Your Summer Prep Guide: Steps To Getting A Beach Worthy Body

 

Your Summer Prep Guide: Steps To Getting A Beach Worthy Body

If you’re getting all geared up for the summer season or starting to think about wearing a bathing suit on the beach and feeling a little nervous, it’s time to enact an action plan that will bring you the fastest rate of results possible.

If you plan ahead and start your workouts now, you’ll have plenty of time to make a significant transformation so you look and feel your best.

Let’s walk you through some of the steps that you need to take to get your summer, ‘beach’ worthy body.

Step 1: Plan Your Diet

The very first step that you need to take is get a good diet plan in place.  For optimal results, you’ll want to focus on a diet that’s rich in protein, high in fiber, low in processed carbs, and contains a small dose of healthy fats as well.

Place your higher calorie complex carbs such as oatmeal, brown rice, and millet around the workout periods when you’re most active and you’ll be fueled for those sessions and won’t suffer from any fat gain.

Step 2: Form A Complete Full Body Workout Routine

The second step on your beach body plan is to come up with a full body workout routine.  Full body workouts are going to earn top marks because they’ll boost your metabolism considerably, so by doing three week, you’ll see a sharp increase in how many calories you burn all week long.

Since fat loss does require you to be in that calorie deficit, this will go a long way to helping you accomplish that goal.

Step 3: Think About Cardio Training

Cardio training is the next thing to think about and add into the picture.  Cardio training is going to help to work your heart, improve your blood cholesterol profile, and help you burn off a few more calories as well.

When doing your cardio training you should be focusing on interval training for the most part as this will be the most beneficial variety in terms of boosting your calorie burn and anaerobic capabilities.

If you aren’t at the skill level yet to perform interval training, not to stress, steady state training will do fine as well. Just be sure to keep a good balance throughout the week between steady state training and your weight lifting workouts.

Some people have a tendency to overdo the steady state workouts and this can lead to systemic overtraining.

Step 4: Get Smart With Supplements

Finally, last but not least, consider supplementation.  A good fat burning product that will help to decrease your appetite level, increase your energy, and help you burn off a few more calories is the perfect way to assist with the fat burning process.

In addition to this, also consider some essential fatty acid supplementation along with a good quality multi-vitamin.

Both of these will also help ensure that you are going to feel your best as you go about the weight loss process.

So there you have the main things to keep in mind regarding achieving your summer body.  Set your sights high and attack this goal and you’ll be looking great in as little as a month. 

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Your Back-Yard Spring Workout Plan

Your Back-Yard Spring Workout Plan

With spring right around the corner, many of you will be thinking about shifting your workouts outside of the gym, adding more interest to them and challenging your muscles in a new way.

Outdoor workouts are a fast and easy way to get in shape and will target different sets of muscles than normal gym activities would do.

Let’s have a quick look at how you should go about structuring your back-yard spring workout to get you started on the right foot.

Alternate Between Cardio And Strength Moves

The very first thing that you should do when designing your back-yard workout program is to alternate between a cardio based exercise and a strength based movement.

For example, you might perform some push-ups and then go right into a minute of jumping rope.  Or, you could perform walking lunges across the length of your yard and then perform a sprint all the way back.

Alternating the exercises like this will send your metabolic rate soaring, helping you burn more calories during the workout session as well as immediately after as well.

Plus, this will allow you to get both cardio and strength benefits so that you don’t have to include any other cardio training in your weekly workout program as well.

Add Plenty Of Bodyweight Exercises

When looking at the specific strength movements that you’re going to do, unless you plan to bring a set of dumbbells outside, you’ll want to rely largely on bodyweight based movements.  Good examples of these would include push-ups and all their variations, floor dips, lunges, squats, crab walks, dog walks, and if you happen to have a bar somewhere near where you like (in a playground) or an overhead tree branch that you know can support your weight, pull-ups would be an excellent choice.

Keep in mind that if you do invest in a simple set of kettlebells, this will also increase the total number of exercise options you have as these are highly versatile forms of external resistance.

Think Non-Traditional Exercise To Burn Calories Fast

Finally, the last thing to keep in mind is that you can venture into non-traditional forms of exercise as well.  For example, gardening, mowing the grass, or raking leaves will all burn massive amounts of calories and double as a workout session.

Most people think of these more as ‘chores’ than as workouts, but shifting your viewpoint may get you doing them when they need to get done.

Likewise, don’t forget about all the outdoor spring activities as well – bike riding, playing Frisbee, going for a long hike, and so on.  These will all get you out and active, helping you maintain your body weight.

Your Sample Workout Plan

So let’s leave you off with a spring back-yard workout to try out.  Perform this anytime you have 15-20 minutes.

Alternate between the following exercises. Once one round is completed, run through it a second and third time.

