The Best Workout Tips: 5 Easy Ways to Get Toned in LessTime

You know the basics: Do resistance training on alternate days, include core exercises inhttp://www.escapefromobesity.net/2010/08/how-to-lose-weight.html your routine, and stretch onlyafter you're warmed up. But once you've met your original goals, it's time to raise the bar. Gettingfaster, stronger, and more flexible takes more than just doing more of the same. Here's howtweaking your approach can bring your results to the next level.

Speed

Traditional methods of boosting speed include sprints and intervals, during which you alternate fastruns with slower "rest" periods. But another way to really shave off time is by adding plyometrics toyour workout, says Tom Holland, certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of Beatthe Gym. Also known as "jump training," plyometrics involve explosive movements that requiremuscles to lengthen and then immediately contract, much like a spring. "Plyometrics improvesrunning economy, which means you expend less energy with each stride," says Holland. The rapid-fire movements train you to accelerate quicker, increasing overall speed and efficiency. A simpleway to incorporate plyometrics into your workout is with jump squats.

How to do it: Stand with feet hip-width apart and hands clasped behind your head. Keeping yourweight on your heels, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause in the squat, thenjump up as high as possible, absorbing the impact of the landing by pushing your hips back andbending your knees before immediately jumping up again. Do two or three sets of 15 reps.

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Endurance

Being able to finish a 10k or just make it through your entire cycling class largely depends uponyour core strength, says Holland. "Your core is involved in the transfer of energy to your arms andlegs. So in the later stages of an event or workout, that energy transfer will be thrown off if yourcore is weak." In addition to the traditional plank, try this challenging CrossFit-inspired move calledThe Hollow Rock.

How to do it: Lie on your back with your arms extended overhead by your ears. Engage your coreand begin rocking your entire body by lifting your feet and legs up and then raising your upper bodyand arms while lowering your legs. Your body should move like a rocking chair and your abs shouldfeel challenged throughout the movement. Start with 20 to 30 seconds and work up to two minutes.

Muscle Definition

It's frustrating when you train hard and still don't see the muscle tone and definition you want. Fine-tuning your diet can help by increasing lean tissue and decreasing body fat. Even if you have arelatively healthy diet already, cleaning it up a bit more can help reveal the underlying muscleyou've built, says Amy Goodson, R.D., board certified specialist in sport dietetics and co-author ofSwim, Bike, Run--Eat. "The cleaner you eat, the leaner you will be."

How to do it: For a sculpted look, focus on eating protein at each meal and snack and decreasing saltand sugar. Lean protein (fish, low-fat dairy, eggs, and lean meat) helps you repair and build muscleafter workouts and feel full faster, keeping calories in check. Salt and sugar, on the other hand, cancause bloating, hiding those hard-earned muscles. If you sweat a lot during a long event, such as amarathon, replace your electrolytes during and after your team beachbody workout and cut back onsalt later in the day, suggests Goodson.

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Flexibility

Traditional stretching will help you get more limber. But you can take it to the next level bytargeting tight spots with a foam roller or massage ball. This releases the fascia, connective tissuethat supports the muscle (think of the white covering on a chicken breast), loosening tight areas andallowing for greater flexibility. A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showedthat foam rolling unravels trigger points (tiny knots that develop in overworked muscles), relievingmuscle spasms and allowing for better circulation, according to author David Behm, Ph.D. Usedafter a workout, the roller can also ease muscle soreness.

How to do it: Lie on a massage ball or foam roller and apply pressure until you find a trigger point (aknot or tight area), says Ashley Turner, star of the Element: Stretch, Release & Restore Yoga KitDVD. Hold at the trigger point for 20 to 60 seconds or until you feel it release. "Be sure to pinpointareas above and below the site of specific aches and pains, as often pain in one spot is an indicatorof tension somewhere else in the body," says Turner.

Strength

The general rule for strength gains is the same regardless of the muscle group you target: You mustuse enough weight or resistance to overload the muscle beyond its usual limits. (You can also add anextra day of resistance training to your weekly routine and/or increase the number of sets you dowithin each workout.) Aside from upgrading to heavier weights, you can increase the intensity ofyour usual body-weight moves with specific tweaks, such as raising a leg during planks or standingpower 90 exercises like bicep curls. Irv Rubenstein, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist in Nashville, TN,recommends the following technique to amp up one of the best all-around exercises, the pushup.

How to do it: Try a super-slow pushup: On your knees or toes, instead of pumping out reps, timeyourself to make each rep last a full 30 seconds. Take 15 seconds to lower yourself and 15 secondsto push back up. "It will bring a quiver to your body and make your core work hard to hold properform," says Rubenstein. Do this at the beginning of your upper body routine.

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