Skinny Trimmings

Trying to slim down but can’t bear the thought of giving up your daily dish of dulce de leche fro-yo? No problem. Too much deprivation is bad for dieters — trimming more than 500 calories a day can slow down your metabolism and trigger cravings intense enough to sabotage even the most valiant weight-loss efforts, according to Cynthia Sass, R.D., coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. So the only question is: How fast do you want to lose the weight? Whether your goal is to shed a pound a week (the amount you can lose if you cut 500 calories a day) or a pound a month (if you cut 100), we’ve got the tricks and tips you need to kiss those extra pounds goodbye — without kissing off cake.

To Lose 1 Pound Per Week
Dodge dining-out disasters
Even your seemingly healthy grilled swordfish and vegetables can pack more calories and fat than a stick of butter. “Many restaurant meals contain up to 2 ounces of added oil [500 calories],” says Anita Jones, founder of the Healthy Dining Program, which analyzes the nutritional content of restaurant food. Pasta dishes are notorious: Oil is used throughout the cooking process and added to sauces and cooked noodles. Stick with steamed veggies and grilled, poached, or broiled lean protein (like poultry and fish), and ask the chef to prepare your dishes without oil. Or just cook meals at home instead of eating out.

Careful With That Cappuccino
Vanilla shots, caramel, sugar packets — they’re not harmless just because they’re in your cup of joe. A large white-chocolate mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks logs in at 630 calories (the whip alone has 100!). Get your sweet fix with two shots of sugar-free vanilla syrup in a medium cappuccino with soy or fat-free milk and kick 500 empty calories to the curb.

Dress Down
“Most entrée salads at restaurants are pre-dressed with 6 to 10 tablespoons of dressing,” Jones says. “And most dressings have 70 to 100 calories per tablespoon and 7 to 10 grams of fat.” That’s an average of 680 calories just for the dressing (let’s not even get into croutons and bacon bits). Order dressing on the side and dip into it sparingly with your fork between bites — you’ll cut back to about 2 tablespoons (roughly 175 calories).

Lighten Up At Happy Hour
If it tastes sweet or has a salty rim, it’s usually bad news — think cosmos, lemon drops, and appletinis. Most cocktails have 2 to 5 ounces of liquor. Add in 5 ounces of sugary syrups or mixers like cola, grenadine, and Midori and you can down more than 700 calories in just one drink. Stay away from Margaritaville (and below 100 calories) by pairing your liquor with diet or club soda. Or go for a bottle of light beer or a 5-ounce glass of chardonnay, which contain around 125 calories each. Sorry, Jimmy.

To Lose 1 Pound Every 2 Weeks
Cut Out 300 Calories A Day

HERE’S HOW
Be Tricky In The Kitchen
For leaner cuisine — and to save 115 calories — swap out that tablespoon of olive oil for canola or olive oil cooking spray. Sauté vegetables and fish with 1/4 cup of broth rather than 1 tablespoon of butter and trim 100 more. Replace the quarter cup of heavy cream in Alfredo and cheese sauces with the same amount of skim milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour — bam, another 150.

Switch Dishes
The larger the serving dish, the more you’re likely to consume, according to recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Downsize your ice cream bowl and serve that fettuccine on a 9-inch appetizer plate instead of a standard 11-inch dish — you can save up to 300 calories in a day, says Jenna Anding, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University. Dining out? Cut your entreé in half and doggie-bag it as soon as your food arrives.

Skip The Sweet Swill
“One of the easiest ways to uncover hidden calories is to look at your beverage consumption,” Sass says. American women get up to 300 more calories a day now than they did 30 years ago. At least half of those come from sweetened beverages like soda and fruit juice, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A 20-ounce bottle of Arizona Iced Tea has 240 calories — about as much as a small meal. Ditch the sports drinks, fruit punch, and Slurpees and get your produce nutrients from whole fruit instead of juice — a 1-pint carton of Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice has 220 calories. An orange? About 35.

Pare Down Your PMS Picks
Forgo the cup of Ben & Jerry’s for the same amount of low-fat ice cream. Slow-Churned Dreyer’s Grand Light Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough has only 260 calories per cup. The B&J version? 540 calories. Yeah, we know that eating Ben & Jerry’s is as close as any of us is likely to get to paradise on earth. So if you just can’t live without the boys, mix 2 tablespoons into a cup of the skinnier stuff and you’ll still save 250 calories.

