Know your body shape to maximize your work out

Posted under female workout

Not everybody is thrilled of their body type or shape that they are born with. The good news is that you can make most of what has been given to you. Genetics, exercise routine, diet and your body shape all influence how physically fit you are. Here are tips on how to determine your body type and shape and how to sculpt it with our recommended exercises.

You may belong to any of the six body types namely the hourglass or 8 frame, A frame, H frame, V frame, ruler frame and oval/apple frame. Every body frame carries weight differently consequently will pose different exercise challenges to the individual.

8 frame
The 8 frame is known to be the perfect body shape. It is also called the hourglass figure. For those lucky enough to be born with this body shape, your job is made easy. Women with a figure of hourglass have naturally proportionate shape blessed with chest and hips of the same size complemented with a waist ten inches smaller. If you belong to this body type, you can perform any type of cardiovascular exercises allowing you to very your work out to avoid burn out and boredom from the same routine. Combine your work out sessions with a regimen of resistance training at least twice a week. Work all your muscles of the body between two days. Allowing your muscles to rest in between days you work out will effectively allow your muscles to repair themselves thus making them stronger and firmer.

Exercises for the 8 frame/hourglass frame
With an hourglass figure, you should be focusing on both cardio and resistance exercises. Cardio aids in keeping your weight in check and improves your stamina. Resistance training involves weight training to help maintain the firmness and balance between your upper and lower body. Vary you repetitions and keep your resistance weights light. Gradually increasing weights will cause your muscle to build more mass.

You can try these great exercises such as slow jogging, stationary biking (with light resistance), jumping jacks, and swimming and resistance exercises like bicep curls, shoulder press and squats.

A-body frame
It is another story for women who have an A body frame. This body type is thinner on the upper body and the rest of the weight in the hips, thighs and butt. Women of this body type should avoid doing cardio exercises meant to increase the muscle size of the lower body, Thus, the stair climber is not recommended unless you plan to increase the spoon like figure proportions. Better stick with the elliptical or the treadmill minus the incline. Resistance training should target the upper body to balance the body shape. Your lower body will appear smaller when you upper body muscles are bigger.

If you have an A body frame, you may want to focus on exercises that will balance the top half of your body with the bottom half of your body. Another goal you may consider is to trim down your lower half by focusing on aerobic activities targeting your lower body. Keep in mind to use light weights of higher repetitions of exercises. Try walking, cycling with low resistance, elliptical training, jumping rope, leg lifts and dips, push ups, chin ups and shoulder press.

Training Tip:
Cardio - 3 times per week (30 min) of low intensity exercise
Weights- 3 times per week working the whole body and combining light and heavy weights

H frame body shape
When you see yourself with a larger waist and shoulder on the mirror, you have a H-frame body shape. The goal of H-body frame is to minimize the waist. Cardio exercises you can try are treadmill with an incline and the stepper. Keep resistance training done on the lower body. Squat and leg presses are great resistance exercises for the H body shape.

Exercises for the H-body frame
Cardio exercises should be concentrated to trim the upper body therefore to bring out the symmetry. Treadmill on an incline and the stepper are cardio tactics you can include. Proper lower body training is a must to balance the body shape of having wide shoulders. Try doing squats, leg press and stiff dead lifts composing a bulk of your training. You can use extensions and lunges as finishers.

V-frame body
The V frame body also called the “cone shape” for having shoulders measuring at least two inches more than the hips. The V body shape is usually bigger up top and smaller on the bottom. The primary goal for this body shape is to build up the lower body to even out the body shape.

The stepper is a recommended cardio to burn fat while increasing the muscle tone in the legs. Keep away from cardio that will slim the legs. The treadmill on an incline is good but can lean up the legs too much. Resistance training should focus on the lower body. Focus on quality leg training to bring the legs up a notch. The recommended exercises are leg squats, leg presses and stiff deadlifts. Good finishers for the legs are shaping exercises namely extension and lunges.

Ruler body shape
The Ruler body shape has an equal thinness from bottom to top. People of this body shape have difficulty gaining weight and adding shape. Resistance training makes up a bulk to the exercises for this body shape. Too much cardio will only further minimize the body. Balanced gain or body shaping is the key for this body shape. Building muscles on the upper and lower body will bring out more body shape.

Recommended exercises for the Ruler frame
The most ideal exercise for you is running for it will keep your build lean. Aim for 30 minutes of running. You can do three sets of 20 reps of sit-ups will also strengthen your abdominal muscles and even out the prominent belly look for the ruler frame. Engage in sports such as volleyball and basketball. These ideal sports are total body work out for involving your whole body. Reaching and stretching before the game will help improve your upper body segment. Your goal is to build a symmetrical body shape thus the need to work out all your muscle group should be emphasized and routinely given a work out. Put your focus on stretching, sit-ups, step classes, spinning, walking or jogging on an incline, squats, bench press and shoulder press.

Apple/Oval Body Shape

The apple or oval body shape is biggest in the middle, chest and stomach yet little in the arms and legs. The goal of this body shape is to concentrate on cardio that will burn fat and build toned legs.

Exercise Plan for the Apple Frame
The gym equipments as great cardio are the stepper and the treadmill on incline to lose weight all over while building some muscle tone on the legs. Resistance training should concentrate on the lower body to build tone in the legs. You may want to focus on aerobic training in order to slim down and lose body at. You would balance out your chest and shoulders by working on the lower half of your body. The key to the goal for apple framed women is to perform exercises that are low-resistance and involve low repetitions. You can benefit the most when you perform stair climbing, walking on an incline, leg squats, leg press and dead lifts.

The trick is to know your body shape and the exercises you need to sculpt the masterpiece shape you dream of. Some women may not fit into any of these categories. Regardless of body shapes you are born with, the basic principles still apply. The combination of regular exercise, light weights or resistance training and a healthy, low fat diet will deliver long term and lasting results.

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