SCULPT A BIKINI BODY WITH THESE 4 BARRE MOVES

In honor of #BikiniDay, here’s a special Bikini Day workout! But first, repeat after us: Every. Body. Is. A. Bikini. Body. Yep, your body is beautiful – in whatever swimwear you choose. Barre class is one of the best ways to feel long, lean, and strong in your bikini with moves that work for every body type to sculpt, improve posture, and tone. Here are our favorite moves for a bikini body: OVER THE SHOULDER There’s no better time to tone your upper back so you’re confident and have good posture in your bikini and strapless dress! These 3 exercises targeting your upper back are perfect for at home or on-the-go. You just need a pair of free weights – preferably 4-7 lbs. each. (Don’t have weights? Reach for two water bottles or cans!) 1. Rhomboid Row: Stand with feet hip distance apart and soften your knees. Hinge forward from the waist at a 30-degree angle maintaining a neutral spine and bracing your abdominals. Arms are extended forward with palms facing inward, keep a soft bend in the elbow, and lead with the elbows keeping shoulders dropped, avoiding momentum. Focus and keeping shoulder blades wrapped around spine. 10x at a 2 count to lift and lower, 20x singles, and 20x pulses. 2. Overhead press: Stand with feet hip distance apart and soften your knees. Keep ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over heels. Maintain a neutral spine and brace your abdominals. Bend elbows at a 90-degree angle with wrists above elbows and palms facing forward. Bring heads of the weights together overheard at an angle to the corner of the room. 10x at 2 count to lift and lower, 20x singles, pause with elbows in line with shoulders and pulse elbows down about an inch keeping shoulder blades wrapped around the spine. 3. Plank-ups: Bring forearms on the ground with shoulders directly over elbows making the number “11” with the forearms extend legs straight keeping ears in line with shoulders, shoulders in line with hips. Keeping abdominals pulled in, place right hand where right elbow was then left hand where left elbow extending both arms long keeping hips still, then bring right forearm back to the floor then left forearm to the ground returning to your forearm plank position. Do 10x leading with the right side then repeat doing 10x reps on the left side. THAT BOOTY THOUGH Tone your butt, side core, waist — all in one exercise: the pretzel. This triple-threat combo targets all areas at once. 1. Sit with your left knee behind your hip and the right knee directly in line with your right hip. 2. Square your breast bone over the center of your front thigh, sitting with your ears over your shoulders and hips. Your abdominals are pulled in with your shoulders pressing down. 3. Rotate your left hip (the working hip) forward so that your left ankle comes off the floor and release. 4. Isolate this movement so that your upper body is still and just your back hip/leg moves. 5. Repeat 10 times. 6. Hold the last repetition for 10 seconds. 7. Repeat this sequence with your right leg. SEXY ABS If you want to build a strong core, it starts from all those muscles around your spine. And the best way to access those muscles is the classic Barre curl: 1. Sit upright with your knees bent, your feet flat, and your hands holding your outer thighs. Your elbows are bent wide to the sides, and your shoulders press down. Your ears are lined up over your shoulders with the bottom of your chin parallel to the floor. 2. Roll down to your waist from a seated upright position while maintaining proper form. 3. Repeat rolling down and up 5 times. 4. Hold on the waist after 5 times for 10 seconds. LEGS FOR DAYS It wouldn’t be a full-body bikini barre workout if we didn’t tone our legs! This barre exercise strengthens and elongates the quadriceps group, developing long, lean thighs and calves, helps to stabilize the knee joint, increases muscle density in the quadriceps (not bulk) for optimal caloric usage, and will shed inches. The result? Long and strong legs you’ll definitely want to show off poolside. Grab a chair and use it as a barre if you’re at home or on-the-go. 1. Face the barre at arm’s length away, your hands placed lightly on the barre at shoulder width apart. 2. Place your heels together and your toes apart in a narrow 45-degree V position. Align your shoulders over your hips and your ears over your shoulders. Your hips, knees, and feet should be stacked on top of each other with any turnout initiating from your hips. 3. Bend your knees about 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm). Raise your heels 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) off the floor, and press your heels together. Soften the elbow(s) of the arm(s) holding the barre. 4. Keep a neutral spine and your abdominals pulled in. 5. Hold for 30 seconds. 6. Return to a standing position. 7. Repeat the pose 3 times. We hope to see you in studio too! Book your Barre class here.