A relatively new type of female bodybuilding is the fitness bikini category. It combines both the natural data of the participants, their grace and plasticity, and working on their body in the gym in combination with proper nutrition and caring for the body and hair.
What is a fitness bikini?
Until quite recently, many people associated women's iron sport with ladies with huge muscles and masculine features, a complete lack of femininity. The International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) decided to correct this by introducing a new sports discipline called fitness bikini in 2010.
It was assumed that fitness bikini would be a separate direction in the field of fitness, at competitions in which girls would demonstrate their excellent athletic physical shape combined with a model appearance in special costumes - bikini swimsuits. Hence the name of the discipline. That is, such performances are something between female bodybuilding and a beauty contest. However, bikinists (as the participants are called) need to put in a lot of effort in the gym and at home in order to count on a prize.
Chrissy Selah
The @krissycela account also requires your attention, where you will find many interesting exercises and fitness programs. Chrissy has more than one and a half million subscribers who look forward to coaching posts for motivation and encouragement to action. Also, the girl developed the Tone&Sculpt application.
Fitness bikini options
In order to participate in such competitions, a girl must have a certain fitness bikini figure, which is assessed by:
- General harmonious correct natural proportions of the body. Many women cannot do anything with this most important point, because short legs or too long arms automatically exclude the participant from the competition.
- Stately correct posture.
- Pronounced body muscles and general muscle tone, light relief while maintaining femininity and attractiveness. The main characteristics are narrow hips with rounded buttocks, a flat stomach. The growth of muscle mass should not contradict genetic laws, so bikinists achieve this form without pharmacological intervention. At the same time, to demonstrate excellent physical shape, a minimum percentage of body fat, about 8-10%, is very important.
- The ideal weight of participants in this category is often easy to determine using the formula: height in centimeters minus 112-114.
Stage 1, Day 4
Hands
1. EZ Bar Curls - 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps ( Tip: Keep your torso still during the exercise to focus on the biceps muscles)
Read also: Three-month full body transformation training plan for women.
2. Biceps curl series:
Perform the following movements as one large series, resting as little as possible between each movement.
- Biceps machine curls - 3 sets of 8 reps; full range of motion
- Biceps machine curls - 3 sets of 8 reps; half repetitions from above to half the amplitude
- Biceps machine curls - 3 sets of 8 reps; half repetitions from below to half the amplitude
- Biceps machine curls - 3 sets, 1 rep; with a 30-second weight hold in the middle of the amplitude
- Curling arms on a biceps machine - 3 approaches performed with a drop set; reduce the weight until you can't do a single repetition
Superset:
3A. Close grip barbell press - 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6
3B. Seated overhead dumbbell press - 5 sets of 15 repetitions ( Tip: make this movement light and fast but respect the execution technique)
Normal execution:
4. Reverse push-ups – 4 sets to failure ( Tip: keep your arms close to your body and don’t spread your elbows out to the sides)
Fitness bikini categories
Initially, this trend in fitness had only two categories. In current competitions, contestants are divided by height into 8 main categories:
- class A
over 158 cm; - class B
over 160 cm; - class C
over 162 cm; - class D
over 164 cm; - class E
over 166 cm; - class F
over 169 cm; - class G
over 172 cm; - class H
above 172 cm.
More modern fitness models are classified by age, height and level of physical training into:
- Juniors
, that is, girls from 16 to 23 years old with a height of less than 160 cm, from 160 to 166 cm and above. - Masters
, that is, women over 35 years old and over 40 years old, whose height is up to or over 163 cm.
Where to learn to pose and practice poses: is it worth hiring a coach?
The clear answer is in front of the mirror! You can (and should) study at home. But practicing alone is good for remembering the technical aspects of your performance. You definitely need to practice the poses and walks:
• in front of a mirror • in crowded places, in public • in the gym • in front of acquaintances and friends
Go and watch:
Fitness bikini: girls before and after
Speaking in public will be beneficial. They will help you overcome stage fright, stiffness and tightness, and anxiety. It is useful to record your performances on video so that, together with the coach or yourself, you can see your shortcomings and mistakes and work on them. And just to understand what the performance looks like from the outside, what impression it makes.
It is also useful to study videos from bikini fitness competitions to see which of the participants looks better and understand for yourself what the judges note positively.
Demonstrative video posing in a fitness bikini
How to become a fitness bikini?