Push-ups – 20 reps
Skipping – 1 minute
Walking lunges – 20 reps/side
Burpees – 1 minute
Pull-Ups – 10-20 reps
Jumping jacks – 1 minute
Bodyweight Squats – 20 reps
The Plank – 1 minute

Get outside this spring. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish outside of the gym.  

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Trim Your Workout This Summer Without Sacrificing Results

 Trim Your Workout This Summer Without Sacrificing Results

If you’re running short on time this summer due to your involvement in many other activities such as volleyball teams, long cycle rides, or just getting out and going for a game of Frisbee with a buddy, chances are good that you’re looking for ways to cut down on gym-time.

It’s perfectly normal to find your motivation to get into the gym during the summer start to slip as there are just so many other things that you’d rather be doing outdoors.

Fortunately, you don’t have to let your workouts slip while you free up some spare time. You just need to know how to trim your workouts wisely so that you can cut back on your time investment without sacrificing results.

Let’s have a quick look at a few of the main things to know.

Exclude Isolation Exercises, Not Compound

The very first thing that you need to do if you’re going to trim your workouts for the coming summer season is to make sure that you drop out the isolation exercises, not the compound movements.

Compound movements are those exercises that are going to offer you the best overall results for your time invested, so you will want to make sure that you’re getting these in.

Perform your squats, deadlifts, lunges, rows, shoulder presses, bench presses, and so on.  Leave out the bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, or leg extensions. Those won’t bring you optimal results, so you can easily do without them.

Perform Full Out Sets

Second, also consider performing full out sets when you do perform the sets you do in the gym.

If you can make sure that the intensity stays high, you really only have to do one or two sets of each exercise. You can theoretically cut back on half the volume that you’re doing right now, as long as you maintain the weight on the bar, and still keep your fitness level intact.

You may not make as much progress as you otherwise would, but you will still see good results at preventing a loss in fitness level.

Decrease Your Rest Periods

Finally, the third thing that you can do to spare some extra time for yourself this summer is decrease the amount of rest you’re taking during those workouts as well. This tends to be great itself since it’ll help to boost your metabolic rate, which will then mean further fat loss at the time you need it the most – beach season.

Plus, by reducing your rest, you’ll get in and out of the gym faster, which is the primary goal during this time.

So there you have the main things to take note of this summer season. Focus on these with your workouts and you can still stay in great shape without having to devote hours and hours to gym workouts. 

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Top Strength Moves For A Beach Body

Top Strength Moves For A Beach Body

If you’re looking to firm up your body so that you can uncover a flat stomach, toned arms, and a powerful lower body when you hit the beach this summer, you need the right pick of exercises to do so.

Many people are good about getting into the gym to perform their workout sessions, but yet don’t select the right exercises to be doing during them.

The exercise selection you choose to use is going to have a very large influence on how quickly you make progress, so this isn’t something that you can afford to overlook.

Let’s have a look at a few of the top strength moves that you must be considering so that you can get that beach body you desire.

The Sumo Squat

The first movement that you should consider adding to your workout program is the sumo squat.  To perform this one you’re going to stand with the feet wider than shoulder width apart, turned outwards.

From there, hold a dumbbell between your legs and slowly lower yourself down until the knees are at 90 degrees.

Pause in that position and then press directly up again to complete the movement.

The sumo squat is perfect for firming the glutes, quads, and inner thigh.

The Decline Push-Up

To tone up the upper body, go for the decline push-up.  The decline push-up is going to place more stress on the upper body muscles and will also get the abs working and called into play better as well.

Furthermore, the decline push-up will test your balance ability more than a straight push-up would, so you’ll see enhanced results because of this effect as well.

The decline push-up is perfect for anyone who normally performs regular style push-ups and feels they need a quick change of pace.

The Lunge-Curl-Press Move

One movement that’s going to work multiple muscle groups at once and have you moving through a very large movement pattern is the lunge to curl to press move.

For this exercise, you’re going to perform one standing lunge, holding a set of dumbbells down by your side.

Once you’ve returned back to the standing position, you’re then going to move directly into a curl movement and then press straight up into a shoulder press.

This sequence of exercises is going to hit the quads, glutes, hamstrings, biceps, shoulders, and triceps, so will be a very good full body builder in one.

The Crab Walk

Finally, the last exercise is a rather non-traditional one but will be a fun addition to your workout program and help to target a number of different muscles – the crab walk.

The crab walk is going to work the core to a very large extent while also helping you to build a powerful lower body and challenge the upper body as well.

When doing the crab walk you’ll want to try and keep the stomach region as elevated off the floor as possible to give yourself the best overall muscular challenge.

Walk all the way across the room and back again to perform this exercise.

So have a good look at your current workout routine and make sure that these are included in the mix.  If they aren’t, get them added in so that you can see noticeable changes in your body as fast as possible.  

