Lower And Upper Toning Exercises For Home

Keeping a handful of toning exercises you can do at home can save your training program from a hectic schedule and a last-minute change in plans. For simply toning your muscles instead of building huge muscles, your bodyweight is sufficient resistance. Bodyweight exercises are effective, but if you have an exercise band and a pair of dumbbells, you increase the variety of exercises you can do.

Squats and Lunges

Several bodyweight exercises which may be done at home to tone your gluteal, inner thigh, hamstring and quadricep muscles. Squats are performed with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Stick your buttocks out and bend your hips and knees as if to sit on a chair until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Push through your feet, contracting your leg muscles to stand back up. Walking lunges may be done around your living room and hallway. First, stand with your feet together and then step your right leg forward about 3 feet, bending your hips and knees to lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Contract the muscles of your right leg to stand up, stepping forward with your left leg into another lunge.

Pushups

The pushup is the classic upper body exercise, directly engaging your chest, shoulders and triceps muscles. To maintain the correct body position your abdominal, lower back and leg muscles, you must work to keep your body in a straight line. Perform a regular pushup by placing your hands about 3 inches to either side of your shoulders; pull your navel toward your back and then bend your elbows and shoulders. Lower your nose until it is about 2 inches from the floor. Contract your upper body muscles to straighten your arms, pushing your body away from the floor. You may do pushups on your knees if you cannot do them on your toes. The closer your hands are together and the closer you bring your elbows to your ribs, the more you focus on your triceps.

Triceps Dips

The edge of a firm couch or a fairly stable dining chair is one place to do triceps dips, which work the back of your arms. To perform this exercise, sit at the edge of a chair and place your hands on the chair as well, directly against your hips. Put your feet on the floor with your knees bent and then lift your buttocks off the chair, supporting your weight with your hands. Point your elbows backward and bend your arms to lower your butt toward the floor. Your back must stay as close to the chair as possible. Contract your triceps muscles to straighten your elbows and shoulders, toning the back of your arms.

Pullups

Pullups strengthen your back and biceps using your body weight. It is difficult to pull your bodyweight up and lift your chin over a bar. A pullup bar can be installed easily over your door frame. If you have a chin-up bar at home and are unable to pull your bodyweight up, use a high stool or stable chair for assistance. Position the stool slightly behind the bar, but close enough so that you can jump off the stool and step back on it. Hold to the bar and then jump off the chair, pulling your chin over the bar for three seconds. Slowly, lower your bodyweight. Step back on the stool and repeat. Do only three sets of four repetitions as this exercise can cause significant muscle soreness.

Dumbbell and Band Exercises

Most dumbbell exercises can be mimicked using an exercise band, targeting smaller muscles that are difficult to do with bodyweight exercises. For instance, train your biceps with dumbbell or band curls by holding a dumbbell or the handle of an exercise band in each hand. Next, bend both elbows to draw the dumbbells toward your shoulders. Slowly, lower the dumbbells and repeat. Work your triceps with overhead triceps extensions by holding the dumbbell in one arm and raise it over your head. With your upper arm as close to your head as possible, bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell just below your head. Contract your triceps to straighten your elbow and repeat. Focus on your shoulders with lateral raises by holding one handle of an exercise band in each hand and then step on the center of the band with one foot. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you raise your arms out to the side until they are parallel to the floor. Slowly, lower your arms back down and repeat.