In order for bikini fitness classes to be not just a hobby, but to have a serious claim to success in competitions, it is necessary:
- Have harmonious natural characteristics. At the same time, any fitness trainer who has experience in training contestants can determine whether a girl can perform in competitions.
- Intensively engage in sports according to a special program for the natural increase in muscle mass and the creation of pronounced relief.
- An important element of how to prepare for a fitness bikini is proper nutrition for athletes, which consists of several stages: weight gain and the so-called “drying”, that is, reducing the amount of fat in the body.
- At competitions, judges also evaluate the condition of bikini athletes’ skin and hair, which are important to care for in preparation for competitions.
- The competitions themselves take place using a special costume, shoes, hairstyle and makeup.
- Training in posing and the ability to present oneself will also not be superfluous.
Nutrition fitness bikini
It will be impossible to achieve a beautiful healthy body without following the general principles of proper nutrition and some specialized diet features:
- When preparing for competitions, bikini athletes eat split meals: 5-7 times a day for a high-quality gain of muscle mass.
- At the same time, the fitness bikini menu contains only high-quality and healthy products: meat, fish, dairy products, complex carbohydrates in the form of cereals, eggs and nuts, a large amount of vegetables, herbs and fruits.
- Girls try to avoid sugar, alcohol, trans fats and fast food.
- Athletes drink at least 1.5-2.5 liters of clean water every day.
- A few months before the competition, bikini athletes begin the so-called “drying”. This is a low-carbohydrate diet aimed at reducing the amount of subcutaneous fat and creating muscle definition.
Fitness bikini program
Standard fitness bikini workouts are built according to the following algorithm:
- To participate in competitions, girls visit the gym 5-6 times a week.
- Every strength workout involves using light weights for high reps in a circuit or superset fashion.
- After performing strength exercises, cardio exercise is required for at least 20 minutes.
- Every day, participants load different muscle groups: shoulders, back and biceps, chest and shoulders, legs, back and triceps.
- It is better to perform isolated exercises under the guidance of an experienced trainer to eliminate microtraumas, sprains, neuralgia and other consequences of improper use of sports equipment or adherence to a training regimen.
Problems faced by female athletes3
Behind the great popularity, spotlights and spotlights, beautiful ladies parading around the stage, lies a huge number of problems that few people are aware of. Men look at the butts and breasts of girls, dreaming of having such a chosen one, but ladies pay a lot for a beautiful figure.
First of all, the opportunity to get pregnant. From regular and exhausting workouts, periods disappear, or the cycle becomes extremely irregular. Fitness models undergo a special diet, which includes foods that contain practically no carbohydrates, and without them the full development and existence of the female body is impossible.
Amenorrhea occurs, and if it drags on, then the problems do not end there - poor thyroid function and infertility - almost all fitness bikini models suffer from this. If the failure did not occur for long, and the girl quickly came to her senses, then it may take months or even years to restore the reproductive system. Ladies who perform regularly and do not take long breaks very quickly become completely infertile.
In addition, there is another problem known to all athletes - breakdowns. Girls who want an ideal body limit themselves too much in everything, but when the moment of breakdown comes, they abruptly begin to use everything, indiscriminately. This leads to serious problems not only with health, but also with the psyche. A hormonal imbalance occurs, and it becomes extremely difficult to improve your health. Many former fitness bikini models eat so much after a breakdown that they become much fatter than they were when they decided to join the gym.
Another problem is the appearance of serious edema. The fact is that a few days before the competition, models stop drinking large amounts of water, and then replenish the required amount. As a result, under the influence of refusing water and diuretics, severe swelling begins, and some girls even have skin pain from stretching.
Guys who dream about fit girls forget that a girl’s breasts turn into raisins. If the model has a large bust, it is 100% silicone.
Preparing for fitness bikini
Having understood that this is a fitness bikini, beginners understand that participation in competitions involves not only training in the gym and proper nutrition, but also:
- Work on posing in front of judges, the ability to carry yourself on stage, smile pleasantly and make a good impression without a touch of vulgarity.
- Preparing a special costume: a special swimsuit, shoes and jewelry.
- Any injections and implants to increase or correct body proportions, with the exception of breasts, are strictly prohibited.
- Creating a stage look, which includes beautiful makeup for a fitness bikini, hair styling and applying special long-lasting makeup to the entire body with a tanning effect, which maximally emphasizes the participant’s figure.
