
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to Marie Claire. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
While the summer's warm weather welcomes al fresco dining, weekend jaunts to the beach, and evening strolls without so much as a coat, it also brings to reality that dreaded two-word phrase: bikini body. But no need to be insecure, ladies! We reached out to a Fitness Instructor at Equinox, Rachel Buschert, to discuss a brief, killer workout to zap three troublesome areas in which many women hold insecurity: arms, abs, and derrière.
But if you really want to see results, don't just stick to these three moves. "You need to do something for your entire body, and it needs to be high-intensity," said Buschert. "Of course you can work those specific muscle groups, but the main goal of the workout should be to get your heart rate up and to burn a lot of calories."
THE WORKOUT
The name: Squat, Thrust, Press
The move: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding five-10 pound weights in each hand. Squat like you're sitting back in a chair so that the dumbbells hit the floor. Then, step or jump into a high plank position. Jump back in, and as you stand up, do a bicep curl to finish.
The target: The plank works the core; the squat works the glutes; the bicep curl works the arms.
The repetition: As many as you can in 30 seconds.
The name: High Plank Rotation
The move: Start in high plank with hands wider than shoulder-width. Go to do a push up, and as you lower your body raise a leg. When you come up, rotate your hips and come into a side-plank where one arm — the same side of the leg you raised — comes up. Lastly, pass back through high plank, and switch sides.
The target: The push up works the upper body; the side plank works the oblique.
The repetition: As many as you can in 30 seconds.
The name: Lat Pullover Variation
The move: Lie on your back with feet hip-width apart. With one five-10 pound dumbbell in each hands, do a crunch, and pass the dumbbell through your thighs. Keep the dumbbell there, and do a complete bridge. Retract the bridge, and finish the set with a crunch.
The target: The bridge works the glutes; the crunch works the abs; passing the dumbbell through works the arms.
The repetition: As many as you can in 30 seconds.
After each exercise, rest for 30 seconds before beginning the next one. Completing all three exercises counts as one set. Do three sets.
To add cardio between sets, jump rope.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Jennifer Lawrence's Latest Look Is Peak Loungewear Chic
Proof that great style can be easy.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Britney Spears “Doesn’t Plan to Watch” Sister Jamie Lynn Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
“Britney isn’t thrilled.”
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Kim Kardashian Scolds Son Saint, 7, When He Gives the Middle Finger to the Paparazzi
Flipping off cameras seems to run in the family.
By Rachel Burchfield
-
Senator Klobuchar: "Early Detection Saves Lives. It Saved Mine"
Senator and breast cancer survivor Amy Klobuchar is encouraging women not to put off preventative care any longer.
By Senator Amy Klobuchar
-
How Being a Plus-Size Nude Model Made Me Finally Love My Body
I'm plus size, but after I decided to pose nude for photos, I suddenly felt more body positive.
By Kelly Burch
-
I'm an Egg Donor. Why Was It So Difficult for Me to Tell People That?
Much like abortion, surrogacy, and IVF, becoming an egg donor was a reproductive choice that felt unfit for society’s standards of womanhood.
By Lauryn Chamberlain
-
The 20 Best Probiotics to Keep Your Gut in Check
Gut health = wealth.
By Julia Marzovilla
-
Simone Biles Is Out of the Team Final at the Tokyo Olympics
She withdrew from the event due to a medical issue, according to USA Gymnastics.
By Rachel Epstein
-
The Truth About Thigh Gaps
We're going to need you to stop right there.
By Kenny Thapoung
-
3 Women On What It’s Like Living With An “Invisible” Condition
Despite having no outward signs, they can be brutal on the body and the mind. Here’s how each woman deals with having illnesses others often don’t understand.
By Emily Shiffer
-
The High Price of Living With Chronic Pain
Three women open up about how their conditions impact their bodies—and their wallets.
By Alice Oglethorpe