Shreya's Hourglass Plan

Glutes & Hamstrings Hourglass Priority

Bottom half of the hourglass · 60–90 sec rest between sets

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tip
Barbell Hip Thrust Pad on bar, spotter holds	4	10–12	Squeeze at top 1 sec
Romanian Deadlift Light bar, strict hinge	3	10–12	Hinge, don't squat
Sumo Goblet Squat Wide stance, toes out 45°	3	12–15	Knees track toes
Dumbbell Step-Up Bench or box, one leg at a time	3	12 each leg	Drive through heel
Lying Hamstring Curl	3	12–15	Full extension down
Abductor Machine Hip width builder	3	15–20	Slow & controlled

🌸For Dumbbell Step-Up: use a bench or sturdy box at knee height. Step up, drive through the heel, bring the opposite knee up at the top, then lower slowly. The slow descent is where the glute works hardest — don't rush it.

Shoulders & Upper Back Hourglass Priority

Wider shoulders visually narrow the waist · 60–90 sec rest

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tip
Seated DB Shoulder Press Spotter assists on last rep	4	10–12	Don't arch lower back
Lateral Raise 2–4 kg, perfect form	4	12–15	Lead with elbows
Seated Cable Row	3	10–12	Retract scapula
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown	3	10–12	Pull to upper chest
Face Pull (Rope Cable)	3	15	Rear delts + posture fix
DB Front Raise Alternating arms	3	12	Don't swing

Arms Biceps + Triceps

Toned, defined arms without bulk · light-to-moderate weight · 45–60 sec rest

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tip
Barbell / EZ-Bar Curl Supinated grip	3	10–12	Elbows stay fixed
Hammer Curl Neutral grip, both arms together	3	12	Targets brachialis
Incline DB Curl Full stretch at bottom	3	10–12	Best bicep stretch
Tricep Pushdown (Rope) Cable machine, rope attachment	3	12–15	Spread rope at bottom
Overhead Tricep Extension Single DB, both hands	3	12	Long head activation
Cable Tricep Kickback Hinged forward, no ankle strap	3	12 each	Lock elbow, extend only
Concentration Curl Seated, elbow on inner thigh	2	12 each	Peak contraction

💫Arm day is low intensity — perfect after heavy shoulders. Keep weights modest. The goal is definition and pump, not heavy lifting.

Lower Body Quad & Glute

Balanced leg development · more quad emphasis than Day 1 · 60–90 sec rest

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tip
Leg Press Feet hip-width, mid-high placement	4	10–15	Full range of motion
Smith Machine Squat Safer for beginners	3	10–12	Controlled descent
DB Walking Lunge	3	10 each leg	Knee tracks toes
Leg Extension Machine	3	12–15	Squeeze at top
Single-Leg Hip Thrust Bodyweight first	3	12 each	Fixes imbalance
Standing Calf Raise	3	15–20	Full stretch at bottom

Chest & Upper Push Shape & Lift

Chest development lifts and shapes the bust area · 60–90 sec rest

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Tip
Incline DB Press 30–45° angle, spotter ready	4	10–12	Upper chest focus
Flat DB Press	3	10–12	Slight arch, chest up
Pec Deck / Cable Fly Feel the chest stretch fully	3	12–15	Squeeze in center
Arnold Press Seated DBs	3	10–12	Rotate as you press up
Assisted Dip Machine Or bench dips to start	3	10–12	Lower chest + triceps
Cable Crossover (Low to High)	3	12–15	Inner chest definition

🌸Chest training does not reduce breast size — it builds the pectoral muscle underneath, which actually improves shape and lift.

Core & Waist Waist Focus

Tighten the middle of the hourglass · no rest within supersets · 60 sec between rounds

Exercise	Sets	Reps / Time	Tip
Dead Bug Core stability, beginner safe	3	10 each side	Lower back flat
Plank	3	30–45 sec	Don't hold breath
Cable Woodchop (Low to High)	3	12 each side	Oblique emphasis
Hanging Knee Raise	3	10–12	Control the swing
Ab Wheel Rollout On knees to start	3	8–10	Core tight throughout
Side Plank	3	25 sec each side	Hips high and level

⚠️Avoid heavy dumbbell side bends — these grow the obliques outward and widen the waist. Stick to anti-rotation and bracing work.

