The Best Wedding Workout for Your Dress Style
You’ve got the groom, the dress, and now all you need is a fitness plan to ensure you’re [...]
Strapless
This popular style puts all the focus on your shoulders and upper arms, so incorporating plenty of arm strength workouts is key. Try lateral bicep curls, plank arm circles with gliders, and upright rows to sculpt those arms. Try the moves below, using a heavier set of dumbbells and perform 3 sets of 15 reps, 3x a week:
Lateral Bicep Curls
Step 1: Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them out to the side with the palms facing upward. Your feet should be under the hips and the belly button needs to be pulled into your spine so you're not compressing the lower back. Keep a nice soft bend in the elbow.
Step 2: Exhale and bend at the elbow and curl the dumbbells in toward your head. Only the forearm will change position; the upper arm and bicep will remain in place. Shoulders stay down, away from the ears. That is one rep.
Plank Arm Circles With Gliders
Step 1: Start in the standard plank position. Feet are hip-width apart, pushing back through the heels, while your hands are under the shoulders and on top of the gliders. Do not let the hips sag or pike as you work.
Step 2: Without shifting the body forward, slide one hand in front of you while the other hand stabilizes your body weight.
Step 3: In a continuous motion, you'll slide the hand out to the side as far as you can reach while maintaining your strong plank.
Step 4: Finally, slide the hand behind and to the side of you before sending it up through the middle again. You can alternate sides or repeat several reps on one side before switching.
Upright Rows
Step 1: Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees, palms facing down on the tops of your thighs, grasping a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your knees slightly bent and your chest up.
Step 2: Pull your hands directly up until your elbows and forearms are virtually parallel to the ground while squeezing your shoulder blades together. The dumbbells should end at chest level. Pause at the top and lower the dumbbells to the starting position. That is one rep.
prevnextLow Back
Dresses that show off your low back also give a emphasize your booty, so to ensure you're focusing on both these areas, squeeze in some pilates sessions in between your meetings with the wedding planner. Moves like the pushup row and the standing rear delt raises will give you the strong, sculpted back and tight butt to rock your dress. Try the moves below, use heavier dumbbells and perform 3 sets of 15 reps, 3 times a week:
Pushup Row
Step 1: Grab a pair of weights and get in pushup plank position with your hands grasping the handles of the weights, core tight.
Step 2: Lower your body, keeping elbows tight to your ribs.
Step 3: Pause at the bottom of your pushup, then press yourself back up into plank.
Step 4: Once back in the plank position, bend your left elbow and pull the weight up toward the side of your body. Try to graze your right side when you "row" the dumbbell up, keeping your elbow straight.
Step 5: Repeat the row movement with your right arm. That's one rep.
Standing Rear Delt Raises
Step 1: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hinge at the hips and lean forward so your hips go behind your heels and the back is flat. Gaze in front of you at the floor and hold dumbbells in front of you with arms extended, palms facing in.
Step 2: Keeping your arms straight (without locking the elbows), lift your dumbbells to the side of your body. If you have to jerk your body to complete this movement, decrease your weight. Avoid putting the work in your lower back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together then release the weights back under the chest with control. That is one rep.
prevnextSleeveless
Sleeveless gowns are all about the arms, so your workouts should be, too! Get busy with our 30/20/10 Arm Botcamp Workout video. Once you've mastered those moves, you can increase the weights and/or repetitions of the exercises, and prepare yourself for loads of complements on your jiggle-free biceps. Complete this workout 3 times a week for best results!
prevnextBall gown
For the princess in all of us, a ball gown shows off the waist and core, so exercises like lying ankle taps, supine oblique twists with stability ball and side plank hip dips will be your best friend. Try the moves below, performing 3 sets of 15 reps, 3 times a week:
Lying Ankle Taps
Step 1: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, lower back press firmly into the floor.
Step 2: With arms straight and parallel to the floor, lift your shoulder blades off the floor and reach your right hand to your right ankle, then your left hand to your left ankle. That is one rep.
Supine Oblique Twist with Stability Ball:
Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms out to each side in a 'T' shape, palms facing down.
Step 2: Place a stability ball between your feet and extend both legs up towards the ceiling, stopping just at your hips, knees slightly bent.
Step 3: Squeeze the ball and tighten your abs, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor as you carefully move the ball to the right, lowering both legs towards the floor (only go as far toward floor as you can without dropping to the side).
Step 4: Press the ball back up to the ceiling and repeat to the left. That is one rep.
Side Plank Hip Dip
Step 1: Begin in your side plank with the shoulder over the wrist, feet stacked or staggered (shown here) and lower oblique engaged to stay lifted.
Step 2: Let the hips drop a few inches without hinging them backward.
Step 3: Squeeze the lower oblique to lift you up past the neutral starting point into and arched position. Notice the intense crunch of the lower side abs. To help, inhale when you dip and exhale when you lift. Complete all your reps one one side and then switch sides.
prevnextMermaid
Calling all Ariel wannabes! If your dress is aquatically inspired, you need to focus your attention on getting toned, curvy hips to show off the gorgeous lines of this fit-and-flare dress. Try our 30-Minute Hourglass Figure Workout to tone your hips for curves to rival a Kardashian.
prevnextSash
A dress with a waist sash draws attention to, you guessed it, the waist, so core work is very important here. Planks are your ticket to a toned wedding body, and with so many variations, there's no way you'll get bored of this versatile move.
prevnextA-line
Classic and undeniably elegant, an A-line dress draws the attention upward to your waist, arms, and shoulders. The classic pushup hits all three of these areas, and because it's a multi-tasker, you get a shorter, more effective workout that leaves you plenty of time to sneak your maid of honor some hints about the bachelorette party. If you're feeling in need of even more fitness, you can even try our Pushup Challenge!
No matter your dress style, there's a workout for you. But don't forget that in addition to the workouts and the dress, the best way to look gorgeous on your wedding day is to have confidence in yourself. Tell yourself you're a goddess, and you'll look like one.
Related:
Julianne Hough's Pre-Wedding Diet Is Absolute Perfection
How To Budget A Fabulous $20K Wedding
17 Free Weight Exercises For Toned Arms
30-Day Pushup Challenge