The female figure is born of an array of shapes and size. Some women are short and curvy, and gain weight easy, while other women find it difficult to add lean muscle mass. A higher density of muscle equals a higher metabolism and leaner body. Some types of exercise may help, or even hinder, the shape of the body.
Some women visit the gym on a regular basis with the hope that, one day, they will be able to fit into the pair of skinny jeans that has been gathering dust in the closet for years. Other women perform the wrong types of exercises and end up feeling, and looking, bulkier. A personal trainer is a very useful investment if you want to radically alter your body shape. The initial consultation indicates to the personal trainer exactly what you want to achieve, which includes looking at your diet and creating an exercise plan that will help you reach your weight loss and body-alteration goals.
Exercise to Shape the Body
An effective way to test whether an exercise or activity is working well for your body shape is to perform it for 30-days. If you are eating a healthy calorie-controlled diet, and working out on a regular basis, it is paramount that you will notice changes in your body shape. For example, you may notice that your clothes feel looser, which indicates inch loss. Alternatively, you may find that you have put weight on, but this could indicate the addition of lean muscle mass, which weighs more than body fat. The more lean muscle mass in the body the higher the metabolism.
Spinning, or RPM, is an excellent workout and burns many calories in a short period. A spin class builds leg strength, improves the cardiovascular system, and releases toxins through perspiration. If the aim of joining a spin class is to shrink the subcutaneous fat lying beneath the abdominal area, and you don’t seem to notice any significant bodily changes, it’s time to discover what workout will shape the body. Visceral fat is the dangerous type of fat that lies around the organs and can put the body at risk of developing disease.
The Four Body Types
Ruler or straight: The body shape is straight up and down like a ruler, without curves. The woman with this particular body shape is often slender and has a natural high metabolism, not due to muscle.
- Exercises for the ruler: Spinning is a good way to build lean muscle mass in the calves and thighs. However, cycle on high resistance to work those muscles. Weighted squats are another good option, as is a body pump class at your local gym. Uphill walking is another effective exercise.
Apple: The weight is distributed in the upper half of the body, mainly the stomach area, whilst the lower half of the body is slim.
- Exercises for the apple: Cardiovascular exercise is an effective way to burning fat off all areas of the body. Try high impact exercises like Tabata or the popular 8-second interval training. When this particular high intensity interval training exercise is performed on a spin bike at low to medium resistance, the calorie burn is up to 270 in just 20-minutes (60 sets of 8/12 intervals). Team high intensity interval training with weights to work the lower half of the body and build lean muscle mass. A good exercise to tone the abdominals and burn many calories is to power walk. Another useful tool to use to strip fat off the abdominal area is the medicine ball.
Hourglass or curvy: The upper and lower body is proportionally even, especially when the female gains weight.
- Exercises for the hourglass: Use high impact exercises to work the heart and burn calories. A local boot camp class is a good way to shape an hourglass figure. Use bodyweight training to tone the lower half of the body, and avoid weighted lower body workouts, squats, and spin classes.
Pear: The pear shaped body is visible, as the waist is slender while the weight is carried on the bust, buttocks, and hips.
- Exercises for the pear: The lower half is the area to tone, so try biking on low resistance. Also, aim to build muscle in the upper half of the body through press-ups. Use light weights when performing lunges and squats.
In Conclusion
There is a common theory that weight gain and body shape is shaped from genetics, but there are effective ways to lose weight over the long term, and exercises can help to shape the body. If you sign up with a personal trainer, he or she perform a consultation and determine the areas that need to be worked on, and diet and lifestyle changes will receive an overhaul.
Personally, I would classify myself as an hourglass. I distribute weight on my hips and thighs, and I have a generous bust, but my waist area is slender. I enjoy skipping, walking, and hula hooping to stay in shape. The body can grow accustomed to particular workouts, especially low impact exercise, but if you are working with a personal trainer, he or she will alter your workout as a way to continuously push your body to its limits and encourage that lean muscle mass to build and burn calories.
Sources
Health Harvard – Abdominal fat and what to do about it
Women’s Health Mag – Best Workout For Your Body Type
Shape – The Best Workout for an Apple-Shaped Body
