If you think you need super complicated exercises with lots of athletic equipment to get the perfect body, you might be surprised to learn that there’s a simpler solution.
It turns out that simple exercises, organized into a curated workout plan, can work wonders on your body and tone all your muscles pretty fast.
To sculpt and tone your body, here are simple workout you can do at home that can transform your entire body in a month.
1. Plank
This one-move, static exercise is often underrated. Yet it’s perfect for strengthening your core, toning your abs, and building your shoulders. It is one of the most effective ab exercises.
How it’s done: Assume a push-up position on the floor, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle and supporting yourself on your elbows and toes. Maintain a straight line from head to heels.
2. Push-ups
When done correctly, push-ups use your triceps, shoulders, back, and chest, giving your entire upper body a workout.
Lie flat on the floor on your chest and stomach. Place hands next to chest just below shoulders. Push up and lift your torso, chest and thighs off the floor. Keep your abs tight so that your body is in a straight line. Slowly return to the floor.
3. Squats
A great exercise for burning fat and toning your glutes, you work your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and entire posterior chain.
Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, or wider if you feel unstable. Lengthen your spine, bend your knees, and reach your hips back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Exhale and return to standing position and repeat.
4. Bird-dog
This exercise works your abdominals, low back, glutes and thighs.
Kneel with your knees hip-width apart and your hands firmly planted on the floor about shoulder-width apart. Lift one hand and opposite knee off the floor while balancing on the other hand and knee to keep your weight centered.
Stretch your arm straight out in front of you and extend the opposite leg out behind you. Maintain a straight line from hand to toes. Hold for a few seconds, then return to starting position and repeat for opposite side.
5. Hip bridge
This is a core exercise designed to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings and back muscles.
Lie on your back on the floor. Keep your knees bent and feet hip width apart. Hold your arms at your sides, palm down. Lift your pelvis and squeeze your glutes. Lower your hips back to the floor and hold for one second. Try again.
You should follow this 4-week schedule in order to achieve the best results.
According to experts, it’s better to divide the exercises into 2 training plans and switch between them at certain intervals:
- Workout plan 1: Plank (1 min); push-ups (1 min); squats (2 min); bird dog (1 min); hip bridge (1 min); plank (1 min); push-ups (1 min); squats (2 min).
- Workout plan 1: Plank (3 min); bird dog (3 min); hip bridge (3 min); push-ups (1 min).
For the first week, start with workout plan 1 on the first day, then switch to plan 2 on the second day, and so on, resting on day 7. For the second week, start with schedule 2 on the first day and alternate between the schedules in the same manner as the first week, resting on day 7. After week 2, return to the week 1 schedule.
