The best beach body workouts burn the fat and tone your muscles quickly in just a few weeks. Even beginner workouts can become progressively challenging, but safe. Getting your body in shape as the bathing suit season approaches means you must also pay close attention to what you put in your mouth.
Diet
Your dietary habits strongly influence the end result of all your workouts. You may be sweating gallons and spending more time in the gym compared to the colder months of the year, but your efforts can go down the drain if you continue to eat excessive carbohydrates and nutrient-poor foods. Keep your carbohydrate intake to 45 percent of your total daily calories including the carbs in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and low-fat dairy products.
Resistance Training Circuits
Resistance exercises give shape to your body by lifting your buns, broadening your shoulders, firming up your abs and reducing the jiggle under your arms. Maximize a resistance training circuit by performing each exercise in rapid succession. Use eight- to 20-lb. dumbbells or resistance bands with handles. Starting with two to three circuits your first week minimizes excessive muscle soreness. You should build up to four to five circuits, resting for one to two minutes between each round. Perform these exercises in order: squats, push-ups, lunges, back rows, sumo squats, triceps extensions, biceps curls, double crunches and shoulder presses. Do this routine on Mondays and Thursdays.
Cardio
Incorporating many variations of aerobic exercises burns plenty of calories compared to doing the same thing every time you do cardio. For your first week, keep your workouts short and at a moderate intensity. On Tuesdays, complete 30 to 45 minutes of a brisk walk over hilly terrain. Perform a walk and jog interval on Wednesdays: For 30 minutes, alternate jogging for 1 minute and walking for 2 minutes on flat terrain. Make your Friday aerobic session a combination cardio workout: Do 5 minutes on the treadmill, 5 minutes on the elliptical and 5 minutes on a row machine at a moderate intensity. Then, repeat the cardio circuit for 10 minutes on each machine, alternating between an easy minute and a more intense minute. Increase the intensity and duration every week.
Combo Circuits
Combo circuits mix resistance exercises with bursts of aerobic exercises. This is the best type of beach body workout to do when you are short on time. You may use the same exercises from your resistance training circuit or you may incorporate different exercises. For instance, insert a 30 to 60-second cardio interval between every resistance training exercise. Perform these exercises in order: squats, treadmill walking, push-ups, sidekicks, lunges, treadmill walking, back rows, mountain climbers, sumo squats, treadmill jogging, triceps extensions, jumping jacks, biceps curls, double crunches, treadmill jogging and shoulder presses.
Considerations
Alternating between the resistance training circuit and the combo circuit every week will keep your muscles from adapting to your workouts, burning plenty of calories and toning your body for the beach. Consider changing the speed at which you perform each resistance exercise to further increase the intensity.
References
- "Personal Trainer Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 1997
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; The Manipulation of Rest Duration While Completing a Circuit Weight-Training Protocol; Raul Roetert, Ph.D.; Dec. 1999
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