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The Women’s Health
Fast-Track Tone-Up Plan
The greatest workout you’ll ever get—inside
a gym, or out
The biggest obstacle between you and the body
you want might come from an unexpected source:
Your gym. Big crowds, complicated machines, and
limited space can slow your workouts—and your
transformation.
Think about it: Every moment you spend standing around waiting for the leg press machine or
a cable station is less time you spend challenging your muscles and igniting your metabolism.
More sitting around means less intensity, and that
undercuts your ability to make quick gains from
your time in the gym. And with less time than ever
to exercise, you need a workout that guarantees
results, fast.
This fat-burning, muscle-toning workout requires only a single set of dumbbells—meaning
there’s never been a simpler way to sculpt a better body. It’s so basic, your home can instantly
become the ultimate gym. The workout combines
10 exercises performed as a high-intensity circuit
that works every muscle in your body.
But this isn’t your traditional program filled with
the routine 3 sets of 10 reps. Those are arbitrary
goals set by some gym teacher back in sixth
grade. This plan works by using time—the ultimate motivator—and it allows you to challenge
your body and push your fitness to new levels.
Instead of worrying about completing a predetermined number of reps, you will focus on performing as many reps as possible using perfect form.
This approach allows you to choose if you want
to perform more reps or add more weight, putting
you in control of your goal. You’ll be changing your
body, strengthening your heart, and doing everything you need to look and live healthier than ever.
Directions
Do this circuit 3 days a week. Perform 1 set of
each exercise in succession. Each set consists of
doing the exercise as many times as you can in 30
seconds. Use only perfect form—it doesn’t count if
you cheat—and when your 30 seconds is up, give
yourself 15 seconds to rest before moving on to
the next exercise. Rest for 2 minutes after you’ve
completed the entire sequence. Then repeat the
whole process two more times for a total of 3
circuits per workout.
If you get tired and can’t continue exercising for
the entire 30 seconds, stop and rest for a few
seconds, and then resume performing reps until
the time is up. For each exercise, you should start
with a weight that you can use for 10 to 12 reps.
Dumbbell straight-leg deadlift
A
B
Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip,
and hold them in front of your thighs, arms hanging straight down. Stand with your feet hip-width
apart and your knees slightly bent [A]. Without
changing the bend in your knees, bend at your
hips, and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel
to the floor [B]. Pause, then raise your torso back
to the starting position.
Stand and hold a pair of dumbbells so that your
palms are facing each other, and rest one of the
dumbbell heads on the fleshiest part of each
shoulder [A]. Keep your body as upright as you
can at all times. Brace your abs, and lower your
body as far as you can by pushing your hips back
and bending your knees [B]. Don’t allow your
elbows to drop down as you squat. Pause, then
push yourself back to the starting position.
Pushup position dumbbell row
Dumbbell push press
A
A
B
Grab a pair of hex dumbbells and assume a pushup position, your arms straight [A]. Keeping your
core braced, balance your weight on your left arm
as you row the dumbbell in your right hand up to
the side of your chest, bending your arm as you
pull it upward [B]. Pause, and then quickly lower
the dumbbell. Repeat with your left arm.
B
C
Stand and hold a pair of dumbbells so that your
palms are facing each other, and rest one of the
dumbbell heads on the fleshiest part of each
shoulder [A]. Keep your body upright as you bend
slightly at the knees [B], then explosively push up
with your legs as you press the dumbbells over
your head [C]. Pause, then lower the weights to
the starting position.
Dumbbell hang pull
Dumbbell front squat
A
B
A
B
Hold a pair of dumbbells just below your knees
with your palms facing your legs, your hips
pushed back, and knees slightly bent [A]. With
your back flat and arms straight, pull both dumbbells upward as fast as you can by thrusting your
hips forward and explosively standing up. Keep
the dumbbells as close to your body as possible
and bring them up to shoulder height. (At the top
of the movement, your elbows should angle out
like you’re doing the funky chicken.) [B] Return to
the starting position.
Stand in a staggered stance with your feet 2 to
3 feet apart, your left foot in front of your right.
Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs and
lower your body into a lunge position. At the bottom of the movement, your left thigh should be
parallel to the ground, and your right thigh should
be perpendicular to the ground [A]. Now jump
with enough force to propel both feet off the floor
[B]. While you’re in the air, scissor-kick your legs
so you land with your right leg forward and left
leg behind you [C]. Repeat, alternating your forward leg for the duration of the set.
Cross-body mountain climber
Make it harder: Perform the move while holding
one hex dumbbell in each hand. Keep the dumbbells by your sides.
T-Stabilizer
A
A
B
Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight [A]. Lift your right foot off the
floor, then bend your right knee and bring it up
under your body, toward your left elbow, without
changing the arch in your lower back [B]. Lower it
back to the starting position, and then raise your
left foot off the ground, and bring your left knee
to your right elbow. Alternate back and forth until
time is up.
B
Alternating split jump
Assume a pushup position. Your body should form
a straight line from your head to your ankles [A].
Keeping your arms straight and your body rigid,
shift your weight onto your left arm and rotate
your torso up and to the right until you’re facing
sideways [B]. Pause for 3 seconds, then lower
back down to the starting position. Rotate to your
left. That’s one rep. Continue to rotate back and
forth.
A
B
C
Make it harder: Perform the move with a hex
dumbbell in each hand and/or do a pushup each
time you return to the starting position.
Dumbbell lunge and rotation
A
B
Grab a dumbbell with both hands. Stand with
your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight
out (A). Take a big step forward with your left
foot and, bracing your abs, twist your torso to the
left as you bend your knees and lower your body
until both of your legs form 90-degree angles (B).
Twist back to center, push off your left foot, and
stand back up. Repeat on the other leg. That’s
1 rep. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Keep your
elbows straight but not locked.
Dumbbell row
A
B
Grab a pair of dumbbells, bend at your hips (don’t
round your lower back), and lower your torso until
it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells
hang at arm’s length [A]. Without moving your
torso, row the weights upward by raising your
upper arms, bending your elbows, and squeezing
your shoulder blades together. Keep the dumbbells close to the side of your body at the top of
the movement [B]. Pause, lower the dumbbells,
and repeat.