Spring Break is coming up, collegiettes! Only a little over two weeks left to get into bikini shape! Some of us may have to do a bit more than just covering our eyes as we pass the dessert section of the Pit, but what can we do to ramp up our efforts to get in shape? Running can be a great total body workout. If you keep it consistent, you’ll see your muscles getting leaner, and everything will slowly tighten up. But if you are looking for some more muscle definition in a shorter amount of time, you may want to consider heading over to the gym for some weight training exercises.
Start by grabbing a set of dumbbells that feel heavy enough to get your arms burning after a few curls, but not so heavy that your form is compromised. As a certified trainer for Metabolic Effect, I can tell you that doing moves that work out multiple muscles at once is much more effective than single movements. For example, instead of just doing bicep curls or shoulder presses over and over, why not add a squat or lunge in between? This will not only get those muscle groups working, but the combination will kick start your metabolism.
When doing these combination movements, keep pushing until you absolutely cannot do any more repetitions—this is called burn-out. If you only go until you feel a slight discomfort, you will not make any significant progress. Keep with the same few moves, and repeat them in a cycle, each time working until you reach your burn-out point. If you are working as hard as you can (without pacing yourself) and resting when you need to, 20 or 25 minutes is plenty.
While you’re weight training, remember that your form is really important. If you are not confident that you know the proper form for certain moves, you have a few options. You can always look on websites of fitness magazines because you will often find detailed descriptions of how to do common moves correctly. You can also try out a group fitness class. The instructors always demonstrate the movements and paying close attention to them is a great way to learn and then incorporate those moves when you work out by yourself.
Best of luck in your final push to get smokin’ hot spring break beach bods!
*Photography by Ellen Dicus