I know it’s still only February but, if you really want to be toned up for summer, then it’s now time to start on that beach body workout. This is not a comprehensive be-all-and-end-all list of how to get jacked, but it is the method I use to burn some fat and tone up some core muscles before the coats go away and the swimsuits come out. For me, I can’t afford to have a gym membership so this will be focussing on the best ways to do home workouts that will get you beach body ready.
My first suggestion is increasing your high-quality protein intake with a shake of some sort. You can do all of the beach body workout regimes you like but, if you aren’t getting the right nutrition, then none of it will mean anything. Huel is great because, whilst also containing a smacking 50g of protein per serving, it also includes 100% of your recommended minerals and vitamins, making it safe to use as a meal replacement. I like to either replace my breakfast with a single big shake a day or, if I really want that toast in the morning, I’ll have a couple of smaller shakes in the afternoon to replace any snacking I’m tempted to do. By doing this, you’ll make your workouts more effective by having more protein in the recovery stages and you’ll skim your diet down to the bare minimum requirements, meaning you’ll burn fat more effectively.
Working on your muscles is key in a beach body workout, but first I find it more effective to make sure I’ve got my core cardio up to a good level. Doing cardio will help burn fat and help to tone up leg muscles somewhat, especially if you add some high-intensity sprints to your jogging or cycling. Having a strong cardiovascular system will also help you be more effective and efficient in all your other workouts, increasing your ability to build muscle.
High-intensity training doesn’t just have to be during your cardio sessions. As a beach body workout is all about looking as good as possible with your top off, fat burning is key to actually showing off those muscles; it would be pointless to build great abdominals, only for them to be obscured by belly fat. For this, I would recommend the ‘Lose Belly Fat – Flat Stomach’ app available on the Google Play Store for free. This is a structured set of workouts that aim to burn fat whilst toning up your abdominals. There are three levels in the app: beginner, intermediate and advanced. By working your way through all of these (each one is 30 days so will be perfectly timed for that summer body) you should burn some of that belly fat and have some muscles to show off underneath it too.
No beach body workout plan would be complete without plenty of weight work. Focussed work on your chest and arms will give you a good physique for sitting on the beach and looking smouldering. I prefer to focus on biceps, triceps and pectorals during my workouts but you can easily Google any number of good weight workouts. Using weights is also a great way to see your improvement as you’ll move up weight categories as your endurance increases. I favour reps of 12 with short breaks in between to maximise my workouts.
It’s so so SO important to find a sport you enjoy to compound all of the work you’re doing and make it seem worthwhile. By playing a sport every week, you’ll notice the improvements in your fitness and muscle strength, all-the-while continuing to build upon it. For me, the sport I use is soccer; it demands a high cardio output alongside using muscles effectively and efficiently to hold the ball up. For people who are less into team sports or sport in general, I would recommend swimming or cycling, as both of these sports ask for the same key skills whilst giving back plenty of enjoyment.
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