Get your best body by doing this 30-minute workout three times a week.
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1. Getting started
Warming up is essential to reduce the risk of injury. Jump on your favourite cardio machine, take a run around the block or use the stairs. A warm-up should take eight to 10 minutes — it should feel like your heart rate is beginning to elevate and your body temperature is starting to rise. The goal is to warm up your muscles and increase your heart rate without running out of breath.
2. Double duty
To fast-track your way to a bikini body, focus on exercises that incorporate more than one muscle group at a time. Once an exercise becomes too easy, increase the weight by two pounds at a time. Each exercise should be performed to the point of fatigue.
3. Squat with shoulder press
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Holding five- to eight-pound weights, bring your arms up to the sides so that they’re level with your shoulders and your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
• Keeping your arms stable, squat by sitting with your hips back and bending at the knees. Be sure that your abdominals are engaged, and keep your knees behind your toes as you bend into the squat.
• As you return to a standing position, lift the weights up over your head into a shoulder press.
• As you lower back down to a squat, lower your arms to the start position. Do two sets of 10 reps.
4. Single-leg extension with reverse fly
• With your arms at your sides and your palms facing inward, balance on one foot, keeping your knee soft.
• Extend the other leg behind you, making sure that you keep it tight by engaging the muscles. Slightly hinge at the hips so that your body and
spine are in a straight line.
• Keeping your elbows soft, lift your arms to shoulder height while lifting the extended leg. Squeeze your shoulder blades and your glutes.
• Lower slowly to the start position, staying balanced on the one foot without letting the other touch the ground. Do two sets of 10 reps on each leg.
Get beach ready with these tips
Work your upper body and core on the next page ...
