Body sculpting or toning workouts create defined muscle, flattening your abdomen, whittling your waist and lifting your buttocks. While cardiovascular exercise is critical for good health, make time for two body sculpting or toning sessions a week to meet Centers for Disease Control recommendations for strength training and to create the body you've always wanted. You can use weight machines or light weights, resistance bands or nothing but your own body weight to create toned and sculpted muscle throughout your form.
Tools and Equipment
If you've got a gym membership, weight machines are an ideal choice for body sculpting, or you can opt for a boot camp style workout class to tone and tighten. When the gym doesn't fit into your schedule or budget, or you just prefer a workout at home, several pieces of inexpensive and easy to use fitness gear can improve your strength-training routine. A fitness ball is ideal to tone and sculpt your core, according to the American Council on Exercise, while light hand weights or stretchy resistance bands provide a convenient option for full body toning that doesn't take up much space in your home.
Quality Over Quantity
Aim for at least two toning or strength-training workouts a week, including calisthenic exercises, yoga, Pilates, or weight lifting, not on consecutive days. Add in a third for greater benefit if you opt for full-body workouts. If you'd rather sculpt your body with daily workouts, change up your workout, doing a lower body routine one day and abs the next to allow your muscles to rest or lift weights one day and follow up with a Pilates class the next.
All-in-One
Bundle your aerobic and sculpting workouts into one with circuit training, boot camp style exercise or cardio sculpting classes. Look for routines that alternate bouts of cardio exercise with sculpting moves or that up the intensity and speed of body sculpting to keep your heart rate up. Cardio intervals might include jumping rope, marching in place, jogging or step aerobic exercises. Sculpt muscles with lunges, squats, ab exercises and even classic calisthenics.
DVDs
DVD workouts are an ideal choice if you're looking to tone up at home. Try a DVD that uses hand weights and resistance training to work your muscles, boost your heart rate and help you create the shape you want. If you need to sculpt or tone a specific body part, focused DVDs allow you to work your abs, lower body or upper body as one part of your overall fitness routine.
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