Workouts for hourglass figure or the figure 8 body shape.

The hourglass figure also referred to as figure 8 is a feminine body shape which most women wish to have. It is just like the shape of the hourglass or the number 8. The top and bottom are roughly huge and of the same size whereas the midsection is slim.
It is defined by body curves, a small waist, huge hips, and butt. It can be achieved in various ways like wearing body shapers, surgery or doing workouts for the hourglass figure. Workouts are the healthiest and they are kinda permanent if you continue with exercise.
To get the perfect hourglass figure, you will need a proper diet and effective workouts for the hourglass figure. You should include workouts for the bust, butt, thigh, glutes, and waist.
Workout exercises like squats, fire hydrants, lunges target the butt, glutes, and core. You will also need to slim the waist by doing planks, yoga, and cardio. For a complete hourglass figure the bust shouldn’t be ignored; exercises like push-ups, dumbbell press and lots more exercises in this article.
What does an hourglass figure mean?

The hourglass figure is one of the four traditional female body shapes that consist of large curvy hips, a small waist, and a big upper body. It is named for its resemblance to a typical hourglass where the upper body and lower body are roughly equally wide with a narrow circumference in the middle. It mainly focuses on three major body parts; upper body, waist and lower body (hips, glutes, and thighs).
Summary of how an hourglass figure looks like;
- Your body is described as curvy.
- Your waist is well-defined and slim.
- The bust and hips are roughly even with the same measurements.
Top hourglass figure celebrities.
Marilyn Monroe has had one of the best hourglass figures that are talked about even after decades of her death. Long before all the famous hourglass figures of today, Marilyn ruled the century with that figure.

- Kim Kardashian has one of the cutest hourglass figures and she dominates.
- Beyoncé.
- Shakira.
- Raquel Welch
- Jennifer Lopez.
- Dita Von Teese.
- Scarlett Johansson.
You can check on celebrities with the hourglass figure to inspire you.
What workouts give you an hourglass figure?
In order to make the perfect hourglass figure, you will need to focus on all the major hourglass body features. Every part should be worked upon. Some exercises are enhancers or builders whereas others are for slimming.
Enhancing exercises are for building body parts like the hips and butt. While slimming exercises should be done for the waist.
Hips, thighs, butt, and glutes toning exercises.
1. Squats.
Squats will target your hips burning off the fat. They are an exercise you should do for an hourglass figure as it targets various muscle groups like thighs and glutes. Squats are easy to perform even at home without equipment. You can use your body weight to do squats. Or you can add on weights like dumbbells for a more challenging experience.
To perform squats with equipment, hold two dumbbells in each hand or hold the kettlebell with both hands.
Body target: Hips, butt, thighs, and glutes.
How to perform a squat.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Stretch your arms in front of you for balance.
- Engage your core, keep a straight posture and lower yourself like you are sitting on an invisible chair.
- Stop at a point when your body should is parallel to the floor.
- Stand back to the starting position; this counts as one rep.
- Perform 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
2. Fire hydrants.
The fire hydrant is a great exercise for working out your lower body. It is excellent for strengthening the gluteus maximus. The fire hydrant works on the hips and glutes.
Body target: Glutes and hips.
How to perform fire hydrants.
- Start on all fours with legs hip-width apart and your palms exactly under your shoulders.
- Lift your right leg away from your body at a 45-degree angle while keeping your left knee unmoved. Your hip should be the only part moving while your core and pelvis are stable.
- Slowly lower your right leg to count as one rep.
- Do a set of 15-20 reps.
- Then alternate to the left leg and do the same with the exact number of repetitions.
3. Lunges.
Guess you have seen someone on a bended knee proposing, then you must be familiar with lunges. Lunges are in a form of kneeling and they work on the lower body parts.
Body target: quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
How to do lunges correctly.
- Start in a standing position.
- Take a big step forward with the left leg, and kneel with the right leg that didn’t take the step forward.
- Return to the starting position and alternate legs this time around taking a big step forward with the right leg and kneeling with the left.
- The leg that takes the big step forward should bend parallel to the floor.
There are many variations of lunges you can try out like the walking lunges, lateral lunges and many more. Also, for more challenging lunges, you can carry dumbbells in either hand.
4. Side-lying leg raises.
As the name states, this workout involves lying on your side then raising your leg upwards. It can be done without equipment or with resistance bands for a more challenging work out.
How to do the side-lying exercise.
- Lie on an exercise mat on your right side.
- Slowly, raise your left leg as high as you can go. Keep your foot pointed to the front as you do the exercise.
- Pause at the top and then lower your leg to the starting position.
- Repeat 10 times on each side.
Bust workouts (Upper body) for the hourglass figure.
5. Push-ups.
Pushups are great for making the upper body and chest area build and tone. There is a myth that push-ups are for men. Women also need push-ups to burn fat around the upper body and tone the bust area. They are also great for burning fat around the arms.
How to do push-ups.
- Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than your shoulders and palms facing forward.
- Lower yourself slowly while bending your elbows until your chest is few inches near the floor.
- Your elbows showed remain tucked near your body.
- Raise slowly and go back to the starting position.
- You can start by performing 3-5 push-ups.
6. Dumbbell chest press.
This exercise will require the use of equipment like dumbbells and an exercise bench. You can start with light weights like 10-15 pounds and increase weights as you get stronger.
How to do dumbbell chest presses.
- Start by lying on an exercise bench with a dumbbell in each hand, knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the dumbbells with your elbows bent and palms facing your feet.
- Arms should be on the side of your shoulders, parallel on the side of your body and dumbbells held up.
- Start by involving your chest while raising the dumbbells until the arms are straight then pausing for a few seconds.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position and this counts as one rep.
- Do 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
7.Dumbbell fly.
The chest fly targets your chest muscles and is a great way of shaping your bust. Start with light weights and increase as you get stronger.
How to perform dumbbell fly.
- Start by lying on the exercise bench knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Hold dumbbells with palms facing each other with arms stretched outwards forming a 90 degree with your body.
- Slowly and carefully raise the dumbbells up to make the dumbbells meet while keeping your hands straight.
- Pause for a few seconds then go back to the starting point, you must feel your chest stretch as you lower the dumbbells to the starting point.
- Do 3 sets of about 5-10 repetitions.
How can I slim my waist?
It is very important to understand how weight loss works. It is a myth to believe the idea of losing weight around one part of the body. ”Spot reduction” has proved to be ineffective. Therefore, if you are thinking of a slim waist, you should consider general bodyweight loss.
Check your diet.

