Every year we work ourselves into frenzy over getting in shape for the beach.
Whether it’s lose weight, gain muscle tone, or simply feel good about us, just about every guy has a plan to help him look better in a pair of swimming trunks.
Not everyone, however, can look like Burt Lancaster in the 1960s movie “The Swimmer,” as the actor swims his way home from one neighborhood swimming pool to the next.
But we can all look better with a little guidance and effort. Here are some tips for toning the muscles for a spectacular summer vacation at the beach.
You might want to begin by flattening your stomach muscles, according to exercise instructors at local fitness centers. “Exercise the abdominal muscles to get that flat, washboard effect,” explained Nancy Renee Norris, a local fitness instructor in Beckley.
“But don’t wait two weeks before going to the beach before starting a workout routine. We want people to start as early as possible.”
It usually takes longer than a month to see any noticeable results, according to Norris.
“We lose weight with the proper diet and cardiovascular activity,” the fitness instructor said. “Free weights tone the muscles under the body fat. As you lose the fat, with the proper diet, you begin to get those nice, firm muscles that are cut like a gymnast.”
She added, “Men want a beach body like Arnold S…”
But don’t expect to lose weight from that area unless you are willing to diet properly. “You must develop a change of attitude,” Norris said. “You have to change your eating habits to accomplish your goals.”
Several methods of toning the abs include:
Doing sit-ups, bicycles, crunches, Pilates (a Yoga exercise), and running, swimming, or using the ski machines.
“Your body doesn’t burn fat from only one area,” Norrisexplained. “You can’t spot reduce. A lot of people want to take only one part of their body and tone that. You want total body toning, not just in one specific area. All the muscle groups work together.”
If you want to reduce your weight significantly, your best bet is to combine some cardiovascular fitness with some abdominal exercises.
In other words, if you really want to reduce your weight significantly, you’ll also want to watch your diet.
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Working those muscles can help, though. Let’s face it, you want to flatten your stomach—not your legs. So, it’s important to do some sit-ups.
A good sit-up routine will pull your torso up from lying on the ground—and you should really feel those abdominal muscles doing their job.
Two things not to do are: don’t twist your body when you get to the top of your sit-ups; the other thing is, never try to do sit-ups with a back injury—a sudden twinge of pain is enough to say “stop.”
How often should you work out?
Work those abdominal muscles at least three times a week—pushing yourself a little harder each time.
That’s the key to burning all those calories locked away in body fat.
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How can you get rid of the “love handles” on your waist?
The love handles are the stores of fatty tissue around the abdominal muscle group called the external oblique muscles. Men have a predisposition to store fat in this area whereas women tend to store fat on the hips and upper thighs.
The kind of exercises that hit the external oblique muscles are side-bending and twisting movements (rotary torso moves) and side pushups.
These exercises tone and condition the muscles, but they don’t necessarily burn away the fat.
Still, the only way to lose fat—from any part of the body—is to eat properly and perform high-intensity, high-effort exercises. “Got to get your metabolism going,” Norris said.
To do that, you need to eat properly, and do high-intensity, high-effort exercises. You need a combination of aerobic jogging, walking, cycle or swimming and resistance training.
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Legs are too skinny?
By far the best all-round leg exercise is the squat and leg extensions, and leg curls, and the leg press.
The squat works all the major muscles in the legs and hips. If done properly, you will notice that it works the heart and the lungs as well.
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Are you too old to exercise once you pass the age of 50.
Not according to research at Harvard Medical School. Almost anyone at any age can benefit from taking up regular, appropriate exercise.
“I work with 80-year-old people who have never exercised before,” Norris explained. “We can work with them. We can work with anyone.”
Even so, you should of course get medical clearance and then decide on which form of exercise is appropriate.
In simple health terms, aerobic exercise like walking, jog-walking, cycling, swimming, and running will improve your cardio-respiratory fitness, lower your body fat, and will probably improve your emotional well-being too. “It’s a great stress reliever,” Norris said.
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Top o’ the morning!