Think you need a gym to get a good workout? Think again! I'm here to show you how to work out at home with the Bikini Model Program!
In light of the current economic status, health club and gym memberships, which were once considered a monthly, budgeted-in expense, have now become an unbearable cost for women all over the nation. With many now opting for a stay-at-home lifestyle, "cocooning" has become an increasingly attractive option.
Smart women everywhere look their brightest and most brilliant by transforming their bodies to have the feminine, sexy, and slender muscle tone and flat-pack abs of a bikini model, all by implementing a simple exercise regimen that has been designed to be done at home with only five pieces of workout equipment!
I had the wonderful opportunity to co-author this amazing program with fitness celebrity Jennifer Nicole Lee. This innovative online program is designed to be done in the comfort of your own home, and is complete with exercises, recipes, and beauty secrets.
Here are just a few of the at-home exercises you can do to chisel your way to a bikini-model body of your own!
The Bikini Model Program
1. Arnold Press
Arnold Press
This is a weight lifting classic that really works the entire upper body, especially for the shoulders.
- Grasp dumbbells; palms facing body, elbows flexed.
- Raise dumbbells by extending elbows; abduct and internally rotate shoulders to a straight-arm position.
- Lower to original position and repeat.
2. Side Lateral Raises
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing your body) lift the weights out and up to the sides until they are right about level with your chin, and hold them for a count of one.
- Lower them slowly back down to your sides.
- Fit tip: Do not lean and swing the weights up, or lean your torso forward and bring the dumbbells down in front of your body. Lower the weights down to your sides instead.
3. "Superwoman"
- Lie on your stomach, either on the floor or on a bench.
- Start in a neutral position, and bring up your upper body and your legs as high as you can, squeezing your back area.
4. Close-Hand Push-up
Close-Hand Push-up
This is an excellent move for the entire upper body, but especially the triceps!
- If you can't perform them on your toes, do them on your knees and work your way to your toes. Place your hands close together. Perform push-ups, squeezing at the top of the movement.
- If it's hard for you to execute this move with your hands really super close, keep them further apart to begin with.
5. Dumbbell Lunges
- Stand with your feet together, toes pointed straight forward and a dumbbell in each hand.
- Step forward with your right foot and bend at the knees as you lower your hips until your left knee is just a few inches off the floor.
- Push with your right leg as you raise yourself back up to your starting point.
- Repeat until you have completed the amount of reps you planned on, and then do the same with your left leg.
- Fit tip: Don't lift your foot up or point your toes in/out. Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor, pointing forward.
6. Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Stiff-legged Deadlift
- Stand up straight, with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing toward your legs.
- Bend forward at your hips and slowly lower the dumbbells in front of you until the weights touch the floor.
- Keep your back straight and raise your upper body and weights to the starting position.
- Fit tip: Don't hunch over; keep your back fairly rigid throughout this exercise.
7. Angled Calf Raises
- Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Turn your toes out so that your feet form a 45-degree angle.
- Keeping your legs straight, raise up on your toes as high as possible, pause for a count of one, and slowly lower to the starting position.
- Fit tip: It is best to do this exercise on a solid surface like a hardwood or concrete floor, not carpet.
8. Twist Crunch
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your hands beside your head.
- Let your legs fall as far as they can to your left side so that your upper body is flat on the floor and your lower body is on its side.
- Press your lower back down into the floor while you roll your upper body slightly up until your shoulder blades reach the ground.
- Concentrate on your obliques; contract and hold the crunch for a count of one. Hold the contraction and slowly lower to the starting position, count one, and perform the next rep.
- Switch to the other side after you complete your planned number of reps.
- Fit tip: Don't lock your hands behind your head.
9. Ball Crunch
- Gently sit on your exercise ball and walk your legs forward to roll back onto the ball. Once you stabilize yourself, put your hands behind your head, keeping your spine in neutral alignment with your chin toward the sky.
- Exhale as you crunch up and inhale as you release back down.
- This is great for targeting your entire ab area.
10. Bent-Knee Hip Raises
- Lie flat on your back on your mat with your hands under your hips, palms down for support.
- Lift your head up slightly off the floor and lift your legs off the floor while you bend them at your knees, pulling your thighs up towards your chest slowly.
- With your knees approaching your chest, contract your abs and slightly lift your pelvis off the floor.
- Slowly straighten your legs and bring them back down toward the floor, but don't let them rest on the floor.
- Hold your legs in the extended position for a count of one, then bring them back up.
- Fit tip: Don't lift your head up too far or let your lower back arch.
11. "Firecracker Abs"
- Lie down on the ground with your hands underneath your bottom. Lift both your legs up to about 90 degrees, and lift your legs upward.