Get ready to whip off your cover-up: This workout, created exclusively for Women's Health by Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Newhall, California, combines fat-burning cardio with moves that target your entire core rather than individual muscles, so you'll burn more fat while toning up.
Directions
Do these workout moves three nonconsecutive days a week. Start with the Basic Workout (moves 1-4 at right) to prime your muscles. After three weeks, you'll be ready to graduate to the Advanced Workout (moves 5-8). For maximum fat burning, perform the exercises as a circuit: Do one set of each move in the order shown, resting for 30 seconds between exercises. Then rest for a minute and repeat the circuit from the beginning.
Melt Your Middle
Follow this interval-training program three times a week after your
core workout. It'll fire up your metabolism and burn off the fat that's hiding your abs. Intervals are short bursts of maximum-intensity effort—you're doing it right if you can't carry on a conversation—separated by periods of easy-pace recovery. In an Australian study, women who cranked out high-intensity interval training three days a week for 15 weeks dropped significantly more weight than those who exercised for the same period of time at a lower intensity.
For this interval workout, remember to include an easy 3- to 5-minute warmup and cooldown. You can run, bike, or use the cardio machine of your choice.
| |
Max Effort |
Easy Pace |
Reps |
| Week 1 |
1 minute |
2 minutes |
5 |
| Week 2 |
1 minute |
90 seconds |
6 |
| Week 3 |
1 minute |
1 minute |
8 |
| Week 4 |
1 minute |
1 minute |
10 |
| Week 5 |
75 seconds |
1 minute |
10 |
| Week 6 |
90 seconds |
1 minute |
10 |
This workout was designed by fitness expert and WH advisor
Rachel Cosgrove, author of the new book
The Female Body Breakthrough.
