Let’s address the first point: No, achieving a ripped physique overnight is not a realistic promise, despite what those tempting Instagram ads might suggest. Building muscles is a gradual process. However, that doesn’t mean a well-structured workout can’t provide immediate definition. Certain exercises can effectively stimulate blood flow to your muscles’ fast-twitch or power fibers. In simple terms, this brings out a visually pleasing “pop” in your worked muscles, as explained by Erica Suter, CSCS, a trainer and strength coach based in Maryland.
This quick “pump” not only offers a preview of how your muscles will consistently look after weeks of dedicated training but is also a go-to strategy among fitness models—consider it nature’s Photoshop.
Named the “pump” technique, it has the added benefit of preventing muscle breakdown, a concern often associated with weight loss workouts, particularly for those who favor cardio, as suggested by a study in the Strength and Conditioning Journal.
Give the following exercises a try, and take a moment to appreciate your reflection in the mirror—you’re looking great.
Time: 30 minutes
Equipment: Resistance band and a set of dumbbells or kettlebells—choose a weight that challenges you by the last two to three reps.
Good for: Total body
Instructions: Complete 10 reps of each exercise listed below, smoothly transitioning to the next. Once you’ve finished all the movements, take a rest of up to one minute. Repeat this circuit two more times for a total of three rounds.
Kettlebell Swings
This dynamic, high-intensity exercise targets the powerhouse muscles throughout your entire posterior chain, including your buttocks, back, and hamstrings, promoting a more sculpted appearance, according to exercise physiologist Pete McCall, CSCS. Additionally, it engages your cardiovascular system, inducing a sweat that can help alleviate belly bloat caused by excess fluid retention and address constipation.
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, and place a kettlebell on the floor between them.
- Bend your knees, push your hips back, and grasp the top of the kettlebell with both hands. Ensure the kettlebell is challenging enough to require significant effort while maintaining proper form.
- Swing the kettlebell back between your thighs.
- Stand up, simultaneously pressing your hips forward, squeezing your glutes, and raising your straight arms (along with the kettlebell) directly in front of your chest.
- Allow the kettlebell to fall back through your legs to return to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
- Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Deadlifts
This exercise is specifically designed to target the glutes. After completing just one set, you’ll likely notice that your glutes feel firmer, appear larger, and even sit rounder and higher on your backside, explains the instructor. Since the glutes are the body’s largest muscle group, this movement effectively engages and challenges them.
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
- Loop a resistance band under your feet, holding the ends in your hands with arms fully extended. Alternatively, you can use a pair of dumbbells, gripping them with an overhand grip and holding them at arm’s length in front of your thighs.
- Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Without changing the bend in your knees, hinge at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
- Pause, then lift your torso back to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
- Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Dumbbell Thruster
“Dumbbell thrusters could be considered the most effective total body exercise for calorie burning and engaging major muscle groups,” notes trainer Albert Matheny, CSCS, co-owner of SoHo Strength Lab in NYC and a registered dietitian for ProMix Nutrition. “It’s a versatile move that targets the glutes, hamstrings, quads, abdominals, shoulders, triceps, and provides an excellent cardiovascular workout.”
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
- Hold dumbbells at shoulder height, with elbows bent and palms facing each other. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and sit your hips back, lowering into a squat position.
- Explosively push back up, simultaneously pressing the dumbbells directly overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Pause briefly, then lower the weights as you descend into the squat again. This completes one repetition.
- Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Resistance Band Bicep Curls
“Resistance bands are my preferred choice for curls as they maintain constant tension in the muscles,” states Taylor Gainor, CSCS, co-founder of LIT Method in Los Angeles. According to her, the prolonged tension on the biceps during resistance band bicep curls results in a more pronounced pump. “Engaging in resistance band bicep curls will leave your arms appearing tighter and more toned throughout the day,” she adds.
Resisted Bird Dog
This exercise effectively targets both your core and buttocks, leading to noticeable results quickly, according to Suter. For optimal outcomes, aim to complete as many repetitions as possible, she suggests.
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
- Tie a knot in the resistance band to create a loop, then place it around the arches of your feet. Assume an all-fours position, and this becomes your starting position.
- Keep your core engaged and simultaneously extend your right arm and left leg until both are fully straight, stretching the band.
- Ensure to squeeze the glute of the working leg when kicking back. This marks one repetition.
- Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions, then switch to the other side.
Sumo Squat
Targeted Muscles: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings
How to Perform:
- Stand with your heels shoulder-distance apart, and slightly turn your toes outward. Optionally, clasp your hands gently in front of your chest, or if available, hold a weight in front of your hips with straight arms.
- Without moving your arms, bend your knees, shift your hips back, and descend into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Pause at the bottom for two seconds.
- Drive through your heels to return to the standing position. This completes one repetition.
- Aim to complete 8 to 12 repetitions on each side.
Walking Lunges
Elevate your quad workout with this traditional lower-body exercise. According to Matheny, “Moving lunges are great for strengthening your legs and challenging your cardiovascular fitness.”
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and place your hands on your hips or hold a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders.
- Step forward with your right leg, slowly lowering your body until your right knee is bent at least 90 degrees.
- Pause, then raise up and bring your left foot forward, repeating the motion.
- Continue alternating sides for two minutes, moving back and forth across your workout space.
- Repeat for three sets.
Goblet Squat
Goblet squats are a highly effective exercise that can yield quick results. PJ Stahl, CSCS, a trainer at Lock Box LA Fitness & Performance Center, explains, “Holding a weight at your chest forces your body to engage your entire core, including the muscles of your lower and upper back. And while all those muscles are engaged, you’re performing squats, which use the largest calorie-burning muscles of your body: the legs.” The burn you feel is indicative of the impact.
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
- Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a weight against your chest.
- Lower into a squat.
- Push through your feet to rise back up to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
- Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions.
Dumbbell Step-Ups.
“This is one of the more challenging lower body exercises, because using the weights in the hands increases the difficulty on the legs, core, and grip strength during the movement,” says Stahl. You’ll fire up your hamstrings, glutes, and quads to see results in no time.
How to: Start in the standing position behind a box holding dumbbells in each hand with arms by sides. Step right foot on top of the box and press through heel to come to stand on top of the box, driving left knee up to hip height. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Repeat for three sets of 10 reps on each side.
Sumo Deadlift
“This is one of the more challenging lower body exercises because using weights in the hands increases the difficulty on the legs, core, and grip strength during the movement,” explains Stahl. This exercise effectively targets the hamstrings, glutes, and quads, promising results in no time.
Here’s how to perform the exercise:
Start in a standing position behind a box, holding dumbbells in each hand with arms by your sides.
Step your right foot on top of the box and press through the heel to come to a stand on top of the box, driving your left knee up to hip height.
Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
Repeat for three sets of 10 repetitions on each side.