Posted on February 24, 2016 by Jenny Cromack

It’s that time of year when, as personal trainers, we get a lot of enquiries from brides-to-be or bridesmaids wanting to get in shape for their Summer weddings. So I thought I’d share my top exercises for getting in shape for your wedding dress (or bridesmaid dress).

Cardio

If you’re looking for a lean and toned physique, then you should be looking to drop your body fat or be maintaining your body fat at optimal levels to let your toned muscles shine through.

I’d recommend incorporating a minimum of two HIIT sessions per week into your training regime. You could go to a spin class as these tend to involve lots of intervals or choose a HIIT class at the gym. If you’re more of gym bunny then for HIIT training and torching calories I prefer the treadmill or rowing machine. And if, like me, you love exercising outdoors then get those trainers on and try this hill sprint workout or this running shuttles HIIT workout.

Resistance Training

Everyone probably knows by now that lifting weights is NOT going to make you bulky so I’m not going to bleat on about this other than to say lifting weights will help you drop body fat and give you that sleek, toned look you want for your wedding day.

Try to incorporate resistance training into your weekly regime twice per week, three times if you have time. Again, you could go along to a weights-based class or you could hit the gym. One of my favourite ways of training (as many of my personal training clients know!) is German Body Composition Training (or GBC). Don’t worry it won’t make you big or bulky, but due to the benefits of GBC it will boost your metabolism, blast body fat and tone those muscles.

So what is GBC? Quite simply, you choose 2 exercises – 1 for the upper body, 1 for the lower body – and alternate between the exercises (this is a superset). You then repeat the superset 3-4 times (3 sets for beginners, 4 sets for intermediate-advanced).

Here is my favourite GBC workout for getting in shape for your wedding dress. I’ve then added an upper body triset at the end to give a final focus on developing nice shapely arms.

Warm Up – Start your workout with 5 minutes on the rowing machine, gradually increasing your intensity throughout.

Main Workout – Repeat each superset (A&B) x 3-4 sets. Rest for a maximum of 30 seconds between exercises. Choose a weight which challenges you for the final few reps.

1A. Goblet Squat x 12-15 – Great for the legs (whilst your legs maybe hidden under your dress, many brides also want to focus on their bikini body for the honeymoon)

1B. DB Chest Press x 12-15 – A great all-rounder for the chest and upper arms. 

2A. Walking Lunges x 16-20 – Amazing for the butt and legs

2B. Bent Over Rows x 12-15 – This exercise will really sculpt the upper back. If you are wearing a strapless dress this exercise is a must! 

3A. Kettlebell Swings x 12-15- Great for the butt and back of the legs

3B. Reverse Flyes x 10 -12 – I’ve added a second upper back/rear deltoid exercise into this. Many of us slouch day by day at a computer desk, so this will improve your posture for when you glide down the aisle. 

4A. Lateral Raises x 10 -12 – My favourite exercise for shaping the shoulders

4B. Bicep Curls x 12-15 – Tone the front of the arms with this exercise

4C. Tricep French Press x 12-15 – Banish those bingo wings!

Combined with a healthy, clean diet this approach should have you looking amazing on your wedding day.