With Christmas looming and the weather getting somewhat colder, many are choosing this time to jet off to a tropical location. The problem is, not all are prepared to wear a bikini. Skin may be looking a little pasty, the gym membership you have is yet to be used and the warm and comforting winter foods that have been surrounding you for the last few months are now starting to show.
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting warmer climes in the very near future, its time to get that body toned, sculpted and strut-ready. To find out how to get your body in tip-top shape for beachwear, simply look to the five exercises below – all of which are guaranteed to target problem areas for bikini season.
To get the definitive bikini body, it’s recommended that you do each of the following exercises 3 times per week with 1-minute surges or cardio in between.
Single Leg Squats – Sculpts the glutes.
Position yourself on one leg with the opposite toes touching for balance. Place your hands on your hips and squat down. You should look a little as if you’re sitting on an imaginary a chair. It’s important to keep the chest and eyes up, as well as a slight arch in the lower back. Try and keep the knees from going beyond the front toe. As you squat down slowly rise back to standing position, you should feel the glute muscles contracting. Allow the muscles of the supporting leg to do most of the work. Breathe in as you squat low and out as you come back to standing position. Repeat this exercise for 20 reps on each leg.
Abs Circles on the Ball – Sculpts the entire mid-section.
Position your bum on a stability ball. The ball should support the lower back. If you find that you’re unbalanced, simply rest your feet against a wall. With hands at the temples, start with a side bend to the right, then arch your back and come the entire way round, through to a side bend to the left and then up to your initial point. Complete a total of 10 continuous circles to the right, tailed by another ten circles to the left. Breathe in for the first ten and out for the second ten. Focus on toning the muscles of the abdomen.
Jumping Lunges – Sculpts the entire leg.
Stand with your back facing a chair. Place your toe on the back leg of the chair, whilst focusing on creating a wide lunge. For an extra push, complete this exercise whilst holding dumbbells. Placing the back toe on the bench, lunge down with the front leg and then burst into a single leg jump. It’s important to work through the foot whilst creating a smooth movement. You should then move into another lunge using the other leg. Breathe in as you lunge down and out as you rise. Replicate this movement 10 times and then swap legs. Do two sets of 10 on each leg.
Lying Ball Raise – Sculpts the glutes.
Position your mat on the floor and lie face down with the legs stretched and turned out. Toes should be pointed and if you can, hold a small stability ball between the ankles. Rest the forehead on your hands, whilst focusing on keeping the legs stretched and hugging the ball between the ankles. Tighten the glute muscles to raise the ball off the ground as high as you can. It’s important to try not to use the upper body when performing this exercise. Focus instead on allowing the lower body to execute the movement. Breathe out as you lift the legs and in as you lower them. Bring the ball up slowly and then lower it to around ½ an inch off the ground for best results. Perform 15 repetitions, rest and then repeat.
Ball Hamstring Curl – Sculpts the hamstrings.
Position your mat on the floor and lie face down with the bottoms of your feet resting on a stability ball. Elevate the hips slightly, whilst keeping them in line with the rest of the body. Tighten the hamstrings to roll the ball in towards the lower back, and then roll back it back out again. It’s important to let the hips remain as high as possible. The hips, knees and feet should be parallel. Breathe in as you roll the ball in towards your body and out as you roll it away. Execute 15 repetitions, rest and then reiterate this exercise.