Swimsuit Competition Exercises

If you have plans to compete in a swimsuit competition, be prepared to work hard to get your body ready. For that coveted win, you need to look your best. That means following a strict exercise plan, early enough before the competition -- around 12 weeks prior at the least -- to get in the best of shape. You need the right combination of cardio, muscle-building exercises and a healthy diet to help you tone and define your muscles and create a fit physique you'll feel confident about showing off. Targeted exercises, however, are key to getting your body into competition shape.

  1. Exercise Plans

    • When you're preparing for a swimsuit competition, you need to take it seriously and that means planning an exercise schedule and sticking to it. Do at least 30 minutes of cardio five times a week. Do your strength-training workout three to five times a week, completing three sets of 12 reps of each exercise. Although it doesn't matter if you do your cardio and weight training on the same day, it is best to alternate training the upper and lower body, in order to give your muscles time to rest before working them out again.

    Cardio is Crucial

    • Cardio exercise is a must for anyone training to for a swimsuit competition. You can put all the time and effort into your workouts as you want, but if you have a lot of body fat, you can't show off the muscle underneath that you worked so hard for. Cardio is the most effective way to burn stubborn fat. Cardio activity includes brisk walking, running, rowing, cycling, dancing -- anything that gets your heart rate going. Moderate- to high-intensity exercise is required to blast away those calories and help you keep your body fat percentage low.

    Weight Training for the Win

    • Weight training exercises are those exercises that incorporate weights to help build and maintain muscle mass, giving you that tight, toned physique you're after. Include a variety of exercises in your total workout plan, enough to target all of the major muscle groups in your body. The dumbbell kickback for the triceps, dumbbell push situp for the abs and the barbell squat for the glutes and thighs are examples of effective strength-training exercises to help you sculpt strong, developed muscles worthy of competition.

    Diet-Exercise Connection

    • An exercise plan is only as good as the diet that fuels it. No matter how many hours you spend working out, it's not going to matter if you're eating fatty, processed foods. Stick to a clean diet to get in shape, basing your meals around fruits and vegetables, and sources of natural fats such as avocado and almonds. A caloric deficit is required to lose body fat, so you'll need to take in at least 500 fewer calories each day than you are burning, or about 3,500 a week, to safely lose 1 pound of fat per week. Once you have achieved a low body fat percentage and are focusing more on building muscle through exercise, you may need extra calories, particularly through high-protein foods to support muscle building.