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3 Quick Exercises You Can Do Everyday To Get Trim and Toned In No Time

Image credit: Rex/Shutterstock

Getting in shape doesn’t have to mean hours spent pounding the pavements in the rain or pumping iron in the gym. Research by sports medicine specialists has told us that working out at high intensity for short periods of time has many of the benefits of a long endurance workout, and helps to burn fat. Great news if your pressed for time; you can still get in a workout that torches calories.

But what are the best exercises you can do for a really efficient workout?

“What’s important is that we want to get more bang for our buck,” says Matt Hodges, transformation coach and founder of The MPH Method. “Doing a compound, or multi-joint movement will burn more calories, have a higher metabolic effect than doing an isolation movement (a one-joint movement, such as a squat or a bicep curl.”

Jonny Rees, personal trainer in Mayfair at global training company UpFitness, recommends interval sprinting, if you’re looking for something that doesn’t involve any equipment. “Hill sprinting is excellent. Sprinting also has the added benefit of working the glutes and hamstrings particularly hard too – areas everyone seemingly wants to improve,” he says. “Basically, you want to fire up a lot of muscle tissue to get the greatest systematic (as opposed to localised) response. Rowing is a good second option too.”

Matt recommends:

Forward lunge to rotation

Equipment needed: Weighted ball, dumbbell or kettle bell

Image credit: Rex/Shutterstock

  1. Start with feet shoulder width apart, holding your weight in front of you. Keep your elbows slightly bent and shoulders relaxed

  2. Step forward with your right foot and carefully lower your body so your front leg is at a right angle

  3. At the same time, twist at the waist to turn your upper body 90º the right

  4. Return to the starting position

  5. Repeat on the other side, stepping forward with the left foot and turning your body to the left

Turkish Get Up

Equipment needed: Kettle bell or dumbbell

Image credit: Rex/Shutterstock

  1. Start lying flat on your back, holding your weight in your right arm straight above you at 90º to your body. Bend your right knee so your right foot is flat on the floor. Your left arm and left leg should be lying flat on the floor and angled slightly away from your body

  2. Push up through your body lifting your right arm straight above you and your shoulders and upper left arm off the floor. Your left arm from the elbow down and left leg should still be flat on the floor. Make sure there is a straight line running from the weight along your right arm to your left elbow, and that your right knee doesn’t drop inwards

  3. Push up through your left hand to take the lower left arm off the floor

  4. Keeping your left hand and right foot fat on the floor, sweep your left leg behind you, planting the knee behind and in line with your right foot and in line with your left hand

  5. Push your left hand off the floor, lifting your torso upright

  6. Turn left lower leg slightly so it’s about 45º to your right foot, the tuck the toes of your left foot under and push up to standing. Your left arm should be by your side and right arm straight above you holding the weight

  7. To return to start position, do the same in reverse, keeping your right arm straight above you. Lunge behind you with your left leg and lower your left knee to the ground, then rotate your left foot round so your lower left leg is perpendicular to your right foot

  8. Plant your left hand in line with your left knee, then kick your left leg through and extend it flat on the floor, and lower your left arm

  9. Lower your shoulders so your back is flat on the floor and carefully lower the weight. Repeat on the other side

Jonny recommends:

Thrusters

“Thrusters will work the legs and shoulders, as well as all the trunk and stabilising muscles (your abs and core, basically) very hard, and it will really get the heart rate up too,” says Jonny.

Equipment needed: Pair of dumbbells or a barbel

Image credit: Rex/Shutterstock

  1. Start standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, holding your weight. If you’re using a barbel, you should hold it at shoulder height using an underhand grip. If you’re using dumbbells, hold one in each hand close to your shoulders with your elbows bent.

  2. Bend your knees into a squat, getting your hips down low so your knees at bent beyond the 90º angle

  3. Push back up through your heels to a standing position, and at the same time lift your arms straight above your head

  4. Lower your arms to return to start position

Do you have any other tried and tested speedy workouts? Tweet us at @YahooStyleUK