Exercises to Keep Skin Tight

To keep your skin tight, you need strength-training exercises that build and maintain muscle definition. When muscles are toned, your skin will wrap tightly around them. To create an effective full-body workout, include a variety of exercises that target the major muscle groups in your body. The American Council on Exercise advises incorporating a combination of machine and free-weight exercises in your workout plan, not only to maximize your results, but also to help keep variety in your workouts.

  1. Dumbbell Calf Raises

    • The gastrocnemius is the largest muscle in the calf muscle group, and is located above the smaller soleus muscle. Calf raises utilize both calf muscles, targeting the gastrocnemius with standing calf raises, and the soleus more with seated calf raises. Stand on a step or calf-raise machine with the heels of your feet hanging off the edge. Hold a railing or the wall for stability, if needed. Keeping your back straight and shoulders down, push yourself up onto the balls of your feet. You should feel a light stretching in your calves. Hold for a moment before lowering back down to complete one rep. For more of a challenge, hold a dumbbell in one or both hands.

    Barbell Squat

    • The barbell squat is a compound exercise that strengthens the entire lower body, specifically the gluteal muscles in the buttocks, and the quadriceps and hamstrings in the upper legs. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, back straight, shoulders down. Hold the barbell against the back of your shoulders, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward. Perform a basic squat by lowering your body as though you were sitting in a chair, until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Push off your heels to return to your starting position.

    Lever Deadlift

    • To target the glutes, include the lever deadlift exercise in your workout. Standing between the levers on a deadlift machine, position your feet flat, shoulder-width apart. Squat down to grasp the handles at your sides, keeping your back straight. Extend your hips and knees fully, straightening yourself back up to the starting position to complete one rep. Keep your shoulders high and your hips low during the exercise.

    Dumbbell Push Situp

    • Lying on your back on an incline bench, slide your feet under the foot pad so your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Extend your arms fully above you, a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing out. Engage your core and use the strength of your abdominal muscles to push yourself up, bringing your torso as close to your knees as possible. Keep your arms and back straight during the exercise. Lower yourself back down to your starting position to complete one rep.

    Dumbbell Curls

    • Dumbbell curls, also known as bicep curls, target the biceps, which sit along the front side of the upper arms. It's an essential arm exercise for helping keep the skin on your arms tight and toned, according to Fitness magazine. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended straight down at your sides with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Flex one arm, bringing the dumbbell up toward you until it's nearly touching your shoulder. Keeping your arm close at your side, slowly return to your starting position and repeat with the other arm.

    Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

    • The triceps muscle is the large muscle on the back of the upper arm, an essential muscle to keep toned if your aim is tighter skin. The dumbbell overhead triceps extension is an isolated exercise that directly targets these triceps muscles. Stand with both hands around a dumbbell, one on top of the other, arms fully extended above you. Engage your core and lower your hands behind your head until your arms are bent at a 90-degree angle. Return to your starting position to complete one rep.

    Considerations

    • Start with sets of eight to 12 repetitions, or to fatigue. You should start to feel tightness in the targeted muscle after the 12th rep. Once you are able to complete a full 12 reps without impairing your form, increase the amount of weight used. Warm up before strength-training exercises to increase blood flow and help prevent injury. Perform 10 to 15 minutes of mild to moderate cardio activity, such as walking or jogging on a treadmill, jumping jacks or cycling, to get your heart rate going. Cardio also helps tighten your skin by burning overall body fat, making the toned muscles underneath more visible; it should be a regular part of your workout..