Jen Jewell's Summer Countdown: Burn Fat & Build A Bikini Booty

Jen Jewell
Written By: Jen Jewell
June 16th, 2015
Updated: June 13th, 2020
254.3K Reads
Summer Countdown Workout: Burn Fat & Build A Bikini Booty
The time to sculpt your summer body is now! Get lean, healthy, and strong with Jen Jewell's Summer Countdown Workout that combines strength training with cardio bursts for maximum fat loss.
Workout Summary
  • Main Goal
    Lose Fat
  • Workout Type
    Full Body
  • Training Level
    Beginner
  • Program Duration4 weeks
  • Days Per Week
    4
  • Time Per Workout30-45 minutes
  • Equipment Required
    Barbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells, Exercise Ball
  • Target Gender Female
  • Workout PDF Download Workout

Workout Description

The days are getting longer, the weather is heating up, and swimsuits are on sale everywhere you look! Summer is just around the corner and the countdown to pool parties, weekend BBQ events, and beach getaways is on!

But wait.

Before you roll your eyes about bikini shopping this year, hear me out: there is still time to make some serious changes with your health and fitness!

I want you all to feel your most healthy, fit, and confident this summer and embrace “swimsuit season” like never before. After all - you’ve been squatting your way to some serious results in the gym, so it’s time to rock those hard-earned results at the beach! Plus, I’ve created the workouts below specifically with this summer countdown in mind. I’m also arming you with my top nutrition tips that will help with fat loss while keeping you full of energy in and out of the gym.

I know all of you have been hitting the gym on a regular basis and have probably been doing a good amount of strength training and some cardio, right? Well it’s time to take the intensity of your workouts up a notch!

Most of us are guilty of having fallen into a workout rut a time or two (I know in the early years of my fitness journey I most certainly did!) and I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore! The workouts I’ve created for you are designed to shock your body, challenge you in a new way, bust out of a workout rut, and get you the results that you deserve!

summer countdown workout on a beach

Both workouts include a combination of strength training exercises paired with cardio bursts. The goal in each workout is to keep your heart rate elevated more so than you are typically accustomed throughout your strength training - you are, after all, getting in a bonus cardio workout with these 30-60 seconds bursts of cardio between your set. You’ll be challenging yourself in a new way while still lifting as heavy as you can during each set and rep range, but with the added bursts of cardio you’ll be burning even more calories than just traditional lifting and resting in between sets. These workouts are all about efficiency and maximizing your time in the gym as the summer countdown is on! Ready, set…work it!

Nutrition Tips For Fat Loss

  • Cut back on or eliminate processed foods. This is so simple and can make such a drastic difference in a short amount of time. Instead of premade convenient foods, switch to cooking your own items (cut out items that are frozen, canned, or packaged with extra preservatives and instead opt for whole food items to make yourself at home) and flavoring your meals with herbs and spices. And no, don’t worry - you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen. Throw some items in a crock pot and you’re good to go!
  • Pay attention to food labels and be especially aware of “healthy” buzz words such as “gluten free,” “vegan,” “fat free” and other clever marketing ploys. More often than not, these modified versions of foods actually end up having more sugar (and calories) than the original version.
  • Make sure that each meal or snack you have contains some protein.  Anything from chicken breast, plain Greek yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, whey protein powder, fish, lean steak, egg whites, etc. Making sure each meal and snack has protein in it will help keep you full longer AND it’s essential for building lean muscle (and holding onto that lean muscle while you’re attempting to lose body fat).
  • Load up on those veggies! Just as I want you to make sure you’re getting enough protein throughout the day, adding in veggies is another simple way to add more nutrients AND fiber. Aside from a number of other health benefits, fibrous veggies will also help keep you full and slow down the digestion process.
  • Cut out all soda & juices, and limit alcohol to once a week (if at all) and be very mindful about any “empty” calories in the form of liquid that you may be consuming. This is such a simple fix that can often save us hundreds of calories a day. Not a fan of drinking gallon of plain water a day? Add some flavor to your water by chopping up cucumber, lemon, lime, mint, or other fruits to help naturally sweeten your water.
  • Always be prepared! Know where your next meal is going to come from. If you don’t leave the house every day with a cooler in tow, that’s OK. Just make sure you have a few simple healthy options on hand so that you don’t end up famished and stuck without anything but the nearest fast food drive thru as an option. Items that have helped me in a bind include: a protein bar, some protein powder, a piece of fruit, some almonds and even some oats that I’ve whipped up with hot water at a local coffee shop (or in the airport) and added some protein powder to for a quick meal. These items take just a minute to throw in your purse or gym bag to have on hand throughout the day and can seriously help keep you on track. Set yourself up for success - always be prepared!

