Five Rep Workouts for a Bikini Body

A five rep weight training program creates lean, defined muscles.

Doing just a few reps with a heavy amount of weight you can only lift for about five reps burns more fat in less time and helps you create a more defined, muscular physique. Women won't bulk up from this type of lifting, due to the lack of testosterone levels required for large, fast muscle growth. The fastest way to get a bikini body is to do cardio workouts and do strength training exercises optimal for fat-burning using heavy weights.

Benefits

If your goal is to shed body fat, lifting heavy weights for five reps is better than lifting for sets of 10 or more reps. In five challenging, explosive reps, you'll burn more body fat by recruiting your fast-twitch muscle fibers instead of slow-twitch fibers. This releases more fat-burning hormones and muscle-growth hormones. So you won't just burn more fat, but also build sexy, lean and defined muscles to show off in a bikini.

Choosing Your Weight

Use dumbbells, kettlebells or machine weights to lift heavy weights if you're a beginner, but when you get stronger try using barbells, which can help you easily pack on more weight. You should be able to lift the weight slowly for at least one rep but no more than four reps, so that when you lift for five reps you use explosive power. This ensures you activate your fast-twitch muscle fibers to burn more calories. If you can't do five reps without losing correct form, your weights are too heavy and could put you at risk of injury. Once you've chosen the right amount of weight for an exercise, do at least three sets of five reps, resting about a minute between sets for muscle recovery.

Related Reading: Six-Week Intense Bikini Workout Plan

Choosing Your Exercises

Start each workout with the most effective exercises for fat-burning before doing a variety of other exercises. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, exercises like squats and lunges that work multiple muscles at a time stimulate more muscle-growth hormones and burn more fat. Make sure you target all your major muscle groups. For example, do hamstring curls for your hamstrings, leg extensions for your quads and overhead triceps extensions for your triceps.

Variation is Important

The more you vary the exercises you do, the more you challenge your muscles and activate different muscle fibers. Target each major muscle group with at least two different exercises at least twice a week. You can also vary the range of repetitions you do from workout to workout so that you work your slow-twitch muscle fibers as well, which are responsible for muscular endurance. For example, you may do one or two 5-rep workouts a week, and one or two 20-rep workouts a week. Get at least three hours of cardio activity each week to burn more calories and for balance in your exercise regimen.

Safety Considerations

Especially when lifting heavy weights, it's important to use proper form and correct technique to avoid injuries. Have a personal trainer help you if you're new to strength training. Avoid over-training by letting your muscles recover for at least 48 hours before strength training them again. If you feel muscle or joint pain during exercise, stop immediately and rest, elevate and ice the affected area.

Source:- http://livehealthy.chron.com/five-rep-workouts-bikini-body-4023.html