Get ready in just four weeks to hit the beach and show off a sleek physique in your teeny bikini when warm weather arrives. Start with a cardio workout, a work your whole-body regimen, and specific exercises to target your problem areas. Don’t forget your clean, healthy nutrition to shed excess pounds and build beautifully defined muscles.
Cardio
Go for 30 minutes of your favorite cardio three days each week. Run, swim, bike, hike, hit the elliptical or play tennis. You may want to try a walk-to-jog. Here’s how:
Start with 2 minutes of easy walking at a pace just short of breaking into a jog. Then, for the next 2 minutes as you walk, add side-to-side twists with hands clasped together centered just below chest. Twist your upper body to the left while you step forward on the left foot and then to right as you step with right foot. Repeat the twist for 2 minutes while keeping your hips steady. The next 2 minutes should be a normal jog at a brisk pace. That’s one series. Do this series four times or longer. Cool down with an easy 5-minute walk.
Toning Workout
You can find a number of workouts online that promise a bikini bod fast. Many deliver a general shape-up schedule that’s designed to tone the whole body, but they don’t always address your specific needs. Customize your general sculpting plan by adding additional exercises targeted to your problem areas. What parts of your body do you want to hide at the beach? We all have them, believe me. Tone them, don’t hide them.
Here are some toning moves designed to help get that perky hind quarters. You can tone your quads, calves and hamstrings with this move if you start off in the downward dog yoga pose.
- Get down on all fours, then tuck your toes under to move to a downward dog. Push your arms back as you lift your hips toward the ceiling to form an inverted V.
- Maintaining the V position, lift your left foot off the floor and extend that leg upward behind you, pushing out towards the back wall and then up to the ceiling. Repeat on each leg.
- Do 5 balanced calf raises by standing on your right leg, lifting your right heel off floor, then lowering it back down. Repeat on each side.
- Bend your left knee and bring it in towards your chest, then step your left foot down in front of you on the ground aligned with your hip. Do a lunge. Bring it back and switch sides. Your arms can be at your sides or outstretched above you. You will get a deeper stretch and better workout if you are working your arms at the same time. You can switch up this set by stepping your foot down behind you, and do a lunge by bending the leg that’s closest to the front of the room.
Nutrition
Pay attention to a healthy diet during the four weeks you’re devoting to bikini readiness. A clean diet will help you lose excess weight and also kick-start your effort to give your muscles definition. Make sure you eat enough protein to build muscle, so grab a protein shake within 60 minutes after your workout. Don’t eat complex carbs at night. Make 4 p.m. your cutoff for indulging in the heavier complex foods.
Tricks of the Trade
For a last-minute trick that will make you look super defined on the sand, try some push-ups and wall squats before you put on your bikini. Even as little as a 10-minute workout will make your muscles pop, so you can get the most out of your fun in the sun!