How to Build a Toned Body

The best way to achieve a toned body is to predicate your exercise on a fat-loss training regimen. This type of workout minimizes excessive weight, allowing you to tighten your physique and tone your muscles. Each time you exercise, focus on the entire body. Daily upper-body pushing exercises should complement lower-body pulling exercises.

• 1

  Start by doing 10 upper-body push reps at about 25 percent of your max capacity; lifting weights at a lower capacity helps tone and shape muscles, avoiding bulk. Upper-body workout options can be alternate dumbbell presses, shoulder presses, floor presses, push presses, incline dumbbell presses or bench presses. Alternate this with 10 reps of lower-body pull exercises such as deadlifts, dumbbell swings or power cleans. Complete as many alternating push/pull 10-rep sets as you can in a 12-minute span, resting only as needed.

• 2

  Perform two new exercises to begin the second phase of your fat-loss training routine. This part of the workout will also include 10-rep sets of upper-body pushes and lower-body pulls. Don't repeat the push and pull exercises you've already done. Instead, alternate your two new exercises for 12 minutes at 10-rep intervals. Do not rest more than 15 seconds between sets.

• 3

  Jump rope for the last six minutes of your 30-minute routine. Do not be concerned with the efficiency at which you jump; it is more important to keep moving. If the rope gets caught in your feet, untangle it and begin jumping again.

• 4

  Exercise at least three times a week. Give yourself rest days between initial workouts. If you are recovering well and feel like you can take on a more rigorous schedule, begin working out four or five days a week.