Fitness bikini posing
Before the competition, girls learn special fitness bikini poses that they will demonstrate to the judges:
- Loose frontal pose facing the judges with one hand on the hip while the other one is held nicely near the leg.
- Turn to the right 90° demonstrating the left side, right hand on the hip.
- Turn 90° to the right into a free frontal position with your back to the judges, demonstrating the relief of the back of your legs, buttocks and back.
- Turn to the right 90° demonstrating the right side, left hand on the hip.
Fitness bikini swimsuit
On stage, fitness bikini girls parade in specialized swimsuits:
- It should be a two-piece bikini with a V-shaped bottom. Thongs are prohibited.
- Often girls have a suit made to order according to individual measurements.
- For a spectacular appearance on stage, the fabric often contains sparkles, rhinestones, beads, beads and other appropriate decorative elements.
- It is not forbidden to combine a swimsuit with certain jewelry: bracelets and wedding rings, earrings that match the style and color scheme with the image of the contestant.
- In this case, the girl’s shoes should be open with stiletto heels 8-12 cm high. The platform is allowed no more than 1 cm.
Stage 1, Day 1
Legs/Buttocks
Superset:
1A. Leg extension while sitting in a machine - 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 repetitions
1B. With lying leg curls on the machine - 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 ( Tip: in both exercises, start the first set with half repetitions, and then move on to the full amplitude of leg extension and flexion)
Normal execution:
2. Smith machine squats - 6 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 repetitions ( Tip: place your feet shoulder-width apart, take half a step forward from the vertical line, toes turned at an angle of about 30 °)
3. Smith machine split squats – 4 sets of 8 reps on each leg ( Tip: place your front leg on the step platform)
4. Stiff-legged deadlift with barbell - 5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps ( Tip: You can raise the toes of both feet slightly for a greater stretch of the hamstrings by placing them on weight plates)
5. Barbell Hip Raises - 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps ( Tip: Place the barbell on your hips using a padded bar, shoulders pressed against the bench, and feet flat on the floor with your knees bent about 90°. Press through your heels to lift your hips, keeping your weight on them; squeeze your buttocks at the top of the movement)
Read also: Full body workout for women.
Fitness bikini competition
The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness has created a competition in the fitness bikini category that is as accessible as possible to the general population, so to participate in such a competition you only need to submit an application and pay a symbolic membership fee of $14-30. After this, the contestants arrive at the venue on the day of the competition and prepare for the performance.
The championship itself takes place in one round, consisting of two stages:
- The first is called "presentation"
. In it, each participant walks to the center of the stage in front of the jury with the “gait of a model” and demonstrates the main poses: facing, with her back to the jury with her hands on her hips, walking away beautifully. Each athlete is given only 10 seconds. - The second is called “comparison”
. In this part of the competition, athletes go on stage in groups and, at the command of one of the judges, perform four 90° turns to the right. The jury compares bikini athletes with each other, choosing girls with the optimal balance of all the required parameters. After which the winners are announced.
Stage 1, day 5
Breasts/Buttocks
- Incline Barbell Press - 6 sets of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 6 reps ( Tip: Keep your arms at about a 45° angle to your body, which helps reduce stress on your shoulders)
- Incline Hammer Press - 3 sets of 8 reps with each arm alternately ( Tip: Keep your elbows pointing down and your wrists straight as you press the weight).
- Crossover Curls - 4 sets of 10 reps ( Tip: Bring your arms to your lower chest, keep your elbows slightly bent)
- Flat Pullover - 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps ( Tip: use one dumbbell; lower the weight behind your head, feeling the stretch along your chest)
Superset:
5A. Single leg press in the machine - 5 sets of 10 reps with each leg
5 B. Wide Foot Leg Press - 5 sets of 20 reps ( Tip: Don't lock your knees on any leg press exercises)
Superset:
6A. Kick Donkey Smith Machine Leg Press - 3 sets of 10 reps with each leg ( Tip: use a flat bench for the press with your supporting knee on it, or do this exercise with your knees on the floor; perform the exercise at full range)
6B. Kick Donkey Smith Machine Leg Press - 3 sets of 15 reps with each leg ( Tip: after performing full range of motion, immediately do “springy” movements at the top of the range, only then change legs)
