How to Target the Hard-to-Shape Body Parts: A Complete Guide

Everyone has those stubborn body parts they wish they could tone, lift, or reshape. Maybe it’s the turkey neck (loose skin and muscles under the chin), the triceps “bingo wings” (the bits behind your arms), the inner thighs, the roundness of the glutes, or those lower abs that never seem to show no matter how many crunches you do.

The good news? With the right training strategy, diet approach, and a few secret exercises, you can bring real change to these challenging areas. Let’s break it down, body part by body part.

1. Turkey Neck (Loose Skin Under the Chin)

Training

The neck is often overlooked, but it’s a muscle group like any other. Strengthening and tightening the platysma and surrounding muscles can improve definition.

• Neck Lifts: Lie flat, chin tucked slightly, and slowly lift your head 1–2 inches, holding for 10–15 seconds.

• Jawline Push-Forwards: Sit upright, push your lower jaw forward, hold for 5 seconds, relax. Repeat 10–15 times.

• Tongue-to-Roof Holds: Press your tongue hard against the roof of your mouth and smile at the same time. This activates the deep neck and jawline muscles.

Diet

• Reduce excess body fat to slim the neck area: prioritise a high-protein, moderate-carb diet.

• Cut added sugar and processed oils – these accelerate skin sagging.

• Stay hydrated: dehydration makes the skin looser.

Secret Tip

Collagen-rich foods (bone broth, fish skin, eggs) or a collagen supplement can improve skin elasticity when combined with neck exercises.

2. Back of the Arms (Triceps – “Bingo Wings”)

Training

To tighten and shape the triceps, isolation plus compound work is key.

• Close-Grip Push-Ups or Bench Press – Builds overall triceps mass.

• Overhead Dumbbell Extensions – Great stretch and contraction.

• Kickbacks with a Twist – Rotate the palm upward at the end of the kickback for maximum squeeze.

• Dips (on parallel bars or bench).

Aim for 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps, 2–3 times per week.

Diet

• To reveal toned arms, body fat needs to be lowered. Prioritise lean proteins (chicken, fish, legumes) and fibrous veg.

• Time carbs post-workout for recovery and minimise them at night if fat loss is the goal.

Secret Tip

Finish triceps training with isometric holds: lock out your arms straight and hold for 30–60 seconds. This pumps blood into the triceps and gives faster firmness.

3. Inner Thighs

Training

The inner thighs are notoriously stubborn, but you can hit them directly.

• Sumo Squats (wide stance, toes out).

• Side Lunges (bodyweight or dumbbells).

• Cable Adduction (bring the leg inward against resistance).

• Frog Pumps – Lie on your back, feet together, push hips up to squeeze adductors.

Diet

• Focus on glycogen-depleting workouts + carb cycling to pull fat from the thighs.

• Salt and water balance matter: inner thighs can hold water. Cut excess sodium from processed food.

Secret Tip

Combine heavy lifts (squats, deadlifts) with low-intensity cardio like incline walking. This burns stubborn fat from the thighs without bulking them.

4. Rounder Glutes (Getting a Lifted Bottom)

Training

Building the glutes requires progressive overload and glute activation.

• Hip Thrusts (barbell or bodyweight with pause at the top).

• Bulgarian Split Squats (rear foot elevated, torso upright).

• Glute Kickbacks (cables or ankle weights).

• Romanian Deadlifts – Hits glutes and hamstrings for shape.

Train glutes 2–3x per week, heavy and with high volume.

Diet

• Adequate protein (1.6–2.2 g per kg bodyweight).

• Slight calorie surplus if you want to grow glutes.

• Omega-3s (salmon, chia seeds) help muscle cell recovery.

Secret Tip

Most people don’t activate their glutes properly. Warm up with glute bridges and banded crab walks before heavy lifts to ensure your glutes, not your quads, are firing.

5. Lower Abs (The “Last Fat to Go”)

Training

You can’t “spot reduce”, but you can strengthen and tighten the lower abs.

• Reverse Crunches (slow, controlled).

• Hanging Leg Raises (knees tucked or straight).

• Flutter Kicks (time under tension).

• Plank with Knee Tucks (pull knees toward chest).

Diet

• Lower abs are revealed through fat loss: keep carbs clean (oats, rice, sweet potato).

• Cut alcohol and processed snacks – they bloat the lower belly.

• Intermittent fasting (e.g. 16:8) can help mobilise belly fat for some people.

Secret Tip

Finish ab sessions with vacuum holds: exhale completely, pull your stomach in as if touching your spine, and hold. This strengthens the transverse abdominis (your “corset muscle”) and flattens the stomach.

Universal Principles

• Progressive overload: Keep increasing weight, reps, or time under tension.

• Consistency: 8–12 weeks of focused training is needed before real changes show.

• Lifestyle: Sleep 7–8 hours, reduce stress (cortisol = stubborn fat), and drink at least 2 litres of water daily.

Stubborn body parts aren’t impossible to reshape – they just need a smarter combination of training, diet, and activation techniques. By pairing targeted exercises with an overall fat-loss strategy and some insider tricks like isometric holds, pre-activation drills, and vacuum training, you’ll be amazed at the changes you can achieve in those hard-to-tone areas.