The New Approach
Simply by upping the pace, you can shave off more inches in less time, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. In just one hour a week you'll get all the cardio and toning benefits that used to take three-plus hours (two toning sessions and five 30-minute cardio workouts).
Do the following high-intensity circuit without pausing three times through, three days a week, and you'll be showing off a sleeker body by the end of the month.
What you'll need: A pair of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells.
Why It Works
"All these brisk moves target both the upper and lower body, which keeps your heart and muscles stoked at the right intensity," says workout designer Michele Olson, PhD, an exercise physiologist at Auburn University Montgomery in Alabama.
The Payoff
"Not only will you burn close to double the calories -- 171 versus 96 -- in less time," says Olson, "but you'll also firm everything from shoulders to calves, so you can check off your sculpting session, too."