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Spring is almost here and that means that summer is not far behind. Soon it’ll be time to strip of your bulky outer layers and strut your stuff on the beach. This means that, as any certified personal trainer knows, it’s time to tighten up that diet and start hitting the gym hard! Looking good on the beach is the combination of a number of factors... Low body fat so you can show off your muscle definition Broad shoulders Narrow waist A toned midsection Well developed legs If you address all of these details, even in the most unflattering swimsuit, you will still look awesome! So how do you go about building a beach-ready body? Glad you asked! While I can’t provide you with a complete program in this short article, I can certainly give you a few ideas on how to achieve top marks for your beach presentation. In my experience as a certified personal trainer, following these tips will ensure you look your best when the summer comes. Getting lean One of the best ways to get lean is to do interval training. Alternating periods of high intensity with measured recoveries, interval training takes a literal blow torch to your body fat. Try sprinting for 30 seconds and then jogging for 2 minutes. Do 6 to 8 sets and you’ll be lean in no time. Broad shoulders Broad shoulders make waist look smaller. I know it’s an optical illusion but every bit helps, right? Make your shoulders pop by performing overhead presses supersetted with side lateral raises. What’s a superset? Simply perform the shoulder presses and then, without resting, jump straight into a set of side raises. Rest a moment and then repeat the pairing two or three more times. Narrow waist A narrow waist is as much about diet as it is exercise. Interval training and eating clean will get you most of the way there but you can also perform some side planks to really sharpen up your waist. Lie on your side and rest on your arm. With your legs straight, lift your hips up and then hold this position for as long as if comfortable. On completion, roll over and repeat. Toned midsection Abs are made in the kitchen. In other words, if you want a six-pack, you gotta eat clean. Also, some specific core work can also help. Crunches are okay but doing them on the floor limits the range of movement at your abs and that means that they are more effective when you perform them on a stability ball. Lie on a stability ball so the ball is located in the curve of your lower back. With your feet flat on the floor and your hands on your temples, raise your upper body up off the ball and really squeeze down hard on your abs; imagine you are trying to wring the fat out of them! Slowly lie back and repeat. Make sure you lean back all the way over your ball – your shoulders should end up slightly below your hips at the end of each rep. Well developed legs Skinny legs and a flat butt will do nothing for your beach credibility and I doubt you want to wear long trousers to the beach to cover your legs up! For whatever reason, lots of exercisers focus almost exclusively on their upper bodies and all but forget about their legs. This is enough to make a certified personal trainer like me cry into my protein shake! When it comes to building great legs you can’t beat squats. Squats work just about every muscle in your lower body. With a barbell held tightly across the fleshy part of your upper back, stand with your feet around shoulder-width apart. With your feet turned slightly outward, push your hips back; bend your knees and squat down until your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor. Stand back up, take a breath, and repeat. Getting ready for the beach might not be easy but looking and feeling your best will make it all worthwhile. Incorporate these methods into your regular workouts and, come summer, you’ll be looking great. Author Bio Mark Darco is a professional personal trainer with 15 years experience and has worked with hundreds of clients. He has successfully completed multiple certifications and continues to provide fitness training to clients of all ages in the NYC area.
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