As the spring rolls though, and with summer just around the corner, the weather has gone from cold to warm to HOT here in LA--and tiny bikinis have arrived!! My all-time FAVORITE line is this new company called "Boys & Arrows" --just looking through their catalog is motivation enough!!!
[http://boysandarrows.com/lookbook.html]
*Quick Self Test of "What-is-your-bikini-fear?" Are you more afraid of bikini season because: (A) you're budget can't afford a new bathing suit--let alone a trainer to get looking good in one! (B) the color of palely skin doesn't look good against any form of fabric, especially tiny fabric :/ (C) you can't figure out how to get rid of that pooch in your stomach region...does everyone have this problem?? and/or (D) you need a "butt lift" but can't figure out for the life of you how to get one without surgery (which is another thing you can't afford right now!)
Well, whether you related most to A, B, C, D or ALL of these scenarios, I'm here to let you know that its NOT TOO LATE to start sculpting your bod to make it "bikini-ready" before summer is officially here--so LISTEN UP & take notes! These are some of my favorite and most popular pilates moves that I train with clients before they need to strip down for summertime (figuratively speaking of course)...
Pilates Move #1: The Bridge (2 sets of 5 reps)
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, approximately hip distance apart. (Your feet should be in a comfortable position — not too close to your butt and not too far away.) Inhale as you take a deep breath in, expanding into your back and your lungs.
As you exhale, keep your torso in one flat piece, press your feet down as you lift your hips up off the mat. Come up high enough that your body makes a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Inhale and exhale maintaining the bridge position for 3 full breaths. On the final exhale, maintain a neutral spine as you come back down to the mat. *You can also advance this exercise by lifting 1 leg up at a time and holding for 30 seconds!
Pilates Move #2: Criss-Cross (3 sets of 15 full twists)
Lie on your back in neutral spine. Bend your knees and bring your shins up so that they are parallel to the floor (also known in pilates as "tabletop" position). Place your hands behind your head, supporting the base of the skull. Keep the elbows wide.
Reach your left leg out long, and as you keep the elbows wide, ROTATE YOUR TORSO toward the bent right knee so that your left armpit is reaching toward the knee. Inhale as you switch legs and come back center; exhale as switch, extending the right leg and rotating your upper body toward the left knee. *Keep your chest open and elbows wide the whole time.
Pilates Move #3: Swimming (3 sets of 20 reps/breaths)
Lie on your stomach on a mat with the legs straight and together. Keeping your shoulder blades settled in your back and your shoulders away from your ears, stretch your arms straight overhead. Pull your abs in so that you lift your bellybutton up away from the floor.
Extend your arms and legs in opposite directions and lift both off the floor into a "superman" position. Keep your face looking down toward the mat so your neck stays long.
Continue to reach your arms and legs out very long from your center as you alternate right arm/left leg, then left arm/right leg, pumping them up and down in small pulses. *Go slow at first to really reach the arms and legs; then swim faster, like you are swimming against a river current! Each full breath counts as 1 rep. Rest in childs pose or rest position after each set.
Pilates Move #4: Planks (3 sets of 30-60 second reps)
Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle (or slightly round your lower back so your belly "tucks in").
*You can also do planks with straight arms and up on the hands, similar to holding a "push-up" position without doing actual push-ups. Make sure your body is in slight diagonal from the top of your head to your heels, and every muscle is contracted.
If you only have 15 minutes, here is your workout to do at home or in the gym! I recommend doing these exercises 3-5 times a week, but if you have a BIG event coming up--or want to get fit fast--I would do them as many as 6 days/week! *TIP: Do these moves after your cardio sessions when your body is warmed up and in "fat-burning-mode." Just think of that tiny bikini for motivation EVERY TIME. ;)
As the spring rolls though, and with summer just around the corner, the weather has gone from cold to warm to HOT here in LA--and tiny bikinis have arrived!! My all-time FAVORITE line is this new company called "Boys & Arrows" --just looking through their catalog is motivation enough!!!
[http://boysandarrows.com/lookbook.html]
*Quick Self Test of "What-is-your-bikini-fear?" Are you more afraid of bikini season because: (A) you're budget can't afford a new bathing suit--let alone a trainer to get looking good in one! (B) the color of palely skin doesn't look good against any form of fabric, especially tiny fabric :/ (C) you can't figure out how to get rid of that pooch in your stomach region...does everyone have this problem?? and/or (D) you need a "butt lift" but can't figure out for the life of you how to get one without surgery (which is another thing you can't afford right now!)
Well, whether you related most to A, B, C, D or ALL of these scenarios, I'm here to let you know that its NOT TOO LATE to start sculpting your bod to make it "bikini-ready" before summer is officially here--so LISTEN UP & take notes! These are some of my favorite and most popular pilates moves that I train with clients before they need to strip down for summertime (figuratively speaking of course)...
Pilates Move #1: The Bridge (2 sets of 5 reps)
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, approximately hip distance apart. (Your feet should be in a comfortable position — not too close to your butt and not too far away.) Inhale as you take a deep breath in, expanding into your back and your lungs.
As you exhale, keep your torso in one flat piece, press your feet down as you lift your hips up off the mat. Come up high enough that your body makes a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Inhale and exhale maintaining the bridge position for 3 full breaths. On the final exhale, maintain a neutral spine as you come back down to the mat. *You can also advance this exercise by lifting 1 leg up at a time and holding for 30 seconds!
Pilates Move #2: Criss-Cross (3 sets of 15 full twists)
Lie on your back in neutral spine. Bend your knees and bring your shins up so that they are parallel to the floor (also known in pilates as "tabletop" position). Place your hands behind your head, supporting the base of the skull. Keep the elbows wide.
Reach your left leg out long, and as you keep the elbows wide, ROTATE YOUR TORSO toward the bent right knee so that your left armpit is reaching toward the knee. Inhale as you switch legs and come back center; exhale as switch, extending the right leg and rotating your upper body toward the left knee. *Keep your chest open and elbows wide the whole time.
Pilates Move #3: Swimming (3 sets of 20 reps/breaths)
Lie on your stomach on a mat with the legs straight and together. Keeping your shoulder blades settled in your back and your shoulders away from your ears, stretch your arms straight overhead. Pull your abs in so that you lift your bellybutton up away from the floor.
Extend your arms and legs in opposite directions and lift both off the floor into a "superman" position. Keep your face looking down toward the mat so your neck stays long.
Continue to reach your arms and legs out very long from your center as you alternate right arm/left leg, then left arm/right leg, pumping them up and down in small pulses. *Go slow at first to really reach the arms and legs; then swim faster, like you are swimming against a river current! Each full breath counts as 1 rep. Rest in childs pose or rest position after each set.
Pilates Move #4: Planks (3 sets of 30-60 second reps)
Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air or sagging in the middle (or slightly round your lower back so your belly "tucks in").
*You can also do planks with straight arms and up on the hands, similar to holding a "push-up" position without doing actual push-ups. Make sure your body is in slight diagonal from the top of your head to your heels, and every muscle is contracted.
If you only have 15 minutes, here is your workout to do at home or in the gym! I recommend doing these exercises 3-5 times a week, but if you have a BIG event coming up--or want to get fit fast--I would do them as many as 6 days/week! *TIP: Do these moves after your cardio sessions when your body is warmed up and in "fat-burning-mode." Just think of that tiny bikini for motivation EVERY TIME. ;)
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