Get your body bikini ready with these tips
Let’s face it, a sizzling hot body is every woman’s envy and every man’s desire but achieving it can often feel like climbing a mountain.
Shedding those extra pounds doesn’t mean living on a diet of cabbage soup, banning carbs or macrobiotic nonsense.
A motivation boost and a little bit of discipline is all you need, explains Rapid FX’s personal trainer Tim Spittle. Here’s his top ten tips to getting the perfect beach body this summer..
1. Set Goals
To score you need to set the goals up with simple targets and realistic time frames. Make sure you set yourself up for success with small step by step achievements. For example, losing 3 stone in 5 weeks could be impossible yet dropping a jean size in 4 weeks is far more achievable and will make you feel on top of the world. So the key is think small, bit by bit and throw away the scales!
2. A Clean Diet & Plenty of Water
Before you embark on your new total fitness & wellbeing campaign, take a look at what you are eating and especially what you are not. To maintain good health, boost your metabolism, fuel your workouts and recover you will require a sensible balanced diet. Try to consume around 40% protein, 40% carbs with 20% good fats. Create all your meals from fresh ingredients, including lean meats, plenty of vegetables and whole grains. Look at portion sizes, do not exceed your daily allowances and eat six smaller meals with the last meal no later than 6pm. Then add at least 2 litres of water and reduce coffee & tea intake. Great!
3. A Good Programme of Exercise
Exercise that offers a variety of training mediums is crucial. It is important to include strength/resistance training, cardio with intensity, and core workouts. Try to get in 2-3 resistance workouts and at least 2 cardio interval sessions per week (core exercise can be included with resistance). It is at this stage you may require advice from a registered (reps) health professional to help design your programme. If you struggle to hit the gym or workout with intensity, then look to a personal trainer. There are lots of classes available including weights, pump, indoor cycling, aerobics, combat and dance or a boot-camp which will teach you a lot about working out. Warm up properly, cool down & stretch off at the end and keep all your workouts to a maximum of 45 minutes solid training. Any longer will create fatigue and eat into those muscles you have worked hard to create.
4. Resistance Training
As mentioned earlier, resistance training is the key to a good training plan. Not only will you see good results in about 6 weeks, but it will also be of great benefit to your health too. It will increase bone density, replace active lean muscle, regain good posture and generally help increase fitness. For beginners, it is important to work out safely, using compound or multi-joint movements; this will hit more muscles and help with metabolism, and may also improve cardio fitness too. Work hard on the biggest muscles and don’t waste time doing thousands of arm curls and crunches. Seek advice if you have not used weights before. Put a myth to bed! - Women respond very well to weight training and will NOT turn masculine.
5. Group Training & the Great Outdoors Whether you want to hit it hard or start the ball rolling with your fitness campaign, boot-camps, out-door running and training groups are very much a big part of modern workouts and they really work. Great for torching fat, raising your metabolism, and eating away at unwanted calories. Not only are boot-camps diverse in activity, they offer a strong social aspect, are tremendous amounts fun and leave you feeling a million dollars while reaping the amazing after effects of the training. Everyone should try one!
6. Motivate Yourself Motivation comes from within and without it, it is almost impossible to stay on track, so keep your focus and your eye on the prize. The best trainers and most exciting classes will not help if you are disorganised or can’t be bothered. So to help you, keep a weekly planner and build the week around the workouts, put fun things to do or social events after training as rewards. Leave notes and bits and pieces around the home; for example, holiday info, pictures of the jeans you want to fit into, a mentor or person you aspire to be like. Reward yourself at the end of the week if you hit all training with 1 meal of your choice; anything! This will also combat cravings. Call it your cheat meal and enjoy it!
7. The Right Information It It is a complete minefield out there and it is important you get the correct information to save wasting time and money. There are lots of places to get good advice. Trainers, boot-camps, gymnasiums, apps & publications. Be sure not to fall foul of ridiculous statements and incredible unobtainable results, many of which are littered on the internet. For good listings and information on health experts, take a look at the register of exercise professionals (Reps), this should be helpful.
8. Positive Influences Working out with like-minded people within group training can inspire you to work harder. It makes you feel really good; it’s social and is a very effective way to push yourself that little bit more. Also mix socially with people who are going to support you and make sure you talk about your successes and what you do. You can be a positive influence to others, offering encouragement & support, which will in turn drive you on to greater heights.
9. Consistency This is very important to your success and in some ways maybe more important than the workouts themselves. Quite simply, people who hit their training sessions every time succeed, while those who drop in and out, look for excuses not to train, or maybe miss the odd week etc, fail. Consistency in exercise works and the rewards are amazing. If you struggle with this, try finding a training partner because it is much harder to let someone else down.
10. Rest & Relaxation Proper rest, relaxation and sleep are all important if you want to reach your goals. A full 8 hours sleep and time to kick back from work, busy lifestyles & stress, will allow your body to recover, especially from those hard workouts. Consider a soothing massage at a spar or wellness centre; maybe a sports massage to untangle your tired and aching torso? Whatever you choose, give your body time to recover and reward yourself……you deserve it.
Tim is qualified in Advanced Personal Training Level 3 Reps and kickboxing, with a diploma in Personal Training. To join him and his team of instructors for an invigorating, action-packed weekend bootcamp combined with the luxury and comfort of the Cotswold House or Noel Arms Hotel on 29th & 30th September 2012, call 01386 840330 or visit www.cotswoldhouse.com
Femalefirst Taryn Davies