Fitness trainer and lifestyle coach Ben Winn on how to get beach body ready at home!
It all starts in the kitchen
It doesn’t matter how hard or how frequently you exercise you are never going to achieve your dream beach body without fuelling yourself with proper nutrition. You should aim to consume a wide variety of nutritious, whole foods from the three main macronutrients that make up food; carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Track your calories
To get your beach body you need to lose body fat. To do this you need to be in a calorie deficit i.e. burning more calories than you are consuming. Tracking your calories ensures you are in a calorie deficit and not overeating. A great way to track your calories is by using the app “MyFitnessPal”.
"Protein has a high satiety level which means how content and full you are after eating it. Protein keeps your hunger at bay reducing the chances of overeating."
Keep your protein intake high
Protein helps you to maintain your muscle which gives your body shape and structure which is crucial if you are going to achieve your best beach body possible.Protein has a high satiety level which means how content and full you are after eating it. Protein keeps your hunger at bay reducing the chances of overeating.
Protein has a high thermic effect of food (TEF) which means the number of calories you burn through processing it. So, the more protein you eat, the more calories you will burn which ultimately results in greater fat loss.
Be aware of hyperpalatable foods & don't keep them stocked in your cupboards
Hyperpalatable foods are the foods that you can’t live without. Hyperpalatable foods are usually high in sugar and fat and bring you happiness and comfort such as chocolate and crisps.
Tip: try not to have your hyperpalatable foods stocked in your cupboards!
Ask yourself, short term sensation or long-term happiness & fulfilment?
"Tabata is a form of HIIT. You complete 20 seconds of high intensity exercise working as hard as you can followed by a 10 seconds rest period. This sequence is repeated 8 times in total lasting only 4 minutes."
Do home tabata workouts
To help excel your fat loss results it is important that you are exercising. One great form of exercise that you can do at home with no equipment is a Tabata circuit. Tabata is a form of HIIT. You complete 20 seconds of high intensity exercise working as hard as you can followed by a 10 seconds rest period. This sequence is repeated 8 times in total lasting only 4 minutes.
Tabata helps to increase exercise post-oxygen consumption (EPOC). Tabata creates a shortage of oxygen during the intense exercise, which increases the demand for oxygen post-workout to help you recover. The recovery process burns calories which promotes fat loss.
Here is one of my favourite full body Tabata workouts that you can try:
- Burpees x 20 seconds (then rest for 10 seconds)
- Press ups x 20 seconds (then rest for 10 seconds)
- Squat jumps x 20 seconds (then rest for 10 seconds)
- Mountain climber’s x 20 seconds (then rest for 10 seconds)
- Repeat the Tabata circuit twice through before resting for 2 minutes and repeating a further 1-4 times depending on your fitness level.
