Get Beach Body Fit ... fast
Whether summer has begun, or there is still winter to prepare. or you're jet-setting to the other hemisphere to enjoy the sunshine; it is never too early to start work on the Beach Body. The key to scoring that hot beach body is committing to a plan that consists of Nutrition, Exercise, and Recovery Rest. This plan only needs to last 21 days? Why 21 days? Habits can start to form in as little as 3 weeks, and once the habit is set, it is hard to break.
There are lots of diet fads around, quick results, but none work in the long-term. On this site, majority of the information is provided as brute facts for you to use as information. In this article, you can take as as a stand-a-lone, pulling scientific information together for you.
All of our bodies are designed to recycle energy from foods, as well as store excess energy to aid against starvation. The stored energy is fat. Therefore eating the correct portions of fuels at the correct times of day is vital to success to dropping the fat. The plan that follows will have more noticeable differences the further you are from your body's happy norm.
Carbs are essential, however our history and taste buds have us eating too much. Carbs are also the main food category responsible for huge bloating - cu the carbs, cut the bloat. The hormone insulin plays a vital part in weight management. It's role is to balance the blood-sugar levels, but it is also responsible for fat storage. Eating starchy or sweet foods causes the insulin levels to increase, which is why it is almost impossible to lose weight if you eat too much carbs, especially sugars and sweeteners. Added salt should also be avoided as it makes your body tissures store fluid, so cutting out helps you on your way to a flat tummy. There are those whom may have a medical problem with their hormone and insulin levels, and a combination of medical specilists and medical dieticians are needed to assist you understand your body's limitations and abilities. Our hormones, when working perfectly well, as in those skinnies that never stop eating, keep our hunger, fullness, and food-type cravings all under control. This is the secret for many skinnies that know nothing about nutrition. For the vast majority of us, we need to use some knowledge and good advice to keep our appetite and fat under control.
For a quick start, try this for 10 days without any carbs, then re-instroduce only good carbs and continue indefinitely as part of a lifestyle. To keep the weight fat away, limit or elliminate any carbs after lunch.
Your Meal Plan
BREAKFAST OPTIONS
- Soya Yoghurt with 10-15 almonds or a tablespoonful of seeds. Choose from sunflower, hemp, sesame, linseeds or pumpkin (or a dessert spoon of mixed seeds and nuts). Add a teaspoon of cinnamon - it speeds up your metabolism.
- 3 x eggs, scrambled with olive oil. Add mushrooms, onions or herbs for additional flavour..
- 3 x egg omelette cooked in olive oil (no milk, nor butter). Add mushrooms, onions or herbs for additional flavour.
- REAL porridge oats - use between 40g - 60g of dry oats mixed with a 187ml - 280ml of water, instead of cow's milk, to cook them. Add a little soya or rice milk, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a few seeds or nuts to push up the protein.
LUNCH OPTIONS
- Baked sweet potatoes or yams, filled with tuna, tunned salmon or sweet-corn.
- A portion of ham, such as parma ham, with two baked or chopped peppers.
- Salad made with 113g-170g of either chicken, turkey, eggs, or fish. For vegetarians, use 113g tofu and a fish-sized amount of nuts and seeds. Use green salad vegetables like lettuce, cucumber, watercress, celery, spinach and a little extra virgin olive oil and vinegar for dressing.
- Any protein-based soup such as ham and pea, ham and lentil, or chicken and vegetable. Make your own if you can.
- One portion of chicken or a lean steak with green vegetables like spinach or beans.
AFTERNOON SNACK OPTIONS
- Six 2.5cm cubes of feta cheese with 6 cherry tomatoes.
- Soya yoghurt with a few seeds.
- A spoonful of hummus with a fist-sized amount of raw vegetables.
- Celery with 100% Natural sugar-free peanut butter made from the whole peanut in their natural skins.
- A handful of raw unsalted nuts.
- Half a punnet (approx. 150g) of strawberries, blueberries or raspberries.
- Green apple or pear.
SUPPER OPTIONS
- Stir-fried egg noodles with chicken strips and vegetables such as carrots, broccoli or cabbage.
- Carb-free Shepherd's Pie, using lean beef or turkey mince and topped with mashed cauliflower with a little olive oil.
- Two peppers roasted and stuffed with minced turkey, lamb, or beef.
- Prawn omelette, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with a green salad.
- Frittata made with eggs, mushrooms, onions, peppers and ham.
- Portion of chicken or turkey with roasted veg such as onions, peppers, leeks, celery, mushrooms, garlic.
- Cod or Salmon with green veg.
- Drink plenty of rooibos, white and fruit tea.
Your Workout Plan
Each week will consist of 6 workouts, 2 x Total-body Toning, 2 x Fat-blasting Intervals, 2 x Results-enhancing Recoveries, and 1 Rest Day. The order is not important as long as all you make time and complete all the each per week.
Total-Body Toning Routine (30 min)
This is a fast-paced strength-based circuit designed to target multiple muscle groups to build lean muscle, increase the heart-rate burn loads of calories in a shorth amount of time, and boost your metabolism to continue burning for 24-48 hours after the workout.
