As you start to burn fat and completely reshape your body, one thing that you may be thinking about is which exercises are going to be best for firming up and getting a lean, toned figure. If you are wasting time in the gym doing exercises that provide very little payoff, it’ll take ages to see the results that you are hoping for.

When you use these exercises, you can see results in as little as two weeks as long as you are giving a committed effort.

The Details:

• The king of lower-body movements, the squat is one exercise that will not only tone and firm your body, but burn calories quickly. It works every muscle group in the lower body, plus the core and back as well.
• Push-ups. Great for upper-body toning, this classic’s good for chest development for males and is a fantastic cleavage-enhancer for women.
• Bent-over rows. This movement targets the upper back muscles very well and is ideal for strength and power developement.
• Lunges are good for working the glute muscles, otherwise known as your butt. Since you will be slightly off-balance while doing this exercise, it’ll challenge your core as well.
• When it comes to building a stronger core, you can’t go wrong with the simple plank. Holding this position is going to help to firm the entire abdominal region as well as the muscles running up and down the spinal column.
• A great butt builder, this movement will help to increase the firmness of your backside and give you that rounded shape that you may be going for.
• Shoulder press. This firms and defines the shoulder muscles and can help give the illusion of a smaller waist.
• Step-ups. Step-ups are great for working all the muscles in the lower body and will also help you build greater lower-body power and strength.
• Pull-ups. Perfect for generating upper-body strength, pull-ups target your lats, biceps and upper back all at the same time. Most people have to do assisted pull-ups so that’s no reason to skip these!
• Jump squats. This plyometric exercise will firm the lower body fast while helping you burn a high number of calories quickly.
• Burpees are a full-body cardiovascular movement that gets your heart rate up in no time, helping you burn calories fast. It also has strengthening and firming benefits.

The Bottom Line:

Are you using these exercises in your at-home, circuit or gym training regimen? Or are you using other movements that may not be as effective?

Start choosing your movements more wisely, and you will quickly see just how much faster your progress can be with a well-designed workout plan.