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The Summer Dress Workout Plan

The Summer Dress Workout Plan

With summer drawing near, many of you may be thinking of all the different summer dresses that you’d like to wear over the coming season.  Summer is definitely a time to shed some of that bulky clothing that you’ve been covering up with over the winter months, so by lightening up your diet and making a few adjustments to your workout program, you can ensure that you are right on track.

So what should your summer dress workout plan be?  What moves should you be including into the mix?

Let’s run through how you can create a summer dress workout plan to get started on the right foot.

Perform Waist Slimming Exercises

The very first thing that you should be doing is working to firm up your waist and create the illusion of a thinner figure.  If you want that hourglass look, you’ll want to focus on adding more muscle tone and definition to the upper body, which will then make your waistline seem smaller.

To do this, turn to the shoulder press exercise as well as lateral raises. If you can perform these three times per week, you should see noticeable improvements shortly.

In addition to that, keep all your abdominal exercises focused on the direct up and down movement.  While it may be tempting to add in some twisting exercises to target your ‘love handles’, these exercises are actually more likely to add bulk to the waist and cause you to appear thicker.

If you have love handles that you need to get rid of, look at your diet for assistance there instead.

Tone The Upper Body

Second, another must-do in order to see success is to make sure that you perform plenty of exercises that will tone your upper body.  Since many of the dresses you’ll be in this season are going to be sleeveless, it’s important to firm this area of the body.

Good moves to include will be the shoulder press again, bent over dumbbell rows, chest fly’s to help enhance your cleavage, and tricep kickbacks or overhead extensions to firm up the under arms.

Perform two sets of 15 of each of these exercises.

Don’t Forget The Calves

Finally, last but not least, make sure that you don’t forget your calf muscles.  Since you will likely be wearing heels or at the very least have the bottom portion of your leg showing, it’s important that you firm this area.

Standing calf raises are great for this and if you want added intensity, try doing them on one foot.

There you have some of the key concepts and exercises to add into your summer dress workout plan over the next few weeks.  It’s always a good idea to add these to other exercises that target the other muscles in the body as well such as lunges, squats, and the chest press for a well-balanced workout that burns calories fast.  

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The BBQ Diet: What To Eat, What To Avoid

 The BBQ Diet: What To Eat, What To Avoid

As the summer starts to get underway, one thing that you need to be thinking about is all the BBQ events that are coming up that you’re going to be attending.  BBQ’s are something that many people do enjoy taking in during the warmer summer months, but if you aren’t careful, they can really have damaging impacts on your diet plan.

BBQ foods typically are either very light in nature if you choose wisely or are very calorie dense if you choose poorly, so it’s a great divide that you have to deal with.  With little middle ground, making smart choices will really payoff in terms of the results that you see.

Let’s have a closer look at which foods you should go for so that you can eat right at the BBQ.

Best BBQ Picks

First let’s take a look at the top BBQ choices that you can select.  When venturing through the BBQ event, look for lean proteins or foods that are fruit or vegetable based – but watch the sauces on these because that’s where calories can really add up.

Grilled Chicken

The first top pick is grilled chicken.  Grilled chicken is high in protein, low in fat, and carb-free.  Just watch how much BBQ is added on during the grilling process as this could dramatically increase the total calorie value.

Grilled Shrimp

Likewise, grilled shrimp tends to be an excellent option as well.  Grilled shrimp will contain very few calories, be high in protein, and will fill you up faster than many other sources of protein due to its higher volume per calorie content.

Fruit Salad

If you need something sweet to eat, fruit salad is the perfect pick.  Fruit salad is packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and many other important vitamins that are great for your health.

It’ll be lower in calories than pretty much any other dessert out there, so one you really can’t go wrong with.

Salad Greens

Salad greens are the next great hit when it comes to BBQ food selection.  Choose a salad that contains cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, spinach, red onions, along with any other vegetables you desire.  Just be sure that you keep the dressing on the side to prevent added calories.

Corn On The Cob

One of the most traditional foods that you can feel safe adding to your meal is grilled corn on the cob.  This food is more calorie dense than other vegetables, but contains good calories full of nutrition.  The crunchy texture and sweet taste are a sure-fire way to satisfy cravings and it works great as a side to any lean protein source.

So there you have the main foods that you should be eating when you go to a BBQ this summer.  Fill your plate with these and less of the potato salads, grilled beef or pork, burgers, hot dogs, pasta salads, and cake desserts and you’ll walk away with your waistline intact. 

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Tennis Arms Workout Plan

Tennis Arms Workout Plan

Looking to get tennis arms?  Whether you play tennis or not, there’s no denying the fact that those who are competitive in this sport almost always have a great looking set of arms.