To Lose 1 Pound Per Month
Cut Out 100 Calories A Day

HERE’S HOW
Buy Skinnier Bread
The calorie content in different brands can vary as wildly as Anna Nicole’s “before” and “after” shots. For example, Milton’s Healthy Whole Grain packs 90 calories a slice, while Sara Lee Delightful Wheat weighs in at just 45. Switch brands and you cut your sandwich calories by 90. Better yet, wrap your cold cuts in lettuce — a big leaf of romaine has only 10 calories.

Trade Up Your Toppings
Swap the half-cup of guacamole on your burrito for an equal amount of salsa and spare yourself 150 calories. Get the same savings by using salsa in place of the sour cream on your baked potato and the mayo on your wrap. Other tricks of the topping trade: Swap Gorgonzola for grated Parmesan, dip vegetables into hummus instead of ranch dressing, and sprinkle salads with lightly toasted pecans rather than oil-soaked croutons.

Turn Off The Tube
We know Laguna Beach reruns can be just as tempting as tiramisu, but too many hours in front of your plasma screen can wreak havoc on your waistline. Researchers from Georgia State University found that people took in up to 130 more calories on days when they ate in front of the TV than on days when they left the remote alone.

Spritz Up Your Vino
Mix 3 ounces of club soda with 3 ounces of wine and your drink will have about 60 calories. If you usually have two glasses of Shiraz, substituting the bubbly stuff will save you about 120 calories. An added bonus: Research shows that moderate drinking (one drink daily for women) may increase levels of leptin, a natural hormone that curbs the appetite for sweets.

Camouflage Your Candy
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that office workers who kept candy within reach in a clear dish ate three times as much as those who kept it farther away in an opaque container. That’s a 150-calorie difference. If you’ve gotta have a Godiva stash, make sure it’s out of sight and that you have to work (at least a little) to get to it.

Bulk Up
Eating low-cal, fiber-rich foods before a meal — think fruits, vegetables, and broth-based soups — can help reduce your total calorie intake. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that women who ate a 100-calorie salad before their meal consumed 12 percent less — 107 fewer calories — overall (salad included) than those who skipped the leafy appetizer. Make your first course a cup of veggie soup or 2 cups of mixed salad with reduced-fat cheese and fat-free dressing. Now get chopping!

Flip the Fat Switch

According to its publicist, sugar is a health food. After all, it contains zero fat, provides instant energy, and makes almost any food taste better. But these attributes are all trumped by a physiological fact: Sugar makes you fat. That may seem like a given, but by understanding why, you can minimize sugar’s harmful effects and create a leaner, healthier body.

Eating sugar is like flipping a switch that tells your body to store fat. And sugar is everywhere — not just in soda, candy, and desserts. It’s disguised in refined carbohydrates like bread, rice, and pasta, and even in beer and milk. Your body can’t tell the difference — it quickly digests and absorbs all these sugars into your bloodstream as glucose.

This means most men eat the equivalent of a high-sugar diet — even if they’ve sworn off sweets. Case in point: During digestion, one slice of white bread is converted into the same amount of glucose as 4 tablespoons of sugar.

Here’s what happens: Every time you eat sugar, your blood-glucose level rises quickly. In turn, this stimulates the release of insulin, a powerful hormone that signals your body to store fat. There’s also a dose response: The more sugar you down at any one time — resulting in a greater rise in blood glucose and, consequently, in insulin — the longer you stay in fat-storage mode.

Of course, you may not be ready to give up sandwiches, fried rice, and spaghetti. But use the cutting-edge strategies that follow and you can slow the rate at which sugar is absorbed into your bloodstream. The payoff: You’ll diminish the impact any food has on your glucose levels — and on your body’s ability to burn fat. Consider it nutritional damage control. And the benefits extend beyond the physiology of fat metabolism. Research shows that keeping blood-glucose levels in check decreases appetite and reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Fortunately, that’s not just industry marketing hype; it’s a scientific reality.

Skip the granola bar
Ohio State University scientists recently studied the effects of three popular energy bars containing varying amounts of carbohydrates — low, moderate, and high — on blood glucose in 20 people. Compared with the effects of white bread, blood-glucose levels were 71 percent lower after an Atkins Advantage Bar, 50 percent lower after a Balance Bar, and just 4 percent lower after a PowerBar. If you want a convenient snack, avoid most breakfast, cereal, and “performance” bars — they’re full of sugar. Instead, choose a product like Atkins Advantage, which contains just 21 grams (g) of carbohydrates.

