Posted on March 19, 2014 by Jenny Cromack

Summer isn’t too far away now, and its almost T-shirt, shorts and bikini weather, this means its time to get that Summer body out. Many people overcomplicate body composition training so here is the step by step guide to getting you the best summer body possible. Now lets say summer officially starts in June, which gives us 10 weeks from NOW, not actually that much time, but definitely enough to build a great summer body! Follow the step by step guide to your summer body.

STEP 1- Train intensely, so much so that it is metabolically stressful

This basically means that we need to build up as much lactic acid as possible in the shortest time as possible. Now conventional wisdom and certain magazines will have you believe that 20 minutes of running down the street smiling at the birds and trees 7 days a week will have you ready for the beach… this couldn’t be more wrong.  When we create a training stimulus that releases lots of lactic acid, this in turn creates an environment in the body that wants to annihilate calories in the form of fat and create a metabolism so active it puts a volcano to shame.

You can do this by combining upper and lower compound movements, for a great workout check out: HIGH INTENSITY WEIGHT LIFTING

STEP 2- Stop Dieting!

If you follow the simple rule that you should only consume things from the land you will do amazing things with your body, this means all ready meals and processed foods are out of the window. Consume lots of vegetables, half of your plate every meal should be a mix of non root vegetables, the other half should be fats and protein and the tiny bit in the corner should be grains and pulses. Remember there are carbohydrates in vegetables; you don’t need to consume 4 potatoes with every meal. Yes, there are lots of diets around which have clever marketing to convince you that following the latest fad will get you the best the results, but this couldn’t be more from the truth, following a clean diet will you get the best results….FACT!

For more tips on nutrition check out: DIETS THAT WORK FOR LONG LASTING WEIGHT LOSS

STEP 3- Forget cardio, instead spend your time sprinting 

Yes cardio is great for fitness and weight loss, however it’s not optimal for this time frame or particular goal. If you imagine what your doing when you jog steady state, you’re training your body to use as little fuel as possible to complete the distance, after all that’s optimal endurance running, where as in sprinting your training your body to make energy easily available for the metabolic stress sprinting causes. Remember we discussed lactic acid and weight loss, the same rules apply here.

For a great interval program to include click on THE SPRINT PROTOCOL THAT WILL BURN FAT

STEP 4- Carry your toothbrush around with you, or some sugar free gum

You probably think I’m crazy but it has been shown that brushing your teeth or chewing on sugar free gum actually kills sweet cravings. Its not rocket science that sweet cravings are generally the downfall or most individuals healthy eating attempts. As were trying to avoid processed foods cleaner teeth are a great trade off. Just don’t walk down the street brushing your teeth, nobody needs to see that!

STEP 5- Sleep whenever you can

Be a Lion not an Giraffe, the more sleep you can get in the day the better, we burn a tremendous amount of fat when we sleep and not only that we release growth hormone, a key ingredient in the recipe of weight loss. If you can’t get  a good 8-9 hours a night, try little 20 min siestas through the day, the more the better just don’t sleep beyond 40mins during the day, this can create a slow sluggish state.

It sounds simple but following the step by step guide to your summer body above will help you massively achieve a physique you will be proud of on the beach. Take a picture today before you start then again in June, if you follow the steps I guarantee you’ll look and feel great!