Bikini  Ready Workout

Bikini ready [in 8 weeks]: sculpt your body into show-off shape with these toning moves for your abs, butt, hips, thighs and upper body

Bikini season is right around the corner--but there's still time to get yourself in top condition. In this exclusive program created by renowned trainer Mindy Mylrea of Santa Cruz, Calif., you'll learn how to use a weighted medicine ball to up the results of familiar exercises, toning your show-off zones without increasing your training time.

"Your entire body has to coordinate to perform the exercises, so you work more muscles at once than you might with more-traditional dumbbell moves," says Mylrea, the 1999/2000 International IDEA Instructor of the Year. As a result, you'll begin to see the benefits in as little as two weeks. Combine these cutting-edge moves with our stretches and cardio plans and, come week 8, you'll be more than ready for whatever summer has in store--and that includes a bikini.

The plan:

strength guidelines Using a 4- to 8-pound medicine ball, do all 8 Strength Moves in the order shown 3 days a week on nonconsecutive days. Complete 3 sets of each exercise, performing the number of reps indicated at the end of each move before you go on to the next. Rest 45-60 seconds or as needed between sets.

cardio guidelines After performing the Strength Moves, do 15 minutes of cardio, selecting any activity from the "Calorie-Sizzling Cardio" options on page 250. After about 4 weeks, or when ready, do 5 minutes of cardio after each pair of workout zone moves and 15 minutes total at the very end (for a total of 30 minutes). You should also do a 30- to 60-minute cardio workout on 2 of the days you don't strength train.

warm-up Begin every strength and cardio workout with 5 minutes of any light cardio activity.

cool-down End all strength and cardio workouts by performing the "Beach Towel Stretches" on page 254. Hold each stretch to the point of mild tension for 30 seconds without bouncing.

[the strength moves]

 zone 1: abs

1. weighted crisscross Lie on back with knees bent at 90 degrees and aligned over hips, calves parallel to ground. Hold medicine ball above chest, arms extended [A]. Contract abs and roll upper back and shoulders off ground while rotating torso to bring ball toward outside of right knee [B]. Keep upper back off ground as you reach ball over knees and rotate to bring ball toward the outside of left knee, keeping hips stable and calves parallel to ground. Lower to starting position and repeat, beginning with the twist first to the left, and then to the right. Continue alternating for 12 reps total. Strengthens abdominal, with emphasis on oblique
2. reverse combo crunch Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet off ground, arms relaxed at sides and medicine ball between your knees. Contract abs, squeeze knees together and curl your butt and hips off of the ground, bringing hips toward ribs [A]. Roll back down to starting position, your back fully on ground, then slowly lower your knees toward the ground to the right [B]. Use abs to bring knees back up to starting position. Repeat, curling hips off of the ground and back down, then lowering knees to the left to complete 1 rep. Do entire move 10 times. Strengthens abdominal, with emphasis on oblique

zone 2: butt

3. kick butt lunge Standing with your feet hip-width apart, hold medicine ball in front of your chest, elbows bent at waist. Step forward with your right foot into a lunge, bending your right knee until it's aligned with right ankle, left knee pointing toward the ground, heel lifted [A]. Push off forcefully from your right foot, kicking left heel back and up toward your buttocks without arching back [B]. Then, put left foot back down and repeat the entire lunge-kick combo for 12 reps; switch legs and repeat lunges and kicks on opposite side to complete 1 set. Strengthens buttocks, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves; inner thighs and upper hips as stabilizers
4. Russian lunge, reach and leg lift Holding medicine ball in front of chest with elbows bent at waist, stand with left knee slightly bent so left toes lightly touch ground. Bend right knee and hinge forward from hips as you lower ball toward right foot [A]. Straighten right knee, and tighten buttocks, bending arms to bring ball back into chest. Then, straighten arms overhead as you extend left leg behind you, contracting butt and thigh muscles [B]. Lower left toes to ground and ball to chest. Repeat entire move for 10 reps, then switch legs and repeat to complete 1 set. Strengthens buttocks, quadriceps, hamstrings, upper hips, shoulders, triceps, abdominal and spine extensors

zone 3: upper body

5. push-up tuck Kneel on all fours with hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and slightly forward, left palm flat and right palm on medicine ball. Lift left foot and bend left knee in toward chest [A]. Extend left leg behind you; bend elbows and lower torso into a push-up position, aligning elbows with shoulders [B]. Straighten arms and repeat tuck and push-up for 5 reps; switch ball to left hand, repeat for 5 reps to complete 1 set. Strengthens chest, triceps, front shoulders and buttocks; abdominal and spine extensors as stabilizers
6. X-chop Standing with feet hip-width apart, knees straight but not locked, hold medicine ball in front of chest, elbows bent at waist. Straighten arms and push the ball to the left and overhead [A]. Then, keeping arms straight and without twisting, use middle-back muscles to pull ball down forcefully toward right hip [B]. Immediately push ball to the right and overhead, then pull ball down toward left hip. Repeat entire move 12-15 times. Strengthens front shoulders, chest, rear shoulders, triceps and middle back

