The lean look is in, people; teenagers and even grown ups are no longer opting for big bulgy muscle workouts. The main problem is in the maintenance of these bulging muscles. People get tired of doing the same exercises again and again. While lifting weights are the best way to build muscles and burn calories, it also gets very boring sometimes. In this article, we have given a few muscle toning exercises to add variety to workout routines. Great Muscle Toning Workouts It is becoming harder for men and women to have an attractive body with the busy modern lifestyle that they are living today. Most of them do not follow a balanced diet, which leads to poor nutrition. Regular muscle toning workouts will help you lose that extra flab, and give you a well-defined body. Warm Up and Stretching The first step before beginning any muscle workout program is a short and sweaty warm up, with lots of muscle stretching. Warm up exercises are beneficial because they set the body in motion, warm up the muscles, increase the blood circulation, and thus avoid injuries. Start with a little bit of stretching and light jogging at the same place. You can also do two sets of skipping, 40 reps in each set. Take a two-minute breather between each set. Swimming Swimming is one of the best cardiovascular exercises and an excellent example of muscle toning. Your entire body works in this exercise. Spend 20 minutes doing freestyle and you burn more than 200 calories, or perform the famous breaststroke and you will lose more than 400 calories. It is one of the few exercises which have minimum injuries as well. Shoulder Press If you don't have time for a swim, you can hop to your local gym and perform a variety of exercises for muscle toning. Shoulder press is one good exercise for strengthening your arms and giving an excellent workout to your shoulder and back muscles. Sit in an erect posture on a ball or a seat, or any shoulder exercise equipment. Your knees should be parallel to the floor; if you are using an exercise ball sit in the middle. Raise the weight without locking your elbows, keep your abdomen muscles tight. Lower the weight to the starting position gradually. Performing this exercise on an exercise ball increases the core strength of the body. Aerobics Aerobic exercises are here and they are here to stay. A rage among people of all ages, it is fun, peppy, and effective. You do a lot of aerobic moves on fast-paced music which indirectly tones your muscles. More and more people are opting for it because you lose more calories in less time, and you don't face any muscle or bone injuries. Always begin your aerobics session after a warm and sweaty workout. Many people feel that aerobics is complicated, but if you do it step by step it is an exercise which has a double dose of fun. My advice, enroll in a class and see the results for yourself. Abdominal Crunches Crunches are the most popular and oldest way to have a lean stomach and attractive abs. Lie on an exercise mat on your back. Your knees should be slightly bent and keep your torso as flat as you can. Your hands should touch behind your head, and elbows should be pointing out. Pull your torso up, until there is little distance between your knees and chest. You will feel some tension in your abdomen muscles. Make sure you are not pulling on your neck with your hands. Your eyes should be focused on the ceiling. Slowly lower your torso back to the floor. Perform three sets of 15 reps. Push Ups This is one of the best and oldest workouts for arms and chest. Lie on your stomach face down, keeping your hands on the floor pointing forward. Your feet should be resting on your toes. Keep your arms straight as you push your entire body off the floor. Remember to keep your back straight and see to it that you are not bending at the waist. Slowly lower yourself down until your nose touches the floor, repeat the same procedure again. Push ups are an excellent way to increase the stamina level of the body. Yoga, water aerobics, and running are also excellent exercises for muscle toning. No matter which exercise you do, it is important that you do it properly and with dedication. And always remember to warm up before performing any exercise.