Jen Jewell's Summer Countdown Workout

This workout consists of 3 components that are designed to maximize fat loss while adding muscle. You'll be working out 3-4 days per week, so be sure to allow a rest day in between workouts. The sequencing of the workouts is up to you!

Summer Countdown Workout planks on the beach

Cardio & Strength Training Circuit

Perform this circuit 2-3 days/week. Be sure to allow a day of rest between workouts.

Note that you don't need to do additional cardio on this workout day. To make it even more convenient, this workout can be done at home with minimal equipment. All you'll need is a couple of dumbbells, a jump rope, and an open space!

Circuit 1: 3-4 sets
Exercise Reps
Mountain Climbers (keep abs tight) 30 sec
Reverse Lunges (with DB or Barbell) 15
Plank Holds 15 sec middle, 10 sec right, 10 sec left
Overhead Triceps Press with DB 15
Frog Leaps (feet wide apart, squat low and tap the ground real quick with your hands, then frog leap forward) 10 (you can turn around and leap back/forth if space is limited)
Plie Squats 15
Jump Rope 30 sec
Circuit 2: 3-4 sets
Exercise Reps
Plank Up/Downs (keep abs tight) 30 sec
Biceps Curl to Shoulder Press (standing, perform bicep curl and then shoulder press up, lower weights and repeat) 15
Plank Punches, alternating arms 15, each arm
Side Lunges with Forward Press/Punch (light weights are fine) 12-15/side
Hip Thrusters on a Bench or Exercise Ball 15
Burpees 15

Bikini booty workout

Perform this workout one day each week.

Warm Up: 10 minutes on step mill or stair stepper. 5 minute moderate pace and then 5 minutes of intervals: 30 sec moderate/30 sec higher intensity. Repeat for 5 minutes and then go hit the weights!

Exercise Sets Reps
1a. Barbell Sumo Squats 3-4 15
1b. Jump Rope 3-4 1 min
2a. Sumo Deadlifts 3-4 15
2b. Plie Jump Squats (hold 1 DB with both hands) 3-4 15
3a. Cursty Lunges w/ DB or Barball 3-4 12, each leg
3b. Step-ups w/ DB or Barbell 3-4 12, each leg
4a. Walking Lunges (with DBs) 3-4 30 sec
4b. Glute Cable Kickbacks 3-4 15, each leg
5. Single Leg Glute Bridge (using exercise ball) 3 15, each leg

Abs

Train your abs 3 days per week. This can be done after the cardio circuit or after the Bikini Booty Workout.

Select 3 exercises from below for each workout. Alternate between the exercises below from one workout to the next. Do 3-4 sets per exercise.

Exercise Reps
Reverse Crunches (on bench or decline bench) 20-30
Hanging Knee Raises 25
Hanging Knee Raises with Oblique Twist (tilt hips to the side) 15, each side
Ball Knee Tucks or Pikes on Exercise Ball 15-20
Knee Tucks with Oblique Twist on Exercise Ball 15, each side
Knee Tucks with feet in TRX Straps, Hands in Plank Position 15-20
TRX Mountain Climbers 30 sec
Plank Holds 30 sec
Side Plank Holds (either on forearms or fully extended) 30 sec, each side
20 Comments
kerui
Posted on: Tue, 07/21/2020 - 12:20

This is not for begginer, belive me.

Mo
Posted on: Sun, 09/01/2019 - 04:26

Hi, am I able to do circuits on one day and abs the following day instead of the same day? Or would it be more efficient to do abs and circuits together as suggested and have a whole day to rest in between?

Claire H
Posted on: Wed, 02/27/2019 - 06:20

Stupidly did the cardio & strength workout on Monday then the bikini booty on Tuesdat and now can hardly walk lol
Will change it next week so that I have a full rest day in between each one - note to self read comments for clarification before starting a new workout :)

JJ
Posted on: Wed, 04/18/2018 - 20:59

Should I take a whey protein shake pre and post workout? Should I also take them on rest days? Thanks!

