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From the Magazine

5 Easy Exercises to Firm Trouble Spots and Blast Fat Fast

Looking to get in shape? Need some exercise inspiration? Trainer and fitness expert Andrea Marcellus shares the double-duty moves guaranteed to firm trouble spots and blast fat fast. Keep reading for step by step instructions on five moves you can incorporate into your routine today!

Curtsy and curl

(Photo Credit: FirstForWomen.com)

Slim Hips & Sexy Arms: Curtsy and curl 

“This exercise sculpts the biceps, quads, glutes, and inner thighs,” cheers Marcellus of how it will help you eliminate saddlebags and tone strong, sexy arms. 

To do: Stand with your feet together, holding 3- to 5-pound weights. Step your left foot back on a diagonal behind your right. Bend both knees to form right angles and curl the weights up to your shoulders. Return to start. Do 10 reps, then switch sides.

Andrea’s new book, The Way In: 5 Winning Strategies to Lose Weight, Get Strong and Lift Your Life ($25.91, Amazon), and her AND/life app are filled with easy workouts to help you slim effortlessly

Step back kick-back

(Photo Credit: FirstForWomen.com)

Firm Thighs & Strong Back: Step-back kick-back

Kick-backs engage the triceps and latissimus dorsi to eliminate wave wiggles, while the step-back engages the calf and hamstrings to slim and melt fat from the legs, says Marcellus. 

To do: Stand with your feet together and knees bent. Pull 3- to 5-pound weights up into your armpits. Extend them back as you tap one foot back, then bring everything back in. Do 10 reps, then switch sides.

Squat and press

(Photo Credit: FirstForWomen.com)

Tight Tush & Sleek Shoulders: Squat and press

These are two of the most effective exercises for shaping the shoulders and backside — and putting them together makes a superb total-body toner. Marcellus explains that squats engage the gluteus maximus and hamstrings to lift the tush, while an overhead press calls on the deltoids to sculpt sexy shoulder definition. 

To do: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold 5-pound weights at shoulder level. Lower into a squat, keeping your heels down and your butt back. As you rise back up, press the weights straight up overhead. Do 20 reps.

Star side leg lift

(Photo Credit: FirstForWomen.com)

Flat Belly & Toned Torso: Star side leg lift

“This move provides a huge stability challenge for your core and your shoulder,” notes Marcellus. Indeed, it calls on the transverse and rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and serratus muscles to shrink a belly bulge and shape your upper half.

To do: Kneel on a mat, then lean to the side to place your right hand on the ground and lift your left arm up overhead. Keeping your left leg straight, lift it up to hip height, then lower it back down. Do 10 reps, then switch sides.

Crisscross

(Photo Credit: FirstForWomen.com)

Whittled Wait & Perky Chest: Crisscross

“Crunching the elbow to the knee works the transverse abdominals and the obliques, the ones that wrap around you like a corset,” says Marcellus. Holding the elbows out to the sides also engages the pectorals to perk up the chest. 

To do: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and elbows out. Cross your left ankle over your right knee. Twist your right elbow toward your left knee, then lower back down. Do 10 reps, then switch sides.

This story originally appeared in our print magazine.

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