Best Exercises For Women: Workout Plans & Tips To Burn Stubborn Fat

Best Exercises For Women: Workout Plans & Tips To Burn Stubborn Fat

We all have those problem areas that can be hard to work out.

Especially for us women who know exactly what needs extra work (lower abs and inner thighs anyone?). Here are some simple exercises to help target multiple areas a lot of women find trouble with.

Single Leg Deadlift

This exercise is great because it lifts and tones the glutes and activates your entire core, which helps prevent back pain.

How to do it:

  • Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand on your left foot.
  • Lift your right foot behind you and bend your knee so your right lower leg is parallel to the floor.
  • Bend forward at your hips, and slowly lower your body as far as you can.
  • Pause, then push your body back to the starting position. As you come up, think about using your glutes to push your hips forward instead of lifting off your back.
  • Keep core engaged and chest up during the entire movement.

Side Plank

This exercise is the secret weapon to help tighten and shrink your waistline. It works the deep abdominal muscles (obliques, transverse abdominis) that many abs exercises don’t reach.

How to do it:

  • Lie on your left side with your knees straight.
  • Prop your upper body up on your left elbow and forearm.
  • Raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders.
  • Hold this position for 30 seconds.
  • Turn around so that you’re lying on your right side and repeat.

Pushup

This classic exercise never fails because it works the entire body, burning a significant amount of calories, as well as tightens your chest muscles to keep things perky in your bikini.

How to do it:

  • Get down on all fours and place your hands on the floor so that they’re slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders, feet close together.
  • Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor and then push yourself back to the starting position.
  • Make sure to keep your hips lifted and your core braced the entire time.

Second Position Plies

This ballet move sculpts the inner thighs as well as tones the gluteus minimus (side of butt) for lean legs like a dancer.

How to do it:

  • Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly.
  • Lower your body down by bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
  • Bring arms overhead and shoulders down and back.
  • Pause, then slowly push yourself back up to the starting position.

Cardio Intervals

Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your routine to burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, as opposed to long, slow endurance exercise.

How to do it:

  • Choose any piece of cardio equipment (e.g. elliptical, jump rope, treadmill, bike, etc.)
  • Use equipment for 3 minutes at 50% of your maximum effort
  • Repeat for 20 seconds at 75% percent of your maximum effort
  • Repeat for 10 seconds at your absolute maximum effort
  • Repeat steps a total of 10 times

Triceps Extension

This is a great exercise for toning the back of shoulders and triceps. I use light weights and perform a high number of reps (25+) for this exercise.

How to do it:

  • Come into a lunge position, with your back heel on the ground.
  • Lean over your front bent knee as you lift your arm straight up to your side, top of the weight facing the ceiling.
  • Lift and lower the 2–3 pound weight about an inch (30 times each side).

Stepups

This exercise targets the muscles of your glutes and hamstrings to create leaner, stronger legs, and a tighter, lifted rear. Stepups also work your quadriceps since they require you to straighten your knee against resistance.

How to do it:

  • Stand in front of a bench or step and place your left foot firmly on the step.
  • Press your left foot on the step and push your body up until your left leg is straight.
  • Lower your body back down until your right foot touches the floor and repeat.
  • Keep your chest up and core engaged the entire time.
  • Keep your weight balanced evenly, not leaning too far forward or too far back.

Plank with Arm Raise

Adding an arm raise to an already excellent exercise like the plank improves posture and core strength, which can help you feel better, look taller, and feel more confident.

How to do it:

  • Start to get into a pushup position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands.
  • Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
  • Brace your core and maintain your hip placement as you lift your right arm straight out in front of you.
  • Draw your shoulder blades down and back as you lift your arms.
  • Hold the position for 5–10 seconds and then switch arms.

Let us know what exercises you do to help with any stubborn areas!

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