Who doesn’t want a lean body at just about any stage of life? If you’re looking for a solid plan to make this your end game, then strength training is an absolute must for your exercise routine. Want a slim, toned body for good? Adopt this machine workout ASAP. Building lean muscle mass to help keep your metabolism high and burn more calories at rest is your new mission, and you can totally do it.
The reason it’s crucial to prioritize strength training over cardio is that muscle is what will give you the toning that you desire. Aerobic exercise alone won’t do that for you.
When choosing strength training exercises, you’ll want to use mostly compound movements, since they recruit more muscle fibers and help you burn more fat. You should target your legs, chest, and back using a wide variety of fitness equipment.
Although free weights are great, you should also be using machines in your workouts as well. They can help challenge your body in different ways compared to free weights, forcing the muscles to work through a different type of tension. They’re also great for maintaining the stress on the target muscles and can help beginners learn proper movement patterns.
Here’s a machine-based workout that will help you achieve a slim, toned body for good. Get ready to sizzle!
Start your leg presses by positioning yourself on the leg press sled with your feet outside shoulder-width and pointed slightly outward. Press the weight up, then pull the switches to unlock the machine. Lower the weight using control, then drive through your heels, flexing your quads and glutes to finish the motion. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps.
This exercise starts by sitting down and pressing your chest against the pad. Grab both of the handles, and lead with your elbows while pulling the weight toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades, and flexing your lats at the end. Straighten your arms until you get a full stretch in your upper back before performing another rep—complete three to four sets of 10 reps.
Next on the checklist is the machine chest press. To begin, sit back into your machine with both arms on the handles. Keep your core tight, and press the weight forward until your arms are fully extended. Flex your chest and triceps to finish, then lower the weight back under control to the starting position before performing another rep. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps.
To set up for this exercise, lie down on the leg curl machine with your chest and hips pressed against the pad. Start by dragging your heels toward your body, and flexing your hamstrings. Lower the weight using control, maintaining tension in your hamstrings until your legs are completely extended. Perform three to four sets of 10 reps.
Begin this final movement by sitting down on the pec deck machine and grabbing the handles. Keeping your arms slightly bent, pull them back toward you, flexing the back of your shoulders at the end of the movement. Return to the starting position before performing another rep. Complete three to four sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Tim Liu, C.S.C.S.
