FITNESS FRIDAY: 3 Tips To Get Bikini Ready

FITNESS FRIDAY

Hi all! Thank you for stopping by today to read this post. I mean who doesn’t want to be bikini ready this summer? These tips may even give you some results before you leave for Spring Break in a couple of weeks. BONUS! If you haven’t stopped by my blog before, first of all welcome. Second, you don’t yet know about my FITNESS FRIDAYS. The Fitness Friday concept is simple; focus on Fitness and Healthy Eating on Fridays. This also means you should always workout on Fridays. It is a great way to finish the work week and head into the weekend feeling good.
(Disclaimer: This website is a source of income. Affiliate links are used throughout this website and post, and compensation may be received from those links and recommended products.)

WORKOUT EVERY DAY

So tip number one is obvious and possibly the hardest one to follow. The science of being healthy is simple; exert more calories than you take in. I am not big on counting calories, nor am I big on living a super restrictive life. Therefore, working out is where it is at. This does not mean that you can eat whatever you want, it is equally important to eat healthy as well (discussed more in step 3). The best advice I can give you about working out is to do the following:

• Workout the same time each day
• Find a fitness regimen you love
• Find a workout partner or simply someone to help hold you accountable.
• Train your abs daily (try before bedtime/when you first wake up)
• Do 50-100 squats daily (try doing while you brush your teeth/fix your hair)

Visit the FITNESS portion of my website for workouts like MY BEDROOM WORKOUT and other tips. Plus, enter your email on my HOMEPAGE or below to get periodic workouts, offers, recipes and more. I’ve also included 3 basic workouts below that you can alternate. One is for upper body, one is for lower body and one focuses on the core. In addition to these quick workouts, you should also be incorporating 20-45 minutes of cardio 3-4 days per week.
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Upper Body – TONED ARMS WORKOUT
For this workout, go through the circuit at least 2x, working up to 3x. Use light to medium weights to maximize results.

• 15x Front Shoulder Raises
• 15x Side Shoulder Raises
• 15x Biceps Curls
• 15x Standard or Wide Arm Push-ups (modify on your knees or the wall if needed)
• 15x Tricep Dips (Use chair or bench)
• 15x Bent Over Rows (Squeeze your shoulder blades together)

 
Lower Body – TONED BUTT & THIGHS WORKOUT
For this workout, add light to medium weights, kettlebells or a medicine ball where you are able to. Repeat circuit 2x, working up to 3x.

• 20x Squats
• 30x Skater Lunges
• 15x Donkey Kicks Each Side
• 20x Glute Bridges
• 15x Single Leg, Stationary Lunges Each Side
• 15x Prone Single Raises Each Side
• 20x Deadlifts

 
Abs – CORE WORKOUT
Go through the below circuit 2x, working up to 3x.

• 30 Sec Plank
• 30 Sec Bicycle Crunches
• 30 Sec Flutter Kicks
• 30 Sec Plank w/ Alternating Knee-Ins
• 30 Sec Side Plank Knee Crunches (do both sides)
• 30 Sec Burpees

 
 
 

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Staying hydrated, specifically drinking enough water, is so important for so many reasons:

• Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue
• Promotes Weight loss
• Flushes out Toxins
• Improves Skins Complexion
• Boosts Immune System
• Prevents Cramping

Ok, now that we know how important it is, how can we better enforce it? My advice is to let Technology help you track it daily. Technology can not only help you track your water intake, but it can also help remind you when to drink more water. Below are a few apps that can help. If you aren’t a technology person, a simple tally will do, or I have also included a smart water bottle that tracks your water intake, super cool!
Daily Water: Drink Reminder (iTunes Store)
Water Drink Reminder (Google Play Store)
Spark 2.0 Smart Water Bottle
EAT SENSIBLY
I by no means eat perfectly. I choose to workout hard so I can indulge from time to time. I like to follow the 90/10 rule. This means 90% of the time I eat really healthy, and 10% of the time I have a few extras. The general rules I like to follow for myself and what I would recommend for you as well are:
Listen to your body – if it makes you feel like crap, don’t eat it or surely eat it very infrequently.
Don’t Eat Fast Food – as a general rule, I don’t eat fast food. If for some reason we are in a hurry, have a busy day or are traveling and it is my only option then I will. With that said, you can still make smart choices while at a fast food place. Get tea instead of pop. Get a salad or grilled option instead of a burger and fries. Its all about choices.
Don’t Add Salt to Your Food – there is typically plenty of salt in the foods you are already eating. Unless it is something I am making from scratch, I don’t add salt. Reducing your salt intake will help with bloating and extra water weight.
Eat More Greens – make a point of eating more greens. The best way to do this is by making a smoothy every day. Read my Food Prep 101 article for ideas and recipes for smoothies. I can even get my kids to drink these! BONUS.
Meal Prep – so I just talked about my Food Prep 101 article. It is so important to prep your food. If you have the right foods on hand, you will make better choices. I don’t prep everything like some people do, but I do enough to make my life easier and healthier. Give it a try for at least 1-2 weeks before you say it isn’t for you.
Say No to Dessert – ok, so this one is easy for me because I am not much of a dessert person anyway, but I know some of you are. If that person is you, then you need to find healthier desserts or dessert alternatives to satisfy your cravings if you can’t say no. Also, saying yes once in a while is ok. Put in the work exercising and you’ll see it will help to balance it out.

BIKINI READY

Friends, I hope you found this article helpful and it gets you closer to your goals of living a healthier lifestyle. Know that my term BIKINI READY is just to motivate you to live a healthier lifestyle. Not everyone is the same size or shape, and that is ok. The focus should be on how you feel, your energy level and simply living a healthy life. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out. I am happy to help.