Douse your salad with vinaigrette
In a 2005 study, Swedish researchers observed that when people consumed 2 tablespoons of vinegar with three slices of white bread, their blood glucose was 23 percent lower than when they ate white bread only; they also felt more full. Credit acetic acid, a primary component of vinegar, dressings, and pickled products. The advice: Order extra pickles on sandwiches and begin any high-carbohydrate meal with a side salad that’s mixed with a vinegar-based dressing, such as balsamic vinaigrette or Italian. Or make your own vinegar-and-oil dressing by slowly whisking 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a bowl containing 2 tablespoons of red or white vinegar.

Pop a fiber pill
Researchers in Taiwan found that taking 1.2 g glucomannan — a soluble fiber made from the Japanese konjac root — 30 minutes before eating white toast led to a 28 percent reduction in blood glucose 2 hours afterward, compared with having none of the fiber supplement. Better yet, when people took that same amount of glucomannan before each meal three times a day, they reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol by 21 percent in just 4 weeks. Look for Nature’s Way glucomannan: One serving contains 2 g of the fiber, a safe and effective amount to take 15 to 30 minutes before any meal ($15; vitacost.com).

Eat java-friendly foods
Canadian researchers discovered that men who downed the caffeine equivalent of 1 to 2 cups of coffee an hour before a high-sugar meal experienced 16 percent higher levels of blood glucose afterward, compared with when they consumed a caffeine-free placebo. An important point: When it’s not paired with sugar, caffeine increases the rate at which your body burns fat. So, whenever possible, drink the coffee but skip the doughnut, muffin, or bagel. Opt for breakfast foods like eggs and fruit instead; they have little or no effect on blood glucose.

Add some metal to your diet
In a recent study, Swiss scientists gave men a single 400 microgram (mcg) dose of chromium picolinate before a high-carbohydrate meal. Subsequently, the men’s blood-glucose levels were 23 percent lower than when they ate the same meal without the supplement. Try it yourself, but make sure the mineral name includes “picolinate”; the compound is the form of chromium that your body can most readily use. Our choice: GNC Chromium Picolinate 400 ($7 for 90 tablets; available at drugstore.com). Don’t double your dose; the researchers found that 800 mcg was no more effective than 400.

Pump iron first thing in the morning
Scientists at Syracuse University recently found that a single weight-training session reduces the effect of a high-sugar meal on blood glucose by 15 percent for more than 12 hours after a workout. The likely reason: Exercise drains your muscles’ fuel reserves — stored glucose known as glycogen. To ensure that you have plenty of energy for your next workout, your body immediately shuttles any available glucose to your muscles, where it’s packed away for future use — helping to reduce blood-glucose levels. So until glycogen levels are replenished, which can take several hours, high-sugar foods aren’t as detrimental. Because aerobic exercise calls on glycogen, too, you can expect a similar effect from your cardio session.

Try a natural supplement
When University of Scranton researchers gave study participants 1,500 milligrams of Phaseolus vulgaris extract (derived from white kidney beans) before a high-sugar meal, the test subjects’ blood-glucose levels were 57 percent lower 2 hours later, compared with when they consumed a placebo. The mechanism? Phaseolus vulgaris inhibits the enzyme that breaks down starchy carbohydrates — any type of grain or potato — in your gut. The product tested in the study was Phase 2 Starch Blocker; look for it online at cvs.com ($25 for 120 capsules).

Goodbye Belly Fat!

The Hidden Benefits of Flatter Abs
Toned abs do more than just look fabulous in body-skimming clothes. A drum-tight midsection protects your back from injury and pain, helps you maintain proper posture (which slims your silhouette even more), and lets you effortlessly perform daily activities, such as hoisting mulch for the garden. “Your trunk muscles form the core through which all forces are transferred, whether that’s absorbing the ground’s impact while walking or jogging, gathering power to throw a ball or swing a racket, or resisting gravity, so you can stand tall,” says Prevention fitness advisor Wayne L. Westcott, PhD. Stronger core muscles also rev up your metabolism, so you lose fat faster. That’s important, because the fat that hides those sexy ab muscles, especially if it squeezes around your internal organs rather than hangs off your hips, is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, and other health problems. So there are big health benefits to belly flattening too.

