Everyone wants to look good this summer. Find out how to pull it off by the time summer arrives.
At the rate time appears to be moving, the summer will surely be here soon! If you have dreams and aspirations of a toned, lean, well-proportioned body and a flat abdomen; it’s not too late, but you’ll need to start soon. There are an abundance of weight-loss, fat abs, and sculpted body workouts available, proclaiming to be the solution. Maybe they are and maybe they aren’t the answer you have been searching for; nonetheless, I will give you some valuable pointers for achieving what until now may have eluded you - the body you desire.
Let me start by saying, “achieving any goal requires work on your part”. Whether it’s finishing school, cleaning your home, starting your own business or simply cooking a meal, it won’t get done unless you do it. That same principle holds true for developing the body you desire, you’re going to have to work for it. I know we all want to devote as little time as humanly possible to the task at hand and with that in mind, here are my pointers for success.
- Cut excess calories from your diet. Determine how many calories your body requires each day (see Proven Weight Loss Formula)
- Commit to working out at least 5 to 7 days per week. Each workout should be divided into strength training and aerobic activity segments. Warm-up briefly and then perform the strength training first.
- Divide your body into sections, working at least 2 muscle groups per day (you can do more if you’d like to). Perform a minimum of 3 sets of each exercise per body part (you can do more if you’d like to). Each set should constitute no less than 15 repetitions (accordingly the weight should be light enough to accomplish 15 reps, however the last few reps should be challenging).
- Allow 30 minutes or less for the strength training portion of your workout session.
- Your aerobic training is to be done after the strength training. This segment should be performed in intervals (high intensity sprints followed by low intensity jogging or walking) with a ratio of 10 second to 1 minute for the high intensity intervals followed by 30 second to 1 minute low intensity intervals. These intervals can be performed on any aerobic equipment you choose i.e. treadmill, bike, stepper, elliptical or outdoors. Perform a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 12 high/low series; this will vary according to your fitness level.
- After finishing your intervals cool down for 3 to 5 minutes and stretch all muscles worked. Your workout should take around 45 minutes to complete.
Body composition alteration requires a serious commitment to proper nutrition. Some basic rules to follow regarding food intake are:
- Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat products.
- Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
- Avoid saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol and salt (sodium).
- Avoid added sugars found mainly in soft drinks, baked sweets, candies, fruit dinks and sweet dairy products (ice cream, sweetened yogurts, sweetened milks)
- Avoid processed and frozen meals, they contain high quantities of sodium and additives.
- Drink 8 glasses of water and include teas as well, sweeten with stevia or a little honey.
- Take a multi-vitamin each day to ensure adequate nutritional intake.
Now it’s up to you to do the work and the results will come in time for summer, work hard!
“The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure.” –Chinese Proverb
