Fitness Bikini Workout Plan: Step #1.

Take on your first bikini competition with this comprehensive training program.

Stage 1| Stage 2| Stage 3

Program Author: Shannon Day

What does it take to go from a regular workout to one that will help you get on stage?

“You need a disciplined and specialized program to help transform your body so you have the muscle shape and tone that judges recognize in competition,” explains Shannon Day, founder and CEO of Bombshell Fitness.

She developed this competition training program in three stages, each with its own focus. The first concentrates on building the foundation and creating overall muscle balance.

You can stay in one stage for just one month or as long as you need until it's time to move on to stage #2 . The second part of the training increases the intensity level and emphasizes both muscle tone and fat loss; it will take you 10 weeks. The final phase only lasts two weeks and will leave you in great shape to show off.

Each stage includes a five-day split of work on specific muscle groups using various equipment. Stay as close to your training plan as possible, only substituting exercises for a given muscle group when you don't have access to the right equipment.

Follow the cardio session recommendations for each stage of preparation. Combine these workouts with a " pre-contest nutrition plan " and you'll be ready to take center stage while feeling confident.

When you're ready, move on to step 2

Stage 1: Preliminary preparation

Goal: lay the foundation, balance muscle tone
Time frame: 4 weeks (longer if you're new to fitness)

Whether you've been going to the gym regularly for years or are just starting out in the fitness world, training for a competition is a bit of a departure from your typical strength training routine. This phase of the program is all about laying the foundation, so be prepared to embrace the challenges ahead.

"The goal of the initial phase is to help build some of that foundation so your muscles have a tight, round appearance without a lot of bulk," Day says. This is achieved through both compound movements and supersets, as well as a prescribed sequence of exercises.

Your overall goal at this stage is to create muscular balance throughout your body. As the number of repetitions per set decreases, the weights should gradually increase with each new set.

Stage 1: 5-day split

Day 1: Legs/Buttocks
Day 2: Shoulders
Day 3: Back
Day 4: Hands
Day 5: Chest/Buttocks

How much cardio should I do?

There's always a debate about how much and what kind of cardio you should do when training for a competition. According to Day, a lot depends on your body type and how fit you are.

Read also: Training program for women: 3 months.

Her prescribed cardio program includes a combination of some form of high-intensity interval training about three days a week for 20 to 45 minutes.

Additionally, depending on your fat loss goals, she recommends two or three more days of steady state cardio for 30 to 60 minutes. Start with a 3-5 days a week cardio plan in step #1. If necessary, you can add time or days when you move to the opening of stage No. 2.

In step #3, you will need to either increase the time and intensity or decrease it, depending on what percentage of body fat you currently have. Consult with your coach or trusted advisor to find out what works best for you.

Training Tips

To perform supersets, move directly from the first exercise to the second; rest 20–30 seconds after completing both exercises before moving on to the next round.
For all other exercises, rest 30 seconds between sets.
For exercises where the reps drop, add weight to the lower rep set. For exercises where the number of repetitions increases, reduce the weight for the higher number of repetitions unless otherwise indicated.
Use fairly heavy weights to train your upper body. The last couple of reps of each set should be very challenging. "If you can easily complete all the reps in a set, you need to increase the weight," Day says.
Perform two warm-up sets of 20 reps with light weights for each new muscle group or before starting your workout.

Fitness bikini menu. Fitness bikini - training and nutrition

Recently, fitness bikini has become popular, which has emerged as a sports discipline from ordinary fitness and has replaced women's bodybuilding.
Strictly speaking, this is competitive fitness for girls who want to have a beautiful figure, but without pronounced muscle relief. Sportswear and femininity are promoted here. The instructor draws up a training plan for a specific girl, taking into account her physiological characteristics. Classes in the gym do not involve lifting heavy weights, and preference is given to circuit training and cardio exercises. The set of exercises and the number of repetitions are selected individually and depend on the percentage of subcutaneous fat. During the week, exercises are changed and alternated so that the muscles do not adapt to the load.

The trainer also prepares the correct diet. Before starting a diet, the percentage of fat and its ratio to muscle mass are assessed. The calorie content of the diet does not decrease sharply, as this leads to a decrease in muscle mass. To build a beautiful body, you need a building material, which is protein, and it should predominate in the diet. Typically, protein intake is 2-3 g per 1 kg of weight and sports supplements. The norm of carbohydrates is 1.5 g per 1 kg of weight, and fat - 30-40 g per day. Of course, the nutrition of athletes is more strict and carefully thought out.

Basic nutrition rules:

Fractional meals in small portions. There can be 5-7 meals and you need to divide the entire daily calorie intake into them. If it is 1900 kcal, then one dose accounts for up to 300 kcal. It is necessary to constantly monitor the ratio of kilocalories received and spent.
Gradual change in calorie content. It should not be reduced sharply, as this may result in loss of muscle mass. Subsequently, the amount of carbohydrates is gradually reduced.
The majority of your diet should be protein. The daily protein intake is determined at the rate of 2-3 g per 1 kg of weight. Protein should be present at every meal. These can be: boiled chicken, turkey, skim milk, egg whites, fish, fermented milk drinks, low-fat cottage cheese, tofu cheese.
Including vegetables and fruits that contain fiber and carbohydrates. Every day you need to eat 3-4 servings of vegetables and fruits. Diversify your menu with fresh vegetables and herbs. Do not use frozen, canned, processed vegetables - keep to a minimum.
Complex carbohydrates in the form of cereals, cereals and whole grain bread.
Healthy fats in the diet are 30 g per day (vegetable oils, nuts, seeds).
Natural products without preservatives, dyes, thickeners.
Maintain a drinking regime of 2.5 l/day to avoid dehydration and excretion of metabolic products.
Exclusion of simple carbohydrates (sugar, pasta, bread, pastries, confectionery).
Avoid alcohol - it contains a lot of calories.

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)

Who to look up to?

We look up to the best! Let's be inspired by the perfect shapes of the world's best fitness bikini athletes!

Natalia Melo

Brazilian fitness model, winner of the most prestigious title “Miss Bikini Olympia” in 2012. She is 34 years old, height 165 cm, competition weight - 56 kg. And at the same time she is a mother of two children!

Natalia Melo