Tennis is a fantastic way to get your body in shape quickly and burn up a high amount of calories at the same time, so if fat loss is your goal, it’s an activity that you very well may want to consider.

If not, that’s okay too – you can still achieve tennis arms with a properly structure workout plan.

Let’s walk you through what you need to know to set up and design a tennis arms workout.

Target The Shoulders

The very first thing that you should be making sure you do as you perform your tennis workouts is to target the shoulders.  The shoulders are going to be the most powerful muscle involved in using a powerful serve in the game of tennis so not a muscle to overlook.

You want to make sure that you’re performing exercises that will hit all three heads of the shoulder muscles – the front, side, and back deltoids.  This will give you the most well-rounded strength level and degree of definition.

Good exercises to include in your shoulder workouts are the shoulder press, as well as the front and side lateral raise.

For the back of the shoulders, the rear deltoids turn to reverse fly’s.  These will quickly tap into the

Hit The Back

Moving along, you also must make sure that you don’t forget about the back muscles either as you go about your tennis arms workout.  While you are going to be focusing on the ‘arms’ specifically in this workout, don’t think that you’ll miss out by focusing on the back.

The truth of the matter is that by working the back, you’ll actually be working the biceps at the exact same time as these muscles will get called into play in almost every exercise that you do.

Having strong back muscles will also help you become very powerful when performing each stroke you use, which is another reason the exercises must get added in.

Top picks to work the back include bent over rows, the lat pull-down, as well as the pull-up.  Add at least one of these exercises into your workout program.

Boost Your Arm Muscle Definition

Finally, to finish up your tennis arms workout, you’ll want to be perform some exercises that will specifically target those arm muscles, including the biceps, and the triceps.

This will help to really enhance the definition that you have and give you that arm ‘pump’ effect. For the women doing this workout, it’ll help to give you sleek arms that look toned and fit rather than soft and flabby.

The main exercises to consider including here include bicep curls, hammer curls, and barbell curls for the bicep muscles, and then tricep kickbacks, tricep extensions, and triangle push-ups for triceps.

You don’t have to do all of these in each session but aim for 1-2 of them to round out the workout.

If you can use this info to design your own workout, then you can be sure you’re moving along properly and will be on your way to tennis-star arms in no time. 

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Summery Breakfasts That Start Your Day Right

Summery Breakfasts That Start Your Day Right

Getting your day off to a good start nutritionally speaking is one of the best things that you can do to promote better health overall. Not only does eating a good breakfast help to ensure that you keep your hunger under control more optimally, but it’s also going to help to make sure that your metabolism is kicks started from the moment that you very first wake up.

Sadly though, most people are making very incorrect food choices as they go about this morning meal that are only going to hold them back as they go about their fat loss journey.

Let’s take a quick look at a few great ideas for summery style breakfasts that won’t derail your diet and will ensure that you are eating well at all times.

Egg White Omelette With Seasonal Vegetables

If you’re on a lower carb diet and want to liven up your morning, try an egg white omelette with some seasonal vegetables. Don’t be afraid to experiment here and use vegetables that are in season that you may not use at other times.

Bell peppers, avocados, corn (removed from the cob), and eggplant can all be used. It will be a change from the traditional omelette you might typically prepare with mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes, but will definitely offer solid nutrition that will keep your hunger under control.

Berry Smoothie

Another great way to start your day is with a berry smoothie.  This drink is going to ensure that you are getting in a good dose of antioxidants as the day progresses along and will also provide plenty of fiber to keep you satisfied until lunch.

To prepare this, combine half a cup of Greek yogurt with half a cup of milk. Then add in an assortment of your favorite frozen berries and a tablespoon of flaxseeds for healthy fats.

Blend up until your desired consistency is reached. Note that you can also add some ice cubes to this as well if you prefer.

Blueberry Pancakes

Finally, the last good breakfast that you can use to get your day going is blueberry pancakes. These pancakes are loaded with fiber and blueberries are one of the best brain boosting fruits that you can consume.

They’re rich in antioxidants and will ensure that you have good focus and concentration.

To prepare blueberry pancakes, combine together oats, a few egg whites, some protein powder along with fresh blueberries.  Once the batter is formed, pour onto a skillet as you would a normal pancake and cook until edges are bubbling.

Flip over and cook on the other side until finished.

Get creative and come up with a few summery breakfast ideas of your own. Try and incorporate as many fresh fruits and vegetables of the season as you can for high nutrition and low calories.  

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Summer Treats That Save Your Diet

Summer Treats That Save Your Diet

As you gear up for the warmer months, there’s no question that you’ll still suffer from cravings from time to time and want to tempt your taste buds with something sweet or decadent.  But, if you choose unwisely, these treats can really pack on the pounds.

Since the summer months are a time of less clothing and hours spent on the beach, chances are you won’t appreciate a 2-3 pound weight gain that comes along with these indulgences.