To come up with the very best tummy toning moves, researchers at San Diego State University asked 31 people, both occasional and daily exercisers ages 20 to 45, to perform 13 exercises that target the mid-section while the researchers measured the work of the abdominals (the rectus abdominus, which runs the length of your torso and is the “workhorse” of the group, and the obliques, or side-lying muscles that rotate your body and stabilize the pelvis). They then compared how each exercise stacked up against the traditional crunch.

The two top-ranking exercises, the bicycle maneuver and the captain’s chair, were up to two-and-a-half times more effective at working the obliques and at least 50 percent better at strengthening the rectus abdominus compared with the traditional crunch. Other winning moves included the long arm crunch and the crunch on an exercise ball (also known as a Swiss ball). Unlike many ab exercises, these two crunches isolate the ab muscles specifically, rather than relying on the hip flexors on the front of the hip to help out with the move, says lead researcher Peter Francis, PhD, director of the biomechanics lab at San Diego State University. Crunches on an exercise ball also force your abs to work overtime just to stabilize you atop the ball and enable you to train in a greater, more natural range of motion. Based on these findings, we picked the top six exercises for our belly flattening plan, arranging them in three programs from beginner to advanced.

Prevention’s Best Belly-Flattening Plan
Here they are, the best abdominal exercises science has to offer. Pick one of our three customized programs to suit your experience. To keep your back strong and in balance with the front and side torso muscles, we’ve also included a back extension exercise. And since some of the exercises require hip motion, we’ve added a hip stretch, so your hip flexors don’t become tight. Perform 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise (when just starting out, it’s okay to do only as many as you can, even if it’s just four or five); this equals 1 set. For every exercise, move slowly: 2 or 3 seconds up, hold 1 second, and 2 or 3 seconds down. You can expect to feel or see results in as little as 2 weeks.

Beginner (if you’re just starting out): Once you’ve mastered the basic crunch, you’re ready for the Beginner Belly Flattening program. Do one set, three times a week.

Long Arm Crunch

Vertical Leg Crunch

Reverse Crunch

Back Extension

Experienced (for regular exercisers): Do one set five times a week.

Bicycle Maneuver

Captain’s Chair

Crunch on an Exercise Ball

Back Extension

Hip Flexor Stretch

Advanced (for crunch junkies): Do one set five times a week.

Bicycle Maneuver

Captain’s Chair

Reverse Crunch

Crunch on an Exercise Ball

Vertical Leg Crunch

Long Arm Crunch

Back Extension

Hip Flexor Stretch

Unlike strength training other muscles, which requires a day’s rest to recover, your abdominal muscles don’t fatigue as easily, so it’s okay to work them every day, says Dr. Francis.

If you experience back pain at any point, stop immediately, try another exercise, and consult your doctor. Remember: For the best all-around health benefits, include these exercises as part of a well-rounded strength training routine that includes muscle-toning, bone-building upper and lower body exercises.

Bicycle Maneuver

Lie with your lower back pressed into the floor and your hands clasped lightly behind your head. Bend your knees to about a 45-degree angle from the floor. Simultaneously, lift your shoulders off the floor, and bring your left knee to your right elbow, while straightening your right leg. Then using a bicycle-pedaling motion, straighten your left knee, while bringing the right knee in toward the left elbow. Extend your legs out only as far as is comfortable without arching your back. Continue alternating, keeping the movement slow and controlled.

Captain’s Chair

At the gym: Using a captain’s chair, stabilize your upper body by gripping the handholds and lightly pressing your lower back against the back pad. Start by holding your body up and letting your legs dangle below. Tilt your pelvis forward, and slowly bring your knees toward your chest. Lower your legs only until they form a 90-degree angle with the floor, before lifting them again. Keep the motion of raising and lowering your legs very controlled.

At-home version: Sit up straight in a firm, armless chair. Grab the chair’s edges just in front of your hips. While supporting yourself with your hands, slowly draw your knees up toward your chest, keeping your lower back pressed against the chair. Hold, then slowly lower. (To make this move more challenging, start by using your arms to hold yourself suspended in the air.)

Reverse Crunch
Lie on the floor with your arms at your sides, feet off the floor, and hips and knees bent at 90-degree angles. Slowly contract your abs, and press your back into the floor, tilting your pelvis and lifting your hips 2 to 4 inches off the floor. Keep your upper body relaxed. Hold, then slowly lower.