zone 4: hips & thighs

7. side lunge and sweep Stand with feet hip width apart and hold medicine ball with arms straight in front of chest. Step to the left, keeping right leg straight and bending left knee in line with left ankle [A]. Push off left foot and sweep left leg across and in front of right leg as you raise ball overhead [B]. Return to side lunge and lower arms straight ahead. Repeat entire combo for 10-15 reps. Switch sides and repeat for 10-15 reps to complete 1 set. Strengthens inner thighs, upper hips, quadriceps, hamstrings and buttocks; abdominal as stabilizers
8. alternating squat kick Standing with feet hip-width apart, knees straight but not locked, hold medicine ball overhead, arms straight. Tighten abs, then bend knees, aligning them with ankles [A]. Straighten knees, then use upper-hip muscles to kick left leg out to left side [B]. Pause, then lower left foot to ground and repeat squat, then kick with opposite leg. Continue alternating legs until you have completed 10 squats total (5 kicks on each side). Strengthens buttocks, upper hips, quadriceps and hamstrings; abdominal as stabilizers

[calorie-sizzling]

cardio

Incorporate these fun aerobic activities into your workout. Concentrate on one zone or mix them up to get strong and lean from head-to-toe.

Upper-Body Aquatics

The following activities may be low-impact, but water provides incredible resistance for fantastic chest, back and arm sculpting and fat-burning benefits--while keeping you cool.

1. Kayaking Whether you paddle with a partner or solo, really pull through your entire range of motion with each stroke for a great upper-body, and fat-blasting, boost. Burns 90 calories/15 minutes*
2. Swimming To work your arms, chest, back and abs, do a front crawl, moving your arms in smooth, elongated strokes as you roll your body from side to side, kicking gently with your legs but using your arms to do most of the work. Burns 105 calories/15 minutes
3. Surfing Catch a wave and you'll get a killer core workout, since you have to use your abs and spine extensors to stay balanced on the board--and the arm work required to paddle the board can be considerable too. Burns 50 calories/15 minutes

Lower-Body Sandsations

Sand, sun and fun go together. Make use of all three to burn calories and tone your butt, hips and thighs with these 15-minute cardio bursts.

1.       Sand Circuit Holding a medicine ball in front of your chest with elbows bent at waist, complete 30 seconds each of the following on dry sand: power walk, run, do walking lunges, skip, leap/bound, rest (3 minutes total). Repeat sequence 5 times. For more of a challenge, perform the circuit on wet sand. Burns 150 calories/15 minutes

2. Shallow-Water Run Alternate easy jogging with short bursts of sprinting at the surf's edge. Running through just a few inches of water dramatically increases the calorie burn. Burns 200 calories/15 minutes
3. Frisbee Throw Play Frisbee with a friend, returning the tosses quickly. For more of a challenge, toss the Frisbee and try to catch it yourself. Burns 105 calories/15 minutes

Total-Body Ballgames

Not only are these sports great for getting you strong and slim from head to toe--they're also very social and can satisfy a competitive streak.

1. Tennis Really use your arms, abs and back as you swing and serve. When you're in ready stance, do a partial squat, and make sure to chase after every shot to boost your calorie burn and build lower-body strength, not to mention speed and agility. Burns 120 calories/15 minutes
2. Beach Volleyball As with tennis, use your arms and core muscles to keep the ball in motion; if you run through the sand to make a shot, you won't just win a stronger, more agile and coordinated lower body, you might win the game too! Burns 130 calories/15 minutes
3. Golf Go to your nearest driving range and hit a bucket of balls for a low-intensity hip and arm workout that also builds incredible core strength, thanks to the frequent twisting motion. Play a game with friends (no golf cart!) to up the aerobic activity. Burns 100 calories/15 minutes.

*Calorie estimates are based on a 145-pound woman.

[beach towel stretches]

As instructed in The Plan, cool down after every strength and cardio workout with the following stretches, holding each for 30 seconds without bouncing.

1. standing side stretch Stand grasping twisted towel with both hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, arms extended overhead. Cross left foot over right, then bend torso to the right, reaching out and down [shown]. Cross right foot over left and bend to the left. Stretches upper hips, middle back, abdominal (with emphasis on oblique) and spine extensors
2. modified hurdler's stretch Sit on ground with left leg extended in front of you, right knee bent, with right foot flat, next to left knee. Loop towel around left foot and hold one end of towel in each hand (choke up on towel if necessary). Keeping back as straight as possible, flex forward from hips and gently pull on towel as you reach chest forward [shown]. Switch legs and repeat. Stretches hamstrings
3. back curl Lie on your back, knees bent in toward chest with towel wrapped around backs of thighs. Grasp one end of towel in each hand (choke up on towel if necessary) and pull knees into chest, allowing lower back to roll off ground slightly [shown]. Stretches buttocks and spine extensorslift and arch Sit on ground in a cross-legged position grasping towel with both hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, arms extended overhead.
4. Lift chest and arch upper back slightly as you pull out gently on ends of towel [shown], taking care not to arch lower back too much. Stretches chest, front shoulders and abdominal

 If you like this workout, check out some of Mindy Mylrea's videos using the super effective med ball: Awesome Strength (2003), Partner Medicine Ball Training (2003), Strength Express (2002) and Total Body Medicine Ball Workout (2002), $20 each on VHS or DVD from Jump lnc Fitness http://www.jumpincfitness.com . For more information, visit http://www.mindymylrea.com 

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