The Best Bikini Workout Ever!

Fit-ZoneTop Levelfalsefalsetruefalse3The Best Bikini Workout Ever!The Best Bikini Workout Ever!The Best Bikini Workout Ever!Sizzle in your swimsuit with these total-body toning moves.Get buff for your bikini with this total-body toning workout that combines upper and lower body moves.left/95/95F5D7735C8AFCF968A42A45BB44A2F0.jpg112012000leftfalse#000000P1By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & FitnessMSN Health & Fitness Exclusive/74/743391E6E4CEF7F605DD4D2A8D5270.gif1044000false#000000© MSNPfalseIf you’re a one-piece kind of woman hankering for a bikini-ready body, here’s a plan designed to reach all the body parts your bathing suit won’t. Don’t worry—if a string isn’t your thing, and you’re more of a tankini kind of gal, or you’re simply hoping to look better in a suit with a daring back or a few strategically-placed keyholes—this workout’s for you!You’ll target your abs, butt, thighs, and chest with these six exercises. But this is no standard workout—we’ve developed a two-in-one toning routine that combines upper- and lower-body moves so you get the most out of your exercise efforts. It’s about training smarter, not longer. By recruiting more muscles at once, you tackle more flab in the same amount of time. Plus, more muscles moving means that you’ll get the added benefit of a bigger calorie burn, making it easier to lose weight as you firm up.<div class="parent chrome6 single1 insert float3 cf"> <div class="insertLinks"> <style type="text/css">.insertLinks {border-bottom:1px solid #DA7429;border-top:1px solid #DA7429;padding: 3px 0 6px 6px;} .insertLinks #headText {font-family: tahoma,verdana,sans-serif;color:#DA7429;font-size:138%;line-height:1.2em;padding-bottom:7px;padding-top:2px;} .insertLinks li{font-size:80%;line-height:1.2em;}</style><div id="headText"> Find More on Women's Fitness </div><ul class="linklist16"><li class="first"> <a href="http://health.msn.com/fitness/womens-fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100234586" target="new">The Slim-Down Shimmy</a></li><li> <a href="http://health.msn.com/fitness/womens-fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100231828">6 Moves to Shrink Your Belly</a></li><li class="last"> <a href="http://health.msn.com/searchresults.aspx?q=women's%20fitness&type=0&sort=relevance&ed=3">Search: Women's Fitness</a> </li></ul></div></div>These exercises will strengthen and tone your bikini body. To reduce extra body fat, follow a lower-calorie eating plan and include at least 30 minutes of cardio work such as walking, running or cardio fitness classes on most days of the week. If you stick to the plan, in as soon as eight weeks you’ll uncover the best birthday suit your bathing suit can’t hide!How to do it:Choose a weight that's heavy enough to challenge your target muscles, but not so heavy that your joints feel strained. Start with dumbbells that are at least 3 to 5 pounds and gradually work up to using 6 to 20 pounds, depending on the exercise.Start by performing one set of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, and work up to doing three sets of eight to 12 reps. Do this workout two to three times a week with a rest day in between.Modify this workout to match your fitness level. Follow the recommended moves, or adapt them as needed by doing a similar exercise that's easier or more challenging.What you need: weights and a stability ballReady to get bikini-ready? Click here to get the moves.Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of seven books, including her latest, Cross-Training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)This diet and exercise program should not be followed without first consulting a health care professional. If you have any special health conditions requiring attention, you should consult with your health care professional regularly regarding possible modification of this program.Keywords/Diet and Fitness/Fitness/Lower BodyKeywords/Diet and Fitness/Fitness/Cardio18falsefalsefalse197truefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1