A common misconception is that curvy girls are out of shape or don’t like to exercise. Well, curvaceous beauties like Dascha Polanco and Danielle Brooks have been proving naysayers wrong. A curvy girl myself, staying toned with a healthy heart is a top priority. Adidas sportswear and Nike sneakers help me look good while doing it. So, I have combined some of my favorite strength exercises to create the “Curvy Girls Train, Too”work out. This 30-minute routine targets abdominals and glutes to aid in building muscle and toning areas that accentuate those curves we love.
Warm-Up
Complete two sets of four repetitions for each exercise.
1—Lunge and squat jump. This one will make you sweat so drink up! Lunge your right leg forward. Try to get your back knee as close to the ground as possible without letting it touch. Bring your front foot back to meet the other before jumping out to squat and back together. Repeat on the left with another jump squat to complete one repetition.
2—Star jump and reach. Starting in a squatted position, jump up reaching arms and legs outward. After landing, straighten your legs and bend at the waist into a forward fold; reach toward the left foot and then the right.
Ab Blast and Booty Builder Circuit
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, repeating the set four times.
1—Extended leg crunches. Start seated upright on a mat with your arms crossed and knees to your chest. Extend legs outward leaning back slightly. Bring your knees in sitting up into a crunch. To increase intensity, crunch while holding a five pound weight.
2—Leg lower, open-close. Start by lying down with legs straight up in the air. Lift hips upward then lower. Keeping thighs together, lower legs about three inches above the ground; open outward and close. Use a heavy resistance band around your calves to kick up the difficulty.
3—Oblique twists. Start in a plank position with your forearms on the ground. Twist your hips side to side, targeting your obliques.
4—Hip thrusts. Lean back on a fitness ball with both feet flat on the ground. With a 10-pound weight rested on your hips, lower them an inch above the ground. Then, thrust and tighten glutes at the top. This is an awesome booty builder!
5—Kick back and fire hydrant. A twist on the classic fire hydrant. On all fours, extend your leg out and up. Lower and bring that leg in, then out like a pup at a fire hydrant without letting it touch the ground. This combo is great for building hips and getting that under booty crease. Spend 15 seconds on each leg.
6—Squat butt kicks. A high intensity move, this exercise takes you from a wide squat into a double butt kick. Try to complete as many as you can in 30 seconds.
Turn up the volume on your favorite tune and cool down with a two minute jog.
What is your favorite strength exercise? Let me know in the comments below!
