Muscle toning programs include cardiovascular exercises and resistance training. Exercise three times a week during six consecutive weeks. Leave a week for your body to get complete rest. Achieve faster and visible results by eating a balanced diet. Eat a diet that supplies you with 15 to 30 percent of calories from fat. Eat 60 percent of calories from carbohydrates to give your muscles the glycogen they require for energy. Protein is an important building block for lean muscle mass. Eat ½ to 1 gram protein per pound of your body weight.
Step 1
Warm up on a stationary bicycle for 15 minutes. Pedal at 80 rounds per minute (RPM) and at moderate resistance for two minutes. Pedal at 100 RPM at a high intensity for 30 seconds. Recover for 60 seconds by pedaling at 90 RPM and a resistance that is challenging, but lower than the highest intensity you can do. Go through seven cycles at this ratio. Cool down at a moderate pace and resistance for the last two minutes.
Step 2
Hold dumbbells in front of each of your feet with your body in a crouch position. Stand up with your legs and lift the dumbbells along your legs in the front. Stand upright with the dumbbells in front of your hips. Lift them up above your head. In the outstretched position, get on your tiptoes, holding your body fully erect with the dumbbells overhead. Return to the starting position by reversing the movement. Go for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Step 3
Stand up with the dumbbells in your hands by your sides. Step forward with one leg. Lift your rear heel off the ground. Lower your body by bringing the rear leg's knee toward the floor. Return to the starting position. Repeat with the other foot in front. Go for three sets of 10 with each leg in front.
Step 4
Lie on your back on a bench. Hold the dumbbells over your head. Lower the weights until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Push up until your arms are extended. Repeat the dumbbell bench press for three sets at 10 repetitions.
Step 5
Lift the back of the gym bench so it inclines. Sit down facing the backrest. Lean against the backrest. Hold the dumbbells on your outstretched arms. Lift the weights by bending your arms until your elbows and shoulders form one line. Rotate your arms until the weights are next to your ears. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Perform three sets at 10 repetitions.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat six small meals spread out over the day.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
- Gym bench
- Stationary bicycle
References
- "The New Rules of Lifting"; Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove; 2006
- "Sports Nutrition"; Anita Bean; 2004
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