Fortunately, if you choose your treats wisely, they don’t have to spell fat gain.  Let’s look at some of the top summer treats to go for that will save your diet and cure your cravings fast.

Sugar-Free Jell-O

You simply can’t go wrong with sugar free Jell-O when you’re trying to satisfy your food cravings and keep your diet in check.  Sugar free Jell-O is almost calorie free and when topped with fruit or whipped topping, will definitely make for a special treat.

With a number of different flavors that you can choose from, you’ll be sure to find something that you enjoy.

Home Made Angel Food Cake

Another great dessert option this summer is some home-made angel food cake.  Angel food cake is lower in fat than many other cakes and has a much lighter and airy texture to it.

If you prepare it yourself, you can use lower fat methods of cooking it by replacing some of the oil with applesauce or the sugar with a substitute.

Whip up a low-fat cream cheese icing for it and you’ll have a refreshing dessert that will be a great crowd pleaser.

Fruit Smoothies

Fruit smoothies are the next option to consider. If you prepare these with some low-fat yogurt, frozen fruits, and skim milk, they’ll come in at under 200 calories per serving and will provide you with a great dose of protein and fiber.

Frozen fruit is the key to creating this dessert as it will give it that frothy texture that you’re looking for.

Jell-O Freezer Pops

Finally, the last summer dessert to consider preparing as you look to satisfy your sweet tooth are Jell-O freezer pops.  If you’re a big fan of fudge cycles, this will definitely strike your interest.

To prepare them, whip up some sugar-free chocolate pudding powder as you normally would but place them in freezer molds in the freezer to set.  In a few hours, you’ll have at frozen treat that’s lower in calories than the original, almost sugar free, and that also packs in some protein as well.

So as you gear up for the warmer months, keep these desserts in mind.  You definitely do not need to deprive yourself if you want to stick with your diet as long as you are sure to choose carefully.  

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Summer Sports That Burn Fat Fast

Summer Sports That Burn Fat Fast

If you’re antsy to get out of the gym this summer but definitely do not want to kiss your hard-earned results goodbye in terms of your body composition and muscularity, the great news is that by partaking in some of the seasonal sports, you can easily maintain your body and have some fun while you’re at it.

So many people come to believe that the only way to get in a workout has to be in the confines of the gym, but that just isn’t the case at all.

In fact, by taking your workout outside of the gym and into a new environment, you may just take your progress up a notch.  The sports that we’re about to describe will all challenge your muscles in a brand new manner, evoking greater strength gains as well as helping to improve your balance and agility as well.

Plus, you’ll still burn plenty of calories, so they’ll assist with weight control over the summer months.

Let’s have a quick look at some of the top summer sports that you should be giving some consideration to.

Beach Volleyball

One of the most intense summer sports that you should be playing on a regular basis is beach volleyball. This sport is great because not only does it tend to be stop and go in nature similar to an interval cardio workout would be, but due to the instability the sandy surface provides, this will really go a long way towards strengthening the lower body muscles.

Beach volleyball also dramatically enhances your body-mind awareness and coordination, so will transfer over to other sports or activities that you happen to participate in as well.

Rollerblading

The second activity that you’ll want to think about adding to your program is rollerblading. Rollerblading is a perfect lower body strengthener as it’s going to target your glutes, hamstrings, as well as quads.

If you add some hills to the trail that you’re on, you’ll also get in a very good cardiovascular workout as well, similar to that of what you’d get with high intensity training.

Rollerblading, when done intensely enough, is on par in terms of calorie burn with running, so it definitely earns top marks when it comes to your overall fat loss progress.

Rock Climbing

Finally, the last summer sport that you should consider investing some time into is rock climbing. Rock climbing will help to boost your upper body and core strength especially, so is a great way to balance out the other activities that you might be doing as you go about your workout week.

Rock climbing does take some practice to get used to and perform correctly, so consider investing in a few lessons first before you head out on your own. This will both ensure safety as well as make sure you’re targeting the right muscles.

There you have the top summer sports to think about getting involved in this summer. You don’t have to forgo your workouts if you don’t want to, but these are all excellent additions to any program that you’re doing.  

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Summer Heat: Exercising Safely Outdoors

 Summer Heat: Exercising Safely Outdoors

As you gear up for the coming summer months, you may start take into consideration the idea of exercising outdoors.  Outdoor workouts can be the perfect opportunity to refresh your mind, challenge your muscles in a new manner, and enjoy the warmer weather.

Plus, if you can spend some time outdoors for your summer workouts, this will enhance your motivation come the fall when it’s time to head back into the gym.

That said, there are some important things that you need to take into consideration when exercising safely outdoors.  If you don’t, you could be in for some problems ahead.

