I live by the beach by choice. I love the ocean, the fresh sea breeze, the warm sand in-between my toes, and also enjoy the detoxifying effects of the warm salty ocean water. But this also means that I live in a full year-round bikini season.
In Miami, there is no off-season. You must be ready to bare it all, as even many go topless here. What does all of this mean? Since I officially live in the warmest part of the United States and we have swimsuit season year round, I have somewhat become the unofficial bikini guru, of how to workout smarter, not harder to get max bikini-ready results in minimum time.
Tips For A Bikini Ready Body!
Everyone's favourite season is just around the corner and you've probably already spotted the bathing suits that are lining the store walls. Are you ready to bare your body this year?
In my "JNL Bikini Boot Camp Workout" you will be working out less and getting more out of it, and be able to also wear less with a confidence that the entire beach will see. And with summer just around the corner, many of you know that it's synonymous with relaxation and fun, for most people, it's another source of stress!
Short shorts, arm-baring tops, and the dreaded beachwear come to mind for most. And if you've still got a few—or many—pounds to lose you're probably not as excited for the season. But I'm again here to help with my 3-day workout, allowing you to spend more time at the beach or pool and less time in the gym! Cheers to us all because the fun in the sun season is here!
And for those of you who have more than 10 pounds to lose, don't worry, be happy! There is still plenty of time to shed a few more pounds before you go shopping for your bathing suit. If you've read my getfitwithjnl.com program, you are probably ready (and determined) to drop the extra pounds and have fun doing it. But, by combining my Bikini Ready Food Plan with a new exercise program that will rev your metabolism and keep your energy high, you'll see even better results and those at the beach will be thanking you!
Changing up your workout routine regularly (usually every 4-6 weeks) is the best way to prevent a weight loss plateau from ever occurring in the first place. So if you've been doing the same old fitness program for a while now, my Bikini Workout is a great way to change up your stagnant routine. Always remember warm up and cool down properly each time you work out.
It's been scientifically proven that just a few minutes of jumping rope burns more fat and calories than running for 30 minutes. Don't be intimidated by jumping rope either. Its not just for boxers or for mixed martial artists.
If you don't see me jumping rope in the gym, you know something is wrong! I highly recommend you to jump rope in between your sets for 30 to 60 seconds. If you have not mastered the skill of jumping rope, run up and down the stairs in your gym, or do standing jumping jacks to keep your heart rate up.
This blend of strength training blended with cardio is excellent for women who need to lean out fast. By infusing your weight training with blasts of high intensity spurts of cardio, your body will break through plateaus, thus shedding fat faster.
When buying a jump rope, you must look for a light weight "SPEED JUMP" rope. The speed ropes as they are called are quick, fast, and allow you to jump more in less time and with less friction. See the jump rope in my photo? This is the one! It's a $50 plus jump rope, but so worth the investment.
JNL's Bikini Blast Strength Program
Strength training is essential for losing weight and staying fit. It helps you build lean muscle, which promotes a healthy metabolism, plus it tones up those problem areas. For each muscle group listed below, select one exercise for a total of 10 exercises. Do 3 sets, with enough reps to make you feel exhausted at the end of each set (usually 10-15 depending on the resistance you use).
Repeat this workout 3 times each week (be sure to rest 1 day in between). For extra calorie burn, work in a "circuit," moving quickly from one exercise to the next in order to keep your heart rate elevated. Change up the individual exercises daily or weekly for best results.
I suggest a Monday/Wednesday/Friday Split and taking off Saturday and Sunday to give you more time to enjoy by the pool hot spot or the playa, as we call it here in Miami!
As you can see, I have outlined Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced workout. You know your body better than I do, therefore work to your own fitness level, gradually taking it up to the next level when you are mentally, physically ready to do so.
| Muscle Group | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
| Abs | Crunches | Leg Raise | Ab Roller |
| Waist | Oblique Crunches | Air Bike | Jackknife Sit-Up |
| Lower Back | Hyperextensions | Superman | Exercise Ball Hyperextensions |
| Biceps | Concentration Curls | Alternating Bicep Curls | Chin-ups |
| Triceps | Seated Dumbbell Tricep Extension | Lying Triceps Press | Dips |
| Shoulders | Upright Barbell Rows | Dumbbell Shoulder Press | Side Lateral Raises |
| Back | Bent Over Barbell Rows | Seated Cable Rows | Reverse Flyes |
| Chest | Bench Press | Push-ups | Dumbbell Flyes |
| Thighs | Dumbbell Lunge | Barbell Squat | Single Leg Squat |
Remember, fitness is not a competition or contest. It's also not a one-time event that you do only once and your fit forever! Rather it's a journey to be enjoyed, growing stronger and better each and every day!
