Model plan

Swimsuit Model

Lean and toned: glutes, a flat waist and great posture

4 days a week
8 weeks
Intermediate
For women
Gym

About this program

The swimsuit look is toned muscle (glutes, shoulders, upper back) on a leaner body, not a tiny number on the scale. Heavy glute work twice a week, upper-back work for posture, core stability instead of endless crunches, short intervals and 9–10k steps a day. Lose about 0.5% of your weight a week: crash diets burn the muscle that gives you shape.

Who it’s for

You already train regularly and want more volume and intensity.
Written with women in mind; anyone can follow it.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
4 sessions a week, about 55 minutes each.
9–10k steps a day on top of the workouts.

The week

Warm up for 5–7 minutes first. Rest is the pause between sets. A1 and A2 (B1 and B2) are supersets: do one set of each back to back, then rest. Rest days: walk and recover.

Monday Glutes A: Heavy thrust & hinge

Glutes · hamstrings · core · about 55 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Hip ThrustMain lift: 1–2 lighter warm-up sets first. Pause 1 s at the top.	4 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 8–⁠10	2 min
Bulgarian Split Squat	3 × 8–⁠10 per leg	90 s
A1 Lying Leg Curl	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Hip Abduction Machine	3 × 15–⁠20	60 s
Dead Bug	3 × 8 per side	45 s

Cardio after: StairMaster, 10 min. Steady pace, no rails.

Tuesday Upper & posture: Back, shoulders & arms

Back · shoulders · arms · about 50 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Lat Pulldown	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
Seated Cable Row	3 × 10–⁠12	75 s
A1 Lateral Raise	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Face Pull	3 × 15	60 s
Rope Triceps Pushdown	3 × 12–⁠15	45 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 10 min · 30/30 s. 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy.

Thursday Glutes B: Squat & shape

Glutes · quads · core · about 55 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatGoblet squats are fine while you learn the barbell.	4 × 6–⁠10	2 min
Leg PressFeet high and wide on the platform for more glutes.	3 × 10–⁠12	90 s
Walking Lunge	3 × 10 per leg	75 s
A1 45° Back Extension (glutes)	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Cable Glute Kickback	3 × 12–⁠15 per leg	60 s
Side Plank	3 × 20–⁠30 s	30 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 15 min · 10–12%. Incline walk at 3 mph.

Saturday Full body: Toned & athletic

Full body · core · posture · about 50 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Goblet Squat	3 × 12	60 s
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	3 × 10–⁠12 per arm	60 s
Push-UpFrom the knees or hands on a bench is fine.	3 × 8–⁠12	60 s
Dumbbell Step-Up	3 × 10 per leg	60 s
A1 Captain's Chair Knee Raise	3 × 10–⁠12	—
A2 Forearm Plank	3 × 30–⁠45 s	45 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 12 min · 20/40 s. 20 seconds hard, 40 seconds easy.

How to progress

Double progression: add reps within the range first. When every set reaches the top of the range with clean form, add a little weight (about 5–10 lb on lower-body lifts, 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts) and start again at the bottom.
Stop most sets 1–2 reps short of failure. Beginners stop 2–3 reps short for the first weeks.
Every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, take an easier week: half the sets, same weights.

Food

A small deficit: about 300–500 kcal below maintenance (the calculator in Food shows yours), 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight every day, vegetables at every meal and 7+ hours of sleep. Never go below 1,200 kcal.

Find your numbers with the free TDEE calculator, the macro calculator and the protein calculator.

Modeled on how actors and models get ready for a role or a shoot. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any actor, model or studio. They also have coaches and chefs, so results vary.