Active Recovery & Mobility ✿

Still at the gym — no weights, just movement, breathing, and body care

Mobility & Recovery Routine

45–50 minutes total · this is what separates consistent athletes from injured ones

Activity	Duration	Notes
Incline Treadmill Walk 5–8% incline, easy pace	15 min	Warm blood flow
Hip Flexor Stretch Kneeling lunge position	60 sec each	Counter sitting posture
Glute Pigeon Stretch	60 sec each	Critical after hip thrust days
Foam Roll — Quads, IT Band, Back	8–10 min	Slow, pause on tight spots
Shoulder Crossbody Stretch	45 sec each	Rear delt recovery
Cat-Cow + Child's Pose	5 min	Spine decompression
Deep Breathing / Light Yoga Flow	10 min	Nervous system reset

🌿This day is not optional. 6 days of training is high volume for a beginner. Mobility work directly prevents injury and improves posture — which makes the hourglass look even better.

Daily Targets · Vegetarian

1,900–2,100

Calories (surplus)

110–130g

Protein

220–250g

Carbohydrates

55–65g

Healthy Fats

3+ L

Water / day

⚡Vegetarian protein is harder to hit — 110g+ per day requires deliberate planning every single meal. Eggs and whey (lacto-ovo) make this much easier.

Best Vegetarian Protein Sources

Food	Protein	Notes
Paneer (100g)	18g	Use low-fat homemade
Eggs — 2 whole + 3 whites	~22g	Best bioavailability
Greek Yogurt / Hung Curd (200g)	18–20g	Post-workout snack
Whey Protein (1 scoop)	24–28g	Lacto-veg friendly
Soya Chunks (30g dry)	12g	Budget-friendly, complete protein
Tofu (100g)	8–10g	Good with stir-fry masala
Dal / Lentils (1 cup cooked)	18g	Pair with rice for full amino profile
Rajma / Chole (1 cup cooked)	15g	Also high in iron
Milk (250ml full-fat)	8g	Pre-sleep with turmeric
Peanut Butter (2 tbsp)	7g	Healthy fats too

Sample Day of Eating · Lucknow Vegetarian

Meal	Food	~Protein
Breakfast	3 egg omelette + 2 roti + curd	28g
Pre-workout	Banana + 1 tbsp peanut butter	5g
Post-workout	Whey shake + 200g hung curd	44g
Lunch	Dal + rice + sabzi + 100g paneer	30g
Evening	Soya chunk chaat or tofu bhurji	12g
Dinner	Rajma / chole + 2 roti + salad	17g
Total		~136g ✓

12-Week Phase Plan

Weeks 1–4

Foundation

Learn every movement. Light weight. 3 sets. Perfect form first.

Weeks 5–8

Build

Add sets (up to 4). Add 2.5 kg when 12 reps feel easy. Track weights in a notebook.

Weeks 9–12

Shape

Drop sets on glutes + shoulders. Time under tension. Tighten meal timing.

Measure Every 4 Weeks · Tape Not Scale

Measurement	Hourglass Target
Shoulders (widest)	Should grow — training is working
Waist (narrowest, above navel)	Stay same or reduce
Hips / Glutes (widest)	Should grow — training is working
Body weight	Aim toward 45–50 kg lean
Arms (flexed)	Slight increase = muscle gain

Hourglass Shape Ratios

Target: waist ≤ 70–75% of hip measurement

Shoulders

Wide

Waist

Narrow

Hips

Wide

Arms

Toned

✨Cardio: Max 2× per week — 20 min incline treadmill walk. Too much cardio at 40 kg burns the muscle needed to build the hourglass. Earn the cardio after you hit 46 kg.