Looking good in a bikini is a goal that millions of women have. To be able to wear a skimpy outfit and have the confidence to know that you look good is priceless. Despite all the talk about having a positive self-image and loving who you are that is often seen in the media, many women know that being fit and toned accentuates their sexuality and truly turns heads.
There is a price to pay for having a body that’s lithe and sculpted. Anything worth having in life requires effort. If you want to wear a bikini and look great in it, you will have to tone your muscles and shed the excess fat.Weight training is one of the best ways to go about it. Unlike cardio which mostly boosts your stamina, it is weight training that will give you the toned legs and a perky butt that looks awesome in a bikini. There is no way around this undeniable fact.
Contrary to popular belief, weight training will not make you look like a man. Women just don’t have enough testosterone to become muscle bound. Instead, you will develop a very feminine silhouette that is curvy and yet firm, in all the right places.
There are 4 principles of weight training that every woman should follow when adopting weight training.
1. Full-body workouts
Every single workout you do should focus on multiple muscle groups. For example, your set may consist of 5 exercises such as:
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Push ups
- Lunges
- Planks
The deadlifts will work your legs, back, neck muscles, etc. The squats will work your thighs and core. The pushups will target your arms and shoulders. Lunges will work your legs again and planks will hit your abdominal muscles.
In one workout, you have targeted, trained and toned most of the major muscle groups in your body. This will translate into 2 things. Firstly, you’ll burn more calories. Secondly, you’ll need to go to the gym less often.
Twice or thrice a week will suffice. On your off days, you could squeeze in a HIIT cardio workout just to kindle the fat burning flames in your body.
Do not train like a bodybuilder and work just one muscle group a day. Some women spend one session working their legs and on another day they train their arms and so on. The human body works synergistically. It uses several different muscles at one time during most activities.
Your weight training should be done the same way. Train for tone and to sculpt your body.
2. Progressive overload
You only improve when you constantly challenge yourself. You can do this in 2 ways. Do more reps or increase the weights you’re using. You should be aiming for 8 to 15 reps per exercise. Once you reach 15, increase the weights a little and see how many reps you can do.
You’ll gain strength and tone by constantly trying to beat your personal best. Once you notice that your arms and legs are well-toned and you’re satisfied with the way they look, you can stick with what you’re doing and there’ll be no need to increase the weights further.
3. Good form
Never sacrifice form just to lift more weight. Good form will mean executing each exercise properly so that you target the muscles effectively. Jerky movements using weights that are too heavy for you will lead to injury.
Poor form such as not going through a full range of motion will lead to muscular imbalances. Learn how to do the exercises properly and focus on executing them as best as you can.
4. Sufficient rest
Do not train when your muscles are sore. Pain is NOT gain. Make sure you’re well rested and getting enough sleep. A day or two break between sessions at the gym is better than training daily if you’re too tired to do your best in your workouts.
Weight training will not only burn calories and shed your excess pounds, but it will reduce the flab and ‘jiggle’ in your butt, thighs and belly. Your muscles will be stronger and tauter.
You’ll look better when you move in the bikini or even when you’re just standing still. Your body will be a reflection of your lifestyle and people will take notice. You can take pride in knowing that you’ve worked your butt off to be the best version of you.
