In the first installment, I took you through training structure (total body or upper/lower split) and exercise selection. Now, it's time to turn up the heat to get you one step closer to the sunny beach.

Sets and Reps

Bodybuilders need a lot of volume to grow. Powerlifters need plenty of load. The bikini body doesn't need either: it needs a delicate balance of volume and loading. Too much of either and you'll probably get more muscular than you want. Too little and you won't achieve any noticeable results.

I've found that a set/rep volume of 24-30 hits the sweet spot for the bikini look. The options are plenty and here are a few combinations that fit the bill: 2x12, 3x8, 4x6, 5x5, 3x10, 6x5. These are all good, but I don't want you to overanalyze the set/rep combinations.

Here's what I mean: Take, for example, a dumbbell you could row for 8 perfect reps. Now consider these two protocols to reach 24 reps:

Protocol A: 4x6 with 45 seconds rest between each set

Protocol B: 6x4 with 30 seconds rest between each set

What's the difference between protocol A and B?

Nothing. Both result in 24 total reps with the same load in the same amount of time. So what's really important is the total number of reps with any given load, not the set/rep combination.

How much volume you need depends on your goal. Higher volume protocols typically equate to more muscle growth. So if your quads are naturally big, don't perform 6x5 for the front squat. Instead, go for 3x8 with the reverse lunge: less volume and less direct work for your quads.

Remember, the bikini body is about lean, sexy proportions — not monstrous muscle mass.

Gin is ready for her bikini; are you?

Before I go any further, I want to clarify what I mean by a set/rep volume of 24-30 for each movement. Let's say you're following a total body workout with the standing cable row, push-up, and Romanian deadlift. 24-30 is, again, the volume of each movement. Any of the aforementioned set/rep combinations could be used to meet that volume range.

For simplicity's sake I typically stick to the same set/rep volume for all exercises during each workout. However, the set/rep combinations to reach that volume can change throughout the week. Here's an example.

Monday
Volume: 24 (6x4)

1A) Standing cable row for 6 reps
Rest 30 seconds

1B) Push-up for 6 reps
Rest 30 seconds

1C) Step-up for 6 reps
Rest 60 seconds and repeat three more times

Wednesday
Volume: 24 (3x8)

1A) Lat pulldown for 8 reps
Rest 45 seconds

1B) Standing shoulder press for 8 reps
Rest 45 seconds

1C) Reverse lunge for 8 reps with each leg
Rest 90 seconds and repeat twice more

Friday
Volume: 24 (2x12)

1A) Bent over row for 12 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1B) Standing cable chest press for 12 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1C) Romanian deadlift for 12 reps
Rest 60 seconds and repeat once more

I like the undulating approach to sets and reps. Generally, start the week with lower reps and more sets, then merge into higher reps and fewer sets. But any combination works.

Sometimes I'll start with higher reps and merge to lower reps, other times I'll constantly change it throughout the week.

As a rule of thumb, each subsequent workout should differ by three reps per set. So if on Monday you did 4x6, then Wednesday should be 8x3 or 2x12, for example.

Now, many of you might be look at the above workouts and think, "Gosh, that sure doesn't look like much work." And in some cases, you'd be correct (especially with regard to Friday's workout). After all, if you only performed the three core exercises of a total body workout (1A-1C), you'd be finished with Friday's workout in about 8 minutes (that, however, can be a virtue in itself).

However, if I scrambled up the set/rep combination into 8x3, the Friday 2.0 workout would look like this:

Friday 2.0
Volume: 24

1A) Bent over row for 3 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1B) Standing cable chest press for 3 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1C) Romanian deadlift for 3 reps
Rest 60 seconds and repeat seven more times

Same volume, same exercises, but now the workout takes around 30 minutes.

My point is demonstrating these two extremes is that a set/rep volume as seemingly simple as 24 can yield many different options, depending on how much time and energy you have that day.

If you have some extra time, using heavier weights and perform more sets. If you're short on time, use lighter weights and perform fewer sets. Hell, even if you only have 5 minutes available on your lunch hour you could still squeeze in a total body workout like this:

1A) Lat pulldown with wide grip for 24 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1B) Push-up with knees down for 24 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1C) Reverse lunge for 24 reps with each leg (48 total)

Speaking of time and energy, whenever you want to add specialty work for lagging body parts, it's best to arrange them on days when your total body workouts are relatively short. Two good examples of short workouts are 2x12 and 3x8, or 2x15 and 3x10.

All of this talk is specific to total body workouts, but the same principles can and should be applied to upper/lower splits. For example, let's say your two upper body workouts each week look like this:

Monday
Volume: 24

Duration: 18-20 minutes

1A) Bent over row for 3 reps
Rest 30 seconds

1B) Standing cable chest press for 3 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat seven more times

2A) Face pull for 3 reps
Rest 30 seconds

2B) Standing dumbbell shoulder press for 3 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat seven more times

Thursday
Volume: 24

Duration: 8-10 minutes

1A) Lat pulldown for 8 reps
Rest 30 seconds

1B) Push-up for 8 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat twice more

2A) Standing cable row with palms up for 8 reps
Rest 30 seconds

2B) Lying dumbbell triceps extension for 8 reps
Rest 30 seconds and repeat twice more

If you need to add more mass to, say, your shoulders, put the extra shoulder exercise in Thursday's workout since it's half the length of Monday's workout. The same is true with any other lagging body part.

Nearly every woman could use direct butt work... unless you look like this from behind.