Let’s have a quick look at a few of the main points to remember so that you can stay safe at all times.

Hydrate Yourself Before, During, And After

The very first thing that you should be doing is making sure to stay very well hydrated.  If you aren’t hydrating well before the session and enter it already in a state of partial dehydration, you are definitely headed for trouble.

Always have at least 8 ounces of water about 30 minutes before you head off to work out and then another 8 ounces during the workout as well as after.

This will ensure dehydration doesn’t become a factor for you.

Wear Proper Breathable Clothing

Second, make sure that you also wear some breathable clothing as well.  It’s important that you don’t let yourself overhead as that is what will trigger heat stroke and cause fatigue to rapidly set in.  You want clothing to wear clothing that is designed to wick sweat away from the body, rather than cotton-based clothing that tends to trap the heat next to you.

If you can, also wear a hat while exercising as well as this will help to keep the sun off your head, which can also help to keep your body temperature down.

Understand The Beginning Stages Of Heat Stroke

The next important thing that you should be taking into account is what the initial signs of heat stroke are.  When you know what to watch for, then you can stay on the lookout should they begin to occur.

One of the first symptoms to take note of is a full-body fatigue sensation. If you feel fatigued everywhere and not just in a certain muscle group, there is a very good chance that this could be heat stroke at work.

Heat stroke tends to hit everywhere since it’s a central nervous system issue rather than just muscular, so this is why you’ll feel this way.

Second, you may also notice that you feel very light-headed and dizzy, so if both of these set in, that’s your signal to rest.

Stopping immediately at these initial stages will help to prevent it from becoming much more severe.

Exercise At Non-Peak Hours

Finally, the last thing that you can do to help avoid heat stroke is try and exercise at non-peak hours.  Rather than exercising mid-afternoon when the sun is the hottest, try and early morning or later night workout.

If you can exercise during these hours, the sun won’t be directly upon you so your chances of heat stroke are much lower.

Keeping these points in mind as you go through your workout program will help ensure you stay safe and that you enjoy each session that you do. 

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Summer Gear Up: How Soon To Start Your Beach Body Workout

Summer Gear Up: How Soon To Start Your Beach Body Workout

With the summer season quickly approaching, some of you may be wondering how soon you should start getting prepared for what’s to come.  Everyone wants to look great during the summer as you’ll be wearing clothing that offers much less coverage and possibly be spending some time on the beach.

If you want to create your very own best ‘beach body’ look, you must know where to start as well as how soon to start.

Let’s look at a few of the main factors to consider when determining how soon you should begin preparing for the beach season ahead.

Assess How Much Weight You Have To Lose

The very first step you need to take is assessing how much weight you have to lose.  If you have 20+ pounds to lose to get down to your ideal summer weight, it would be a great idea to get started now so that you can work at a moderate pace and not have to diet too incredibly hard.  Giving yourself 3 months to lose this weight would be reasonable and allow you to stay safe throughout the process.

If you only have those last stubborn five pounds to lose, then beginning about a month before you want to reach your goal weight would be a smart plan.

How Strict Do You Plan To Diet?

The second thing that you need to consider is how strict you want to be when you’re dieting.  The stricter you prefer to be, the less total time it will likely take you to reach that goal weight.

If you prefer a more relaxed approach to dieting with flexibility, then allowing a little more leeway time will be a good option.  You may see progress at a slightly slower rate so you’ll want to account for this.

How Much Time Do You Have To Devote To Exercise?

The third thing to think about is how much time you have to devote to an exercise plan.  If you can hit the gym almost every day for some form of exercise, you’ll likely see results slightly quicker than someone who is only working out for 30 minutes a couple times a week.

This isn’t to say that you have to devote hours and hours to your workout session, but making sure that you are realistic with the results you see based on the time frame you have is important.

How Well Do You Follow A Plan?

Finally, the last thing to consider is how well you follow a plan.  If you’re someone who can stick to a plan without fail, then you’ll move forward with your progress without a hitch.

If you’re someone who often finds yourself falling off the plan time and time again, then you may need to allow for a little more time to get yourself to your end goal.

Fortunately, if you choose a good plan in the first place you shouldn’t have the problem of constantly falling off it, but if you are the type who does struggle, it’s important to take this into account.

Add an extra few weeks so that you can make up for lost time should problems occur.

There you have the main factors to keep in mind regarding how soon you should begin gearing up for beach season.  Be smart with your approach and you will make sure to reveal your hottest body come summer. 

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Summer Drinks Guide: Which Beverages Will Keep You Lean?

Summer Drinks Guide: Which Beverages Will Keep You Lean?

As you gear up for the summer months, one thing that you definitely want to be taking into account is the beverages that you’re drinking throughout the day.  Make the wrong drink choices and you could easily end up taking in well over your target calorie intake for the day, packing on the excess weight rapidly.

