The good news – summer’s on its way. The bad news – you need that bikini body, and fast. Here Lyndsey Todd, a professionally- trained ballet dancer and personal trainer at the Total Fitness gym on Edge Lane gives her exercise and diet plan for shaping up for your holiday in the sun

LET’S get real. While a bikini body, in the classic sense, is achievable for many women, it’s just not possible for some.

But every woman can make improvements to what they’ve got and this four-week plan can make the prospect of putting on those two pieces of cloth slightly more appealing.

There is no quick fix – it takes a lifestyle change that requires commitment edged with a bit of realism. If you’re fit already, you’re going to get fitter and slimmer. If you’re not fit, then thinking you’re going to be running a marathon or looking like Cheryl Cole at the end is just misguided.

Key to everything is not to make excuses and to build exercise into your routine.

So don’t use the car – walk, cycle or run. And instead of slumping in front of the telly, take some classes at the gym.

My plan involves a mixture of upper and lower body exercises, aerobic exercise and some resistance work, otherwise known as intermittent/interval training, melded to a sensible rather than faddy diet plan.

But I’m not a slave-driver. You should take every Sunday off!

For weeks one and two the plan is centred entirely in the home – although you can go to the gym as well if you like – while weeks three and four are gym-based for that extra-toning effect.

WEEK ONE

Begin by walking up and down the stairs for a minimum of 26 steps

March on the spot for 20 seconds

Do 10 press-ups

30 seconds of step ups on the bottom stair

14 abs crunches with feet on bottom step

12 squats using towel looped around stair rail

12 standing up rowing actions while carrying 5-8lb bags of spuds in each hand

10 forward lunges using bottom stair

20 side bends holding 5lb bags of spuds in each hand.

Take a breather then repeat all that twice more.

But don’t panic – you don’t have to do that every day for the first week. Twice a week will do, so long as you space it out. But you MUST do some form of exercise every other day of the week, so I suggest a half-hour walk every day except Sunday.

WEEK TWO

For week two, keep to the same exercise routine, but just up the ante. Instead of 20 seconds marching on the spot, make it 30. And up the abs crunches by a similar margin – you get the picture.

However, instead of just repeating twice, repeat the circuit three times and do the whole lot three times a week. Sunday ceases to be a rest day, but a 40 minute walk will do.

ŠAfter this fortnight you’ll be really prepared for the gym, again building from two workouts a week to three workouts. In between, though, do two home sessions a week rising to three in the final week and build in plenty of walks

WEEK THREE

Week three involves three different circuits to target specific muscle groups.

Circuit 1 is designed to help quads, abs, the bottom, the upper and lower body and chest and triceps.

12 squats with dumbbells

12 sit-ups on fit ball

2 minutes on the rower

12 chest presses

Repeat circuit once.

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Circuit 2 is aimed at the hamstrings, upper back, lower body cardio, the bottom and abs

12 lunge walks

12 seating rows on rowing machine

2 minutes on the stepper

12 leg curls

10 half abs roll on back (arch your back, while lying down then lower)

Repeat circuit

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Circuit 3 is for the lower back, quads, outside thighs, lower back, the bottom, hamstring, core and inside thighs.

12 dorsal raises (lie face down on the floor and raise head three /four inches, then lower)

8 squats and abduct leg off a step with right leg (place left leg on a step and right on the floor. Squat down. As you come back up lift up the left leg out to the side. Both legs are in a wide stance)

Repeat with left leg

12 deadlifts with kettle bell

16 second pilates hold with medicine ball between knees.

WEEK FOUR

For week four, do the same circuits but increase the amounts slightly and go three times in the week.

And by the end of all that you should look and feel great.

CONTACT Total Fitness onŠ0151 252 6200 or go toŠwww.totalfitness.co.uk/health-club/liverpool-edge-lane/