Crunch on an Exercise Ball

Lie back on an exercise ball so that the ball is supporting your lower back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands loosely behind your head. Slowly raise your shoulders to no more than 45 degrees up from horizontal. Hold, then slowly lower. For better balance, spread your feet wider. To make the exercise more challenging, move your feet closer together.

If you do invest in a piece of equipment, choose the highly rated exercise ball, recommends the American Council on Exercise in San Diego. Inflatable exercise balls are available in most major sporting goods stores and cost around $30.

Vertical Leg Crunch

Lie on your back, and extend your legs straight up in the air, feet crossed at the ankles, with a slight bend in the knees. Place your hands loosely behind your head. Contract your abdominals, and slowly raise your head, shoulders, and upper back about 30 degrees off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Keep your legs still. (This move can also be done with your lower legs resting on a chair or bed.)

Long Arm Crunch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms overhead. Slowly raise your arms, head, shoulders, and upper back about 30 degrees off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Keep your arms straight, by your ears, and in line with your head. Do not throw them forward to help you.

Back Extension

(If you have lower-back pain, consult your doctor before doing this exercise.) Lie on your belly, keeping your hips and pelvis flat. With your hands under your chin, contract your lower back muscles, and lift your chest about 30 degrees, or 3 to 5 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. (For an easier version, rest your arms by your sides, palms facing up. For a more challenging version, extend your arms straight overhead.)

Hip Flexor Stretch

Stand with your feet a few inches apart, then move one leg about 1 to 2 feet forward. Bend your knees, making sure your front knee is directly over the ankle, and your back heel is off the floor. Hold in your belly, and tuck your butt by tilting your pelvis. You should feel the stretch at the front of your hips. Hold for 15 to 60 seconds, then switch legs.

Make Every Crunch Count
There’s nothing wrong with the traditional crunch. In fact, mastering proper technique with this basic exercise is one of the most effective things you can do to strengthen your abdominals, since so many exercises are based on this single move. Go slow, focus on using just your abdominal muscles, don’t pull on your neck or tuck your chin, and lift only until your shoulder blades clear the floor. According to Prevention advisor Wayne L. Westcott, PhD, the following two steps are often neglected, but are crucial to fully activate the abdominal muscles. On every repetition you must do the following:

Press your lower back firmly into the floor.

Pause at the top position.

Diet and Exercise: Still Key
We’re not going to kid you: You still need to do your share by eating a sensible diet and doing regular aerobic activity. Otherwise, no amount of crunches will help you trim the layer of fat that may be hiding the fabulous abdominal muscles you’ll be building with this program. And although you can’t “spot train” one area (you burn fat all over your body), any aerobic exercise that involves rotating your torso, pulling, or swinging offers the double punch of blasting calories as it works your waist muscles. Try one of these:

Swimming

Cross-country skiing

Singles tennis

Racquetball

Kickboxing

For best results, do the aerobic activity of your choice for 45 to 60 minutes, at least 5 days a week.

8 Minutes in the Morning

Here is the perfect weight loss plan if you’re short on time. My “8 Minutes in the Morning” program minimizes your time spent exercising while maximizing your energy and results. Losing weight does not take a lot of time and isn’t hard when you use effective and proven techniques.

This plan is the result of my coaching more than 3 million people online. I created it, based on their feedback and success stories, specifically for people who are time deprived but want rapid results. If you don’t want to spend hours in the gym but want to look as if you do, this program is for you.

Rise and Exercise
When I suggest to people that they get up 8 minutes earlier in the morning to exercise, I sometimes get, “Oh, I’m not a morning person. As soon as the alarm goes off, I’ll hit the snooze button.” If you keep thinking that way, yes, that’s what you’ll do.

I truly believe that there’s no such thing as not being a morning person; that’s all in your head. I used to stay up late at night because I thought of myself as a night owl. I would read, watch television, listen to music, and talk to friends on the phone. So when I first started exercising in the morning, I had a really tough time doing it consistently. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning when you just crawled into bed a few hours before.

Here are two great reasons to change your sleeping habits:

A commitment to consistency.
Morning is the only time of day that most people have free. Later in the day, distractions will come up. You may plan to do your exercises during a lunch break, but a friend asks you to lunch, and you think, “Okay, I’ll do them after work.” But, after work, your 10-year-old asks for help with his homework. Then your husband wants to snuggle on the couch. According to research, morning exercisers have a better stick-with-it rate. When you commit to exercising in the morning, you bypass excuses.

