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Drop a Dress Size in 6 Weeks

You can drop a dress size (anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds, or about an inch or two from your bust and hips) and be special-occasion slim in only six weeks.

The plan: 20 minutes of cardio 4-6 times a week, skipping diet saboteurs (alcohol, baked goods, salty snack foods, ice cream, juices/smoothies, and full-fat dairy), and the strength training routine below.

This easy-to-follow workout, appropriate for all fitness levels, targets your butt, abs, hips, waist, thighs, and upper arms. Here's the drill.

 

• Before starting, stretch and do a five-minute warm-up (a quick walk or stair climb).

• Use a pair of hand weights: three to five pounds each if you're a beginner, eight to ten if you're already working out.

• Count to three as you do the move, and as you return to the start position. Exhale as you lift, inhale on the way down.

• If you can't do more than eight reps, you're using too much weight; if you can do 15 without trouble, you're not using enough.

 

During weeks one and two, complete all six exercises (this is called a circuit) for the number of sets listed. Starting with week three, increase the number of sets; by week six you should be completing three sets of each exercise. Do a circuit two to three times a week, giving yourself at least 48 hours of rest in between each session.

By Kristyn Kusek