The one time of year during which we want to look at our best is summer. Nobody really cares if they can’t see your six pack through your big winter coat and you aren’t going to take your shirt off for a beach stroll in the snow are you?
Sun, sea, sand and sexy physiques are very much a summer occurrence and you won’t be pulling the looks if you don’t get in shape for it.
Ready for your beach body shot? Here are 3 steps to be Summer-Ready!
1. Set a Goal. The first step you need to take in order to get ripped is to set yourself a goal.
You need to do this quite early since it may take a little while to get rid of your winter body abuse. Give yourself a minimum of 6 weeks to get in shape and set out each stage as a plan with specific stepping stones. Keep your goal in mind, regardless of any setbacks and don’t even think about letting your motivation slip. Pin up photos of ripped bodies, your old physique or visualize the desired results.
2. Get a Good Meal Plan. The next step is your nutrition and you need to be eating like a ripped beach model before you can become one.
Make yourself a good meal plan and plan your meals in advance to avoid leaving yourself short of healthy food. You should plan to eat every 2 hours in order to keep your metabolism running as quickly as possible.
Lean protein should be included in every meal of your diet. Your protein intake should constitute 50% of your total calories with the other half being split amongst fat and carbohydrates in a 30% – 20% ratio respectively.
Your meals should be adorned with some green vegetables and your calorie intake should slow down as the day goes on – yes, this means a hearty breakfast. Doing this gives your body time to use the increase in metabolism brought about by food intake to maximum advantage before everything slows down in the evening and overnight.
Breakfast should be full of protein with carbohydrates and fat; as lunch and dinner should be protein and fats. Depending on your profile, you can add carbohydrates for lunch as well… however, if you experience a plateau, these carbs should be the first one to be reduced… You should also find yourself munching on protein and fat-rich snacks throughout the day, with some slowly digested protein before bed.
3. Maintain Cardio and Weight Training. The third and final step is to keep up your cardiovascular and weight training. When I say “keep up” I also mean rev up in that you should step up the intensity of your workouts.
More than often, I focus on one body part per workout. It also allows you to rest other muscles while concentrating on others.
Once your muscles are stretching your clothes, you need to put your heart in shape. For once I’m not talking about motivation, I’m talking about your actual heart
I like to do cardio at moderate intensity also which equates to around 140 b.p.m. Personally, when I am in fat loss phase, I do my cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach , 4-5 times a week, for about 45 minutes. I also always finish my workouts with 25 minutes of cardio. This cardio routine is from experience the most effective, and the one who worked the best with most of my clients.
There’s the plan, now put it into practice to get those heads turning at your amazingly ripped physique.
What’s your strategy to get ready for the beach?
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I personally think carb cycling is one of the best things to have ever happened for fat loss. I love it, 3 days low and 1 day high, it’s awesome stuff. I used to have a huge pot belly, now slowly, but surely I can see my 4 packs already, and soon a nice set of abs.
plus fasted cardio as well, but i am kinda paranoid about losing muscle, so i do take a scoop of whey with some caffeine powder (i bloody hate coffee!)
I have a question though, Dave,
on my high carb days, since i’m cycling my carbs, should I still go high on carbs on my off-weight training days or should I not go as high?
Cheers buddy, love the stuff you put on this site!
Thanks AG!
I always lower my carbs on off-days… But I’m not convinced it makes a big difference while carb cycling…
For the summer, I find if I just listen to what my body wants, positive changes usually follow. I start eating more fruits and veggies and fewer fatty foods, and my appetite generally decreases because of the heat. I also start walking to and from work, and spend lots of time outside in addition to my regular workouts. These two factorss alone generally help me to lose the winter weight. However, if I’m still not seeing the results I want I’ll change up my workouts by doing a couple weeks of peripheral heart circuit training and plyometrics, and up my cardio. And, saldy, cut the booze that generally accompanies long days on a patio
Thanks for the tips Dave! I’m totally going to start doing cardio at the end of my workout!
Cardio on empty stomach just decreases your performance and makes you lose fat at a slower rate..
http://bodytransformationinsider.com/access/eating-before-exercise/
His post his based on a research that says that the calories taken before a cardio workout are used to fuel your workout, and therefore have better performances, which results in more calories burned…
This is totally valid if you have a hard time waking up in the morning…that could help… In my personal case, caffeine does the job, I’m fell as energetic on an empty stomac then with food in… that’s why I stick to empty stomac, works the best for me…
Now, everybody is different, and some people need more fuel than others.
Dave,
Great topic and great timing!
Everyone can benefit from those 3 simple tips.
Honestly..simplicity is the key and once you understand those basics, things get much easier.
My main points to lean down for summer, photoshoot or competition is pretty much what you touched on…couldnt have said it any better myself.
Personally, I use fasted cardio in the mornings performed at moderate intensity (65-70% of MHR)
I always include some BCAA’s and Glutamine (5g of each) before along with a double espresso or a strong coffee..Caffeine acts as a stimulus in replacing the low energy from lack of caloric intake.
In my experience which is the only thing that counts to me, I have used this deadly method to lean down and it is by far my biggest seret weapon.
Other quick ones:
1. Carb Cycles
2. Using a macronurient ratio of about 45.35.20 Protein/carbs/fats.
3. Paying attention to my bio feedback and not being a slave to an outline…if I am tired, Ill rest, if i am a bit hungrier or feeling ‘flat’ in my muscles, ill eat a bit more..
Hope that helps out
Hey Joey! Thanks for your input botha
Hi Dave,
I just took a look at the link that was mentioned above by Andre.
It is pretty common that people generalise.
Just as it is the case by the guy on that site.
The truth lies in the middle I think, everybody is different when it comes to responding to training.
Some people perform the best on an empty stomach when it comes to cardio.
Others are not so fond of this and prefer to eat someting before cardio.
So it is a little process of trail and error.
For people who have never tried one or the other, just do!
Only then they can say if it works for themselves…
We are speaking the same language my friend, that’s my opinion too.
btw, thanks for your comment Michiel!
Great post
Great post Dave. I love the picture of the big guy on the beach…priceless.
Yes, I am in a leaning phase right now so I shorten my rest times between sets to increase the intensity. Lactic Acid or Density Training is the best IMO for fat loss. Cardio right aftere is also a good idea to flush out toxins and burn of a few more fat cells. My workouts are almost one giant set. I hit different muscles on each routine for 3 routines total. I sometimes workout too hard and comprimise my CNS, so you have to find a “sweet spot” where you make consistant gains, workout more frequently, and avoid overtraining.
I think of food as fuel for the body and try not to get caught up in the pleasure of food or I’ll over eat!
Nice post Dave. Just one question, how are you workouts formulated. I mean do you do the weight training first, then cardio? Are your workouts year round the same design?