Speedy Summer Shape-Up

Summer doesn't arrive until June 21, but it's not too late to start to get in shape! If you know what you're doing, you can make major changes in three weeks. How so?

The key is to do the right amount of exercise and to include enough variety to keep your muscles "surprised" so they won't get used to the workout. When you do this, your body will be forced to work harder, burning more fat and making the muscles tone faster.

Also, you do different exercise combinations each day. You do upper body on one day and lower the next, and keep repeating that way. Because you are using different exercise combinations your body stays on the alert and works harder.

What about abs? You do them six days a week, but with different exercises and different combinations! What happens when you work this way? Wow. You quadruple your progress over what you would get doing the same old upper body one day, lower body and abs the next. It's the shock value. Here's a sample plan and two sample exercises to get you started.

Day 1: An interval aerobics workout emphasizing hips, butt, thighs and abs.

Day 2. A fat-burning workout for upper body with weights, and a different abs workout.

Day 3. A bathing suit workout with different moves, and a different abs workout.

Day 4. A fat-burning workout for lower body, and a different abs workout.

Day 5. Back to the interval workout of day one, but a different abs workout.

Day 6. Back to the bathing suit workout of day 3, but a different abs workout.

Day 7. OFF -- then repeat this weekly schedule two more times.

What will happen? You should be down at least a size, probably two, and everything will be lifted and more toned. Here are two sample exercises to get you started.

Inner Thigh Workout
Start position: Lie on the floor with your back flat and your knees bent, heels together and thighs apart.

Movement: Flex your inner thighs as you straighten your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor. Repeat the movement for 15 repetitions. Without resting, move to the next exercises.

Floor Triceps Tightener
Start position: Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight up and palms facing your body.

Movement: Slowly lower the dumbbells by bending your elbows until they are fully bent, and keeping them close to your head. Return to start position, flexing your triceps muscles as you go. Repeat the movement for 12 repetitions.

Without resting do this series two more times.

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