straighten your body out with each repetition. Do the same on the sides.
Keep in mind that all of these exercises can be done with a weight! Start with the 5-10 lb. weights that are used for benching. When you use weights, your results come quicker and multiply!
Better abs comes with a stronger back—the back is one of the main parts of the body that supports you throughout every abdominal exercise. So, if you have a stronger back, then you can do the abs exercises more efficiently with more repetitions and sets.
There are machines that appear to be only for your arms in the gym, but they actually all target your back as well. Try them out! If you want leaner arms, do lighter weights and more repetitions, but if you are going for strength, increase your weights with each set but decrease the number of repetitions.
Ready for sexier, stronger, and toner legs? The secret is (obviously cardio 5 times a week) SQUATS! Squats target the hamstrings, inner thighs, and your gluteus maximus, also known as the butt. Doing 3 sets of 25 repetitions holding a 15-20 lbs. weight in the center position of your body will lift up your butt while slimming your inner thighs and making your butt firmer. After you finish your squats, take some lighter weights (around 8-10 lbs. is okay) and do 2 sets of lunges with 15 repetitions on each leg.
This is not all of it! If Victoria Secret models use the weight machines to stay slim and toned, then so can you. If you do every single machine with 3 sets of 25 repetitions at lower weights (try around 30-35 lbs.) you will see results within the next month. When you are at the last few repetitions and you feel the burn, don’t stop! This is the major indicator that you are working out your muscles to the maximum.
Last, but not any less important, is the “arm” day routine. When performing these exercises with dumbbells, try 5-8 lbs., 2 sets, and 15-20 repetitions each. Start with the Reverse Fly, in which you are bent over at 90 degrees with the dumbbells in each hand. With a tight core, raise the dumbbells to be aligned with your shoulders and then bring them back slowly to the starting position. Without rest, continue with Bicep Curls (make sure that you are keeping your back straight), and continue with Cross Jabs (common in boxing). And finally finish with Tricep Extensions, in which you hold one dumbbell behind your head with both hands so that your head is in between your elbows. Then, you simply raise and lower your dumbbell in an up-and-down motion as close to your head as possible.
Ideally, you want to be in the weight room for up to an hour to get the most efficient work out. These may not seem fun at first, but the results will come quicker for a sleeker, slimmer, and more toned body.