Sculpt Your Perfect Silhouette with these Targeted Exercises

I was once told, by a professional trainer, that one couldn't target fat loss to a specific area of the body.  He's probably right, but his advice didn't stop me from creating workout routines based on the type of physique I wanted to achieve.

The first time I experimented with sculpting my ideal body, it worked!  After I got my cardio out of the way, I went into body sculpting mode.  Now that I'm back in the gym again, operation body sculpt is in full effect.  This time, I'm focusing on creating a killer side profile.


Last summer, I realized it was time to start paying attention to certain parts of my body after trying on a couple low back dresses.   I noticed that my back wasn't as toned and firm as I would like.  But then I was like, why stop at my back, why not identify workout moves that create the perfect silhouette.

When I think of a great side profile, the main areas of focus that come to mind are:
-Triceps
-Sides of the chest (#sexysideboobs)
-Toned Waist
-Defined lower back curve
-Toned Glutes
-Firm Hamstrings

One thing that can quickly ruin a side view is a flabby, untoned arm.  In my mind, the biggest culprit of the unsexy arm is the underdeveloped tricep.   The tricep muscles are on my radar because it's where we carry extra weight.  And if we allow the problem to persist long-term, we'll soon find ourselves with old lady arms.  Old lady arms don't just happen, it's a result of years of neglect.  I rarely do bicep exercises, but I feel like we use that muscle to a certain extent every day.  Triceps require a bit more targeted effort so I make sure to activate the muscle, at some level, on a regular basis.

This year, I finally picked up a couple of lacy bralettes.  They look amazing under baggy tank tops & low cut shirts.  Lately, I've realized that it's time to focus on the muscles that support the chest and upper back.  My favorite workouts of late have been serratus anterior exercises.  They target the muscles on the sides of our chest, giving us a flawless side profile. Push ups aren't my favorite thing to do but I feel the burn in the sides of my chest the next morning...so I'll keep doing them.  Push ups are great for activating the triceps as well.

A Side Profile Transformation

The next area to target in the sexy side profile workout are the lower obliques.  Back fat will ruin all of your efforts of creating a flawless silhouette.  The way to combat that is to pull your core muscles inward.   We do this by focusing on the transverse abdominal muscles.  A few years ago, I learned of the "inner corset muscles" and with that knowledge, I created the slimmest waist of my life.  Be sure to check out this post for more details.  If you want an easier option, try this waist-shrinking alternative. 

To really define your profile, you should pay close attention to the curve of your lower back.  There's one exercise in particular that I always like to include in my workouts to carve out the shape of my back and it makes a world of difference.

In almost every workout, I'll to include some type of glute training exercise.  I remember reading once that pregnant women tend to lose volume in your backside.  I'm sure there are biological factors at play but I figured a lot of it had to do with the level of inactivity of some women during after pregnancy.  Older women also experience volume loss in their glutes as well.  It's a result of years of neglect.  Our daily activity is pretty much comprised of walking short distances and sitting.  We don't much to really engage our glutes (in our everyday movement) like we should.   Even if you have a prominent backside, you're probably not reaching your full potential unless you're doing glute exercises. Replacing fat with muscle means a smoother, more lifted look.  Who wouldn't want that?

Everyone and their momma will tell you to do your squats.  But if you already have thick thighs and don't want to overbuild them then stick to exercises like kickbacks and other isolating moves that lift your butt rather than adding volume to your lower half.  

Although I'm cognizant not to overbuild my quads, I still try to maintain muscle tone in the back of my legs by focusing on the my hamstrings.  One of my fave exercises is the stiff-legged dead lift which targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back at once.  Hamstring exercises keep the back of my legs in check.

I'll be ready for a backless dress by New Years.