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It’s April, which means almost every fitness magazine will be running a beach body special. If you read more then one, you’ll notice that the tips are oftentimes quite similar. So here it is: short, quick, outlined advice on getting a beach body.
Weight Loss
Assuming you classify summer as June, that means you have roughly 2 months to work towards your goal. A reasonable fat loss goal might be 16-20 pounds, or about 2 pounds per week. Here’s how you would do it:
1. Revamp your diet: When you’re working with such limited time, you have to start crunching numbers. That means keeping track of your caloric intake and eating the right foods at the right times. If you don’t have access to a personal trainer (who can calculate your body fat percentage and recommended caloric intake), try searching for “calculate your daily caloric requirements” on Google. Pick a site that allows you to fill in certain fields (like height, etc.).
2. Eat Clean, Lift Consistently: Almost all of these magazines will tell you to eat at regular intervals (every 2-3 hours). What you eat is just as important as when you eat; stick to whole grains and lean sources of protein like fish, turkey, and chicken. Try to avoid carbs late at night.
3. Lift Heavy, then Circuit, then Up Goes the Cardio: I know many of you hate to hear this, but lifting heavy (6-8 repetitions) can really do wonders for your fat-loss goals. I’m going to keep on repeating this, because it’s true. Assuming you have some training experience, consider lifting heavy for the first 3 weeks, resting 1 minute between sets. Then, in the next four weeks, alternate one-week of Circuit training (of 4-5 exercises, 2.5 minutes of rest between circuits) with 1 week of heavy lifting (6-8 reps, 1 minute between sets). Then, in the next three weeks, decrease the rest periods on your circuits to 2 minutes and the rest period on your heavy lifting to 30 seconds. In the final 4 weeks, drop the rest periods even further (if possible) to 1.5 minutes between circuits (but maintain the 30 seconds between heavy lifting).
In terms of cardiovascular exercise, perform 3 sessions of 35-40 minutes at a medium intensity for the first two weeks. Then–using a different machine–perform 4 sessions of 35-40 minutes at a medium intensity for the next two weeks. Then, alternate 2 sessions of HIIT training (20 minutes each) with 2 regular sessions of 35-40 minutes (for an overview of HIIT cardio workouts, Google it or check out one of my previous posts) for the next four weeks. For the final four weeks, do 3 sessions of HIIT training (25-30 minutes each) and 3 regular sessions of 35-40 minutes, for a total of 6 cardiovascular workouts per week.
This cardio workout is quite tough, so be honest with yourself in regards to your individual fitness level. You can alter it if you feel it’s too advanced (consider simply replacing the HIIT training with regular, 35-40 minute cardio workouts).
And don’t forget, your cardio should be done first thing in the morning on off-days and directly after your workouts on training days.
4. Designing the Circuit: A lot of these fitness magazines design circuits in a specific way, by choosing exercises that can be done easily from one-to-the-next. That means predominantly free-weight movements, with an emphasis on dumbbells and usually incorporating at least one bodyweight move, like the push up or pull up.
5. Timing’s Everything: Since you’re training to lose weight, you shouldn’t be spending hours in the gym. In fact, your workouts (not including your cardio) should rarely exceed 40 minutes.
6. Pre-Make your Meals: almost every fitness magazine will tell you to do this. Making your meals ahead of time and storing them in tupperwares, or freezing unused chicken or meats, can make eating healthy much easier. Try cooking in bulk once or twice a week.
7. Spices, Spices: A little seasoning can turn a bland piece of chicken or a can of tuna into a tasty treat. You don’t have to suffer through your meals to lose weight.
8. Keep it Simple: I know some of the magazines out there advertise crazy exercises, like a one-legged squat on a stability ball while holding a dumbbell in your opposing arm. But the truth is, you don’t need to do these so-called “functional” exercises to lose weight. Keep it simple with basic free weight moves.
9. Supplements? In general, one of the most advertised fat-loss supplements is caffeine. While I won’t recommend using caffeine supplements, you might want to drink a cup of coffee (and a protein shake) before your morning runs (or jogs, or stairmaster, or however you do your morning cardio). Just remember–not eating breakfast before your morning cardio will force your body to dip into its fat stores for energy. So stick to coffee and a protein shake before, and have breakfast afterwards.
Also, don’t forget to supplement with whey protein before and after your workouts, and as the occasional snack during the day.
10. Use the Mirror First, then the Scale: While you should weigh yourself before you begin your fat-loss journey, try relying on the mirror alone for the first few weeks. Looking at the scale can get discouraging, and oftentimes a mirror can be a more reliable guide. So try not to step onto that scale until Week 4 or Week 5.
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like a one-legged squat on a stability ball while holding a dumbbell in your opposing arm.
^Haha. Thanks for writing this! I’ve kind of plateaued and become mentally and physically bored with my workout…so this is just what I needed. Your blog is great as always.
Thanks Ellie! I’m glad you liked it.
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