15 Best Workouts For Women To Get A Lean And Fit Body

Just being lean is not enough anymore. You have to BE FIT in terms of agility, muscle power, and muscle endurance. And to get a lean and fit body, a well-planned and strategic approach to a workout routine works best. In this article, we’ll first discuss the exercises that will tone your body and increase fitness levels. Then, we’ll focus on result-oriented workout strategies for women of different body types. So, give this post a read and get lean and fit fast. Swipe up!

15 Workouts To Get Lean And Fit

1. Run

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Target – Entire body

How To Do

1. Start by jogging at a low speed. You can run on a trail, on the road, or on a treadmill.
2. When your body gets warmed up, start running at a higher speed, but do not sprint.
3. Depending on your fitness and endurance levels, you can slow down or stop after running for 1-2 minutes. Catch your breath and then start running again.

Tip: If you are running on the treadmill, set the incline angle at 2-3 degrees.

Sets And Reps

Run 3-4 days a week for at least 10 minutes.

2. Rope Jumps

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Target – Entire body

How To Do

1. Stand straight with your legs together. Hold an end of the rope in each hand. Make sure the rope is behind you.
2. Swing the rope above your head and bring it in front of you.
3. Right when it comes near your feet, lift both your feet off the ground and jump. Let the rope slide. Get back to the original position.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 50 reps

3. Jumping Jacks

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Target – Calves, quads, glutes, hamstrings, obliques, lats, deltoids, abs, and pectorals.

How To Do

1. Stand straight with your feet close together. Keep your hands by your side, shoulders rolled back, and chest out.
2. Jump and land on the floor with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Simultaneously, raise your hands above your head.
3. Jump and land on the floor with your feet close together. Also, bring your hands back to the starting position.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 30 reps

4. Jumping Squats

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Target – Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and lower back.

How To Do

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Push your hips back, flex your knees, lower your body and come to a sitting posture. Make sure your knees are not overshooting your toes.
3. You can extend your hands in the front and hold one wrist with the other hand to balance your body.
4. Now, release your wrists, swipe them down to your sides and use that force to propel your body upward into a jump.
5. Land softly on the floor. Get back to a squat again.

Sets And Reps

2 sets of 15 reps

Variation: You can also do box jumps. Keep a sturdy box in front of you. Now, jump on the box, squat down, and then jump back on the floor.

5. High Knees

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Target – Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, and lower abs.

How To Do

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows so that your forearms and arms are at 90 degrees with each other. Keep your forearms extended in front of you, and palms facing the floor.
2. Jump on your right and left legs alternately. Make sure your knees touch your palms.

Sets And Reps

2 sets of 20 reps

6. Flutter Kicks

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Target – Glutes, hamstrings, quads, abs, and lower back.

How To Do

1. Lie down on your back, keep your hands by your side, and palms flat on the floor.
2. Lift your legs off the floor so that they are at a 30-degree incline.
3. Keeping your legs straight, lift your right leg and lower your left leg. Do not touch the floor.
4. Bring your left leg up and lower your right leg.
5. Do this at a faster pace.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 25 reps

7. Jumping Lunges

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Target – Quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and lower abs.

How To Do

1. Stand straight with your shoulders rolled back, chest out, and core engaged. Keep your hands on your waist.
2. Jump and land softly on the floor with your right leg in front and left leg behind. Both your knees should be flexed, and your thighs at 90 degrees with your shins.
3. Jump and switch legs. Land softly with your left leg in front and right leg behind.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 15 reps

8. Push-ups

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Target – Pectorals, deltoids, biceps, triceps, lats, and abs.

How To Do

1. You can do wall push-ups, knee push-ups, or traditional push-ups – depending on your fitness and how willing you are to push yourself.
2. To do the traditional push-up, assume a table pose. Keep your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart, and palms flat on the floor.
3. Engage your core and extend your legs behind. This is the starting position.
4. Flex both your elbows and lower your upper body.
5. Just when your chest is about to touch the floor, push your body back up to the starting position.

Sets And Reps

2 sets of 10 reps

9. Hip Thrusts

Source: Youtube

Target – Glutes, lower abs, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

How To Do

1. Sit down facing away from a box or gym bench or home sofa. Flex your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Lean back and place your arms and the back of your shoulders on the box or bench or sofa. This is the starting position.
2. Push your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Stop when your hips, spine, and neck are in the same line.
4. Hold that pose for a moment and then lower your hips. This time, do not let them touch the floor. Lift them again when they are just about to touch the floor.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 12 reps

10. Burpees

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Target – Quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, shoulders, pectorals, and abs.

