As a professional fitness model and personal trainer, I work out and train clients to get results. Here are five of my favorite exercises that target specific muscles in the body for the purpose of toning and keeping away fat in certain areas that are proned. These exercises can be done in the gym or at home with weights or creative apparatus, such as water bottles as shown in the photos below. The model is working out with 1 litre bottle of water in each hand. You can be as creative as you can with your weights and use whatever you desire. Just make sure you do give yourself a challenge in order to get results!
Things You Will Need: an exercise mat, weights (dumb bells, water bottles or anything weighted)
Warm Up: Spend 10 minutes warming up. If at the gym, use a treadmill, bicycle, elliptical. If at home, march up and down the stairs, do push ups, or body weight squats.
Model Below: Alexandra Sims-Stone
CIRCUIT REPEAT 2 OR 3 TIMES
Forward lunges: 15 reps/leg
-Place your feet approximately at shoulder width and step forward with the right foot.
-Inhale as you flex your right hip and knee while keeping your knee pointed in the same direction as your foot.
-Keep your torso upright as you continue to bend your right knee until it forms a right angle and your left knee is almost touching the floor.
-Ensure that your right knee does not extend beyond your toes.
-Pause briefly in this position and exhale as your extend your right hip and knee forcibly to return to a standing position.
You can continue to do lunges with your right leg for strength or alternate legs for endurance.
Tip: Do not allow your knees to go pass your toes.
TARGET:
Butt (Make strides longer)
Quads (Make strides shorter)
Hammer curls/ Shoulder presses: 15 reps (use both arms at the same time)
-start with arms by your side
-complete a hammer curl then go directly into a shoulder press
-reverse the motion & bring the weights back down by your side
TARGET:
Arms & Shoulders
Sumo Squats- 20 reps
-feet slightly wider than hips
-toes slightly turned out
-hold dumbbell between legs
-as you bend your legs slightly lean forward
-as you stand up squeeze your glutes and your shoulder blades
TARGET:
Inner Thighs & Glutes
Skull crusher: 15 reps
-lay flat on your back with knees bent.
-arms are holding dumbbells straight in front of you (reaching toward the ceiling)
-keeping your shoulder joint still, bend at your elbow ONLY bringing the dumbbells down beside your ears.
-extend back straight.
Presses: (directly after completion of 15rep of skull crushers) 15reps
– bend elbows and bring them toward the floor
-straighten back out and reach toward the ceiling squeezing the back of your arms with every rep
TARGET:
Tricep (Bat wings)
Bridge: 20 reps (increase difficulty by putting feet on a swiss ball)
-lay flat on the floor
-knees bent
-lift hips toward the ceiling (squeeze glutes)
-hold 2 seconds
-come down slowly and barely touch your backside on the floor.
TARGET:
Abdominals, Glutes, & Hamstrings
Abdominals: 15 reps/side (all one side first)
-lay flat on back with 1 leg up and 1 leg bent, foot flat on the floor.
-hand behind EARS (to prevent pulling on neck)
-keep the extended leg straight and drop it almost to the floor
-when you raise it back up bring your upper body into a crunch
