You can get a toned body in as little as 21 days with a consistent exercise program and healthy diet. Your workout regimen should consist of cardio exercise and strength training to decrease body fat, increase muscle mass and tone up muscles. Exercise up to five times per week to maximize results in as little as three weeks for a sculpted physique.
Cardio
You'll need to do cardio exercise as part of your 21-day program. Cardio burns calories for fat loss all over the body including common trouble zones such as the butt, belly and thighs. Losing extra weight will help show off well-defined muscles hiding under layers of fat. The NHS recommends you engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or more if you need to lose weight. Aim to do three to five cardio sessions per week such as running, swimming and biking for 30- to 60-minute sessions each.
Upper Body
Get a shapely back and set of arms with regular upper-body strength workouts. Aim to do two to three strength-training sessions per week that target the major upper-body muscle groups including the chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Do two to three exercises for each muscle group such as chest presses, upright rows, lateral raises, biceps curls and triceps extensions. Vary your routine by doing body-weight exercises such as pushups or triceps dips off a bench. As you get stronger, increase the number of reps, sets and amount of weight you use.
Lower Body
Tone up your lower-body leg and gluteal muscles with two to three lower-body workouts per week. You can do these on the same day you do an upper-body workout for an extended strength-training session or on alternate days if you're short on time or fatigued. Choose two to three exercises for each muscle group including the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves and inner and outer hip muscles. A sample workout may include squats, walking lunges, hamstring curls with a stability ball, calf raises and side-lying leg lifts.
Core Training
Train your core region for a strong and shapely set of abs. In addition to the abdominals, the core also consists of the back muscles, hip flexors and gluteals. Do a core workout every second day to allow your muscles enough time to recover properly in between sessions. Do a circuit of five to 10 exercises back to back with little rest in between, and repeat for three sets total. A sample workout may consist of front planks, side planks, bridging, hip extension, crunches on a stability ball and leg lifts.
References
Writer Bio
Jennifer Andrews specializes in writing about health, wellness and nutrition. Andrews has a Master of Science in physical therapy from the University of Alberta as well as a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. She teaches yoga and pilates and is a recent graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.