The secret to dropping pounds and inches quickly is high-intensity walking workouts. But don't panic—you don't have to run for miles or lift 50-pound dumbbells. What's high intensity for someone who's less fit may be low for you, or vice versa.
The point is to push out of your comfort zone so you boost your calorie burn an extra 25 to 50 percent in the same amount of time—and incinerate another 75 calories over the course of the day to boot.
This firm-up plan consists of three parts: a walking workout to burn fat, body shaping with weights, and tummy-toning calisthenics. The walking workout includes four walks (easy, interval, speed, and long), and the weight workout includes three routines (basic, light, and heavy). Mixing and matching them will keep you speeding along toward fabulous results.
Firm Up Plan At-a-Glance
Here is an overview of what you'll be doing. Most days you'll combine two of the three workouts.
Monday: Easy walk, Body shaping (basic)
Tuesday: Interval walk, Tummy toning
Wednesday: Easy walk, Body shaping (light weights)
Thursday: Interval walk, Tummy toning
Friday: Easy walk, Body shaping (heavy weights)
Saturday: Speed walk, Tummy toning
Sunday: Long walk
Chart Your Progress
Make tracking your 21-day fitness plan easier by hanging a fitness log in plain sight—and using it. After every workout, simply check off the appropriate box (no, the walk times don't include warm-ups and cool-downs, but you have to do them anyway).
Fat-Burning Walking Workout
Crank up your calorie burn by starting with a variety of walking routines--from moderately paced jaunts to high-speed intervals—each week. Start and finish each of your workouts with 5 minutes of slow walking to warm up and cool down. Afterwards, move on to either the Body-Shaping Workout or Tummy-Toning Workout, depending on the day of the week. For each workout, you'll do the same moves on the appropriate days, with weekly variations to make them more challenging. On Sunday, simply enjoy the walk—you've earned it!
Easy Walk (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
It's "easy" because you don't have to really push yourself. Just get out and walk at a good pace, as if you were 5 minutes late for an appointment.
Week 1: 30 minutes
Week 2: 35 minutes
Week 3: 40 minutes
After your walk, do the Body-Shaping Workout.
Interval Walk (Tuesday and Thursday)
Here you'll pick up the pace—and your calorie burn—for about 30 to 90 seconds before slowing down to catch your breath. During the speed interval, you should be walking so that you're breathing hard and talking in full sentences is difficult.
After your walk, do the Tummy-Toning Workout.
Week 1: 4-minute moderate pace, 30-second speed interval; do 4 times = 18 minutes total
Week 2: 4-minute moderate pace, 60-second speed interval; do 4 times = 20 minutes total
Week 3: 3-minute moderate pace, 90-second speed interval; do 4 times = 18 minutes total
Speed Walk (Saturday) Pick an easy-to-remember route that will take about 20 minutes to complete at a fast pace. Each week, try to cover the same distance in less time.
After your walk, do the Tummy-Toning Workout.
Long Walk (Sunday) This is your endurance workout. Walk at a pace you can comfortably sustain for the recommended time. Focus on enjoying your jaunt, not on getting out and back fast.
Week 1: 40 minutes
Week 2: 50 minutes
Week 3: 60 minutes
Body-Shaping Workout
After your walk, do the Body-Shaping moves on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Lunge
Bent-Over Row
Overhead Press
Push-Up
Reps Basic (Monday) Complete three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for each exercise. Use weights heavy enough to make your last few reps challenging.
Light Weights (Wednesday) Use lighter weights and do 3 full-rep, then 3 pulse-rep sequences three times for a total of 18 reps. For example, for the pulse reps of the overhead press, instead of bringing the weights down to shoulder height, stop at about the top of your head, then press them up three times from that position.
Heavy Weights (Friday) Grab heavier weights and do three sets of 6 to 8 reps for each exercise.
Tummy-Toning Workout
After your walk, do the Tummy-Toning moves on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Balance
Plank
Bridge
Twisting Crunch
