Perfect Your Beach Physique: 10 Hottest Tips to Start *Today*

By Cindy Prossessor

Whether you’re planning a tropical vacation to escape the winter blues, or are simply preparing for beach season, we’ve got some tips that will have you sporting a six-pack and an overall toned body in no time.

And, you can kiss all those excuses that are running through your head goodbye. There are ladies to impress. So, spend some time reading through our fitness tips below and you’ll be rockin’ those board shorts and rock-hard abs before you know it.

Learn bench press basics: If you’re using weight lifting as a method to prepare your body for the beach, there are several things to keep in mind to avoid injury while helping strengthen your muscles.

• Lift straight up and down – When lifting heavy weights, it’s important to ensure that no part of your motion is wasted. Focus your mind on moving the bar and weight straight in the air. Letting in waiver from side to side (even just a little) will actually make it harder on your body.
• Draw in your shoulders – Draw your shoulder blades toward one another to help reduce how far your arms travel. Even shedding off a few inches can make a difference in how it affects your muscles.
• Squeeze the bar – When lifting, squeeze the bar tightly to help increase your strength. Studies have shown that increasing your grip on the bar can help you increase your bench press strength by up to 10 percent.
• It’s not just about your arms – Bench pressing can help tone many parts of your body…not just your chest and arms. When lifting, try contracting your glutes to help strengthen your core muscles. Why? Because the power is then moved from your feet, through your torso, and up to the shoulders.
• Position your elbow correctly – For optimum performance, be sure that your elbow is at 45 degrees in relation to your shoulder. Tucking in your elbow like this will help reduce the stress on your shoulders.

Don’t forget full-front squats. According to many fitness experts, squats are among one of the top exercises out there. Simply hold weights in your hands and continue with the normal squat exercise.  And, because of the position of the weights, you don’t need to hold as much as you normally would to gain strength.

When pushing, don’t forget to pull. Think about your training program and make sure you’re dedicating the same amount of time to pushing as you do pulling. Evening out the two will help you attain better muscle balance and avoid injuries.

Step away from crunches and try something new. There are many ways to strengthen your core and one of the most well known are crunches. But, that doesn’t mean they’re always the best. Try exercises that require you to rotate your core from side-to-side. Or, incorporate a medicine ball into your routine.

Challenge yourself, but don’t overdo it. One of the most common mistakes people make when jumping into an exercise regime is to overdo it from the get-go. Instead, decide upon a program and stick to it. Chances are, it has several rest days incorporated into it and those days are crucial to help your muscles rebuild and grow.

When combining workouts, start with weight lifting. If you decide to do cardio and weight lifting on the same day, be sure to start with weight lifting. Going for a run before lifting can leave your body fatigued which means you won’t have as much strength for lifting.

And there you have it, guys. Take these tips into consideration as you’re working on your rock solid beach physique and you’ll be ready to hit the sand in no time!

About the Author:

Cindy Prosser modeled swimwear in a past life… but now that she’s a part-time freelance writer and full-time mom she has embraced a new passion: helping you look great in board shorts for men from Bare Necessities. Like Bare Necessities on Facebook for HUGE sales and be sure to get the Bare Necessities coupon!