5 Best Workouts to Tone Your Body From Every Angle
If you're looking to lose fat and get toned, strength training is the name of the game. This productive form of exercise helps you sculpt lean muscle and reveal the impressive muscle tone and definition you desire. That's why I'm here to share five of the best workouts to tone your body from every angle. I've put them together just for you to help you reach your fitness goals.
For most individuals, I recommend strength training at least three times per week, focusing on mostly full-body workouts—especially if you're just starting out. This allows you to stimulate your muscles throughout the week to help them grow. When it comes to doing strength workouts, specifically, there's no need to complete a long list of exercises, you just need a few of the proper ones.
Not sure what workouts to do? I have you covered. Here are five workouts to tone your body from every angle. You can rotate them throughout the week based on your schedule, as they're seamless additions to your routine.
Keep reading to learn all about my top workouts to tone your body. And when you're done sculpting muscle, be sure to check out these 10 Fitness 'Rules' You Should Abandon in 2024 For the Best Results.
Workout #1
1. Goblet Squats (3 sets of 12 reps)
Grab a dumbbell and hold it up by your chest—like a goblet—keeping your hands under the top of the weight. Inhale, and lower into a squat by bending your knees and hinging your hips back. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, push up through your feet, keeping your core activated. Flex your quads and glutes hard at the top to finish.
2. Incline Rear Dumbbell Rows (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Set your workout bench to a 45-degree incline. Grab two dumbbells, and position your chest on the pad. Place your knees on the seat of the bench or your feet on the ground—whatever's most comfortable. Straighten your arms, and assume a pronated grip. Keep your chest tall, and bring the weights back toward your body while flaring your elbows out. Flex your upper back , then lower the weights down until you get a solid stretch at the bottom.
3. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges (10 reps per leg)
Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Take a long stride backward with one leg. Firmly plant your heel down into the floor, then lower yourself until your back knee touches the ground. Push through with your front leg to rise back up to standing, then repeat with the other side.
4. Incline Dumbbell Curls (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Sit back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand—your palms should face up and your arms should be fully extended at your sides. Keeping your elbows tucked against your sides, curl the weights up to your chest, flexing your biceps at the top. As you lower the dumbbells, resist by using your biceps and get a good stretch at the bottom.
Workout #2
1. Barbell Romanian Deadlifts (3 sets of 10 reps)
Grab a barbell, and position it in front of your body. Keeping your chest tall and knees soft, push your hips back while dragging the barbell down your thigh. Once you feel you're getting a solid hamstring stretch in, drive your hips forward, squeezing your glutes to finish.
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Lie down on an incline bench. You should be holding a dumbbell in each hand. Press the weights straight up over your body with your arms completely extended. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench as you lower the weights with control to your chest. Then, press the dumbbells back up to the start position, squeezing your upper pecs and triceps.
3. Wide Grip Cable Rows (10 to 12 reps)
Grab the wide grip attachment on a seated row machine, and place your feet firmly on the footpad. Pull the handle out, then extend your legs. Maintain a tall chest as you drive your elbows back toward your hips, squeezing your back and lats hard to finish. Straighten out your arms, and get a solid stretch in your shoulder blades before performing the next rep.
4. Overhead Rope Triceps Extensions (3 sets of 12 to 15 reps)
Set up the rope attachment on the top of the cable pulley. Grip the rope with both hands, and put it over your head. Spin around so that it's right behind you, and lean forward. Bend from the elbows to where your biceps touch your forearms to get a deep tricep stretch. Once they've touched, extend your arms, and flex your triceps hard at the top.
Workout #3
1. Landmine Deadlifts (3 sets of 10 reps)
Set a barbell up inside a landmine attachment. If you don't have one, anchor the end of the barbell against a wall to get the same effect. Keep your chest tall, push your hips back, and squat down until you can grab the end of the bar. Brace your abs, then press through your heels to rise back up. Flex your glutes hard at the top of the move, then reverse the motion back down to the ground before the next rep.
2. Supinated Lat Pulldowns (3 sets of 10 reps)
Place your hands shoulder-width distance apart as you grab onto the bar, palms facing you. Lean back a bit, and use your elbows to pull the bar down toward your sternum, squeezing your lats at the bottom of the motion. Resist on the way back up, maintaining tension in your lats. Feel a solid stretch at the top by allowing your shoulder blades to come up before performing the next rep.
3. Bulgarian Split Squats (3 sets of 10 reps per leg)
The Bulgarian Split Squat starts with you standing tall and holding a dumbbell in each hand. Position your back foot on a workout bench or couch, and step out with your other foot just about two to three feet away from the bench. Using control, lower your body into a split squat; your back knee should almost grace the floor. Then, push yourself back up to return to standing, flexing your glutes and quads as you rise.
4. Chest-Supported Reverse Fly (3 sets of 15 reps)
Hold a pair of dumbbells, and position your chest on an incline bench. Start the movement by pulling the dumbbells back, and flex the back of your shoulders at the end of the movement. Flex your rear delts hard, then resist on the way down before performing another rep.
Workout #4
1. Leg Press (3 sets of 12 reps)
Position yourself on the leg press sled with your feet outside shoulder-width and pointed slightly outward. Press the weight up, then pull the switches to unlock the machine. Lower the weight using control, then drive through your heels, flexing your quads and glutes to finish the motion.
2. Dumbbell Walking Lunges (3 sets of 10 reps per leg)
Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bring one leg forward, and firmly place it on the ground. Descend into a lunge as you bring your back knee to the floor. Then, walk forward with your other leg, and repeat.
3. Seated Dumbbell Neutral Grip Press (3 sets of 10 reps)
Sit on a workout bench with your back supported while holding a pair of dumbbells. With your palms facing each other, press the dumbbells up, flexing your triceps and shoulders hard at the top. Resist on the way down, and lower back to the starting position before performing another rep.
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raises (3 sets of 15 reps)
Start by standing tall and holding a pair of dumbbells. Next, raise both dumbbells out to your side just right where your arms are parallel to the floor. Flex your shoulders at the top for a second before lowering the dumbbells with control.
Workout #5
1. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press (3 sets of 10 reps)
Lie down on a workout bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Press the weights over your body with your arms completely extended. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench as you lower the weights with control toward your chest. Then, press the dumbbells back up to the position you started in, squeezing your pecs and triceps at the top.
2. Lat Pulldowns (3 sets of 10 reps)
Grip the lat pulldown bar just outside shoulder-width with your palms facing away from you. Lean back slightly, and pull the bar down toward your sternum with your elbows, squeezing your lats at the bottom of the position. Resist on the way up, maintaining tension until you get a full stretch at the top.
3. Dumbbell Rows (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Position yourself parallel on a workout bench so your hand and knee are firmly pressed onto the surface. Grip the dumbbell with the opposite arm, and begin the motion by pulling the dumbbell to your waist, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Straighten your arm afterward, and get a nice stretch at the bottom before performing the next rep.
4. Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
Lie down flat on a workout bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Press the weights up, keeping the palms of your hands facing each other. Keep your shoulders straight, and bend your elbows back so the dumbbells lower down toward you. As soon as your forearm touches your bicep, reverse the motion, flexing your triceps hard at the top.
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