Body Sculpting

Be your own sculptor - sculpt the muscles of your body and give your body a contour that it deserves. Sculpting is synonymous not only to statutes and sculptors but also to the human body. The muscles in the human body can be sculpted to achieve the desired body shape. Body sculpting assists the body in reducing fat while moderately increasing the muscles thereby re-shaping the figure. In simple terms, body sculpting means shaping the body for a lean and toned look.

A perfect combination of diet and exercise is the key to body sculpting. Body sculpting exercise routine comprises flexibility and cardio workout using light free weights. This exercise schedule tones and shapes up the muscles while avoiding a bulky look. Body sculpting promotes overall health, improves body metabolism and prevents age-related illness.

Exercise along with a balanced cum nutritious diet brings about the best result for any body sculpting routine. Weight training exercises help in toning the muscles while cardiovascular exercises help burn the extra calories and fat. A balanced diet comprising small portions of food throughout the day helps improve the metabolic rate while speeding up fat loss. Body sculpting workout is designed to suit individual needs and the training is tailor made to suit each person. Body sculpting routine is formulated according to the individual's body constitution and depending on how the body reacts to the specified diet and exercise.

A typical body sculpting exercise routine includes a brisk workout. The workout concentrates on areas that require re-shaping. Since the workout concentrates on the specific areas that require attention, it is easy to tone up these areas more effectively and within a short span of time. Body sculpting workout does not require any special equipment or facilities, therefore this method of shaping the can be performed anywhere and at anytime.

Body sculpting workout

Body sculpting movements usually are simple and easy to follow; people who wish to sculpt a specific muscle group indulge in training that specific muscle group. A variety of exercises are included in the body sculpting program focusing on the target area of the body that needs to be sculpted or re-shaped. Common exercises in the body-sculpting workout include:

Stretching exercises: Stretching exercises tone the muscles thereby improving the contour of the body. Stretching exercises include warm up exercises before the main exercise program and cool down after the main exercise program. For few exercises, stretching is recommended in between exercises. Stretching exercises stretch the muscles and help them move with ease thereby toning them with every movement. This helps in building strong muscles.

Dance moves: Dance steps are highly beneficial for body sculpting and fun too! Dance moves not only benefit the legs and the thighs but also benefit the entire body. The entire body is involved while dancing - the muscles of the arms are employed in various movements, the heart has an excellent cardiovascular workout, the chest and stomach muscles are also put to test. Dance moves improve the overall health and also help in sculpting the muscles to achieve the desired body shape.

Resistance training: Resistance is also an important part of body sculpting workout. Dumbbells, free weights, stability balls and bands are used for resistance training and these devices concentrate on a particular spot of the body. Resistance training helps in developing powerful arms, strong chest, stomach, and leg muscles. Resistance training should be practiced after practicing stretching and dancing for over a period of time.

Body sculpting exercise routine

While settling in for a complete body sculpting routine remember to consider the following:

• The areas that need to be worked
  
  
• The difficulty involved
  
  
• How effective the workout is
  

Complete body sculpting routine should be done regularly, at least two to three times a week. It is advisable to skip workout for a day in between to allow muscles to rest and repair themselves. When the muscles are allowed to rest, they get stronger and toned better. People who do not wish to workout their entire body on the same day can split the workout routine into upper and lower body. Even while doing this, it is advisable to skip workout for a day in between the workout. The upper body workout for body sculpting should include the below listed exercises:

• Bicep curls
  
  
• Bench presses
  
  
• Crunches - traditional, lower, and side
  
  
• Pushups
  
  
• Shoulder lifts
  
  
• Shoulder presses
  
  
• Triceps dips or lifts
  

The above mentioned exercises concentrate on all the major muscles groups of the upper body. Start with 10 repetitions without weights; add weights and also increase the number of repetitions and number of sets as your body gets fit. The lower body workout for body sculpting should include the below listed exercises:

• Calf raise
  
  
• Deadlifts
  
  
• Leg lifts - outer and inner
  
  
• Squats
  

These exercises concentrate on the lower body muscles. Start with 10 repetitions without weights; add weights and also increase the number of repetitions and number of sets as your body gets fit (the lower body strength is much higher when compared to the upper body which means you can begin adding weights much faster). Complete body sculpting routine will produce visible results within four to eight weeks.

Sculpting bands: Lightweight body sculpting bands shape long muscles, heavyweight body sculpting bands are used when extra resistance is required and to achieve quick results.

Lightweights: Lightweights are used to tone muscles all over the body. Weight training with light weights help in strengthening and toning the muscles.

Stability balls/Swiss balls: Stability balls are a powerful workout tool because they introduce instability to the exercise routine, instability forces the body to retain balance. Therefore exercises using stability exercise ball strengthen the back and abdominal core muscles.

Tubes/exertubes: Exercise tubes provide resistance and help work muscles in a better way. Different types of exercise tubes are available to exercise different muscle groups.

Benefits of body sculpting


The benefits of body sculpting are not confined to well-defined muscles but it provides various other benefits as listed below:

• Strong muscles achieved through body sculpting improve blood circulation, strengthen the heart and reduce age related problems such as stiffness, soreness and weakness.
  
  
• Stretching eases the ligaments, joints and muscles of the body and also de-stresses the body.
  
  
• Improved muscle tone is very effective to fight the side effects of aging.
  
  
• Good body shape improves the self-esteem of a person and also provides better mental and emotional health.
  
  
• Improved flexibility.
  
  
• Improved energy levels.
  

Other non-invasive methods of body sculpting

Body wraps: Natural ingredients are combined together and applied on the body as a wrap. Body wraps use natural ingredients like seaweed, specialized mud, etc. These body wraps can detoxify the body and also bring about cellulite reduction. Body wraps can firm and tighten the body, the weight loss achieved is due to the loss of water content in the body and weight loss through this method is not permanent.

Mesotherapy: The latest method in non-invasive body sculpting, mesotherapy uses homeopathic and pharmaceutical medications that are injected into the body. Extracts from plants and herbs, vitamins, etc are used in the preparation of these medications. Mesotherapy can cost you anything between US$ 200 to US $600 per treatment per body part. Repeated sessions bring about the desired looks but side effects include swelling, bruising and risk of infection