That feel-good feeling.
Exercising sends a signal to your pituitary gland to release endorphins, your body’s natural feel-good drug. The more endorphins you have in your bloodstream, the better you feel. When you exercise in the morning, you will feel and handle yourself better no matter what happens in your day, whether it’s getting stuck in a traffic jam, dealing with an annoying coworker, or tending to a sick child.

Build Muscle to Lose Fat and Feel Younger
An important factor that determines how much fat you burn throughout the day is the amount of lean muscle tissue in your body. The more lean muscle tissue you have, the more efficiently your body burns fat.

Normally when you lose weight, you lose 75% of it as fat and 25% of it as muscle. But when you do strength training, you lose nearly all fat and no muscle. Lean tissue derives 75 to 95% of its energy from body fat, so for every new pound of muscle you build, you incinerate about 30 additional calories per day. The more lean tissue you have, the more body fat you will shed—even at night, while you sleep.

For example, if two women weigh the same amount but one has 5 lb more muscle, she will burn an extra 150 calories a day.
You’ll feel younger too, because strength training turns back the aging clock. Strength training also encourages you to exercise more throughout the day. Once your muscles become stronger—usually by week 2 or 3—you will find yourself suddenly doing things you never thought possible. You’ll take a walk instead of sitting in front of the TV, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and take quick walking breaks instead of sitting at your desk all day. All of this will accelerate your results.

What about Aerobics?
Although aerobic exercise is essential for strengthening your heart and lungs, alone, it is not the most effective way to get lean. And aerobic exercise may be uncomfortable if you are very overweight.

If you focus only on aerobics, your overall body shape will stay the same, even if you burn fat. For example, if you are pear shaped, you will just look like a smaller pear if you do only aerobic exercise. And your body will still be flabby.

But the exercises in the “8 Minutes in the Morning Workout” will help you improve your body shape and burn fat. You will tone your shoulders so that your waist looks narrower. Your arms will be smaller as well as firmer. Your abdominal muscles will not only be leaner but also stronger, and they’ll provide better support for your torso.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t do any aerobics. Prevention recommends that you do about 30 minutes of aerobics a day to keep your heart and lungs strong. Plus, it helps to reduce your stress level.

The Workout
Start your workout with a short warmup to increase the temperature of your body and your joints. When you warm up, the joints move more smoothly, and you avoid injury. Save your stretching until after the workout. Stretching while you are still cold can lead to muscle pulls and injuries.

Do one set of 12 repetitions from exercise A, then immediately do one set of 12 reps from exercise B. Switch back to exercise A, and continue the cycle for a total of four sets. If you can do an exercise more than 12 times, the weight is too light. If you can’t reach 12 repetitions, the weight is too heavy.

The best way to cool down from your workout is with a quick full-body stretching routine. This will increase your range of motion so that you stay flexible and avoid injuries.

Day 1

Chest

Dumbbell Press
Lie on a mat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You may place one or more pillows under your back and head for support. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bring your elbows in line with your shoulders, making a right angle between your upper arm and your side. Exhale as you slowly extend your arms and press the dumbbells toward the ceiling. Keep your elbows loose. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you return to the starting point.

Back

Two-Arm Row
Sit in a chair, and grasp a dumbbell in each hand. You may put a pillow on your lap for support. Lean forward, and extend your arms straight down, being sure to keep your elbows loose. Exhale as you slowly bring your elbows toward the ceiling. Once the dumbbells reach the top of your thighs, hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells.

Day 2

Shoulders

Lateral Raise
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your back straight, and your abs tight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your arms straight and your elbows loose. Exhale as you slowly lift the dumbbells out to the side until they are slightly above shoulder level and your palms are facing the floor. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you lower your arms.

Abdominals

Crunch
Lie on a mat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Make a fist with your right hand, and place it between your chin and collarbone. With your left hand, grasp your right wrist. This will prevent you from leading with your head and straining your neck. Without moving your lower body, exhale, and slowly curl your upper torso until your shoulder blades are off the floor. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly lower yourself.

Day 3

Triceps (back of arms)

Lying Kickback
Lie on a mat on your back with a dumbbell in each hand by your ears and the dumbbells pointing toward the ceiling. Straighten your arms, but keep your elbows loose. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you return to the starting point.