As the saying goes "Rome wasn't built in a day!" Remember this when you are working out, and you will not suffer from what I call "Get-there-now-itis" which is an actual term that I use. "Get-there-now-it is" is a mental state where you want your dream body now, and you burn out fast. Take it one day at a time. You reaching your fitness goals won't happen overnight, but it will happen!
JNL's Bikini Boot Camp Cardio Program
When it comes to weight loss, increasing the duration of your workouts can help you see results faster. The good thing is that all of that cardio doesn't have to happen in one long session. Adding up several shorter segments throughout the day results in the same benefits, so find time wherever you can—during your lunch break, after dinner, or while watching TV.
I like the notion of breaking up a 40 minute cardio session into two 20 minute workouts, one in the morning and then one in the night, to rev up my metabolism twice. This way you are burning more fat and your body is breaking through plateaus.
Try to accumulate 45 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week (or more if you're an exercise veteran). Select from any of the workout options below, and try to do something different each day.
- If you are like me and live near the ocean, or even a pool, swim! It's an excellent low to no impact total body workout with cardio!
- Find a hilly area to walk outside (or increase the incline of your treadmill between 4% and 10% depending on your current fitness level). Walking uphill tones the leg and butt muscles and burns more calories than walking on a flat surface.
- Try interval training outdoors. Run or jog one block as fast as you can, then do a recovery walk for the next block, and continue this pattern.
- Take your dog for a walk, or play tag with him at the park.
- Jump rope! Start with short 30-60 second intervals until you can increase your endurance. And remember, like I said jumping rope intensely for 10 minutes has about the same calorie burn as jogging for 30 minutes.
- On those cardio machines, increase the workload (level, incline, speed) to burn more calories in less time.
- Go on a bike ride with your family.
- Clean the house in record time. Heavy cleaning can elevate your heart rate to an aerobic level. Make as many trips up and down those stairs as you can, and try to rest as little as possible to stay in the aerobic zone. The same goes for yard work.
- Try a new group fitness class such as kickboxing, spinning, or salsa dance!
JNL Bikini Boot Camp: Workout #1
Again, use this workout as a one day on, one day off split. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are recommended, so you have more time at the local pool hot spot or the "playa" on the weekends to enjoy all of your hard work in the gym that has paid off during the week.
- Crunches: 20-30 Reps
- Leg Presses: 12-15 Reps
- Leg Curls: 12-15 Reps
- Dips: 10-12 Reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 10-12 Reps
- Presses Behind Neck: 12-15 Reps
- Tricep Pushdowns: 10-12 reps
- Incline Curls: 10-12 reps
- Standing Calf Raises: 15-20 reps
JNL Bikini Boot Camp: Workout #2
Again, follow the 3-day split of one day on, one day off, one day on, one day off, and then 2 days off, with the option of cardio on the 6th day (Saturday)
- Bench Press: 6-10 reps
- Incline Bench Press: 6-10 reps
- Decline Bench Press: 6-10 Reps
- Dumbbell Flyes: 6-10 Reps
- Skull Crushers: 6-10 reps
- Dips: 6-10 reps
- Crunches: 12-15 Reps
- Hanging Leg Raises: To exhaustion, 3 sets
JNL Trade Secret
Have you ever seen a fitness model, athlete, or even a competitor have no waist line? You sometimes could draw a straight line from their knees all the way up to their arm pits and it could be straight as an arrow. This is where sexy symmetry comes into play.
I never work my obloquies and urge all of my clients never to. It actually builds out the waist line, making the lines run straight from the arm pit area directly down to the hip area.
What makes a bikini body sexy is the hour glass figure. And there is nothing sexier than maxing out the dimensions of your body, making them almost "Barbie" like, with a full strong shoulder frame, sexy V-Tape, tiny little waste, big bodacious back side, sweeping glutes, and nice calves.
When I train, and also coach my clients, I redirect their focus to "animating", or cartooning out their physique. I like to think of the female body as something that should have plenty of curves, lines, shapes and not too angular, linear or too sharp.
