Fight Fat After 40!

Not exercising as often as you'd like? We all get sidetracked now and then. So we asked top fitness experts to create 4 routines that anyone can ease into—and they all take 20 minutes or less. In a study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, exercising 15 minutes a day 3 or 4 times a week was all women needed to shed abdominal fat. Try 1 plan or all 4! In just 2 weeks, you'll notice a tighter belly, a loss of 1 to 2 pounds, better muscle tone (and higher metabolism), and more energy!

1. "I gain weight more easily since turning 40"
Boost Metabolism with a Strength Circuit
This full-body circuit routine—doing one strength exercise after another without rest—builds fat-burning muscle fast while targeting belly bulge with ab moves. A University of Hawaii study found that circuit-training raises your heart rate higher than vigorous running (15 beats per minute faster). The moves alternate between upper and lower body, so your heart works harder pumping blood up and down your body. "All that extra work means a bigger calorie burn," says trainer Juan Carlos Santana.

Your Workout At A Glance:
Weeks 1 + 2: Perform the routine 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. Using light dumbbells (3 to 5 pounds), do 1 set of 12 to 15 repetitions of each move in the order given. Do the exercises without stopping or rest for no longer than 15 seconds.
Weeks 3 + 4: Repeat the circuit twice so you're doing a total of 2 sets per exercise.
Keep It Up: After 4 weeks, try increasing the weights by 1 to 3 pounds. You'll burn fat, tone muscle, and build bone even faster!



1. LATERAL LIFT

Tones legs and butt

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips, then slowly squat until thighs are almost parallel to ground.

As you push back up, lift left leg out to side as if you were going to step out—leg should create a 45-degree angle with ground. Hold for 1 second, then return foot to ground.

Squat with both feet once more, then repeat with right leg. That's 1 rep.



2. CHEST FLY & PRESS

Tones shoulders, chest, and triceps

Lie faceup with dumbbell in each hand, elbows and knees bent, feet flat. Raise arms above chest, palms facing each other. Slowly lower arms out to sides as far as you can, then raise back to start. Next, bend arms and lower weights until upper arms touch ground, elbows out to sides to form a T. Straighten arms, pressing weights above you. That's 1 rep.



3. PLIé SQUAT

Tones legs and butt

Stand straight with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out. Hold one end of dumbbell in each hand in front of you, arms hanging straight down. Squat slowly until thighs are almost parallel to ground. Slowly rise back up, pushing down on heels to help contract glutes and hamstrings.



4. ONE-ARM ROTATION ROW

Tones back and biceps

Stand with right side next to bench or bed, holding dumbbell in left hand. Rest right hand and knee on bench and bend at waist—back should be almost parallel to ground, left arm hanging down, palm facing forward. Slowly pull weight up to side, rotating it as you go so palm faces behind you at top. Lower weight, rotating it so palm faces forward at bottom. Complete reps, then switch sides to work right arm.



5. LUNGE

Shapes legs and butt

Stand tall with dumbbell in each hand, feet hip-width apart, arms hanging straight down at sides, palms facing in. Step 2 to 3 feet forward with left foot and lower your body until left thigh is almost parallel to ground. Right leg should be extended behind you with only ball of right foot on ground. Push off left foot to return to start position, then repeat with right leg. That's 1 rep.



6. TUCK & CRUNCH

Tones abs

Lie faceup with knees bent, feet on ground. Touch hands lightly to sides of head, pointing elbows toward knees. Curl head and shoulders up as you raise knees toward elbows try to touch thighs with elbows then slowly lower. Avoid pulling head forward with hands.



7. UPPERCUT

Tones shoulders and arms

Stand tall with dumbbell in each hand, arms at sides, palms facing forward. Curl both weights up to shoulders, then draw hands in toward each other until weights touch in front of chest. Press weight in right hand above head, palm facing you. Lower back to chest, then repeat move with left hand. Lower back to chest. Separate weights so hands are in front of shoulders, then curl weights back down.



8. ROTATING KNEE

Tones abs and obliques

Lie faceup with knees bent, feet on ground with arms out to sides, palms facing up. Keeping legs together, lift butt and feet an inch off ground and slowly rotate legs to right, lowering them to ground without touching. Hold, return to center, then twist to left. Alternate from right to left. If the move is too intense, rest butt on ground between reps.

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