In order to lose weight around the waist, you should embark on a weight loss diet to check and minimize your calorie consumption. Poor diet is one of the causes of weight gain even in the waist area. Therefore, limiting the number of calories will help you get a slim waist.
Do the waist targeting exercises.
Plenty of exercises are able to reduce fat around the abdominal area and the waistline inclusive. Exercising for the right amount of time and intensity will give you a slim waist. Those exercises include;
- Planks
- Yoga.
- Standing oblique crunch.
- Cardio.
How can I get an hourglass figure overnight?
To get an hourglass figure overnight, you will need to make an illusion because that time will not be enough for workouts. Exercises are the health and permanent way to get that perfect bombshell body. But it may require like a month or two.
Here is the question how do you get that Km Kardashian hourglass figure without hard times at the gym or complicated surgeries. Without workouts or surgery, you can get the hourglass figure by wearing body shapers. First of all, you should concentrate on the bust size, waist definition, butt size, and hip curves and size.
I wrote an article about waist trainers that can help you get an hourglass figure instantly.
The cleavage and bust size.
You will need a bra that will make your upper body shapely. This is the area around the breasts that’s why you should choose a good bra. Here are my best picks for a perfect bra for the hourglass figure.
Waist definition.
For a complete hourglass figure, you should have a slim waist to complement your looks. Guess you have heard of waist trainers or waist cinchers. These are used by many even celebrities to achieve the hourglass figure. Below is my best pick of waist trainers for an hourglass figure.
Butt size and shape.
To transform fully into an hourglass figured woman, you may need your butt enhancers for more amazement. Booty boosters which are generally rounded pads that create shape, lift your butt or make it bigger. You can try out my best selections of booty enhancers.
Hip size and shape.
You will need rounded hips to have the perfect figure 8 shape. With hip enhancers, you will get the required hip size and curves for the hourglass figure. Here are my best picks in hip enhancers for the hourglass figure.
How can I shape my waist?
There is no magic pill that will shape your waist to the desired size and shape. Rather, it is a combination of a good diet, regular exercise, and healthy weight loss habits.
The use of waist trainers can also help to get your waist in shape faster. They give an immediately desired shape to your waist. If waist cinchers are combined with proper dieting and exercise, you will get the waist shape much faster.
The bottom line.
The truth is having an hourglass figure doesn’t necessarily guarantee beauty or being more attractive. We have seen women with normal figures and still, they are amazing and very beautiful. If it is not your call to have an hourglass figure, don’t force it. Just play out normally because you are beautiful just the way you are.
In order to attain a perfect hourglass figure, you should lose general body weight by following weight loss practices, dieting, and proper workouts.
Read next: The best workouts to lose arm fat
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