The benefits of strength-training
Build lean muscle with a strength-training workout to suit your fitness goals.
“A combination of compound and isolation [workouts] is great, especially in body sculpting,” says experienced natural bodybuilder and personal trainer Ami Stockton. The trick to body sculpting is knowing where and how to build lean muscle and tone and here’s why you should start.
Shoulders
“Well-developed shoulders and back can create the illusion of a smaller waist, so to get an enhanced shapely womanly figure, lat-pulldowns, pull-ups, rows and shoulder presses are a girl’s best friend,” says Stockton.
Back
“There is nothing sexier than a strong, toned back,” says Stockton. “To help get the best out of your back workout, take your time in your repetitions and focus on contracting the muscles you are working while carrying out the exercise.”
Boobs
“Doing chest and back exercises will not lift your boobs as such but it can help to improve your posture, which in turn will help to create the illusion of perkier boobs! When you have a nice strong back, your shoulders sit back, chest is up and that also means that your boobs will look as though they are perkier.”
Arms
“Firm and toned arms stem from your base – the great thing about arms is that while you are training back, chest and shoulders, your arms are being put to work too,” says Stockton. “When you work your back, generally you are working your biceps, and when you are training chest, your triceps are getting trained.”
Core
“Training your core means training your lower back as well as abdominals,” says Stockton. “The entire core needs to work together to support your spine and maintain a strong and healthy base. While doing any exercise, you should ensure your core stays switched on and that alone is a great core workout.” Try an ab wheel for in-home workouts.
Butt
“It takes time to get but is so worth it. There are isolation exercises you can do for the butt such as kickbacks and donkey kicks, but I still find personally that the best exercises are still squats, deadlifts, lunges and step-ups for a nicely rounded bum. A combination of these compound and isolation exercises can create beautifully toned legs with a great butt!” A resistance band can be great for butt workouts at home.
Legs
“The beauty of training legs is that because they are large muscles, you will also be burning a lot of calories. To get the greatest results, use compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges and leg presses.”
Get training with our full body workouts and bring on a toned and leaner you.
