If you’re filling your workouts with endless crunches or wearing a waist trainer in hopes of achieving that hourglass look, you’re taking the wrong approach. The truth is, building your shoulders and back will actually make your waist look more chiselled. Who knew?

Add these exercises to your next upper-body day and reap the rewards of a chiselled waist. If you're not able to go to the gym, the GoodLife app has you covered! With a variety of On-Demand workouts, challenges and training plans - there's something for everyone. 

STANDING DUMBBELL SIDE RAISES - 4 SETS OF 12 REPS

  • Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides with your palms facing in
  • Roll your shoulders back, engage your core and look straight ahead
  • Raise your arms simultaneously out to your sides keeping your arms straight and stopping when your elbows reach shoulder-height and your body is forming a “T” shape
  • Pause briefly at the top of the movement and slowly lower the weights back down to your sides for one rep

DUMBBELL UPRIGHT ROWS - 4 SETS OF 10 REPS

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand in front of your body
  • Begin to lift the dumbbells up, pulling through your elbows and keeping the weights close to your body
  • Stop when your elbows are level with your shoulders and your dumbbells are at chest level
  • Pause briefly at the top of the movement and slowly drop the weights back down to the starting position for one rep

DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS - 3 SETS OF 10 REPS

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent
  • Hold a pair of dumbbells just outside of your shoulders with your arms bent and palms facing each other
  • Press both dumbbells up until the weights are overhead and your arms are straight
  • Pause at the top of the movement and then slowly lower the weights back down to shoulder-height for one rep

BENT-OVER DUMBBELL ROWS - 3 SETS OF 12 REPS

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other
  • Bend over at a 45-degree angle and pull the dumbbells straight back towards the sides of your chest
  • Take your arms no higher than parallel with your shoulders
  • Pause at the top of the movement before slowly lowering the weights back down to the starting position for one rep

WIDE GRIP LAT PULLDOWNS - 3 SETS OF 12 REPS

  • Begin sitting comfortably at the pulldown seat with your feet flat on the floor
  • The bar should be at a height that your outstretched arms can comfortably grasp the bar without having to fully stand up
  • Grasp the bar with a wide grip, overhand grip
  • Slowly pull the bar down until it is approximately level with your collar bone
  • Shifting slightly backward is okay, but aim to keep your torso stationary with your feet flat on the floor and engage your abs as you pull
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together while maintaining square shoulders
  • Slowly return the bar up to the starting position for one rep

LYING DUMBBELL PULLOVERS - 3 SETS OF 12 REPS

  • Position yourself lying flat on a bench with your feet planted slightly wider than the bench and holding a dumbbell between your hands in a diamond shape with your palms facing upwards
  • Extend your arms toward the ceiling over your chest and your elbows slightly bent
  • Extend the dumbbell back and overhead, keeping a strong back and core
  • Take 3-4 seconds to reach full extension behind, but not below your head
  • Pause briefly, then slowly return back to the starting position for one rep