Build a curvy, but healthy physique

Women have it rough, if they put on too much muscle and they “look like a man”, but if they don’t put on any muscle they risk being “too skinny”, and if they have a slightly higher amount of body fat than normal, they are “fat”. It is a cruel world, so what should you do as a woman when it comes to training? Find a good program! That being said, the team at Boostcamp has found the best training program for women to get their bikini body ready. 

Let’s break down what to look for in a training program for women, and what we have put together for the ladies out there.

What to Look for in a Women’s Training Program

There are a few different things to look for in a women’s training program. For one, a lot of women aim to build the lower body up a bit more than the upper body, so you want to find something with good balance and a lot of leg focused exercises. However, a lot of women also focus too much on legs, with some hitting the lower body exercises up to four times a week! This could mean a few things, that you aren’t training hard enough, or you are overtraining. You should be training to the point where you need to recover! 

That being said, finding a program with a good amount of frequency for each muscle group is a key consideration. Exercise selection and rep range are also highly important, as you don’t need to be hitting one rep maxes on lifts like the bench press if you are aiming to build a bikini body. Instead, hitting a rep range that is aimed at building muscle is key.

What Defines a “Bikini Body”?

Now, a bikini body is typically seen as an hourglass shape, where the waist is small, or appears to be small, with a wider set of shoulders (not to the point of a full blown bodybuilder) and a set of legs that helps to make the waist look even smaller. The glutes are full and rounded, with a toned midsection and healthy body fat level. A bikini body also does not necessarily mean that there needs to be large amounts of muscle in the arms, but there is enough that they appear to be toned and healthy. 

There actually is a division in bodybuilding for “bikini”, where competitors are judged on these aspects, being their glutes, muscle mass, figure, body fat, and so on. The main thing to keep in mind is that a bikini body is aimed more at being toned and healthy while maintaining femininity, rather than being as strong and muscular as possible, like a powerlifter or competitive bodybuilder looks to do.

The Best Women’s Training Program for a Bikini Body

The team at Boostcamp has tried and tested several programs for women to use to obtain a bikini body, and we have concluded that none other than “Bikini Body” from Menno Henselmans is the best option. It is aimed at having you ladies look like you could be a bikini competitor, without actually having to prep and step on stage, so you will be left looking great for summer. Let’s break it down a bit further. 

Skill Level

As far as who the program is designed for, the Bikini Body program is aimed at women who may be newer to the gym. It does require a full gym, meaning you need equipment to complete it. It is more of a bodybuilding program, as the Bikini Body is aimed at building muscle and sculpting.

Length and Frequency

As far as how long the program goes, Bikini Body lasts 8 weeks and can be reused once completed. It also has you in the gym only 2 days a week, for 60 minutes at a time, with the recommended training days being Monday and Thursday. Now, you are able to choose which days you train, those are just the recommended days. The low frequency allows for plenty of time to recover and grow.

You are also able to slightly increase the frequency, perhaps to three days a week. But if you are truly a beginner, then maybe sticking to two days a week could be a bit better. 

Exercises, Sets, and Reps

As far as exercises, you will be doing a mix of compound and isolation exercises such as the barbell squat, and unilateral lying leg curls to name a few. This allows you to focus on building up the overall muscles, and then fine tune them. It is worth noting that this program is a full body workout, with the first day hitting legs and primarily back/rear delts, and the second day hitting legs and chest/lateral raises. 

As far as the sets and rep ranges, you are hitting higher volume, between 2-4 sets of 12-15 reps each time. This is a muscle building program, so you will not see one rep maxes in the mix. 

More Workout Programs

If the Bikini Body program is not for you and you want to build a bigger, stronger physique, then check out more programs on the Boostcamp App! There are over 50 free programs with several variations of some of the most popular splits, such as the push/pull/legs and the upper/lower splits. But aside from that, you can create the perfect workout program for you, catered specifically to your liking. 

Bikini Body Wrap Up

Overall, building a bikini body is not overly complicated, and does not have to be. Women do have it rough with the standards that they are held to, but finding a good workout program can make it a bit easier. That being said, the Boostcamp team highly recommends the Bikini Body program from Menno Henselmans in order to achieve that physique! 

Will you be giving this program a try? Let us know! 

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