Exercise is always considered best when it comes to improving physical fitness and enhancing body curves or shapes. However, not all regimens are helpful especially when you are doing the ones that are not suited for your body. When doing exercise, one should have specific target to achieve a goal. The most important thing to remember when exercising is to do the right routine to shape up your body or parts of your body. Your workout should be done in accordance to your specific body type.Edward Jackowski Jr., a certified exercise expert, categorized body shapes into four types: Cones, Hourglasses, Spoons, and Rulers. He designed effective workouts that target difficult to trim areas. This is an excellent at-home regimen and there is no need for expensive exercise equipment. Simple tools needed are the following: exercise mat, an aerobic bar (if you don't have one, improvise by using a broomstick or a mop handle), a ten-pound weight bar and a jump rope.
The following are the four types of Body shapes; each presented with particular routines. Explanations on how to execute individual exercises is stated too (look it up after the Ruler routine). Try to find which body shape are you in and follow the specific workouts for it. These are excellent fat-burning exercises, very effective in trimming figures, with the mere purpose of toning the muscles rather than adding up bulky muscle mass.
*Important tips to remember: Please be aware that the execution of the activities here involves hard work, with the concept of building up your stamina slowly. If you find some aerobic segments too exhausting for you, like jumping rope for example, you can stop and do side bending motion instead in order to catch your breath. When you get used to it after a few weeks, try to increase the number of repetitions and try to add more time in doing your jump rope. Each routine take 45 minutes to an hour and should be done 3 to 4 times a week to see best results with in 3 weeks time.
*Cone shaped body: You have broad shoulders and back, large arms, with slim hips and legs. This routine will help in trimming your arms and build toned muscles in your legs, which will balance the built of the upper and the lower halves of your body.The Cone routine: Start with a 15 minute warm up, either do brisk walking, slow jogging, or ride a bike at moderate to high resistance and moderate speed. Stretch for 4 minutes. Then do the following order - 25 sit-ups, 30 leg-outs, 30 vertical scissors, jump rope for 3 minutes, and 10 squat thrusts. Side bending until rested, then do 10 squat thrusts ones again followed by 10 push-outs, 10 behind neck presses, 10 front press, 10 upright rows, 10 bicep curls and 10 tricep kick-backs. Again do side bending until rested then do 20 bicep curls ones more. Another Jump rope for 3 minutes then do 25 leg-outs, 25 elbows to knees, 25 knees to elbows and lastly 10 squat thrusts. End this routine with a 3-minute slow walk cool down.
*Hourglass shaped body: You have a solid upper and lower body frame, with a narrow waist. When you gain weight, it takes place through out your body and not only on certain parts. So this workout will help you achieve a better outline of your shoulders and arms, gives you trimmer hips and thighs, and firmer butt.The Hourglass routine: Start with a 12 minute warm up, either do brisk walking, slow jogging, or ride a bike at a high speed but very low resistance. Stretch for 4 minutes. Then do the following order - 5 minutes Jump rope, 20 standing knee to opposite chest (for each leg), 20 L-kicks (for each leg), 50 jumping jacks, and side bend until rested. Then do 50 jumping jacks again, 30 leg-outs, 30 vertical scissors, 50 alternate leg kicks, 10 push-outs, 10 behind-the-neck presses, 10 front presses, 10 upright rows, 10 bicep curls, 10 tricep kick-backs, and jump rope for 5 minutes. End this routine with a 4-minute slow walk cool down.
*Spoon shaped body: Your upper body remains lean while you gain weight in your thighs and butt area. This workout balances your body by giving you a more defined outline of your arms, a flatter stomach, and slimmer hips and thighs.The Spoon routine: Start with a 10 minute warm up, either do marching in place, brisk walking, slow jogging, or ride a stationary bike at a high speed but very low resistance. Stretch for 3 minutes and then do the following order - 25 jumping jacks, side bending till rested, 10 push-ups and jump rope for 3 minutes. Then do 30 standing knee to opposite chest (for each leg), 20 L-kicks (for each leg), 15 sit-ups, 20 leg-outs, 20 vertical scissors, 25 alternate leg kicks, 20 elbows to knees, 20 knees to elbows, 25 jumping jacks, and side bending until rested. Continue with 10 push-outs, 10 behind-the-neck presses, 10 front presses, 20 upright rows, 10 bicep curls, 10 tricep kick-backs, and jump rope for 5 minutes. End this routine with a 4-minute slow walk or marching in place cool down.
*Ruler Shaped Body: You have few curves, narrow hips, and you gain fat in your stomach area. This workout will turn your frame in a better shape by giving you very toned arms and legs, a more-defined outline of your waist, and stronger abs.The Ruler routine: Start by warming up for 20 minutes, either do brisk walking, slow jogging, or ride a bike at moderate speed and moderate resistance. Stretch for 4 minutes and then do the following order - 20 sit-ups, 30 leg-outs, 30 vertical scissors and jump rope for 3 minutes. Then do 12 push-ups, 25 squat thrusts, and then side bending until rested. Continue with 25 squat thrusts ones more, 15 push-outs, 15 behind-the-neck presses, 15 front presses, 15 upright rows, 15 bicep curls, 15 tricep kick-backs, 3 minute jump rope, march in place counting up to 60 steps, and then do 25 squat thrusts. End this routine with a 4-minute cool down doing either a slow walk or a ride in a stationary bike.