Biceps (front of arms)

Standing Curl
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your arms extended. Exhale as you simultaneously curl both arms to just past 90 degrees, bringing your palms toward your biceps. Keep your elbows close to your sides, and concentrate on moving only from your elbow joints, not from your shoulders. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you lower.

Day 4

Hamstrings (back of thighs)

Leg Lift
Lie with your back on the floor and your heels on the seat of a chair. Exhale as you slowly contract the back of your upper thighs to push your butt toward the ceiling. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly lower your butt.

Quadriceps

Squat
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight and your abs tight, exhale as you slowly squat down to about 90 degrees. Don’t let your knees extend past your toes. Make sure to push your butt out as if you were sitting in a chair. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly return to the starting position.

Day 5

Calves

Standing Raise
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your arms extended but not locked. Keep your chest out, your shoulder blades rolled back and down, and your abs tight. Exhale as you slowly lift your heels and rise onto your toes. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly lower.

Butt

Kick-up
Kneel on all fours with your knees hip-width apart, your hands slightly wider apart than your shoulders, and your fingers pointing forward. Raise your right leg until your thigh is in line with your torso. Exhale as you slowly push your foot toward the ceiling. Once you’ve reached your maximum contraction, hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly lower your leg until it is once again in line with your torso. Do one set with your right leg, then switch sides.

Day 6

Inner Thigh

Inner-Thigh Leg Raise
Lie on your left side with your left elbow and forearm supporting your upper body and your left leg extended. Bend your right knee, and place your right foot behind your left leg for balance. Keeping your left leg straight, exhale as you slowly lift your left foot as high as you can. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you lower your foot back to the starting position. Do one set with your left leg, then switch sides.

Outer Thigh

Doggie
Kneel on all fours with your knees hip-width apart, your hands slightly wider apart than your shoulders, and your fingers pointing forward. Keep your back straight and your head up. Keeping your leg bent at a 90-degree angle, exhale as you raise your right leg out to the side. Hold for 1 second. Inhale as you slowly lower your leg back to the starting point. Do one set with your right leg, then switch sides.

A Six-Pack By Summer

Piston Bent-Over Row
Holding dumbbells, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward until your torso is almost parallel to the floor and your arms hang straight down, palms facing each other. Pull the weights to the sides of your chest. This is the starting position. Keeping your right arm as still as possible, lower the weight in your left hand until your arm is straight. Lift the dumbbell back up to the side of your chest, then lower your right hand. Continue alternating.

The plan: Complete eight repetitions with each arm. Perform three sets in weeks 1 and 2; do the move as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4.

Turkish Getup
Lie on your back with your legs straight. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your arm straight above you. Keeping your elbow locked and the weight above you at all times, stand up. (Move your legs and left arm underneath you to push yourself up.) Still keeping your right arm straight and the weight above you, reverse the motion to return to the starting position.

The plan: Complete eight repetitions on each side. Perform three sets in weeks 1 and 2; do the move as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4.

Workout B
Pushup/Pullup Ladder
Stand next to a pullup bar and get into pushup position. Do two pushups, then stand up and grasp the bar with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up until the bar is at shoulder height, then lower yourself.
The plan: Add two pushups and one pullup each time you repeat the pair. So you’ll start by doing two pushups and one pullup. Next, you’ll do four and two, then six and three, and so on. Stop when you can do 10 pushups and five pullups or when you reach technical failure — that is, when your form falters or you can no longer control the speed of your repetitions. Perform three ladders in weeks 1 and 2; do the ladder as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4.

Dumbbell Jump Squat to Squat Thrust
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Lower your body about 6 inches, then jump as high as you can. Land softly on the balls of your feet and immediately sink into a squat, lowering your body until you touch the dumbbells to the floor. Kick your legs out behind you so you’re in pushup position, with your hands on top of the dumbbells.

Traveling Deadlift
Stand with a light barbell on the floor in front of you, your feet shoulder-width apart and the bar directly over your toes. Bend your knees and grasp the bar with an overhand grip with your hands just outside your knees. Keeping your head and back straight and the bar close to your body, stand up. Next, step forward with your left foot and then with your right so your feet come together. Lower the bar to the floor and repeat the move, this time stepping forward with your right foot.

The plan: Do eight to 10 repetitions. Perform three sets in weeks 1 and 2; do the move as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4.

