Toner Workout For Beach Body

As well as cardio work its important to include some muscle or resistance to work to boost the level of calories burnt and to shape up and tone those hard to hit areas. Try the following circuit of exercises 3 times a week but try not to do them on back to back days.

Complete each exercise for 30s up to 1 minute with 30s rest between exercises.

Monkey Rows

Stand facing a bench or core stability ball, bend your knees slightly and lower your chest slightly to angle towards the floor. Place one hand on the ball or bench for balance and hold a dumbbell in your hand. Hold the dumbbell out at shoulder height to the side and extended and curl the weight into your armpit. Extend to starting position and repeat.

Plank

Start in the push up position with your legs fully extended. Lower yourself so you are resting on your forearms and your palms are down to the floor. Hold this position keeping a straight line down your body.

Rear Leg Raise: Start on all fours. Simply lift one leg as if pushing the sole of your foot to the sky as far as you can. This works the bum muscles (glutes) and gives great tone and definition to your behind. Do half of the allotted time on one leg and then switch.

Shoulder Press Squat

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and hold them resting on your shoulders. Keep soft knees and try not to lock them. When ready lower yourself into the squat position being careful not to push the knees over the toes, raise yourself back to standing and push the dumbbells up over your head until the arms are fully extended. Lower back to shoulder height and repeat from the start. 

The last few exercises work specifically on the core muscles such as abdominals, oblique's and the lower back. They are great for hitting those hard to tone regions of the lower belly and sides to get a great bikini body.

Standing Twists

Stand upright holding a large core stability ball in front of you with arms outstretched. This is a simple move, turn using your abs so that the ball is at each side, using a twisting movement. However, you must make sure your hips stay facing forward and you don't use them to help twist.

Russian Twist

Get into a sit up position where your upper body is about half way between laying down and a full crunch. Hold a medicine ball in both hands and raise your feet off the floor, balance using your abs and twist to touch the medicine ball on each side of the floor. Continue this for the full time span.

See Also: Summer Fit: Below the Belt Exercises

In Out Push Up

This is a slightly more advanced move but there are 2 ways to complete it to suit your ability. Start in the upward phase of the push up position with arms fully extended and on your toes not knees. Place your palms in front of you flat on the floor with your thumbs touching. In turn move each hand out to the side and turn the thumb out. Then return each hand to start position. (if want a more advance version complete a push up when palms are in the out position).