3 Ways To Build Your Beach Body

The aesthetic beach body look requires a training regimen focused on building lean muscle. To accelerate this process, do not skip these 3 fundamental aspects of every bodybuilding plan.

Focus on Compound Exercises

At the foundation of every great training program are compound exercises. These multi-joint movements are effective and efficient for getting the fastest results, because these exercises recruit several muscle groups at once. You do not need to spend hours in the gym. A 45 minute workout that focuses dead lifts, squats, step-ups, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, chest press, rows, and shoulder press will get the best results in the shortest time period.

For each exercise your target should be to complete 3 to 4 sets and 8 to 12 repetitions. If 12 repetitions is easy to hit each set, increase the weight. The last repetitions of the set should be challenging.

Note: A workout with 16 to 20 sets of compound movements is sufficient to achieve results. More sets does not equal better results. Overtraining can inhibit your progress.

Eat More Protein

Exercise places the body under stress by breaking down muscle tissue. This “good stress” of breaking down and rebuilding is required to build muscle. However, the rebuilding process needs ample protein to maximize muscle growth. An insufficient protein intake will stunt your efforts and hard work.

To combat this common issue the market is flooded with different supplements that promote muscle recovery. Will these products help? Some products such as protein powders will, but the truth is you do not need them. Your primary source of protein should come from food. Consume rich protein sources like lean meats, legumes, whole grains, dairy products, nuts, and seeds. By eating a variety of whole foods, you will reap the benefits of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals that support your body’s ability to function at peak performance. There is nothing wrong with protein supplementation. However, it should remain a supplement and not a replacement.

There are a number of different protein requirement estimations, but they do not apply to everyone. A good general rule to follow for someone looking to build muscle is 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass.

Control The Cardio

Is cardio holding you back from your dream body? While cardio is good for heart health and burns additional calories, it may not be supporting your muscle building goals. When the goal is a lean tone physique, resistance training reigns the winner. However, cardio can be effectively incorporated without sabotaging your goals.

Here are my rules for controlling cardio:

1. Perform cardio after lifting weights, not before
2. Limit cardio to two or three 20 minute sessions per week
3. Alternate exercise sets that use different muscle groups to integrate cardio in a strength training regimen
4. Replace steady state exercises like running with high intensity bouts of cardio

By utilizing cardio in these ways, you can find the sweet spot that will minimize the factors that prevent lean muscle gains and maximize fat loss to better show off your results at the beach. Getting lean with high amounts of cardio won’t do much good if you don’t have the muscle underneath.

Need a program that will get you beach body ready? Check out our Small Group Program.