What is the best exercise program for toning

Studies show that Pilates does indeed work the abs. One study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that it could strengthen the rectus abdominus muscle by up to 21 percent in sedentary women who are not practitioners of Pilates. Strengthening your core with Pilates can also help with low back pain. Modern spin classes incorporate weights, side crunches, and even resistance bands to add an upper-body strengthening element to this popular cardio class.

Boutique studios are popping up nationwide that add in choreographed movements, fun music, and darkened rooms for a dance party-like atmosphere. These classes can be satisfyingly exhausting, delivering a cardio and strength workout at once, not to mention, the calorie burning component.

Experts estimate that you torch anywhere between and calories per workout. You may have seen them at the gym and wondered what to do with those handled weights that people seem to be swinging about. One of the main differences between kettlebells and regular weights is that you swing kettlebells to create and control momentum.

This means that it really gets your blood pumping, working both your anaerobic and aerobic systems, and packs strength and cardio into one full body workout. Most classes that incorporate this type of weight include kettlebell squats and kettlebell swings, intermixed with cardio intervals.

For those who are pressed for time, classes that incorporate high intensity interval training, or HIIT, can provide the most bang for your buck. Usually between 10 and 15 minutes long, what these workouts lack in time they make up for in intensity. Think: burpees, sprints, lunges, and more. Designed to raise your heart rate, make you sweat, and strength train all at once, studies show that HIIT can deliver more of an impact than an hour of the elliptical.

Healthline's Fit It In is thrilled to present this series of minute yoga videos, led by Colleen Saidman Yee, to help you fit yoga into your…. A studio-quality experience is possible. The trick? Scarf Back Squats 4 sets of 25 reps. During traditional back squats, you place a heavy barbell on your back and then perform the exercise.

However, that heavy barbell will only make your legs thick and bulky — practically overnight — even if there are no plates on the bar. This will provide all the resistance we need. Empty-Handed Bent Over Rows 3 sets of 42 reps. Get into the same position you would for bent over dumbbell rows. However, leave those big scary dumbbells on the rack for the men who are trying to get bulky, and instead do your rows with nothing more than your own empty hands. If you happen to be wearing any large rings at the time, you may want to remove them first to avoid making your empty hands too heavy.

Pink Dumbbell Circuit 5 sets of 20 reps. For this one, you are to choose dumbbell exercises at random and perform them in a circuit using pink dumbbells. Please note that your dumbbells must weigh no more than 2lbs each, and they MUST be pink.

If your dumbbells are any other color black, gray, silver, etc. Literally do crunches. This is going to be KEY to toning your tummy and getting a flat belly as fast as possible. Get yourself a Ziploc bag or any similar resealable plastic bag — sandwich size should be perfect — and fill it with air by blowing into the bag and then quickly zipping it up. From there, place the bag on the floor in front of you and proceed to deadlift it for the specified number of sets and reps.

Overhead Hair Presses 3 sets of 20 reps. If you have long hair, pull out one single strand of it and press it overhead like you would during a barbell shoulder press. If you have short hair or perhaps really thick eyebrows, you can pull out two strands and use one in each hand.

Never more than that though, as an additional piece of hair would be too heavy for toning and would greatly increase your risk of instantly becoming bulky.

Paper Kickbacks 5 sets of 38 reps. You want to get at least minutes of steady-state cardio, like walking, running and cycling, or about 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as high-intensity interval training HIIT , each week, according to the physical activity guidelines for Americans. Doing two HIIT days per week or several long walks can get the job done. As mentioned above, compound exercises are one of the simplest ways to start your strength training regimen. Because they incorporate multiple muscle groups and joints, these moves will burn more calories, improve your coordination, boost your heart rate and improve flexibility, according to the ACE.

Isolation exercises help you build bigger muscles because they recruit all muscle fibers — slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers — which leads to greater muscle damage and growth. Remember, the goal is to train all your muscles if you're only going to be strength training about two days per week. As you build your program, consider this sample workout, courtesy of Carolina Araujo , a certified personal trainer.

Although cardio won't help change your body composition your body's ratio of muscle and fat , it can help increase your overall calorie burn. Plus, cardio exercise is important for your overall heart health. Walking, jogging or steady biking for about minutes per week, or 30 minutes for five days a week, is enough to fulfill your weekly cardio quota, per the physical activity recommendations.

But if calorie burn and strength gain are the goal of your cardio sessions, HIIT training is probably the best way to go. This type of exercise involves alternating between intervals of intense movement and brief periods of rest. Many popular HIIT exercises are also strength-based, like burpees and jump squats. So, you'll be able to burn calories while preserving muscle a win-win.

No matter how much you exercise, you can't totally neglect your diet either. To lose weight, you'll need to create a calorie deficit , which is when you burn more calories than you consume, according to the Mayo Clinic.

You may feel tempted to follow a strict diet for faster results, but most health professionals suggest sticking to a slower weight-loss rate, per the Mayo Clinic. Losing weight slowly will also help ensure you keep as much muscle mass as possible. To create a sustainable calorie deficit, first track how many calories you're eating each day to maintain your current weight, aka your maintenance calories.

You can do this by tracking your food and weight across several weeks, using a food diary or app.