Medicine-Ball Bicycle Maneuver
Lie on your back holding a medicine ball in front of your chest, elbows flared out to the sides. Bend your knees 90 degrees and raise your legs so your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Next, curl your torso up so your upper body is at a 45-degree angle. This is the starting position. Bring your left knee toward your chest as you straighten your right leg, and simultaneously twist your upper body to the left until your right elbow meets your left knee. Reverse the move, drawing your right knee to your left elbow.

The plan: Do 10 repetitions on each side. Perform three sets in weeks 1 and 2; do the move as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4.

The Payoff
Faster Fat Loss
The traveling deadlift and Turkish getup, featured here, force your body to engage more muscles than typical bodybuilding exercises do. And that means you’ll burn more calories than ever before.

Greater Stamina
The fast pace of this routine not only melts fat, but also improves your overall endurance. So, as you progress, you’ll be able to go harder and longer in each subsequent workout. The end result: You’ll get leaner faster.

Extra Muscle
Because this plan incorporates power exercises — such as the hang clean and jump squat — it targets your fast-twitch muscle fibers. And since these fibers have the greatest potential for size and strength, that leads to bigger, stronger muscles.

Reverse the motion, bringing your legs forward so your feet are under your shoulders, then pushing back up to a standing position. That’s one repetition.

The plan: Do eight repetitions. Perform three sets in weeks 1 and 2; do the move as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4

Your Goal: A Chiseled Body
Your Time: 24 Minutes
Some beliefs are painfully slow to perish, like the one that declares intense aerobic exercise is the best method for burning fat. “This misconception could be what’s keeping you from a lean physique,” says Michael Mejia, M.S., C.S.C.S., a Men’s Health exercise advisor. The reason is simple: “Most men invest their energy in exercise that boosts their caloric expenditure only while they’re working out,” says Mejia. For example, a 45-minute spin on a stationary bike or a moderate jog through a park. Resistance training, on the other hand, elevates your metabolism for up to 48 hours afterward. So it pays fat-loss dividends long after your workout ends. And, turns out, lifting weights is highly underrated for burning calories during your session, too. A recent study from the University of Southern Maine found that an intense weight-training session burns as many as 71 percent more calories than previously thought — putting it on par with aerobic exercise.

Mejia’s workout plan creates an enormous metabolic demand on your body by blending explosive exercises and combination lifts in a fast-paced circuit. Alternate between Workout A and Workout B, performing three workouts a week and resting a day between sessions. In the first 2 weeks, do three sets of each exercise, resting 60 seconds between sets. In weeks 3 and 4, perform each routine as a circuit. That is, do one set of each exercise without resting between moves, then rest 90 seconds between circuits. Complete a total of three circuits.

Workout A
Hang Clean to Front Squat to Push Press

Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and dip your knees, as if you were about to jump. Quickly reverse the motion and shrug your shoulders as you pull the bar straight up and rise onto your toes. As the bar approaches chest height, bend your knees and swing your elbows forward to “catch” the bar in the crooks of your fingers. Now lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Dumbbell Double Wood Chop
Hold a light dumbbell with a hand-over-hand grip, your arms extended above your right shoulder. Keeping your arms straight but not locked, bend at the knees and forcefully rotate your torso to the left as you draw your arms down and across your body. When your hands reach the outside of your left ankle, pause, then quickly reverse the movement with the same intensity, pausing at the top. That’s one repetition. Do eight, then hold the weight over your left shoulder and repeat the move, this time chopping to your right.

The plan: Complete eight repetitions on each side. Perform three sets in weeks 1 and 2; do the move as part of a circuit in weeks 3 and 4.

Track Your Progress
Record your time or distance below. Then follow the following plan and retest yourself every 2 weeks. Go to MensHealth.com/poster to compare your improvement with that of other Men’s Health readers.

START

[MAXIMUM TIME OR DISTANCE]

WEEK 2

[MAXIMUM TIME OR DISTANCE]

FINISH

[MAXIMUM TIME OR DISTANCE]

Benchmark of Success
How Do You Measure Up?
Most men judge weight-loss success by their waistlines. And that’s fine, but it doesn’t measure your ability to burn fat. In this test, you’ll sprint as fast and as far as you can. The farther you can run at your fastest pace, the better prepared your body is to last through high-intensity fat-burning workouts like this one.

Lace up your running shoes and head to an open stretch of road or track. After a 2- to 3-minute warmup jog, sprint at your top speed for as long as possible. Stop as soon as you feel yourself slowing down and record either your time or your distance — whichever is more convenient.