Little Miss Strong's Tiny Tip #6: Sometimes the lil' details matter more than the big ones. That big bikini booty is based off of the little things you do everyday, and the little tricks you incorporate into your lifestyle.
A quick note: Little Miss Strong supports the health and fitness goals of girls worldwide. Now, I'm a young woman, so I understand other young women, and understand that especially when swimsuit season and summer approaches, girls desperately feel the pressure and the need to slim down and lose weight. I believe in women being healthy and fit. I believe in women having CURVES. I believe that being strong is BEAUTIFUL, and I believe in muscle. So while I do understand the pressure to quickly look like the lean swimsuit models in magazines for this pool season, I also encourage all you lovely girls to learn to love your bodies, redefine beauty, and understand that being healthy and fit is beautiful as well.
Ok. It's spring...rolling into summer time. We ladies all want to be healthy and fit, but let's be real. We want to look hot in a bikini. We want muscular legs, a bikini booty and flat abs. So let's go. Let's talk about the lil' things that you can do... the little tips and substitutions to incorporate over the summer and daily to get there in addition to training and working out. Ready? We are! ;)In order to be in good shape, especially during the summer, working out and training is still obviously a giant slice of the whole pie. It's veryyy easy to slow your life down and get a little lazy over the summer...which I don't disagree with! Enjoy life and relax! You don't HAVE to drop the BBQ! However, it's easy to give into temptations and habits daily...eating salty unhealthy foods out of boredom, lying around from morning until night, not getting enough sleep. So instead of talking about working out, let's address some tips and tricks to remember and practice so that you continue to feel healthy, energized, and confident throughout the hot months.
#1: DRINK UPPP! And girls, I'm talking about H2O. Staying hydrated is a small pointer, but one of the most important factors to staying in shape and looking good. Now, you don't need to carry around a giant water gallon jug like I do when I'm at the gym or make sure to drink an exact certain number of glasses like people tell you to, but drink up. Something a lot of people never realize or think about is that it's easy to drink calories...all those sugary drinks, sodas and juices add up. Soda leads to bloating in the stomach area and consuming lots of salt leads to water retention...exactly what you don't want when you're in a swimsuit. Drinking water and staying hydrated actually helps you lose water weight. Please and thank you.
#2: GOOD MORNING...AND GOOD WORKOUT: Workout in the morning. 3 reasons. First of all, when it's summertime and you wake up and tell yourself you'll get your workout in later that afternoon, you probably won't. Friends, concerts, movies, BBQs and hangouts happen. While you may seriously intend to workout, summer is distracting and it's hard to relax on a hammock and get yourself up to go run or lift. If you wake up and get your workout in, then it will happen. Second of all, if you like working out outside...going on runs, doing yoga, biking...it is a lot cooler and enjoyable in the morning, and therefore you might workout longer than you would in the scorching sun. Lastly, working out in the morning can be beneficial. Some people claim that if you workout in the morning before eating, your body burns more fat. I claim that if you workout in the morning, you'll be energized and feel good for the rest of your day, and therefore feel happier, healthier, and do things that are a little more active than lying around.
#3: PLAY: You would be AMAZED at how engaging in little activities that you think are fun can add up and result in extra workout time. Throw that frisbee at that barbecue picnic and race your friend's little brother in that pool. Playing an extra game of tag outside can seriously work those legs! If you have to go somewhere...bike instead of drive! Take the stairs instead of taking an elevator. #4: GET FRESH: Instead of snacking on things like chips and pretzels, go fresh this summer and indulge in all the fresh fruit and vegetables you can. Fruit like watermelon contains both water and antioxidants that you can highly benefit from.
#5: POP IT LIKE IT'S HOT! Ice cream and fudgesicles are good...yes I know. But try making little substitutes for foods like caloric and creamy cold treats by making your own fresh fruit pops. I love homemade popsicles, and while you don't feel deprived of dessert, you also aren't eating an overwhelming number of calories...or feeling guilty. If you are out with friends and don't want to be the only one not eating dessert, go for a fudgesicle (about 40 calories) or frozen yogurt topped with fruit (120-500 calories). Little things like choosing a wafer cone over a sugar cone helps lower calories too. Fruit Popsicle Recipe: A popsicle mold
1/2 cup blueberries and raspberries
1 1/2 cups natural fruit juice
3/4 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup chopped bananas/kiwi
1. Mix fruit up in a mixing bowls and distribute into popsicle molds
2. Pour juice over fruit
3. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until they're solid. YUMMM
#6: TRAIN: While I train for a specific sport and do pretty aggressive and heavy lifting that helps me stay in shape and build muscle, there are many different workouts and exercises that I would highly recommend for getting in shape for summertime, and in general. I recommend HIIT training, or high intensity interval training. This includes things like sprinting as opposed to going for long runs. Intervals help burn fat because you exert all of your energy for short periods of time. You can do HIIT training on a stationary bike in the gym or a bike outdoors as well! An example of this would be something like biking easy for 2 minutes, and then biking hard at an increased incline or intensity for 30 seconds, off and on. (for example).ABS: Crunches, planks, twist crunches, Russian twists, leg raises
LEGS: Leg press, lunges, barbell deadlifts, barbell squats, calf raises
ARMS/BACK: Dumbbell curls, dips (on a bench/chair) ball push-ups, shoulder press, cable rows, tricep kickbacks, etc. (the list goes on!)
BOOTY: DO SQUATS! WITH A BAR AND WEIGHT. Don't be scared! Backsquats...front squats, overhead squats. Squatting builds a big booty, develops muscle and helps with toning. Be careful though...don't go ham at the squat rack and do too many, and remember to use proper form. Gradually increase your weight to build strength.
My final tip is to FORGET ABOUT LOOKING GOOD. FORGET ABOUT WHAT YOUR BODY LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT YOU WANT YOUR BODY TO LOOK LIKE. WHEN YOU WORKOUT AND TRAIN (And it is true that consistency is key, changing your body does take time) YOU WILL GET THE BODY YOU WANT. Just focus on what you're putting into your body, the little things you can change or substitute everyday, and your training. And for goodness sakes. When it's finally time to put on your two piece and meet up with your friends at the pool this summer, strut your stuff!
Be confident. Respect yourself. Be happy. Be fearless.
-Lil Miss Strong
No comments:
Post a Comment