Bent-Over Row

Halle's worked with trainer Harley Pasternak, who told Health that Halle is a fan of rowing exercises [3]: "[Dumbbell rows] strengthen the rhomboids, the muscles in your upper back that connect your shoulder blades to your spine, giving you a toned back and much better posture." Harley recommends row exercises as a way to achieve sculpted shoulders and a toned upper back — great for backless dresses, bikinis, and tanks!

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet hip width apart. Keep a slight bend in your knees. Fold your torso forward so your back is almost parallel with the floor and your arms are extended out, in line with your shoulders. Draw in your abs to protect your lower back.
• As you exhale, bring your elbows toward your shoulders and close to your side. To get the upper back working, think of sliding your shoulder blades together. As you inhale, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
• With control, perform as many reps as you can in one minute.

Use eight- to 10-pound dumbbells.

Photo: POPSUGAR Studios

Elbow Plank

Already a solid move for your core, an elbow plank is an excellent exercise for your chest, shoulders, and biceps.

• Get face down on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees.
• Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
• Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
• Keep your back flat — don't let it droop or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
• Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20 to 30 seconds in the beginning, and as you get stronger, work your way up to one minute.
• Repeat three times.

Lateral Arm Raises

Lateral arm raises (aka side-arm raises) work your deltoids, which will help deliver strong, sexy shoulders.

• Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms face in toward the sides of your body.
• Start with the right side first. With control, keep your arm straight (but don't lock that elbow), and as you inhale, raise your right hand up toward the ceiling. You want your palm to be facing down and your arm to be parallel to the floor. Then as you exhale, slowly lower your hand back to your body. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision. So your arm isn't directly out to the side, but slightly forward.
• Repeat with your left arm.
• Then do both your right and left arms at the same time.
• Continue these moves of right, left, together, right, left, together, for a total of 10 to 12 reps. Do two sets.

Use three- to five-pound dumbbells.

Squat, Curl, and Press

Moving from a squat to an overhead press gets the heart rate going while working your butt and legs.

• Stand with your feet directly under your hips, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Sit back into your squat, keeping the weight in your heels, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor without letting your knees go beyond your toes.
• Push through your heels to return to standing while bringing the weights to your shoulders, performing a bicep curl.
• Stabilize your torso and keep your arms moving upward, performing an overhead press with the palms facing out.
• Lower your arms back to your side to complete one rep.
• Do 10 reps to complete a set.

Use eight- to 10-pound dumbbells.

Triceps Dips

To tone your triceps — the muscles that run on the backside of your upper arms from your shoulder to your elbow — do triceps dips. It's a great basic exercise that requires little equipment.

• Position your hands shoulder width apart on a secured bench, the floor, or stable chair.
• Move your booty in front of the bench with your legs bent and feet placed about hip width apart on the floor.
• Straighten out your arms and keep a little bend in your elbows in order to always keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.
• Now slowly bend at your elbows and lower your upper body down toward the floor until your arms are at about a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the bench.
• Once you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly press off with your hands, and push yourself straight back up to the starting position.
• Repeat for a total of 12 to 15 reps. Do two sets.