Best Spring Workouts

Best Spring Workouts

By Liz Neporent

Turbo charge your toning routine with the most effective, body-shaping exercises of all time. They're the secretweapons of top Pilates and yoga instructor, Nicole Roberts, co-owner of The Center Space in New York City. Pull out individual moves to target trouble zones or do theentire routine 2 to 3 times a week for a head-to-toe body makeover. Either way, Roberts promises these moves will transform your body without squandering a millisecond of your workout time.

Best Back Move

Bent Over Rows are the perfect back toner because, Roberts says, they attack bra overhang, improve posture and tone the entire mid-back. As a bonus, it also sculpts shoulders and arms. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Stand or sit in a chair and lean forward so that torso is at a 45 degree angle with the floor; turn palms in, extendarms straight down. Pull dumbbells upward by bending arms until elbows are at waist level. Slowly lower to start. Do 8 to 15 repetitions.

Best Butt Move

"The Chair Pose works so well because it asks you to sit all the way back into those buttocks muscles, and then hold yourself in a suspended squat," says Roberts of her favorite butt toner. Stand tall with feet together, then bend knees to lower towards the floor, pressing thighs firmly together. Hold when thighs are near parallel to floor for four deep breaths then stand back up to start. Repeat 2 to 5 times. Be careful how you do this squat variation, because if you do it in incorrect form it might as well be an exercise you should stop doing.

Best Thigh Move

Roberts says the Standing Leg Lift is like two exercises in one because it targets the entire hip and thigh area of the standing leg as well as the outer thigh of the moving leg. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Bend both knees 2 to 3 inches. As you straighten knees, lift right leg up and out to side until you feel the muscles of right outer hip engage. Repeat 8 to 15 times on each side.

Best Chest Move

"Each time you do Yoga Push Ups, you ask your chest muscles to support your body weight," Roberts says. "Do them consistently and you get fast results." Bend your elbows and place palms on the floor a bit to the side and in front of shoulders. Straighten arms and lift body to balance on palms and toes. Press elbows into sides of torso. Bend elbows to lower body 2 to 3 inches. Press back to start. Repeat 4 to 10 times.

Best Calf Move

Of her pick for chiseling the calves, Roberts says, "Releves are deceptively simple yet highly effective." Stand tall with feet hip-width apart (or wider), hands up and out to the side, on hips or lightly holding onto a chair for support. Remaining tall, lift heels up off floor. Hold a moment then lower to start. Repeat 8 to 15 times.

Best Arm Move

Do your arm extensions lying down, Roberts advises. "It ensures no other muscles get involved but those in the back of the arm." Hold a dumbbell in each hand then lie on your back on floor or bench. With palms facing in, straight arms up over shoulders. Keeping upper body still, lower forearms until dumbbells are along side of ears. Kick weight back up to start. Repeat 8 to 15 times.

Best Shoulder Move

The best move to get tank-top-worthy definition in your shoulders? According to Roberts it's the Holding Plank. "It pushes you to work against your own body weight," she says. (This move is even more intense when you do immediately before or after a set of Yoga Push Ups.) Bend your elbows and place palms on the floor directly undershoulders. Straighten arms and lift body to balance on palms and toes. Hold for deep four breathes. Sit back on heels for a moment to rest then repeat. Do 2 to 5 times.

Best Ab Move

According to Roberts, Criss-cross is the quintessential Pilates ab sculptor because it strongly challenges all aspects of the core at once. Lie on back with left knee bent towards chest and right leg extended up off floor. Place hands behind head. Curl head, neck, and shoulders up off floor. Rotate from middle so that right shoulder is pointing towards left knee. Hold one breath then slowly rotate to other side by bending right knee and extending left leg as left elbow moves towards right knee. Continue alternating to complete set. Repeat 6 to 8 times on each side.