11 Best Exercises For Apple-Shaped Bod Type To Ace Your Fitness Goals

If you’ve ever glanced at your reflection and noticed your body looks like an apple shape, you’re not alone.

For many women, excess weight tends to accumulate around the midsection rather than spreading evenly all around.

While it’s natural for some body shapes to carry more weight in the abdominal area, it still can be frustrating not to see results from regular exercise or diet changes.

However, there are targeted exercises you can do to help shift where fat is stored in your body over time.

In this post, we’ll share our top exercises that are especially effective for an apple-shaped body type.

These moves help burn calories while adding toned muscle definition where you need it most—around your middle.

By regularly incorporating these postures and movements into your routine, you’ll start to see rewarding changes in the mirror.

Let’s get started:

Related: Best Workouts For Pear-Shaped Body Type

Best At-Home Exercises For Apple-Shaped Body

Here is a list of workouts you can do if you have an apple-shaped body type:

1.      Burpees

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Burpees are an excellent full-body exercise that engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. For individuals with an apple-shaped body, burpees contribute to overall calorie burning and fat loss.

The explosive nature of the jump helps elevate the heart rate, promoting cardiovascular health.

Additionally, the incorporation of a push-up in the sequence targets the arms, chest, and core, contributing to improved muscle tone and definition in the upper body and midsection.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Start in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Drop into a squat position and place your hands on the ground.
• Kick your feet back, landing in a plank position.
• Perform a push-up, lowering your chest to the ground.
• Jump your feet back towards your hands, returning to the squat position.
• Explosively jump up from the squat, reaching your arms overhead.
• Land softly and immediately go into the next repetition.

2.      Dumbbell Rows

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Dumbbell rows are particularly beneficial workouts for individuals with an apple-shaped body as they target the upper back, lats, and arms.

By strengthening these muscle groups, dumbbell rows contribute to improved posture and create a more defined silhouette.

This exercise also engages the core muscles as they stabilize the body during the rowing movement, offering additional toning benefits for the midsection.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight, and let the dumbbells hang in front of you.
• Pull the dumbbells to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Lower the dumbbells back down with control.
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

3.      Lap Swimming

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Lap swimming is a low-impact cardiovascular exercise that is gentle on the joints, making it a suitable move for individuals with an apple-shaped body.

The resistance provided by the water engages the entire body, including the core, arms, and legs.

Swimming effectively burns calories and improves overall fitness, promoting weight loss and toning throughout the body, including the abdominal area.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Start at the edge of the pool and push off with your legs.
• Engage in a flutter kick with your legs while reaching forward with your arms.
• Rotate your body to breathe as needed.
• Continue swimming laps, alternating between different strokes if desired.

4.      Zumba or Dance Workouts

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Zumba and dance workouts offer a fun and dynamic way for individuals with an apple-shaped body to engage in cardiovascular exercise.

The energetic dance movements help burn calories, contributing to weight management. The variety of steps and arm movements in dance routines also target the core, promoting abdominal muscle engagement and toning.

Additionally, the enjoyable nature of these workouts can enhance adherence to a regular exercise routine.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Follow the choreography led by an instructor or video.
• Engage your entire body by incorporating arm movements, footwork, and hip movements.
• Keep the energy high and enjoy the music as you dance through the routine.
• Modify movements as needed to match your fitness level.

5.      Sun Salutations (Yoga)

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Sun salutations in yoga provide a holistic approach to fitness, combining strength, flexibility, and mindfulness.

Sun salutations are among the top exercises for apple-shaped women as they engage the core muscles and promote body awareness, creating a mind-body connection.

The controlled movements help tone the abdominal muscles, and the meditative aspect of yoga can positively influence stress levels, which may be beneficial for weight management.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Start in a standing position with feet together.
• Inhale and raise your arms overhead, palms together.
• Exhale and fold forward at the hips, bringing hands to the floor.
• Inhale, lift your chest, and look forward (halfway lift).
• Exhale, step or jump back into a plank position and lower into a low push-up.
• Inhale, arch into upward-facing dog or cobra.
• Exhale, lift your hips into downward-facing dog.
• Repeat the sequence or move to the next pose in your routine.

6.      Russian Twists

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Russian twists are an effective exercise for targeting the obliques and the muscles along the sides of the torso.

For those with an apple-shaped body, this exercise contributes to waistline definition by toning the love handle area. The twisting motion engages the core, providing a focused workout for the abdominal muscles.

Additionally, Russian twists can enhance rotational strength, which is beneficial for overall functional fitness and daily activities.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat.
• Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight.
• Hold a weight or medicine ball with both hands.
• Lift your feet off the ground, balancing on your sit bones.
• Twist your torso to one side, bringing the weight beside you.
• Return to the center and twist to the other side.
• Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Exercises For Apple-Shaped Body To Slim Down

Here is a list of workouts that are best suited for apple-shaped body types:

7.    Jumping Jacks

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Jumping jacks are a dynamic and effective cardiovascular exercise that can benefit individuals with an apple-shaped body.

