April 30, 2013, By: Jon Boldireff
You work hard, you pay your bills, and, if you live somewhere like Edmonton, you suffer through a ridiculously long winter season. You’ve earned yourself a vacation and have decided to go somewhere hot. Somewhere sunny. Somewhere with beac…Ahhhh crap you’re going to have to wear a bathing suit at some point. Impossibly pale skin and hair removal aside, you’ve got some work to do. Here are a few pre-vacation tips:
1. Start training and adjust your nutrition RIGHT AWAY. Don’t wait until 30 days before you leave. It’s not magic. Unless you’re already pretty fit, four weeks is not enough time to produce a significant amount of change in your body. I tell all my clients three months is a safe timeline where you’ll start to see some solid results. If you’ve got six months, even better. The more often you train, the better the results. Aim for 3-5 times per week with a blend of intense cardio and resistance training.
2. Calories in VS calories out. Whether you’re looking to lose body fat or gain lean mass, nutrition is key. No matter how hard you work out or how much cardio you do, you won’t get the amazing Brad Pitt/Jessica Alba body you’re looking for without dumping the Doritos habit. Think about it: there are 3500 calories in ONE pound of fat. In a 1 hour training session you’ll lose between 500-1000 calories (depending on intensity). That 200g bag of Doritos you ate last night while secretly watching The Voice = 1000+calories. Do you see where this is going? All the crap you eat on weekly basis really adds up. Try cutting out all the non-essential, calorie rich comfort foods and you’ll be surprised at how quickly that banana hammock stops cutting off the circulation to your important bits. Lean meats, whole grains, and fruits/veggies are your best friends.
3. Set a goal and stick to it: “I’m going to work out three times a week and eat veggies instead of cookies until I leave for my trip.” Don’t just say “Ohhhh I wanna lose a little weight for my vacation.” A month later:”Ohhhh man that vacation is getting closer….I should really start training.” That’s a month wasted. You could have lost 6-8lbs already! If you’re really serious hire a trainer and set up an eating plan.
Man Bonus: Now, you were dedicated and you worked hard. You feel good about your body and you’re ready to show it off. You want to “get your pump on” before stripping down. Here’s a super quick pre-beach workout you can do in your hotel room:
– Perform as many pushups as you can in 30 seconds. Then drop to your knees and do as many modified pushups as you can. Back to standard pushup position, drop half way down, and hold for 10 seconds. Rest 60 seconds and repeat for three total sets and your chest should feel like it’s about to explode.
– Do the same workout as above, but with bodyweight squats. If you can MacGyver a way to do three sets of 10-15 leg raises in your hotel room then you’re all set to take your victory lap.
Just remember that pumped up feeling is only going to last about 30 minutes. Take a few laps of the beach and then head for the umbrellas.
I know you all have what it takes to reach your fitness goals. You just need a little push. “Like” the Bold Fitness Training Facebook page for daily motivational boosts and feel free to email me with any questions at jboldireff1@boldfitnesstraining.com. Be sure to check back in two weeks for my next blog. Now go lift something!