One of my clients told me that she loved how I trained her, because I helped her to "pimp out her bod." Many tell her now that she had a body like "Jessica Rabbit" but with a little more feminine muscle mass. Now that's a bikini ready body that will not only turn heads, but break necks!
Whittle Your Middle, Don't Build It Out!
I again urge you not to do oblique exercises, as you want to build an hour glass symmetry composition to your bikini body. Your body should have a gorgeous "mushroom cap" to the shoulders, a nice V-Taper, tiny waist line, nice glutes, and banging backside.
Take a long bar and place it behind your head. I suggest a lightweight long wooden bar. With your "Super Woman" stance (abs in tight, butt out, chest up and out, and head erect and spine nice and tall) keep your legs together and slightly bent, twist from the waste, up and out.
Don't swing with momentum, but rather put your "mind into the muscle" focusing on tightening the obliques in and down, rather than building them up and out. Twist with a concentrated focus as long as you can. Then repeat 2 more times until exhaustion. Sounds easy, but its not! This is an old school movement many boxers and mixed martial artists do to keep their conditioning up and their abs locked in!
JNL Super Bikini Boot Camp Foods
Your body needs fuel to run efficiently and effectively. Don't think that by skipping a meal or even forgoing breakfast will help you achieve your bikini body goals.
Think of my 2 powerful metaphors of why you need to eat, and eat often!
1. How A Farmer Fattens A Pig
A farmer fattens a pig by starving it all day, not feeding it while they are forced to run around and keep moving. Then at night, the farm hands bring a huge container of "junk food" called "slop" to the pigs. They allow the pigs to eat as much as they want as long as they want. Sound familiar? We do this too! We don't eat all day, work all day long, and then sit down to a huge meal at night, eating enough for 5 people.
And no wonder we look like pigs! Farmers do this "fattening method" for 2 main reasons. Starving the pig all day long slows down the pigs metabolism. Therefore, when they are allowed to eat as much as they want, they hoard and hold onto the calories, and gain tons of weight in no time fast. Don't do this to yourself!
Remind yourself to eat every 3 hours, even if you are not hungry!
2. How A Small Japanese Baby Is Trained To Become A Huge Sumo Wrestler
Do you ever wonder how those tiny small cute little Japanese babies turn into 600 pound Sumo wrestlers? It's an actual science! These Sumo wrestlers undergo rigorous training and physical activities all day long, not eating until night time. Then they sit down to a huge 3 hour meal at night, falling asleep shortly after their humongous meal.
Again, does this sound somewhat similar to some of your days? Don't bloat out to be the size of a sumo wrestler! Eat to lose weight! Aim to eat every 2-3 hours!
JNL Super Bikini Body Food Meal FormulaTM
My Super Food Meal Formula is just that! Super foods combined to create a complete meal. Its actually a lot less complicated than it sounds.
The JNL Super Meal Formula is the following:
Lean source of Protein + Complex Carb + Fibrous Carb
Protein:
- Egg whites
- Lean red meat
- Fish
- Poultry
- Bison
- Deer
- Protein supplements (No Soy)
Complex Carbs:
- Sweet potatoes
- Brown rice
- Whole-grain bread
- Whole-grain pita
- Whole-grain wraps
Fibrous Carbs:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Salad
- Tomatoes
- Blueberries
- Grapefruit
- Apples
- Grapes
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
My typical day of meals looks like this:
Breakfast:
- Egg white omelet
- Coconut oil
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Mushrooms
- Whole-grain bread
- Tomatoes
- Water
Mid-Morning Meal:
- Protein shake
- Ground Flax Seeds
- Omega-3 Oil
- Flax Seed Oil
- Coconut Oil
Lunch:
- 4% Ground Antibiotic Free, Organic Grass Fed Lean Beef hamburger
- Wheat bread
- Hummus
- Spinach
Late Afternoon Meal:
- Protein Shake
- Ground Flax Seeds
- Omega-3 Oil
- Flax Seed Oil
- Coconut Oil
Dinner:
- Grilled fish
- Caribbean vegetables
- Salad
- Carrot ginger dressing
- Glass of red wine
If you are still hungry after dinner, you can have another protein shake. Now you have all the tools, directions, workouts, and a basic food plan to get your bikini body ready for summer!
Thank you to all of my fans and fitness friends around the world! We are one in fitness, health, wellness and one in hope for a better mind, body and spirit today and tomorrow! One love!
I urge all of you to email me with any of your questions and comments to jnl@jennifernicolelee.com.