11 Workouts to Achieve That Hourglass Shape at Home
Achieving the perfect hourglass figure—a body shape characterized by a well-defined waist, fuller hips, and curvy proportions—doesn’t have to be reserved for the gym. With a combination of workouts to get an hourglass shape at home, you can sculpt your body without expensive equipment or gym memberships. Whether you’re aiming to emphasize your curves or build muscle for a more defined silhouette, these 11 hourglass shape workouts at home will help you get there.
1. Bodyweight Squats: Sculpting the Lower Body for Hourglass Curves
Bodyweight squats are one of the simplest and most effective workouts for hourglass shape at home. This movement primarily targets your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, shaping your lower body and contributing to the fuller hips that define an hourglass figure.
- How it helps: Squats create volume in your lower body, enhancing the curvature of your hips.
- Key muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core.
- How to perform: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, keeping your chest up. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 12-15 | 15-20 | 20-25 |
2. Glute Bridges: Boost Your Glute and Lower Back Strength
Glute bridges are excellent for lifting and shaping the buttocks, which is key to achieving a fuller bottom that complements an hourglass shape. This exercise also engages the core, improving posture and contributing to an overall balanced figure.
- How it helps: The glute bridges accentuate your hips, enhancing the curve between your waist and thighs.
- Key muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core.
- How to perform: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Push through your heels to lift your hips off the ground, squeezing your glutes at the top, then lower back down.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 15-20 | 20-25 | 25-30 |
3. Lateral Lunges: Tone Your Thighs and Hips
Lateral lunges target the inner and outer thighs, along with the glutes, helping to create a more defined waist-to-hip ratio. The side-to-side movement in lateral lunges adds variety to your workout, ensuring a balanced approach to achieving an hourglass shape at home.
- How it helps: Enhances your hips, toning the outer thighs and sculpting your lower body.
- Key muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, and adductors.
- How to perform: Step out to the side with your right leg, pushing your hips back and bending your right knee while keeping the left leg straight. Push back to the starting position and switch sides.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 10-12 per leg | 12-15 per leg | 15-20 per leg |
4. Plank Hip Dips: Strengthen Core and Waist
A strong core is essential for creating the illusion of a smaller waist, one of the key characteristics of the hourglass shape. Plank hip dips target the obliques, strengthening the muscles around your waist to define your figure.
- How it helps: Accentuates the waist by working the obliques, leading to a more defined midsection.
- Key muscles worked: Core, obliques, shoulders.
- How to perform: Get into a forearm plank position. Rotate your hips to the right, dipping them toward the floor, and then to the left. Repeat in alternating fashion.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 20-25 | 25-30 | 30-35 |
5. Mountain Climbers: Burn Fat and Sculpt Your Waist
If you’re looking to burn fat while toning your body, mountain climbers are a great high-intensity workout that works your core, shoulders, and legs. This exercise helps to reduce waist size, making the hourglass shape more pronounced.
- How it helps: Boosts metabolism and helps you achieve a slimmer waistline, essential for that hourglass figure.
- Key muscles worked: Core, shoulders, legs.
- How to perform: Start in a plank position and alternate bringing your knees toward your chest as if you’re climbing a mountain.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 |
6. Russian Twists: Define Your Waist and Obliques
To get that hourglass waist, you need to target the oblique muscles, and Russian twists are an excellent choice. This exercise focuses on the sides of your waist, creating a more tapered look that enhances the hourglass shape.
- How it helps: Tones and slims the waist, creating a defined midsection.
- Key muscles worked: Obliques, rectus abdominis (front abs), core.
- How to perform: Sit on the floor, lean back slightly, and lift your feet off the ground. Hold a weight or just clasp your hands together and rotate your torso from side to side.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 15-20 | 20-25 | 25-30 |
7. Deadlifts: Strengthen Your Glutes and Lower Back
Though deadlifts are typically performed with weights, they can also be done at home with household items like a backpack filled with books. This full-body workout, especially targeting the glutes and hamstrings, is perfect for anyone seeking to enhance their hourglass figure.
- How it helps: Adds muscle to your lower body, especially your hips and glutes, which are key for that hourglass shape.
- Key muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core.
- How to perform: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, bend at your hips and knees to grab your weights or household item. Keep your back straight as you hinge at the hips and stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 10-12 | 12-15 | 15-20 |
8. Donkey Kicks: Lift and Tone the Glutes
Donkey kicks are a fantastic way to firm and lift the glutes, making your hips appear fuller and more defined. This exercise, when performed consistently, helps create a pronounced curve between the waist and hips, which is crucial for an hourglass shape.
- How it helps: Targets the glutes, adding fullness to the hips and rear.
- Key muscles worked: Glutes, core, hamstrings.
- How to perform: Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Lift one leg behind you, keeping it bent at a 90-degree angle, and squeeze the glutes at the top.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 12-15 per leg | 15-20 per leg | 20-25 per leg |
9. Side Plank with Leg Raise: Target the Waist and Hips
A side plank with a leg raise is a powerful core exercise that enhances the waistline while also targeting the glutes and obliques. This exercise is key for achieving a well-rounded hourglass figure by tightening and toning the sides of your body.
- How it helps: Strengthens the core and tones the waist, accentuating your hourglass shape.
- Key muscles worked: Obliques, glutes, core.
- How to perform: Lie on your side and prop your body up on one forearm, keeping your body in a straight line. Raise your top leg toward the ceiling, then lower it back down without touching the ground.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 10-12 per side | 12-15 per side | 15-20 per side |
10. Jumping Jacks: Full Body Fat Burner
To achieve that hourglass figure, you’ll need to reduce body fat while building muscle. Jumping jacks are an excellent cardiovascular workout that will help you shed excess fat while also improving overall tone.
- How it helps: Helps with fat loss while toning your arms, legs, and core, which are key components of the hourglass figure.
- Key muscles worked: Full body—shoulders, arms, legs, and core.
- How to perform: Stand with feet together and hands at your sides. Jump, spreading your legs wide while bringing your arms overhead, then return to the starting position.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 |
11. Burpees: Full-Body Power Move for Fat Loss
The burpee is a full-body exercise that combines a squat, jump, and push-up, engaging multiple muscle groups at once. This high-intensity move is excellent for burning fat, while also building muscle in areas that contribute to the hourglass shape.
- How it helps: Promotes fat loss and muscle toning, helping to create the sleek curves of an hourglass figure.
- Key muscles worked: Full body—glutes, thighs, chest, arms, and core.
- How to perform: Start in a standing position, squat down, place your hands on the ground, and kick your feet back into a plank position. Perform a push-up, jump your feet back in, and explode upwards into a jump.
Set & Reps | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|
Sets | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Reps | 10-12 | 12-15 | 15-20 |
By incorporating these hourglass shape workouts at home, you can target key areas like the waist, hips, and glutes to build a more defined, feminine physique. Whether you’re focusing on muscle-building movements, cardio for fat loss, or core-centric exercises for waist definition, each workout plays a pivotal role in sculpting that hourglass figure you’ve always desired.