Suit Up

The birds are chirping outside your window, and it’s still light on you way home from work, signs that can only mean one thing: Bathing suit season is painfully close. If the winter cold had you trading your gym session for a snuggle session on your couch, you may be less than thrilled to take off the layers.

You still have time to tone up before diving into the summer season—if you’re willing to do the work. No surprise, the best way to get your body beach ready is a two-pronged approach of diet and exercise. “If you combine diet and exercise, you can make some sculptural changes that you can maintain,” says Danny Fisher, a trainer at 24 Hour Fitness in San Diego. “You’ll see a difference.”

Fisher recommends starting out with realistic goals—losing no more than a pound a week if you are concerned about numbers. Anything more is probably just water weight, which is only a temporary solution. Fisher says the simplest way to change your diet is to eat smaller portions and include healthier foods like complex carbohydrates (multigrain cereals and breads) and lean protein (chicken and fish).

He also cautions against crash diets that promise rapid weight loss. “As soon as you stop that plan, you have to eat regular food,” he says. “You won’t be able to maintain the weight loss, and you’ll be really mad at yourself.”

Set manageable goals when it comes to the gym, as well, he says—you don’t want to overdo it and risk an injury that’ll keep you indoors all summer long. “The body doesn’t change muscle for about 4–6 weeks,” Fisher explains. The best way to track changes to your body, he adds, is by checking yourself out in the mirror instead of being a slave to the scale. “Say a woman blow dries her hair every morning,” he says. “If she loses 4 to 6 pounds over 4–6 weeks, she’ll put her arm in the air, and see the difference between her biceps and deltoid, see a canyon there.”

Of course, getting firm for bathing suit weather shouldn’t be a temporary fix but a lifestyle change if you want to make a lasting difference to your body. “Any change you make shouldn’t just be for the summer,” Fisher says. “There are going to be more summers in your life. What if you did the work this summer and kept it up for a year? How much effort would you have to put in to look perfect for next summer? Start now for next year."

Ready to tone up those problem areas? Here are simple exercises and recommended classes to get you moving and get your core, arms, glutes, and legs in shape.

CORE
MOVE: Torso Twist
Standing side-by-side to an adjustable cable machine, adjust the cable to belly button height. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Grab handle bar with your hands, extend arms out in front, and twist your upper body away from the adjustable cable. Be sure to stabilize your lower body so it doesn’t move. Switch sides. Do two–three sets of 10–15 reps.
CLASS: Pilates or Core Central

GLUTES
MOVE: Plié Squat
Place legs a little wider than shoulder width apart, feet pointed out. Take a barbell and cradle it in your arms like a baby, holding it close to your chest. While your back is extended, squat down with your knees over a bench until your butt hits it. Hold and come up to full extension of your lower body so you are on your tiptoes. Come back down to standing position. Do two–three sets of 10–15 reps.
CLASS: 24 S.E.T. and spinning

ARMS
MOVE: Push-ups
Get your body in plank position with arms shoulder width apart and bent, and back and legs straight. With your arms, push your body up so that arms are extended, then lower yourself back down. For an easier option for beginners, do exercise with your knees bent. For more advanced variation, place feet on an exercise ball to activate the core. Continue until you are fatigued.
CLASS: Yoga or 24 Lift

LEGS
MOVE: Walking Lunges
Upgrade the lunge by adding a walk to it. Stand up straight, either with or without weights in your hand. Lunge forward with your right leg, ensuring that your knee is in a 90-degree angle and does not extend over your toes. Push off with the left foot and get back into standing position. Switch leg with next lunge. (You should be moving across the room with each lunge forward.) Do two–three sets of 10–15 reps.
CLASS: Boot Camp or 24 Lift