Making your body beach-ready by Memorial Day

Making your body beach-ready by Memorial Day

Jeanne Noonan for New York Daily News

Jeff Halevy, founder of Halevy Life, explains the correct way to do pushups, one of the exercises that will tone the body without creating bulk.

Does the thought of baring it all at the beach in just three weeks make you break out in a cold sweat?

Dont throw in the towel just yet, ladies. Theres still time to get your body swimsuit-ready so that you can hit the surf with confidence on Memorial Day.

Celebrity trainer Jeff Halevy, founder of Halevy Life fitness center, specializes in rapid fat burn.

Crash diets and crash exercise routines are terrible, he says, reminding readers to consult their doctors before starting any diet or exercise program. But if your goal is fat loss and trying to do it in a way that is healthy, these guidelines will be very helpful.

His mantra: Cut calories by eating only lean meats and fibrous veggies, and toning your body with total body workouts.

The key to good esthetics is having muscle and not fat, he says, assuring that were not bulking up, here.

Were going to use lighter weights and were going to hit the entire body in one workout.

He recommends two sets of 12 to 15 reps for each move, using weights or dumbbells that are just heavy enough to challenge you without losing your form.

But the diet is even more important than the workout.

The beach body actually starts in the kitchen, not in the gym, he says. This ultimately comes down to caloric deficiency, and its much easier to create that by the foods we take in versus the energy we expend.

Carolyn Brown, a registered dietitian at Foodtrainers, agrees. You can definitely lose 5 to 7 pounds in three weeks ... and if youre really watching what youre eating, you can unbloat especially the week before Memorial Day.

Sunflower seeds, asparagus, lemon, cucumber and dandelion greens help you let go of excess water to slim your stomach for beach week.

But the best move you can make is cutting alcohol.

Beer and booze wont get you into a bikini, she warns.

Find a partner in crime to help you stick with it and keep you motivated.

Get moving now to shape up for Memorial Day and if you stick with these moves, youll only get hotter over the summer.

PUSHUPS
Lie on your stomach with arms bent at your sides, palms down and shoulder-width apart. Push yourself up with your arms, making a straight line from your head to your heels. Lower back down. Works: chest, shoulders, biceps.

DUMBBELL FLOOR PRESS
Lie on your back with a weight in each hand, palms up and arms extended straight above the chest. Lower the dumbbells down until your upper arms almost touch the floor, pause, and push back up. Works: chest, shoulders, biceps.

BENT-OVER DUMBBELL ROW
Stand, bending knees slightly, with upper body bent and arms hanging perpendicular to the floor, a dumbbell in each hand. Keep the midsection still as you bend your arms and lift the weights to your side. Lower and repeat. Works: back, biceps.

TRX ROW
Hold the TRX handles in each hand with feet planted on the floor. Lean back by extending your arms. Keeping the lower body still, draw your hands back to your chest, pulling yourself up. Extend arms to lower yourself. Works: Back, biceps

STANDING DUMBBELL PRESS
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, weights raised to shoulder height on each side, palms forward. Raise the dumbbells above your head, lower and repeat. Works: shoulders, triceps, core.

CHINUPS
Grab the bar with palms facing you, shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up so your chin is an inch or two above the bar, and hold for a second. Lower back down to hanging position. Works: back, shoulders, biceps.

DUMBBELL BOX SQUAT
Holding a dumbbell against your chest, sit back onto a seat or bench the way you would squat on a toilet. Stand back up. Works: back, legs, butt.

DUMBBELL ROMANIAN DEAD LIFT
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding weights at your sides. Lower the dumbbells to the floor while keeping your back flat, and return to standing. Works: legs, back.

LUNGE
Stand with feet together, step forward, and lower the body so one leg is in front of the other, both knees bent at 90-degree angles. Push through the heel back up to starting position. Hold weights to engage the core. Works: legs, butt.

TWIST
Grab a medicine ball (or basketball or bottle of laundry detergent) and hold in both hands above your right shoulder. Swing down diagonally in a chopping motion toward the opposite foot as you squat. Stand up, bringing the ball back diagonally to starting position. Works: core, legs, butt, arms.