Want long, lithe muscles for the beach this summer? Here's how...
Now that summer’s coming, are you thinking about getting fit and firming up those wobbly bits in time for your summer holiday?*
While cardiovascular exercise will keep your heart fit and help you burn fat, this alone won’t give you the firm, toned look you’re after – to do that you need to incorporate some resistance training into your fitness regime. Here are five ways to get lean without bulking up.
While weightlifting can conjure up visions of rippling muscles, the key to toning without bulk is the size of weight you use. Use a light weight and perform high repetitions, aiming for four sets of 15 repetitions.
Use your own body weight to provide resistance – try press-ups (perform these in an all-fours position at first if full press-ups are too difficult), squats and lunges.
Take up Pilates or yoga – these are excellent for developing long, lithe muscles.
Always make sure you stretch the muscles out properly after exercising to release tension and to help prevent short, bulky muscles.
It may be a bitter pill to swallow, but cardiovascular and resistance exercises alone can't work miracles – if you have excess body fat all your good work will be hidden. For maximum results a fitness regime goes hand in hand with watching what you eat.
*Always check with your GP before embarking on a new fitness regime.