That said, if you make the right choices, you can stay hydrated, stay refreshed, and possibly even do your body some good.

Let’s take a quick look at which drink options will be your best choice this coming summer.

Iced Green Tea

If you’re craving an iced beverage, try iced green tea.  Rather than purchasing the commercial variety of it however, try brewing your own green tea and then placing it over ice instead.

Add some lemon juice for added flavor and this drink will actually help to speed up your metabolism while providing you with some strong antioxidant support.

Fruit Slushes

Many people are in the habit of purchasing soda based slushes, which come in very high in total sugar and calorie content.  Instead, opt for fruit slushes. Preparing these yourself will give you a beverage that’s high in fiber and lower in sugar as all you’ll be taking in is natural fruit sugar.

To create these, simply blend some frozen berries with some ice cubes and a bit of seltzer water if desired.  Continue blending until that slush consistency is reached and then serve immediately.  This is one drink that won’t stay good for long, so prepare it immediately before you are going to consume it.

Water With Sliced Fruit

If you’re looking for something very basic, consider some water with sliced fruit.  Water is calorie free and the absolute best way to hydrate the body so a choice that you can’t go wrong with.  Since many people tire of the regular bland water taste, try adding a few pieces of sliced fruit to the water instead.

This will instantly increase the taste without adding any significant number of calories.

Home-Made Milk Shake

Finally, the last beverage that you may want to consider is a home-made milk shake. if you’re in the mood for something creamy, these will definitely do the trick and help to keep your hunger satisfied for hours after you consume it due to the higher protein content.

To prepare this shake, combine one scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder, one to two tablespoons of sugar-free pudding powder, one cup of skim milk, and 1-2 ice cubes.  Blend until a thick consistency is reached and then serve.

The pudding powder is the real secret in this recipe to add extra thickness to the shake, so make sure that you don’t leave it out.

So there you have the top beverages that you must consider on your diet plan.  If you are downing fruit juice, soda, alcoholic beverages, or commercial fruit smoothies, you will be packing on the weight in no time.  Go for these options instead. 

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Summer Drinks – Try These Healthy Cool-You-Down Recipes

Summer Drinks – Try These Healthy Cool-You-Down Recipes

With the summer season on the way right now, many of you may be looking forward to indulging in a number of summer beverages to help beat the heat.

But, in doing so, if you aren’t careful, you may start taking in far more calories, sugar, and non-nutritive calories than you desired.

The problem with many summer beverages is not only do they contain alcohol, but they also contain add sugary mixers, this really adds up and sends your blood glucose levels soaring.

The good news is that if you choose properly, you definitely can have some fancier summer beverages without derailing your diet.

Let’s give you a few ideas to get started.

Vodka And Sparking Water

If it is an alcohol drink that you’re looking for, you want to choose the variation of alcohol that contains the lowest amount of calories possible. That just happens to be vodka.  But, rather than mixing it with soda and adding far too many grams of sugar and calories to the mix, try adding it with some sugar free sparkling water.

You can purchase this in many different flavors and it’ll really jazz up the drink quickly.

Fruit Slush

Next, another great option to try out is the fruit slush.  For this one, you’ll simply want to blend together from frozen fruit or fresh fruit along with ice cubes if using fresh fruit. Add in about a quarter cup of water, and some water to help thin it down. If needed, add some Splenda or a sweetener of choice to help increase the sweetness factor.

This is a low-calorie way to cool down quickly and will beat any commercial slush that you otherwise would have purchased.

Creamy Protein Packed Pina Colada

The third great summer drinks option is a creamy pina colada. This one is great for immediately after a workout because it’ll provide you with a good source of protein, some fast acting carbs, and not too much additional fat.

To prepare it, combine one scoop of banana flavored protein powder with a quarter cup of Greek yogurt along with half a cup of skim milk. Then add in ½ cup of canned or fresh pineapple and one to two tablespoons of dried unsweetened coconut.

Finally, for a thicker more slush-like consistency, add in one to two cubes of ice as well.

Put this all into a blender and blend until your desired consistency is reached.

So there you have some of the top options for summer drinks this season. One addition point that you must keep in mind is that you should avoid overdoing it on the diet soda side of things. Some people mistakenly believe that these will be a good option to have when really they aren’t.

If you want to keep your diet and health in check, they must be avoided as well. 

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Summer Diet Disasters: Get These Out Of Sight Immediately

Summer Diet Disasters: Get These Out Of Sight Immediately

As you move through your diet this summer, it’s going to be incredibly important that you take into account which foods could do your diet harm, only causing fat gain to come on at record speed.

While many people know the obvious ‘weight loss losers’ when it comes to their food choices – high fat snack foods like chips and chocolate, fast foods, and baked goods, there are many other foods that often sneak right by simply because you aren’t aware they are so devastating for your diet plan.

