Now that we’ve already established we’re going somewhere awesome for Spring Break,  how about having an awesome body to boot! Whether you’re going to the beach, or just want to get ready for summer a little early, it’s never too early to start working on that bikini body. 

So the first thing to do is CARDIO. Lots and lots and lots of cardio. You should aim for cardio 7 days a week! It’s important to try to fit in cardio whenever you can throughout the day, but the best time to do it is in the morning on an empty stomach. As for time, anything less than 30 minutes doesn’t do anything, and anything more than 45 minutes is superfluous.  I recommend 40 minutes. All the machines in the rec are great, but the best exercise for your time are running on the treadmill/track, the new rowing machines, or the cross ramp (I adore the leg sculpt plus program!) FYI you can find the cross ramps behind the rock wall on the second floor.) Also, with cardio, make sure you’re wearing a long sleeve shirt, even a hoodie. The hotter you get, the more you sweat, which so helps with weight loss.

With weights, you should try to do 4 weightlifting sessions a week. Girls, don’t worry about being too bulky! The bulk comes when you eat excess food, so as long as you follow the prescribed diet, you should be OK. The sessions are (example schedule): 

Monday: Chest+back  

Tuesday: legs

Wednesday: shoulders 

Thursday: biceps/triceps 

To get the exercises, check out bodybuilding.com or even look around on the Fitness section of Pinterest. There’s a lot of helpful material there! Also make sure you’re doing abs every other day. You should do 15 minutes of ab routines along with one of your weightlifting sessions. I really like doing Blogilates videos on YouTube! 

As for food, you’re supposed to eat small meals every three or so hours, which is super tough when you’re on campus (trust me, I know). Here’s what my mom’s friend, who entered bikini fitness competitions recommends to eat. 

6 a.m. — 1/2 cup (uncooked) oatmeal; 2 egg whites 

9 a.m. — protein smoothie with frozen berries, 1/2 a banana, and whey protein 

12 p.m. — 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, small green salad (lots of veggies here) dressing= balsamic vinegar  

3 p.m. — 21 raw unsalted almonds, piece of citrus fruit (1 orange, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 “cuties”) 

6 p.m. — 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1/2 a baked sweet potato 

*you can adjust this schedule however you need to, just make sure you’re getting your meals in, and that they’re separated with some time between. 

**NO SALT whatsoever, your seasonings can be black pepper or salt free Mrs. Dash. 

Just so y’all know, I’ve been following this plan since the start of Thanksgiving break, and I’ve been successful with my weight loss goals. (11 or 12 pounds!) Let me know how successful you are!