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Thu, 04/19/2018 - 10:46

Hi JJ,

Yes, you can take a protein shake at whatever time of day to help you meet your daily protein needs.

Hope this helps!

JSVB
Posted on: Wed, 01/03/2018 - 08:24

I did my first day of circuits and I can barely walk, can't wait to see where this program takes me. It was a nice change from my usual weightlifting routine.

Susan
Posted on: Thu, 08/17/2017 - 18:32

So with the cardio and strength workouts...do we do 3-4 sets of mountain climbers then move onto next exercise which is lunges, and then so on? Thanks for alll your help!

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Fri, 08/18/2017 - 09:01

Hi Susan,

All of the exercises should be performed as a circuit. So you'll do mountain climbers then move on to the next exercise with no rest. After you finish all of the exercises within the circuit, rest, and then repeat for 3-4 total sets.

Hope this helps!

Susan
Posted on: Sat, 08/05/2017 - 19:46

Hi, so how to complete these workouts? Am I only supposed to do the bikini one? Or the cardio strength? Or both? Thanks

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 08/07/2017 - 09:59

Hi Susan,

Perform the strength and cardio circuits 2-3 times a week. Perform the abs circuit 3 times a week. Be sure to take rest days in between the strength and cardio days.

Hope this helps!

Susan
Posted on: Mon, 08/07/2017 - 16:52

Thanks. So circuit 1&2 under the strength and cardio session are to be performed together in one day?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Tue, 08/08/2017 - 08:55

Hi Susan,

Yes that is correct, Personally, if I were to schedule this program for myself it would look like this:

M - Cardio and Strength Circuits + abs
T - Rest
W - Bikini Booty Workout + Abs
Th - Rest
F - Cardio and Strength Circuits
S - Abs
S - Rest

But you can perform it in whichever fashion works best for you and your schedule.

Hope this helps!

Susan
Posted on: Tue, 08/08/2017 - 10:02

So for the bikini workout. Do I do 1a then 1b superset? Wait a certain amount of time and then do them again until I'm done with 3-4 sets then move on to 2a, 2b etc?

Maybe they can update which exercise to do when follow how much time to wait before doing the next? Thanks!

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Tue, 08/08/2017 - 10:18

Hi Susan,

That is correct. With circuits, you want to keep rest periods on the low end. 30 seconds should be enough, but don't be afraid to rest a little longer if you need to.

You're right, that would be a good addition to this page. Thank you for the suggestions.

Hope this helps!

Ashley
Posted on: Mon, 05/15/2017 - 19:58

For the bikini booty workout do we just choose 1 exercise from each A or B? like 1a(3-4sets), 2a..., 3a..,4a..,5 then maybe do the bs next time or does that imply to superset A/ B with no rest then do 3-4 sets like that? like 1a/b(3-4sets), 2a/b(3-4sets),... If so what should the rest time be between sets? I just did the workout doing the A/B superset with about a min rest between sets and exercises , Just seemed like a lot of exercises sets/reps for just a few muscle groups in 1 session. Please let me know if im doing it correct or all wrong lol also for this full workout routine how many weeks do you recommend doing it before switching up?
Thank You
Ash

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Tue, 05/16/2017 - 09:07

Hi Ash,

Yes it is intended to be performed as a superset. For rest, everyone is different, but I think a good rest period would fall in between 30-90 seconds of rest in between sets.

You can perform this program for as long as you'd like so long as it is helping you accomplish your goals and you are enjoying doing it. I'd give it 6-8 weeks of consistent effort to determine that before switching things up though.

Hope this helps!

Miranda
Posted on: Fri, 03/04/2016 - 19:52

how long am i to see the changes?

Tony
Posted on: Mon, 06/22/2015 - 19:13

For the strength and cardio circuit are you supposed to do both circuit 1 and 2 on the same day?

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MikeWines
Posted on: Tue, 06/23/2015 - 09:11

Tony,
Yes, perform both circuits on the same day. Start with a lower # of round (2-3) initially if you're worried you might not get through it and then work your way up.

shubham
Posted on: Mon, 06/22/2015 - 13:54

I am avid follower of yoga got benefitted in all fields be it health, profession and life. For one year even my wife is also practicing. But i admit she is way ahead of me.