The Quickest Way to Get an Hourglass Shape

An apple shape is characterized by having excess upper body weight. A pear shape is the complete opposite, where fat is stored in the lower body. An hourglass shape, on the other hand, is the sweet spot. This body design consists of shapely hips and glutes, a robust chest, defined shoulders and chiseled abs. Developing an hourglass shape takes dedicated effort -- especially when you want to do it in a hurry.

Eat healthy and cut calories if necessary. Choose foods that have a high nutrient content like lean meats, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Reduce your intake by 500 to 1,000 calories a day if you are overweight. Stick to the higher reduction if you have a lot of weight to lose.

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Perform cardiovascular exercise to burn fat. Pick a type that you enjoy and will stick with through the weeks like jogging, brisk walking, elliptical training or step aerobics. Aim for 30 minutes of training on three nonconsecutive days a week. If you have a high amount of fat, increase your time to 45 or 60 minutes and work out at a higher intensity.

Execute a set of stability ball dumbbell presses to target your chest. Lie face-up on the ball with your head and shoulders resting comfortably on top. Hold the dumbbells above your body, an inch apart, with your palms facing forward. Lower the weights down to your sides by bending your elbows, and stop when you feel a good stretch in your chest. Push the weights back up and repeat for 10 to 12 repetitions. Using the ball causes you to also work your abs.

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Target your shoulders and glutes at the same time by doing a sumo squat with upright row. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell in front of your body with your arms extended and a slightly less than shoulder-width grip. Turn your toes out 45 degrees and lower yourself down by bending your knees. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor and stand back up. Raise the bar in front of your body until it reaches neck height. Lower it back down and repeat the entire movement 10 to 12 times.

Grab a set of dumbbells to do walking lunges for the hips, thighs and glutes. Hold the weights down at your sides with your palms facing in and take a long step forward with your right foot. Lower yourself into a lunge by bending both knees 90 degrees. Stand back up, lunge ahead with your left leg and continue to alternate back and forth for 10 to 12 repetitions.

Execute a set of v-ups to target your midsection. Lie face-up on the floor with your arms extended behind your head, palms up and legs together. Lift your arms and legs at the same time and balance on your butt as you try to touch your hands to your toes. Lower yourself back down and repeat 15 to 20 times. Keep your arms and legs right above the floor when you lower yourself down to keep resistance on your abs.

Tips

Perform four or five sets of your weight training exercises and work out three days a week on noncardio days.