So you want to look like Jennifer Lawrence in her stunning red Dior gown at the Golden Globes? You’ll need a streamlined, firm torso, and we have the regimen that will give you the look.
Understand that slimming the torso is part of a total weight loss program. Your goal is to get rid of excess fat in your abdomen, back and chest, so plan on checking with your physician before embarking on your “I wanna be like Brie Larson in her gold Calvin Klein” project.
Full-body cardio will melt torso fat and tone your upper-body muscles. Think swimming, rowing, versa climbing, elliptical training, kickboxing and, hey, no kidding! jumping rope. These are all excellent exercises to firm your upper-body muscles. Just ask Kate Hudson as she packs away her blush pink Michael Kors Collection outfit. Aim for 60 minutes to 90 minutes of these cardio beauties four or five days a week.
Additional upper-body exercises that target your chest, abdomen and entire back include side bends, arm and leg raises, bench presses, bent-over rows, bicycle crunches, and, you know you love them! sit-ups. Give these babies four or five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions two or three days a week.
You want to show off muscle definition, so go for strength training two days each week. Exercises for your torso can be front and side planks chest presses, crunches and, again a favorite! pushups.
Dumbbells are a great tool in toning your torso. Use them for dumbbell raises. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and plant your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your arms up and out at the sides until they’re shoulder height. Lowering with control gives you one repetition.
Perform this for 12 repetitions. The dumbbells should be heavy enough so that your muscles are feeling the burn by the twelfth repetition. Once reaching that twelfth repetition becomes easy and your muscles are no longer tired, increase the weight of the dumbbells.
That’s a long list of exercise options. Please don’t think you have to do them all, but pick and choose your favorites. They all work wonders.
The plan should be to add 20-minute strength-training sessions to your weekly workout. You should aim to do strength training two to three each week. Strength training on two days each week boosts total weight loss. The resulting muscle tissue that you’re building helps your body burn calories effectively.
