5 Double-Duty Exercises to Slim Your Whole Body
All you need is 7 minutes.
Jump-start your 2020 slimdown with this easy 7-minute routine from fitness guru Denise Austin. The double-duty moves are proven to tone trouble spots and melt up to 4 inches in 3 weeks
Slim Hips & Strong Back: Front Lunge and Lounge
“This move burns up the thighs, hips and buttocks to shape a slim, sexy lower half,” cheers Austin. It also works the latissimus dorsi to tone the back and nix pit pudge.
To do: Holding 3- to 5-pound weights, lunge forward with your left leg. Extend your arms so the weights are by your front knee, then pull them up toward your chest; lower back down. Press off your front foot to return to start. Continue for 1 minute; switch sides.
Tight Tush & Sleek Shoulders: Squat and Press
This classic move can’t be beat for melting inches from head to toe. “The squat focuses on the glutes to lift the rear and help you look great from behind,” says Austin, who offers fitness and nutrition plans for women at DeniseAustin.com. And pressing weights overhead activates the deltoids to sculpt the shoulders.
To do: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold 3- to 5-pound weights at your shoulders. Lower into a squat, then straighten back up and press the weights up overhead. Continue for 1 minute.
Perky Chest & Flat Belly: Dumbbell Chest Flys
This move calls on the pectoral muscles to perk up the chest, eliminate pit pudge and streamline the upper half. “This is also a secret core exercise,” adds Austin, noting that holding your legs in the air engages the lower abs to melt a menopot.
To do: Lie on your back with your legs in the air and your knees bent to a right angle. Extend 3- to 5-pound weights above your chest. Keeping your palms facing each other, open the weights out to the sides until your upper arms touch the ground, then return to start. Continue for 1 minute.
Trim Thighs & Firm Arms: Curtsy Squat and Curl
“This quickly reshapes the buttocks and inner thighs,” says Austin, noting that the move calls on the hard-to-reach adductors and abductors to eliminate thigh chafing. What’s more, adding a bicep curl as you squat will help tone your upper arms, banishing crepey skin, and pesky wave wiggles.
To do: Start with your feet together, holding 3- to 5-pound weights. Step your left foot behind you to the right as you bend your knees and simultaneously curl the weights up to your shoulders. Lower and return to standing. Repeat with the other leg. Alternate for 1 minute.
Whittled Waist & Toned Torso: Knee Plank and Twist
A modified plank twist is easy to do and will yield results fast, cheers Austin. That’s because swiveling the torso calls on the oblique muscles, which cinch in the waist like a corset. Plus, controlling the weight of the dumbbells through the move works the rhomboids to tone the back.
To do: Holding 3-pound weights, come into a push-up position and drop your right knee down to the ground. Lift your left arm up overhead, then twist and reach down under your body and twist back up. Continue for 1 minute, then switch sides.
This story originally appeared in our print magazine.