If you hope to see optimal success, it’s a must that you pinpoint these and remove them from your day.

Let’s have a quick peak at some of the top diet disasters that you must know about.

Commercial Burgers

The very first food that you will want to think twice about adding to your diet plan is commercial burgers.  While you may think that these are a fast source of protein, think again. If you stop and take a look at the actual fat and protein content of these burgers, you’ll come to find that they’re often more fat than they are protein. 

If they have 60% fat content and 40% protein content, it doesn’t take much to realize that these are just not going to be ideal for your diet plan.

Prepare your own instead using extra lean ground beef or even better, lean ground turkey.

Pasta Or Potato Salads

The second food that you should avoid on your diet plan is pasta or potato salad.  While potatoes themselves can be an okay option for those seeking fat loss results, the problem with these is that they’re preparing with very high calorie dressings that includes mayonnaise.

Instead, prepare your own pasta salad using whole wheat pasta, sliced veggies, and an olive oil based dressing. It’ll be a totally different ‘feel’ compared to the other varieties of pasta salad, but be a far healthier one.

Trail Mix

With many people out and about throughout the day, snacking tends to increase.  You want something that’s easy to take with you on the road or wherever you may be so turning to trail mix is often what you’re doing.

While there are definitely healthy components in trail mix, the problem with it is that it is higher in calories and often contains simple carbs in the mixture.  If it has pretzels, cheerios, or other non whole-wheat foods in it, it’s one variety that you can do without.

Prepare your own trail mix instead using nuts, shredded wheat squares, as well as dried fruit.  This will be a far better and lower calorie option.

Fat Free Ice Cream Or Frozen Yogurt

Moving along, fat free ice cream or frozen yogurt is the next food that you’ll definitely want to banish from your summer diet.  Many people see these and think they will be a good choice because they are lower in saturated fat.

But not so quick.  When the fat is removed, sugar is often added, making them just as detrimental to your diet plan.

Instead, seek out some of the low-calorie fruit pops out there that contain just 40 calories or so per pop.  While they won’t be the healthiest option you could choose (real fruit is still going to be far better), at that low calorie value, they aren’t’ going to do much harm.

So stay on the lookout for these foods this summer. If you see them creeping into your meal plans, make sure that you quickly give them the boot. 

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Spring Clean Your Weight Loss – Bad Habits To Banish

Spring Clean Your Weight Loss – Bad Habits To Banish

If you’re gearing up to begin on a weight loss diet plan, it’s important that you take into consideration some of the vital things that you should do to help you move forward. With spring right around the corner, many people are looking to shed the weight that they’ve accumulated over the winter months and with the right approach, this definitely will be possible.

But, in order to do so, there are a few bad habits that you need to do away with for good.

Let’s have a quick look at what these bad habits are so that you can get started with removing them from your lifestyle.

Late-Night Eating

The very first habit you need to get rid of is late night eating.  Late night eating is going to be detrimental because far too often, people are eating foods that they shouldn’t during this period. They’re not snacking on lean protein sources and vegetables, they’re eating high calorie items that will definitely set them back in terms of their progress.

To help prevent this, start getting out during the evening. Make plans to get out of the house and you won’t be around the foods you typically eat.

Then plan for a healthy snack before bed when you get home and you won’t have to worry about going to bed hungry. If you eat a light snack that contains a good mixture of nutrients, then it definitely can be a part of your diet plan.

Stress Eating

The second habit that you want to banish is stress eating.  If you find that you’re constantly eating due to emotional reasons, you need to gain control over this.  Use a stress journal, see a counsellor, or simply phone a friend. Just do something that allows you to remove that stress without having to turn to food.

As soon as you seek solace in brownies, ice cream, or cake, you’re headed for diet trouble.

Starving Then Binging

Another bad habit that needs to get the boot is starving and then binging.  This is a particular bad habit to have yet one that far too many people suffer from.  The reason this develops is they try and consume so few calories throughout the day so they can lose weight as fast as possible, that by the time dinner hits, they just want to binge.

They’re so hungry that they can no longer control themselves and end up eating far more than they should.

Start evenly spacing your meals out more and you won’t have this problem.

Using Black Or White Thinking

Finally, the last bad habit to stop immediately is using black and white thinking.  If you view yourself as either all ‘good’ or all ‘bad’ on your diet, you’re likely to toss in the towel at even the smallest of slip ups.  Doing this will instantly set you back as you’ll likely proceed to consume hundreds if not thousands of calories in your disappointed state.

Remember, small changes yield big results over time and set-backs are normal.  Be patient with yourself and remember that this is about leading a healthier lifestyle, not being a success or failure.

Start working on removing these unhealthy habits so that you can move forward and see optimal weight loss success this spring. 

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