Results After One Workout

Muscles aren't built in a day—but that doesn’t mean a solid workout can't give you instant definition. See, by performing certain moves—think, three to five sets of eight to 12 reps—you force a ton of blood into your muscles’ fast-twitch or power fibers. Long story short, this makes your worked muscles bloat in a good way, says Erica Suter, C.S.C.S., a Maryland-based trainer and strength coach.
The result is a sneak peek of how awesome your muscles will consistently look after weeks of training, she says. (It's also a secret strategy among fitness models everywhere—nature’s Photoshop, amirite?)
A recent Strength and Conditioning Journal shows that this technique—called the “pump”—can also prevent the muscle breakdown that often occurs when you’re working out to lose weight (we're looking at you, cardio queens).
Take any of the following seven exercises for a spin, then check yourself out in the mirror, good lookin'.