Prepping For Summer

Breaking news: summer is coming, look busy. Or, better yet, get busy – I don’t know about you, but at least in my case there’s a lot of prep to done before I can feel beach-ready and body-confident for the fast-approaching summer months ahead. Below, a won’t-waste-your-time (you’ll need that for waxing, sugaring, tanning, sweating…you get the idea) guide to prepping for summer.

First off: fitness. Come on, you knew that was coming, right? Those thighs ain’t gonna tone themselves. There’s a fine line between looking good and looking like a Victoria’s Secret model, and we intend to cross it. In general, it’s a great idea to focus equally on strength and cardio, but it can help to lean more towards strength if you want to tone up, and cardio if you’re looking to lose weight. For girls like me, who bulk at the even the sight of one-pound hand weights (or anybody who wants long, lean muscles like a dancer’s or willowy Pilates devotee’s), I recommend Pure Barre for strength, and Tracy Anderson’s treadmill workout (find it, in Parts One and Two, on YouTube) for cardio. Pure Barre is a great, incredibly challenging alternative to traditional weight training and incorporates Pilates-inspired isometric movements, using your own body weight, and yoga-themed stretches to build strength, not bulk, while chiseling long, dancer-like muscles. Anderson’s cardio workout is challenging on all levels (it keeps your heart rate around peak levels for the duration of the workout, and tests your balance, coordination, and proprioception), so you know you’re getting an amazing workout, while making time fly and being crazy-fun all at the same time.

 

Alright, now you’ve got your smokin’ bod – get ready to flaunt it! We all know the waxing drill: full legs, underarms, maybe a Brazilian if you’re feeling fruity (and brave). But we all know that, much like a dental drill, this procedure can cause a lot of, well, let’s be frank – AGONY. Take it down a notch and actually enjoy your appointments with sugaring. Essentially waxing with a sticky sugar paste instead of, y’know, wax, sugaring reduces pain by eliminating hot wax burns and by adhering to the hair, but not your skin. And sugaring can do everything waxing can: legs, underarms, and yes, even those Brazilians.

And there you have it: how to be a real-life VS model, in three easy steps. Helloooo, Adam.

Laura Hunter-Thomas,

Ici Fashion