How to do proper executions of the exercises on all 4 routines:
*Stretching - For the arms, pull each elbow up and behind your head gently. At the groin area, sit on the floor with the sole of your feet together. Front of thigh, in standing position slowly pull your right ankle back and up with your sole facing your butt area. Repeat with Left leg. Back of thigh, in long sitting position or seated with legs straight out in front of you, try to slowly bend and reach for your toes. As for your Calves, in standing position, slowly bend down and reach for your toes and while doing so, push your heels down to the floor.
*Jumping Rope - Jump with feet together and avoid double bouncing.
*Push-outs - Starting position is standing up with both arms holding the weight bar or broom stick (palms facing down) in front of your thighs. Then inhale while you lift the bar at chest level, and exhale as you stretch both your arms straight and out in front of you. Put the bar down at the starting position and repeat the steps again as required on the routine.*Bicep curls - Start by standing up with both arms holding the weight bar or broom stick (palms up) in front of you thighs, and inhale. Then exhale as you bring the bar up at chest level by flexing you elbow. Return to starting position and repeat.
*Front press - Start with the weight bar or broomstick at shoulder level by flexing your arms (palmsfacing away from you) and inhale. Then exhale while you slowly raise the bar by extending both arms above your head. Lower the bar down to starting position and repeat.*Behind-neck press - Starting position is with you holding the weight bar or broomstick, letting the bar rest at you shoulders behind your neck, and inhale. Then exhale as you stretch both your arms up, raising the bar above your head. Lower the bar to starting position and repeat.
*Upright rows - Start with holding the weight bar (palms down), hands about 4-6 inches apart, at thigh level, and inhale. Then exhale as you raise the bar to your chin. Lower the bar back to starting position and repeat.
*Tricep Kick-backs - Start with gripping weight bar with extended arms behind you (palms facing away from your back with the weight bar at butt level), and inhale. Keep your back and arms straight. Then exhale while you slowly lift the bar by raising your extended arms as far as you can (away from you back). Bring bar back to where it was then repeat the procedure.*Side benders - Start with the bar resting at your shoulders behind your neck then just simply bend from side to side (45 degrees).
*Push-ups - This is the about the same as the whole body push-ups. The only difference is, aside from you hands touching the ground, you knees are the ones in contact with the ground too instead of your feet. So this is easier to do.
*Leg-outs - Starting position is lying down with both legs straight and raised 6 to 12 inches off the ground, and inhale. Exhale as you pull both your knees to the direction of you chest, then back to straighten you legs again (still raised) and repeat the procedure as needed.*Elbow to Knees - Start by lying on your back with both legs flexed and up in the air (with knees facingyou). With arms flexed (hands at ear level) and elbows situated in front of you, inhale as you reached your elbows to your knees. Then exhale as you lower your elbows and repeat procedure.
*Knees to elbows - Start by lying with flexed elbows (hands on ear level) and flexed legs (with both feet touching the ground). Then inhale as you bring bent knees towards your elbow and exhale as you lower you feet to the ground, leg still flexed. Repeat as needed.
*Sit-ups - Start with lying on your back, arms straightened above your head, and both legs flexed. Then inhale as you curl up, bringing chest to knees, and exhale as you go back down.*Vertical Scissors - Starting position is with you lying on your back, arms straight to your side (hands under buttocks), both legs straight (close together) and raised to 90 degrees angle from your torso, and inhale. Then exhale as you open wide both raised legs and inhale as you bring them back to starting position. Repeat as needed.
*Alternate Leg Kicks - Start by lying on your back, arms straight to your side (hands under buttocks), and both leg straight to the ground. Then raise your entire right leg in the air (at 90 a degree angle from your torso) and bring leg back down as you simultaneously rais your left leg in the same way as your right. Repeat as needed.
*Standing knee to opposite side of chest - You can use the weight bar to help with your balance, by resting it on your shoulders behind the neck. This procedure is simple just raise you right knee towards you left chest (at least at waist level), then lower to starting position. Then do the same procedure to left knee. Repeat as needed.*L-kicks - Leaning on you weight bar or by the wall for balance, raise right leg forward at 90 degrees, lower leg back down, then raise the same leg to the side (90 degrees). Repeat the same procedure with the left leg.
*Squat Thrusts - From standing position, bend knees and drop down to crouching position. Bring both hands on the floor, and then push through it to help in kicking feet back so you'll be in a push-up position. Then jump both feet back into crouching position again, and stand back up. Repeat procedure as needed.