By engaging the entire body in a rhythmic jumping motion, they promote calorie burning and overall fat loss. This is particularly advantageous for those with excess weight around the midsection.

Jumping jacks help improve cardiovascular health, enhance metabolism, and contribute to a more balanced fat distribution, making them a valuable addition to a fitness routine for individuals with an apple-shaped body.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Stand with your feet together and arms at your sides.
• Jump your feet out to the sides while simultaneously raising your arms overhead.
• Keep your knees slightly bent to absorb the impact as you land.
• Jump back to the starting position, bringing your feet together and lowering your arms to your sides.
• Repeat the motion for the desired duration.

8.    Donkey Kicks

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Donkey kicks are a targeted exercise that focuses on the glutes and core, making them beneficial workout for individuals with an apple-shaped body seeking to tone and strengthen their lower body.

As these kicks specifically engage the glute muscles, they can contribute to building a firmer and more defined buttock area.

Strengthening the core is also crucial for improving posture and providing stability to the midsection, helping to address concerns associated with an apple-shaped body, such as a wider waistline.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position with wrists directly under shoulders and knees under hips.
• Engage your core and lift one leg, keeping it bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Focus on using your glutes to lift the leg.
• Straighten your bent leg and lift it towards the ceiling, engaging your glutes throughout.
• Bend your knee again, bringing it back down towards the floor without touching the ground.
• Repeat on the same leg before switching to the other.

9.    High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

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HIIT is a highly efficient workout strategy for women with an apple-shaped body, as it combines intense bursts of exercise with short rest periods.

This approach has been shown to be effective in burning calories and reducing overall body fat, including visceral fat around the abdomen, which is common in apple-shaped individuals.

The high-intensity nature of the workout boosts metabolism, promoting fat loss even after the exercise session has ended.

Additionally, HIIT helps improve insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial for those with apple-shaped bodies who may be at a higher risk of insulin resistance and related health issues.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Start with a brief warm-up of 5-10 minutes, including light cardio and dynamic stretches.
• Choose a high-intensity exercise (e.g., sprinting, burpees) and perform it at maximum effort for 20-30 seconds.
• Rest or do a low-intensity exercise (e.g., walking or slow jogging) for 10-20 seconds.
• Repeat the cycle of high-intensity and rest intervals for 15-30 minutes, depending on your fitness level.
• Finish with a cool-down comprising static stretches and deep breathing to gradually lower your heart rate.

10. Bicycle Crunches

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Bicycle crunches are useful workouts for women with an apple-shaped body because they target multiple muscle groups in the abdominal area, including the obliques and rectus abdominis.

By engaging these muscles, bicycle crunches help tone and strengthen the core, contributing to a slimmer waistline and improved body proportions.

Additionally, the twisting motion involved in bicycle crunches helps to enhance flexibility and mobility in the torso, which can be especially beneficial for apple-shaped individuals who may carry excess weight around the midsection.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat or a comfortable surface.
• Place your hands behind your head, lightly supporting it with your fingers.
• Bend your knees and lift your feet off the ground, keeping them parallel to the floor. This is your starting position.
• Lift your shoulder blades off the floor, engaging your core muscles.
• Simultaneously, bring your right elbow towards your left knee while straightening your right leg, as if you’re pedaling a bicycle.
• Twist your torso to bring your elbow and knee together.
• As you bring your right elbow towards your left knee, straighten your left leg.
• At the same time, twist your torso to bring your left elbow towards your right knee.

11. Leg Raises

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Leg raises have to be on your list of apple-shaped exercises as they primarily target the lower abdominal muscles, which tend to be a trouble spot for this body type.

By strengthening the lower abs, leg raises help to improve core stability and posture, which can create a more balanced appearance.

Furthermore, leg raises engage the hip flexors, which can aid in reducing the appearance of a protruding belly by promoting better pelvic alignment.

Incorporating leg raises into a workout routine can contribute to overall body toning, helping apple-shaped individuals achieve a more proportionate physique.

Step-By-Step Guide:

• Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat with your legs extended and your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
• Ensure your lower back is pressed into the mat to engage your core muscles. This is your starting position.
• Keeping your legs straight, slowly lift them upwards towards the ceiling, while simultaneously lifting your hips off the floor.
• Use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs, ensuring your lower back remains in contact with the mat.
• Continue lifting your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor or as high as you can comfortably go without arching your lower back.
• Maintain control throughout the movement to prevent swinging or jerking motions.
• Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position, engaging your core muscles to control the descent.

Conclusion

Taking care of your apple-shaped body is all about finding the right exercises that work for you.

While it may seem like a daunting task at first, with determination and consistency, you can achieve your desired body shape and improve your overall health.

Remember to mix things up by incorporating cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises into your routine.

By following the aforementioned exercises for apple shaped body, you’ll be well on your way to feeling confident and comfortable in your own skin.