It’s officially April, which means everyone’s “bulks” are over and it’s time to start thinking about summer prep. You might already be starting a calorie deficit or you might be a beginner who is looking to just start working out before summer hits, and we start wearing bikinis.
Look no further, because I have crafted the perfect summer workout routine and a few tips to go along with it.
- MY SPLIT
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Day 1: Entire legsÂ
- T3 sets of Barbell squats, 3 sets of leg extensions, 3 sets of leg curls, 3 sets of hip abductions, 3 sets of hyperextensions
Day 2: Back and shoulders
- 2-3 sets of pullups (use assisted pullup machine if you can’t do pullups yet), 3 sets of lat pulldowns, 3 sets of shoulder press, 3 sets of barbell rows, 3 sets of lateral raises.
Day 3: Glutes and hamstringsÂ
- 3 sets of hip thrusts, 3 sets of RDLs, 3 sets of leg curls, 3 sets of cable kickbacks
Day 5: Rest
Day 5: Glutes and quads
- 3 sets of hip thrusts, 3 sets of step-ups, 3 sets of leg extension or leg press, 3 sets of hip abductions
Day 6: back and arms
- 2-3 sets of pullups, 3 sets of lat pulldowns, 3 sets of tricep pulldowns, 3 sets of rear delt flies, 3 sets of tricep pushdowns, 3 sets of bicep curls
Day 7: rest
If you are a beginner, you can start with two leg days and one full upper-body day and add cardio at the end of your workouts if you want to. Over the past nine months that I have been working out, I went from doing two days a week to now doing five days.
- NUTRITION
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This summer, I’m focusing on fibre, protein, while eating about 250 calories less than normal so I can lose fat. I’m vegetarian, so getting protein in is something I struggle with.
My favourite recipes are salad loaded with Beyond Meat chicken, tofu and rice dishes or vegetarian chili with beyond meat crumble. I aim for about 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of my body weight.
- CARDIO
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I’m the type of girl that hates cardio. I clock out after 10 minutes on the stairmaster. That’s why I use the 12x3x30 method.
It’s incline walking at 12 per cent incline, speed of 3 miles per hour, for 30 minutes. I plan on doing this about three to four times per week.
- EVERYTHING IN MODERATION
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As I’m writing this article, I’m eating pizza. While working out and eating healthy are important, you can totally fit pizza, chocolate or other foods you enjoy into your plan.
And some days, circumstances, holidays or events can get in the way of a plan. But one day won’t make a big difference.
- AB WORKOUTS
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Like cardio, I used to hate doing abs. But I was overcomplicating it by doing hundreds of reps of crunches and other similar exercises.
Now, twice a week, I add two ab exercises to the end of my routine. Weighted ab crunch machine (3 sets) and weighted hanging leg raises (3 sets).
Whether you try out my tips or not, good luck in your workout preparations for summer