Many women need more direct work for their butt. If you're one of them, you can't go wrong with the glute bridge, single-leg deadlift, and x-band walk. However, with total body workouts you might not have time to perform three exercises for your bum if it happens to be a day when you're doing a circuit of 8x3.

There are two solutions to this problem. The first is to perform no more than three sets for your supplemental exercises. In other words, 2x12 or 3x10 are time efficient while 8x3 or 10x3 isn't. The other option is to switch to an upper/lower split.

My advice is to start with three total body workouts with a set/rep volume of 24 similar to what I laid out in this section. After 4-6 weeks analyze your progress. Does your butt still need more muscle? If so, add in one supplemental butt exercise to each workout.

Maybe you have a body like Olive Oil and you need to pack on some sexy muscle to your shoulders, quads and butt. If that's the case, you might need an upper/lower split to get the volume and intensity you need.

Speaking of intensity, it's up next.

Intensity

Intensity can be thought of in two ways:

1. How heavy the load is.

2. How close to muscular failure you take each set.

If you go by loading, the closer the load is to your one-repetition maximum (1RM), the higher the intensity. In other words, 100% intensity is required to lift your 1RM.

If you define intensity by muscular failure, 100% intensity is when you can no longer lift the weight.

To develop a bikini body, you don't need to work to 100% intensity, regardless of how you define it. You should stop a rep or two before failure. The best way to know when to stop is to focus on your speed. Once you get to the point in a set where your speed is noticeably slower, it's time to stop.

However, there's an exception to this rule, and it has to do with time.

Remember the five-minute workout example I gave earlier? Well, if you only have time for one set of 24 reps, it's best to take that set to failure.

Why? Because it'll result in a much greater demand on your heart, lungs and metabolism (energy systems). In other words, if you only have time for a 5-10 minute workout you must train at a very high intensity to get any benefit.

Think of intensity and sets as being inversely proportional. If you're only going to do 1-2 sets to fulfill your set/rep requirement, make those 1-2 sets as ass-kickin' as possible. When you have time for more sets (8x3), keep a rep or two in reserve and let the load and volume take care of the intensity.

And you don't need to lift super heavy weights, either. Here are the three loading guidelines that make up the bikini plan:

Heavy: a weight you could lift 4-6 times.
Medium: a weight you could lift 8-10 times.
Light: a weight you could lift 12-15 times.

Importantly, these loads represent what you could lift before fatigue becomes a factor. Use the same load for all sets to reach the target number of reps. Let's say you're training with a volume of 28 for each movement. With the heavy load, it'll probably take you 5-8 sets. Here's an example:

Set 1: 6 reps
Set 2: 5 reps
Set 3: 4 reps
Set 4: 4 reps
Set 5: 3 reps
Set 6: 3 reps
Set 7: 3 reps

Total reps = 28

Again, there are many different scenarios that can pan out, depending on how much rest you allow. That brings us to the rest.

Rest Periods

There's no training parameter that's more unassuming while being so potentially effective, than properly prescribed rest periods. Heck, some trainers don't even prescribe rest periods; they just give you the sets, reps, exercises and send you on your way!

But in reality, rest periods can transform a simple strength-building workout into a fat-burning incinerator. If you question the veracity of that statement I encourage you to give the following experiment a try.

Start with a medium load and do the following:

1A) Pulldown for 7 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1B) Push-up for 7 reps
Rest 60 seconds

1C) Deadlift for 7 reps
Rest 60 seconds

Then, with the same load, do this:

1A) Pulldown for 7 reps
Rest 10 seconds

1B) Push-up for 7 reps
Rest 10 seconds

1C) Deadlift for 7 reps
Rest 10 seconds

You'll quickly understand just how powerful short rest periods can be!

The bikini body is not about strength, although you'll get strong. And it's not about muscle, even though you'll build some. What the bikini body is really about is a lean, hard look.

There's no better way to lean up than to force your body to train with short rest periods. Indeed, you should feel a wee bit queasy by the end of your workouts. If you don't get that effect, you need to shorten the rest periods or increase the reps per set, or both.

As a good rule of thumb, start with a 30 seconds period between each exercise, regardless if it's a circuit, antagonist exercise pairing, or straight sets. Then, with each subsequent workout, shave five seconds off each rest period until you reach 10 seconds. This is called the rest progression — one of five progression methods that I outline in my book, Muscle Revolution.

It's important to start the rest progression from the right point. Your original workout with 30 seconds rest periods should be challenging. Therefore, it might take a workout or two to really hone in on the best starting rest period for your fitness level.

Rest periods and reps are positively correlated: as one goes up, so does the other. As an extreme example, a set of 24 reps for the squat requires much more rest than a set of three reps. The notion that low reps should coincide with long rest periods has no place in a bikini body plan.

Your rest between sets, regardless of the workout structure, should be in the 10-60 seconds range. Higher reps coincide with longer rest periods, and vice versa. Here's a sample.

Monday: 8x3 with 30 seconds rest
Wednesday: 3x8 with 45 seconds rest
Friday: 2x12 with 60 seconds rest

In any case, shave 5 seconds off each rest period when you repeat the workout the following week. Continue with the rest progression until you've cut your original rest period in half (60 seconds to 30 seconds, for example). At that point, increase the training load approximately 2% and start the process over.

Stay tuned for the final installment, where I'll outline energy systems training, sample training plans, and nutritional strategies that will make you excited to prance around in your bikini!

About the Author

For more of Waterbury's information pick up his e-book The 10/10 Transformation here

Featured Images

Brown bikini, shell necklace: FA author Ginny Gardea

Kneeling blond: Ashley Lawrence - www.Fembomb.com