A great bikini body takes work, and smart work at that – here are some tips on achieving it.
1. Strength Training
The more muscle you can add to your body, the more fat you will burn. If you are like a lot of women, you may be worried that lifting weights will cause you to bulk up. In fact, however, females have far less testosterone in their bodies than males. As a result, your muscles won’t become big – they will just become lean and toned. Strength training is a great way to tone your muscles so that your body can burn more calories.
2. Muscles Require More Energy
Bodies that have a lot of muscle require far more energy than those that have a lot of fat. By using strength training to build muscle, you can turn your body into a fat-burning machine. Adding more muscle to your body will help your metabolism run faster. As a result, your body will use the calories that you consume more quickly and efficiently.
Although cardiovascular exercise is extremely important, strength training is also crucial if you want to lose weight. Focusing on muscle-building exercises will help you get in shape far faster than simply focusing on cardio alone. The next time you go to the gym, be sure to try out some of the weight machines. Additionally, eat plenty of protein so that your body has the building blocks that it needs to add muscle.
3. Work Out In The Morning
If possible, working out in the morning is a great way to give your metabolism a boost right off the bat. When you do an intense workout early in the day, your metabolism will keep burning extra calories throughout the rest of the day. This can help you lose weight even more quickly by enabling your body to deal more effectively with the calories that you eat throughout the day.Of course, working out in the morning isn’t always possible. On the days that it is, however, it is well worth doing. Kickstarting your day with a great workout is a fantastic way to give your metabolism an all-day boost.
4. Train Your Body Evenly
Don’t just focus on your problem areas. Instead, try to train all of your muscles equally. If you only focus on your abs or on your upper arms, you can develop problems with your posture. In order to keep your body balanced, you need to train all of your muscle groups equally. That includes your arms, shoulders, chest, legs, back, and abs. Your legs are especially important since they are on full display anytime you wear a bathing suit.
Ideally, you should set up a workout schedule that incorporates exercises that focus on a particular part of your body each day. Alternating between different muscle groups can help ensure that you are training all of your muscles evenly.
5. Don’t Forget To Add Cardio
Along with strength training, you also need to focus on cardiovascular training. An ideal fitness program should incorporate both types of exercise. Cardiovascular exercises build your heart and your respiratory system. Exercises like running, bicycling, and swimming can really get your heart pumping, helping to make it stronger. These exercises also burn a lot of calories, making them a great way to lose weight before bikini season rolls around.
If you are bored with traditional cardio exercises, don’t be afraid to think a little bit outside the box. For instance, you can buy a mountain bike, look at piyoreviews.com or try Zumba for a change of pace. You may even like to try kickboxing or other types of non-traditional exercises.
6. Don’t Just Focus On Sit-Ups
Doing a bunch of sit-ups isn’t the answer to losing belly fat. Although your stomach muscles may get stronger, you still will most likely have to contend with a layer of fat over the top of them. If you want to lose fat around your waist, you need to do a variety of different exercises that focus on your entire core.
For instance, exercises like the plank or lower stomach leg lifts all do a great job of toning the abdominal area. You also need to watch what you eat closely if you want your stomach muscles to look great. Keeping your body fat percentage low is the best way to showcase all of the hard work that you have been doing on your abs. Finally, you also need to incorporate cardiovascular exercise to help you burn fat so that your stomach muscles aren’t hidden away.
7. Give Your Legs A Great Workout
When people think about getting ready for bikini season, they often focus on exercising their arms and their abs. In fact, however, the lower body is every bit as important as the upper body. Exercises that work your legs will help ensure that your lower body looks great when it comes time to put on your bikini. As an added bonus, leg muscles are some of the largest muscles in your body. That means that they will give your metabolism the biggest boost when you start building them.
Toned muscles in your legs can help them look longer. In fact, toned legs can give your whole body a slimmer and sleeker look. Exercises like squats are great for building muscle in the lower body. You can also work out your legs by riding a bike or taking walks.