Body sculpting is exercise designed to improve overall muscle tone and the firmness of your muscles in a semi-relaxed state. The combination of improved muscle tone with a reduced amount of body fat gives your muscles a shaped or sculpted appearance. Body sculpting workouts should include resistance training and cardio training for optimal results, and resistance training exercises should target specific muscle groups. In addition, proper nutrition is essential for reducing excess body fat.
Step 1
Warm up with low-level movements focusing on your shoulders, spine, hips and knees. This prepares your body and joints for exercise. Walk on a treadmill at about 3 mph for 10 minutes while pumping your arms.
Step 2
Work your larger muscles—chest, shoulders and back—before working your smaller muscles. Select isolation exercises that target one specific muscle group using a single-joint movement. Isolation exercises for your chest include dumbbell flies and the Pec Deck machine. For shoulders, do lateral raises and front raises with dumbbells. Use cable pulleys and dumbbells for your back workout, including lat pulldowns and dumbbell rows. Complete three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for each exercise, according to the American Council on Exercise.
Step 3
Continue the workout with your smaller biceps and triceps. Do biceps curls with dumbbells and cable pulleys. For triceps, do dumbbell extensions and cable pushdowns. For all exercises, work slowly. Exhale when contracting your muscles. Relax your grip and put your mind to the muscle, feeling the muscle contract and lengthen, says The American Physical Therapy Association.
Step 4
Train your legs using higher repetitions, up to three sets of 15. Select leg extensions, leg curls and lunges for your workouts. Increase intensity for upper-body and lower-body exercises by resting only 30 seconds between sets. To save time, you can skip the lower-body weight training and work your legs with cardio machines such as stair climbing or elliptical trainers. This will provide resistance training for your legs and cardio training at the same time.
Step 5
Perform abdominal exercises, stressing proper form, technique and breathing. Do crunches for your upper abs, bicycles for your side obliques and bent knee lifts for your lower abs. Work up to sets of 25 repetitions, working slowly and with control.
Tips and Warnings
- Although resistance training shapes your muscles, excess body fat will surround your muscles. Proper nutrition and cardio training will decrease excess body fat surrounding your muscles, giving you a sculpted look.
- First-time exercises should consult a physician before starting an exercise program.
Things You'll Need
- Weight training equipment
References
- "Keep Moving: Fitness Through Aerobics and Step"; Esther Pryor and Minda Goodman Kraines; 1997
- Sculpting Your Workouts to Tone Your Body
- Female Body Sculpting Retains a Woman's Femininity
- "Personal Training Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1991
- "The Book of Body Maintenance and Repair"; The American Physical Therapy Association; 1999
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