To get your body beach-ready you don’t need to hit the gym, you don’t even need equipment. I’m going to show you a number of fast, effective exercises that will help you get in shape for the beach. The best part is that you won’t need anything except your own body weight, and 28 minutes a day!
Jump to: a beach-ready, full-body workout you can do anywhere, any time.
For most Australian’s summer wouldn’t be complete without enjoying the sunshine poolside or at the beach so naturally we want to be feeling and looking our best. The good news is that you can do this without depriving yourself, simply by eating healthy, nutritionally balanced meals and moving your body every day. So, with that said, let’s go through my quick tips for getting beach ready this summer.
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How do I get a beach body… fast?
I get it, summer is finally here, and the time to accelerate your results is NOW. If you’ve left your run a bit late in the season, you might be tempted to throw yourself into an extreme diets or heavy workout plan, but you don’t need to do it that way.
As hundreds of thousands of my 28ers have heard me say, the best way to achieve real weight loss (and feeling great while you’re doing it), is to avoid extreme diets or excessive workout plans. There are better and far more enjoyable and healthy ways to get fast results. For example, a nutritious healthy eating plan paired with a daily HIIT workout is a great way to increase your metabolism, and get fast results.
When it comes to getting quick, beach-ready results from HIIT, you’ll need to push yourself, which means you have to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable, but only for 28 minutes a day!
Quick tips to get in shape for the beach
If you’ve left your run a little late and you need to get that summer body FAST, you will need to increase your workout intensity and focus on four key elements:
- 28 minutes of HIIT, make it your daily ‘go-to’ summer workout
- Keep your meal portions in check (but don’t undereat, as it could actually slow your progress!)
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
- Fast-track your results with the power of incidental exercise (all those extra steps taking the stairs and not the elevator adds up!)
Beach bodies love High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is my go-to workout whenever I need to get my heart rate up and burn all those extra calories (especially the ones I consumed over Christmas!). HIIT is so effective because it allows you to get more results in less time.
To get beach-ready, fast, do a daily 28 minute HIIT workout.
READ MORE: Why is HIIT so effective?
You’ll tone your beach body even faster if you add resistance to your workouts
If you want toned, lean muscles you should incorporate some resistance training exercises to your HIIT session. This doesn’t mean you need to lift heavy weights, resistance training just refers to involves exercising against some kind of resistance or force which makes your muscles work harder.
To tone up faster, add resistance!
How much weight can I safely lose in a week?
Depending on your current weight, how well you stick to your fitness & healthy eating program like the one here at 28, you can expect to lose anywhere from half a kilogram per week, to two kilograms a week. This means you could potentially lose up to eight kilograms in a month.
If you try to lose weight any faster than this, you’ll be at risk of losing that all-important muscle mass, which you’ll need in order to achieve that amazing beach-body you’re aiming for!
If you really want to achieve a toned, bikini physique I advise you train every day, with 28 minutes of HIIT and resistance training, plus a few pilates or home yoga workouts each week. If you can stay consistent, and you pair your workouts with quality nutrition, then you will see great results.
Try this summer beach-body workout
Give these seven simple (but effective) beach-ready exercises a go. You can do them anytime, anywhere. To get the fastest results, push yourself, and do as many rounds as you can in the allotted time!
Workout duration: 28 minutes
28 minute ‘beach-body’ workout (no equipment needed)
- WALKING LUNGE (30 seconds)
Take large lunging steps, and with every step, pause, and drop your back knee to the ground (or as low as you can safely go, without losing your form). Do this exercise for 30 seconds, going as fast as you can without losing form… or your balance!
- PULSING SQUATS (60 seconds)
Stand with your feet hip width apart, and push your bottom out like you’re about to sit down. Keep your weight on the heels and balls of your feet as you squat down nice and low, keeping your chest up. Check your knees are tracking in line with your feet, and they aren’t dipping inward. Once you reach your lowest squat position, raise up a little and then do as many quick small pulses, up and down, for 60 seconds.
- JUMP SQUATS (30 reps)
This exercise is a great leg toner, and starts with a traditional squat (similar to the first part of the move above) but then you’ll add in an explosive jump as you come up. Start with a squat down (as low as you can go), and as you come up, use the power in your legs and glutes to jump up as high as you can. Focus on landing softly, on flat feet, with the majority of your weight on your heels and ball of your feet, and then safely lower yourself back down into the correct squat position.
- POWER PUSH-UPS (10 reps each, top and bottom)
- JUMP SQUATS (30 reps)
Start with a traditional squat, and then power yourself up into a big jump, before landing back down on flat feet. Remember to keep checking your squat form as you go, your chest should stay up, with knees tracking in alignment with your feet. Enjoy the heart rate spike and the leg burn. You got this!
- SIDE-PLANK (60 seconds on the right side, then 60 seconds on the left)
Start this move by laying on the ground, on your right side. Engage your core then use your right arm to lift your upper body, keeping your body straight, without sagging. Hold the position for 60 seconds, and don’t forget to breathe! Take a moment to re-position yourself on your left side, and do the side-plank again for 60 seconds.
- CRAB WALK INTO HIP-BRIDGE (10 reps)
This exercise starts off on your back, as a crab walk, then moves into a hip-bridge. For the less flexible amongst us, this one might seem like a challenge to get your body into position at first, so go carefully and give it a go. You might be surprised at how well you do!
- Repeat the beach-body exercise routine 4 times
Depending on your current fitness level, a complete beginner might only manage 2 rounds with 45 second rest intervals between each exercise set, whereas a very fit person might manage to complete 4 (or more) rounds in 28 minutes, with no rest interval at all. Whatever your current fitness level, do your best, listen to your body, and push yourself a little harder every day, as this is what will give you the fastest beach-body results.
What is the best diet to get a summer beach-body?
If you want to lose weight over summer then, no matter what diet you choose, it’s going to be important to keep your portion sizes in check. But this doesn’t mean starving yourself.
As you may already know, I don’t believe in extreme diets, as they can do much more harm than good. After training people for more than 20 years, and having helped over 400,000 people with my online fitness program, I know that any diet or workout plan that is too restrictive or too intense will never create sustainable results. Extreme diets or workout programs inevitably fail, because they’re just too hard to maintain, and most people quickly fall back into their old, unhealthy habits.
The best way to lose weight is to pair a healthy eating plan with an effective and sustainable workout program that will give you the results you want WITHOUT turning your life upside down. And, most importantly, if you’re trying to lose a few kilos, choose a diet plan that doesn’t leave you feeling deprived, where the rules are simple and the healthy lifestyle is easy to maintain, so you can keep your summer body long after the beach weather has come and gone.
To get the real long-lasting results, fuel your body with natural, quality ingredients. If you’re actively exercising and trying to lose weight over summer, make sure protein is a major component of your lunch and dinner but include lots of colourful vegetables too!
Healthy recipes to help you achieve your beach-body
Give some of these quick summer recipes a go and you’ll see how good healthy food can taste and, best of all, you don’t need to be a Masterchef to cook them!
Fast ‘Summer Body’ Breakfast Recipe
Healthy Summer Lunch Recipe
Easy, Low Carb Summer Dinner Recipe
My 28 program will help you form healthy habits and in turn, deliver sustainable results that last well beyond summer. Over 400,000 people have transformed their bodies on my program and now it’s your turn. Join me now, and let’s work out together!
Images: From Sam’s Adventures with Women’s Fitness with the help of Tegan Martin
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