Get your Summer Body On

Summertime is just around the corner, so now is the time to put the finishing touches to your shape. Ready for the beach, holiday or simply just being t-shirt ready. But if you’re still holding a couple of pounds of fat you’re looking to lose...read on.  

Achieving the defined “ripped” look isn’t all about pounding the weights. Of course is helps but 70% of your workout starts at home...in the kitchen.

To maximise fat lose but preserve muscle, you’ll first be required to figure out your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). once you have your figure, drop your calorie intake by 200 calories per day in the first week, 300 in the second week and 400 in the third week and finally 500 in the fourth week.  Calories should be taken from carbohydrate and not protein nor fats. Example: 190 lb male will require approx 238g protein per day, 200g carbohydrates and 78g fats. As you reduce your calories your carbohydrates intake reduces. Example: 190 lb males will then require 238g protein per day, 150g carbohydrates and 78g fats. Use apps such as MyfitnessPal to track your daily calories.

Drinkmore water. 

Cut out the fruit juices and fizzy drinks – this includes “zero” calorie alternatives and diet drinks! Both seem great, but can leave you bloated and who really knows what they put into it! Fruit juices can be high in calories as well as sugar. Sugar leads to fat stores, so try and avoid. So water, water, water. Aim for at least 3 litres of cold water per day. The colder the better – the body uses more energy warming the water and it tastes better – bonus!

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) 

As the days begin to get longer and the sunshine finally comes out, the first thing we reach for is an alcoholic drink. This is a tough one, but try and resist. Alcoholic drinks contain vast amounts of calories and that’s the last thing you want to be consuming when getting your summer bod on.  If needs must, have one small glass of red Wine per week.

Spending hours on the running machine is no longer required! You can burn the same and even more calories in a shorter period of time with HIIT. What is HIIT? It’s a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time.  There are now a number of fitnessapps specialising in HIIT which can be done at home using nothing but your own body weight. Set reminders to log into them daily for workout routines, stretches and more. Ideal for anyone limited to time or pushed to hit the gym.  

Weight training for your body definition is just as important as some other aspect mentioned above. Workouts should be kept to 1 hour maximum and focused on 12 reps per set.  4 sets per exercises to be completed. Again there and many apps that can be used or websites containing numerous workout plans.

After working out, drinking more and eating clean all you need is Sleep! 

Many of us go obsessively to the gym, eat like vegetarian monks, and still don't see a reduction in their waist size. Getting a good night's sleep is an important part of shedding those extra pounds.

Sleep deprivation hurts your ability to lose weight. This because your body produces the glucose and insulin levels of some diabetics when you don't sleep! So depriving yourself of sleep is a no-no for healthy weight loss.

Less sleep kills your motivation to work out and eat well. We've all been there: It's the end of a stressful day at work, we're tired, and we have no energy to do the things we told ourselves we'd do at the beginning of the day. Getting a good night's rest helps keep you energized and motivated, so that when it comes time to hop on the treadmill, you're perky as can be!