All exercises are grouped as Superset-pairs. Do the first pair of exercises as instructed, resting for 30 seconds between each exercise. As beginer, complete one set of each pair, progressing to 3 sets as you progress and get stronger.
- 1A - Woodchop with Resistance Band/Cable:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, to the right of a resistance band/cable (secured a few feet above your head). Grab the handles with both hands so that your arms are straight and above your left shoulder.
- Keeping your back neutral and both arms straight, rotate your torso to pull the handles across your body to the outside of the right knee.
- Pause, then slowly return to the start.
- 12 - 15 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
- 1B - Plank on elbows, with alternating Leg-lift:
- Get into a plank position on your forearms with elbows directly under the shoulders, and legs extended straight behind you, feet hip-width apart. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
- Keeping hips parallel to the floor, brace your core, squeeze the glutes to raise the right foot a few cms into the air.
- Hold for 2 seconds, then lower the foot gently, repeat with the other foot.
- 12 reps.
- 2A - Weighted BB/DB Squat and Overhead Press:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at the shoulders.
- Push your hips back and lower into a squat keeping your chest upright and knees behind your toes.
- As you push through your heels to return to to standing, press the dumbbells overhead. Lower the weights to return to the starting position.
- 12 - 15 reps.
- 2B - Weighted BB/DB Romanian Deadlift:
- (P) Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs, knees slightly bent.
- (C) Bend at the hips to lower torso until it's almost parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat and the weights close to your legs.
- (E) Squeeze the glutes as you slowly return to standing.
- (R) 12 - 15 reps.
- 3A - Weighted BB/DB Bent-over Row:
- (P) Standing with your feet hip-width apart and kneews bent, hold a pair of dumbbells so your palms are facing are facing each other and bend forward from the hips.
- (E) Pull your shoulder blades together and row the weights toward your chest.
- (C) Return to the start.
- (R) 12 - 15 reps
- 3B - Forward Lunges (optional hand weights):
- (P) Stand with your arms at your sides, feet hip-width apart, chest lifted.
- (C) Step forward with your right leg and bend both kneews to lower yourself as far as you can.
- (E) Push off your right foot and return to the start.
- (R) Repeat, stepping with the other leg. 12 - 15 reps.
Fat-blasting Intervals Routine (30 min)
This interval-training routine utilise high-intensity body-weight exercises to get your heart-rate up, burn calories, and supercharge your metabolism. The key to making this work is to push yourself as hard as you can for the prescribed time whilst keeping a good form. EAch time you do the exercise, try to increas the reps that you complete in the same amount of time.
Do these three moves back-to-back, completing as many reps as you can in the prescribed amount of time. Rest for 1-2 minutes, then repeat. Beginners should do each move for 20 seconds and 5 intervals, progressing 40 seconds and 7 intervals.
- 4 - Mountain Climber:
- (P) Assume a press-up postion with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your ankles.
- (E) Keeping your core tight and back flat, bend your right knee and raise it toward your chest.
- (C) Reverse the movement to return to the start, then repeat with your left leg. Continue alternating.
- 5 - Lateral Shuffle:
- (P) Stand with knees bent, hips back, feet hip-width apart, chest upright, and elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. Keep a half-squat position throughout the movement.
- (E) Take a wide step to the left, then quickly bring you right foot to meet your left.
- (C) Then switch directions, stepping your right foot out to the side. Continue going back and forth.
- 6 - Jump Squat:
- (P) Place your hands behind your head, elbows out, and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor, keeping your chest up.
- (E) Jump as high as you can, squeezing your glutes and pointing your toes as you jump.
- (C) Then immediatelly lower into the next rep.
Flexibility and Recovery Routine (30 min)
This quick, stretch focused routine is designed to balance your high-intensity strength and cardio daysand help create that enviable long and lean look. These four moves will stretch your chest and strengthen your upper back (to improve your posture), as well as activate your glutes, engage your core, and stretch your hip flexors (all of which whill help to correct postural imbalances and flatten your belly).
Do these moves two or three times in the following order.
- 7 - Hip Flexor Stretch:
- Kneel on your right knee, and place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you. Keep your torso upright and rest your hands on your hips.
- Gently push your hips as far forward as you can comfortably can, while keeping your torso upright.
- You should feel a stretch in the front of your right hip.
- Hold for 30 seconds, thenswitch leg positions.
- 8 - Double Hip Extension:
- Lie on your back and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Slide your arms out to your sides at 45-degree angles, palms facing up. Tighten your core then squeeze your glutes to lift your hips an inch off the floor.
- This is the starting position. Raise your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Pause, then lower to the starting position. That;s one rep. Do 10 reps.
- 9 - Standing Chest Stretch:
- Stand with your left side facing a wall. Bend your left elbow 90 degress, and place your palm and forearm on the wall. Lean your torso forward to stretch your chest. Hold for 30 seconds, then turn around and repeat with your right arm.
- 10 - Floor I-Position Raise:
- Lie facedown on the floor. Extend your arms above your head and rest them on the floor, keeping them straight and in line with your shoulders, palms facing each other and thumbs pointing toward the ceiling. Your body should form a straight line from your feet to your hands.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down to raise your arms a few inches off the floor, keeping them straight.
- Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position. That's one rep, do 10.
