Building a beach-worthy body gives you a boost of confidence when the actual day comes when you walk onto the sand. Getting to this point takes the right approach to training. Not only do you need to target the right areas, but you also have to reduce body fat. This will give your muscles the chance to be seen and admired. The goal is to target your chest, back, shoulders, abs and arms.
Step 1
Perform cardio workouts three or four days a week to burn fat. Choose a form that you enjoy, such as running, biking, jumping rope, rowing or stair climbing.
Step 2
Sprint your way to a toned body for fast results. Sprinting burns calories, increases metabolism and forcefully works your muscles. Start with a light warm-up jog for five minutes, then run as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Rest for 60 seconds and sprint again. Complete 12 to 15 sprints and then do a light five-minute cooldown. Perform sprint training on nonconsecutive days because it is intense.
Step 3
Work your chest and triceps with strength-training exercises. For example, lie face-up on a flat bench to do barbell bench presses. Grasp the bar with a wide grip, forcefully push it off the supports and hold it directly above your body. Lower the bar slowly until it lightly touches your chest and push it back up until your arms are fully extended. Perform 10 to 12 reps and do four or five sets of this, and all successive, weight-training exercises.
Step 4
Perform exercises for your shoulders. For example, stand with your feet in a staggered stance to do barbell shoulder presses. Hold the bar across the front of your upper chest with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Push the bar straight overhead until your arms are fully extended and hold for a second. Squeeze your abs forcefully as you do this. Lower the bar slowly and repeat.
Step 5
Target your back with strength-training exercises. For example, use the weight of your body to do pullups. Grasp a pullup bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip and let your legs hang straight down, or bend your knees and cross your legs behind your back. Keep your abs tight and back straight as you pull yourself up as high as possible. Hold for a second, lower yourself down until your arms are fully extended and repeat.
Step 6
Choose exercises to work your biceps. For example, grab a set of dumbbells to do twist curls. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the weights at your sides with your palms facing in. Keep your upper arms still and tight to your sides as you raise the weights. Twist your wrists so your palms face your chest and squeeze your biceps forcefully for a second. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat.
Step 7
Include exercises for your midsection. For example, perform bicycle kicks, which work the entire abdominal area. Lie face-up with your legs lifted, knees bent and shins parallel to the floor. Place your hands on the sides of your head, raise your shoulders off the floor and look toward your thighs. Move your left elbow and right knee toward each other while extending your left leg, then quickly change directions. Alternate back and forth in a steady but controlled motion for a set of repetitions.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform your weight-training workout three days a week on nonconsecutive days. Be aware that diet plays a role in obtaining a beach body. If you have excess fat, you are best served cutting your calories. A daily reduction of 500 calories will promote about 1 pound of weight loss a week. Base your diet on foods that are essential for muscle-building, such as lean meats, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. These foods give you high-quality sources of protein, carbs and fat.
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