Since most people are more active in the summer than they are in the winter, you should focus your energy on toning only the muscles that show to look good on the beach. Each part of your body only requires one – two exercises a few times a week to stay looking tight.

Bicycle Crunches (for flat abs): Lay flat on your back and bring your knees to a 90° angle. With your hands behind your head, twist your body so that your right elbow touches your left knee; repeat on the other side. The criss-cross motion of bicycle crunches targets your entire core muscles and helps tone your legs – it’s a perfect total body exercise.
2 sets of 30; 30 seconds rest between each set

 

Reverse Crunches (for lower abdominal muscles): From a seated position, raise your legs off the ground, slightly bent at the knees. Support your body by placing your hands behind your back on the floor. Slowly extend your legs and lower your arms to lengthen your body; then draw your legs back into your chest while raising your upper body. This is a great exercise to target the often hard-to-tame lower abs. Be sure that when pulling your legs into your body, the power is coming from your midsection, rather than your legs themselves.
2 sets of 20; 30 seconds rest between each set

 

Squat Jumps (highlight your derriere): From a standing position, do a deep squat (as if to sit in a chair). Hold your squat for 1-2 seconds and then explode off the floor, hands on your hips. The deeper you squat, the more you will work the muscles in your bottom.
2 sets of 20; 30 seconds rest between each set

 

Reverse Lunges: Start with both feet shoulder-width apart, hands your hips. Take a large step backwards with your left foot, and lower your right knee to a 90° angle. Repeat on both sides. For a more intense challenge, gently “pulse” your body while in a lunge position.
2 sets of 12 reps on each side; 30 seconds rest between each set



 

Overhead Dumbbell Press (show off strong shoulders): Using 5-10 lbs. dumbbells, start in a standing position, feet shoulder-width apart. Bring weights to shoulder height and raise above your head to straighten your arms. You can add regular squats at the end of the press if you want extra body conditioning.
2 sets of 12 reps; 30 seconds rest between each set

 

Bent-Over Rows: With 5 lbs. dumbbells, bend your body at the waist to form a 90° angle. Keeping your back straight, pull your arms into your chest, keeping elbows tucked in.
2 sets of 12 reps; 30 seconds rest between each set

Side Lunges (strut your stuff with shapely stems): Building off the same principals of the reverse lunge, begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your left foot, take a large side-step into a lunge with your right knee. For a more challenging workout, add 5 lbs. dumbbells to your routine.
2 sets of 12 reps on each side; 30 seconds rest between each set

Calf Raises: For shapely calf muscles, find a hard surface and a bar or wall to hold on to. Raise yourself onto your tip-toes and hold for 1-2 seconds. Once you become more advanced, only raise on foot at a time.
2 sets of 20; 30 seconds rest between each set

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Stacy Berman is a certified fitness trainer and founder of Stacy’s Boot Camp. She was named top female trainer at the New York Sports Club in 2002 and master trainer in 2003. Berman has a degree in health education and psychology from Hunter College and personal training certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). She is also a certified nutritional specialist through Dr. Jane Pentz, of Lifestyle Management Associates and is a NASM certified sports fitness specialist.
For more information on Stacy’s Boot Camp check out
http://www.stacysbootcamp.com