When it comes to bikini competition workouts, if you’re focusing on the right type of training all year long, you won’t have to change much when it’s time to “prep”.

My focus for this competition prep has been on burning fat while preserving my lean muscle mass.  

This change in body composition is what gives bikini competitors the tight, toned, and lean look they need to get on stage.

In addition to changing body composition (fat to muscle ratio) my goal for my bikini competition prep has been on saving TIME!  

As a busy mom, wife, business owner, etc, I don’t have any time to waste!

I see lots of fitness competition girls doing 1+ hours of cardio daily- in addition to their normal weight training workouts!  

NO THANK YOU!!  

It pains me to watch so many competitors waste time with poorly structured workouts and counterproductive diets.

For my bikini competition workouts, my goal is to make the most of my time. I want to get stage ready WITHOUT sacrificing time with my family and WITHOUT doing long term damage to my metabolism.

Quick AND effective is the name of the game.

3 Workouts That Burn More Fat in Less Time:

• Signature BeyondFit Life Hybrid Weight Training Circuits
• Short Duration, High Intensity Sprint Workouts
• “Met Con” or Metabolic Conditioning Workouts

Preparation: It’s All About Sustainable Fitness

If you’re training for a fitness or bikini competition (or any other event where you want to be in the best shape of your life), you need to focus on sustainable, efficient exercise.

Anytime I create a competition prep workout I ask myself “is this something I could do for the rest of my life?”

 If the answer is no, it simply won’t work for me.  

The fitness industry’s norm of excessive cardio workouts and hours at the gym are not only counterproductive metabolically, but they are also unsustainable! I don’t have time, nor do I want to spend hours on my workout.  

A few long leisurely walks with my family plus short, intense workouts using weights, sprints and metabolic conditioning fit much better into my lifestyle – both now and long term.

In addition to improving overall leanness, building and maintaining muscle on my glutes is a priority when it comes to bikini competition prep.   

After years of working with thousands of women (in addition to watching my own body transform) I’ve learned that there are 3 types of workouts that will give you the BEST GLUTES EVER fast…so each one of my workouts includes at least one of the following types of exercises.   

If you incorporate all of these with the right schedule for your bikini competition prep, I promise you’ll get results.

1. BeyondFit Booty Weight Training

Lunges

Lunges are a fabulous exercise for toning the lower body.

Within a few weeks of incorporating heavy lunges into your routine, inches will start coming off and definition appearing.

There exists a common notion among women that lifting heavy weights will make you “bulk up” but what many women don’t know is that as long as attention is paid to fat-burning, inches will be lost and sculpted muscle will appear. You do not need to worry about bulking up in your lower body.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are another exercise that targets the glutes and isolates the hamstrings. 

Squats

And squats target the inner thighs and quads, as well as hitting hamstrings and glutes for an overall leg burn.

To focus on the inner thigh, do squats and stand with your legs wider than your shoulders and toes turned out 45 degrees.

When you lower into the squat, check out your knees in the mirror to assure they are about 90 degrees at the bottom and are going in the same direction at your toes.

Feel a nice stretch at the bottom of the movement, then push yourself back to the starting position, all the while maintaining a tall low back and pulling your belly button to your spine.

We incorporate these three lower body movements into almost ALL of our BeyondFit Hybrids.  

Why? Because they WORK!  

Remember, it is much better to perform these with heavier weight and take short rests throughout the set than to go lighter and be able to do the whole set and more with ease.

2. BeyondFit Sprints

Although I don’t encourage moderate intensity, long duration steady state cardio, I have seen great results, both for myself and for my clients, when sprints are incorporated into your weekly workout routine.  

Note to moms: I love to do them with my jogging stroller! Just make sure you keep the proper form by checking out the guidelines here. 

Running vs. Sprinting

Running long distances may seem like the best way to lean out the legs, but this will only pull at loose skin and will do little to tone legs.

Running burns fat, yes, but does nothing to tighten and tone your legs.

Think 100 meter sprints instead. With some consistency, these work miracles to bring out definition in even the most stubborn of legs.

The Science of Sprints

Sprints are one of the most effective lower body exercises because they literally teach your body how to be an effective fat burner.

The last twenty years in exercise science has provided great insight into how the body uses fuel during and after exercise.

Unlike steady state aerobics, sprint training produces a metabolic ripple that leads to enhanced fat burning for days after the workout is over.

A recent study concluded that sprints work by adding both EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption or “afterburn”) and anaerobic contribution to the total calories burned. So much so that the sprints far surpassed the jogging in calories burned. The aerobic exercise session took 4 times longer to complete (210 seconds vs 45 seconds) in the study.

Now, consider the implications for your legs & booty!

I know that is hard to believe, but if you neglect to count calorie use from EPOC and anaerobic expenditure (the stuff that happens after a workout), a full 94% of the calories used during sprinting would go uncounted. And this is exactly what most calorie counting machines and experts do, they only count the calories burned aerobically during exercise! This misses the big picture of how your body will actually burn fat.

I have found sprints to be one of the most effective ways to lose fat and get toned.

Bonus: 5 Reasons Why I Love Sprint Workouts for Moms

Simple sprint workout

10 sprints – 30 seconds all out sprinting, with one minute of rest in between sprints.

3.  Metabolic Conditioning

Plyometric movements are another advanced training technique to tighten tough-to-tone areas.

Plyometric movements are explosive movements that add intensity to your total body training.

If done safely and with strict form, these can be some of the most effective leg exercises out there.  

I love to incorporate a couple of metabolic conditioning moves into my weight training circuits (download new workouts each month here) or do a “BeyondFit Blitz” once or twice per week as I have time.  

Generally when it comes to bikini competition prep, I’ll keep my weight training the same, and add in an extra sprint or met con workouts as needed based on progress.

*Quick bikini competition workout nutrition tip: Post-workout, make sure to replenish depleted glycogen stores by taking in slow-burning carbohydrates and protein to maximize muscle strengthening and building.

Some of my favorite post workout (PWO) protein packed treats during my bikini competition prep:

• “Brownie Batter” Protein Shake
• Chocolate Protein Waffles
• Chunky Monkey Cookies
• Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
• Pumpkin French Toast

For workouts that WORK, join the BeyondFit Life Club today!