How To Do

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Jump and keep your hands extended over your head.
3. Land softly on the floor and do a full squat. Place your palms on the floor.
4. Hop on both your legs and extend them back and get into a plank pose.
5. Hop and bring your legs back to step three.
6. Jump again with your hands over your head.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 10 reps

11. Plié Squat

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Target – Adductors, quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes.

How To Do

1. Stand with your legs wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Flex your knees and lower your body.
3. Lift your heels off the floor and balance your body on the balls of your feet.
4. Hold this pose for 10 seconds and release.
5. Stand back up slowly and again get down into a plié.

Sets And Reps

2 sets of 5 reps

12. Leg Up Crunches

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Target – Upper and lower abs

How To Do

1. Lie down on a mat.
2. Lift your legs either straight up or flex your knees and keep your thighs and shins at 90 degrees to each other.
3. Place your fingertips on the back of your head, and your thumbs right behind your ears.
4. Lift your head and look at your knees.
5. Go back down to the starting position.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 15 reps

13. Weighted Russian Twist

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Target – Obliques, abs, and glutes.

How To Do

1. Hold a medicine ball with both your hands and sit down on a mat. Flex your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor.
2. Lean back a little and lift your feet off the floor.
3. Twist to your right and then to your left.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 20 reps

14. Elbow Plank

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Target – Abs, shoulders, and biceps.

How To Do

1. Assume a table pose on a mat.
2. Flex your elbows and place your forearms on the mat.
3. Extend your right leg and then the left leg behind you.
4. Balance your body on your forearms, elbows, and the balls of your feet.
5. Hold this pose for 30-60 seconds.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 30-60 seconds hold.

15. Lat Rows

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Target – Lats, deltoids, and abs.

How To Do

1. Use a lats machine to do this exercise.
2. Sit down facing the machine, place your foot on the footrest, and hold the bar handle. Keep your spine straight. Do not move forward and backward while doing this exercise. Also, set the weight such that you can do maximum reps with precision.
3. Pull the bar handle toward your tummy, pull your elbows back, and squeeze the back of your shoulders.
4. Slowly release this pose and keep your hands fully extended in front of you.
5. Repeat.

Sets And Reps

3 sets of 10 reps

These were the 15 best exercises to get a lean and fit body. But you have to set an exercise routine that you can follow easily. Here’s a 7-day exercise strategy to help you get a lean and fit body quickly.

7-Day Exercise Routine For A Lean And Fit Body

You can squeeze in 10-20 minutes of energizing workouts and build lean muscle mass and improve strength and endurance. But you also must fine-tune your workout routine depending on your body type. Check out the following list of exercises that you can do according to the area of your body that is prone to fat accumulation.

Exercises To Do According To Areas Prone To Fat Accumulation

• Lower Body

If you have a pear-shaped body or tend to accumulate fat in the lower body, do:

Running, swimming, high knees, burpees, flutter kicks, and lunges.

• Central Region

If your hands and legs are slim, but you have a belly pooch, do:

Running, leg up crunches, Russian twist, squats, and flutter kicks.

• Upper Body

If you tend to accumulate fat in your upper back, chest, shoulders, and upper arms, do:

Jumping lunges, high knees, lat rows, plank, hip thrusts, rope jumping, and push-ups.

Infographic: Guide To Getting A Lean And Fit Body

Getting a lean and fit body is everyone’s dream, but not everyone knows how to go about it. While exercise is the fundamental aspect to focus on, it is not the only thing you need to do to shed fat and stay fit. Yes, we are talking about the all-important diet. So, which foods should you consume or avoid? Find the answers in the following infographic. Check it out!

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should you work out a day?

You should practice moderate aerobic physical activity at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week (1).

Should you eat before or after a workout?

Eating carbohydrates and protein-rich meals within 2 hours of your workout are beneficial to help recover muscles. In addition, eating a healthy snack before a workout gives you the energy to exercise.

How long does it take to get fit and toned?

You can start noticing changes in your body in 4 to 8 weeks of working out and managing your diet.

What is the fastest way to tone your body?

High-intensity workouts like jumping jacks, burpees, push-ups, sprinting in place, and jump squats can help tone your body.

Sources

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Charushila Biswas

Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 5 years, she has... more

Madhu Sharma

(RD)

Madhu Sharma is a member of the National Executive Committee of IDA. She has been associated for almost three decades... more