The Secrets to Building the Summer Body You've Always Wanted

Magic 8 Ball, will I get lean the summer?
"Outlook not so good"

The secret to achieving the summer body is in the plan. And guess what, the plan should have started in January…of last year. Ok, maybe I misled with the title of the article a little bit but please, hear me out. If you continue reading and don’t agree with what I have to say, I’ll gladly reimburse you the 5 minutes you wasted reading this blog. Humor me and let’s take a glance into the future by consulting the Magic 8 Ball (are those things still used, if not, I’m really starting to feel my age). 

If you were unhappy to start, do you think once you’ve achieved a tighter arse, thicker chest, or six-pack abs, your life will change? Don’t be fooled by getting caught up with a body image influenced by magazines, P90X infomercials, silly meathead “trainers” and the Internet. Can you get ripped in 12 weeks, sure, but then what and at what cost did it take to get there? Where do you go from there? Back to “bulking-up?” What purpose did getting lean serve in the short-term and affect the long-term plan? I’m not against someone getting leaner and looking better, I’m against the manner in which it is usually done. Just remember, there are consequences to get leaner. Here is a great blog about the drawbacks of getting too lean from Precision Nutrition, http://www.precisionnutrition.com/cost-of-getting-lean

This ISN’T a get ripped in 12 week program. No, this is an approach to not only look good but also feel good year round. This is about focusing on YOU by digging your feet into the ground and making tough choices that will define your lifestyle for years to come. And that’s what I do. I’m in the business of health and fitness, which means I’m invested in YOUR health and YOUR fitness for the long haul. By learning how to eat strategically and implementing that into moving well and using that skill to handle heavier weight, you’ll mold your body over time. And this journey will require patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day and unhealthy habits developed over time. Take it one day at a time and you will establish healthier lifestyle habits.

Thanks to a plan, "I'm too sexy for this shirt!"

Ok, so I sound a little bit like the Hulkster, peddling a similar mantra of “take your vitamins and say your prayers Hulkamaniacs!” But it’s true. Habits are not easy to change, if it was, it wouldn't be a habit.

To me, the formula to changing your body is simple: eat well, train hard (but smart) and get plenty of rest. Now before you roll your eyes and say with a frustrated tone, “But I’ve already done that,” please let me finish. Yes, the formula is simple but the implementation of putting it into action can be a challenge. If you have tried doing this in the past, I ask you to reflect on why you didn’t succeed in those experiences. Be honest with yourself. Have you been taught to lift heavy weight (and machines don’t count)? Are you recovering from your challenging sessions? Where are your food sources coming from?  If it's really important to you, what sacrifices have you been willing to make on those three things I listed above? Contrary to what you might think, improvement and changes to your lifestyle is not a crash course. Look, I’m not here to blow smoke up your arse and tell you this is easy because it’s not. I'm here to help you make the hard choices.

Food coma, "D'oh!"

Nutrition Plan: This is the most important but most difficult thing to change. Why, because it’s work. There’s 24 hours in the day, so the logical question is what does your daily nutrition plan look like? Now, there are many ways to go about a nutrition plan, the key is finding the right one that works for you. A good place I recommend to start is by preparing a food log and seeing where your food sources are coming from. From there, you can breakdown what your macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates and fats) intake is like. Each macronutrient has a purpose and is essential to the body. The right kinds of fats are necessary, but too much fat, (even healthy fats) in your nutrition plan aren’t. Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy but too many carbohydrates in your plan are. Protein is great but contrary to widespread gym belief; too much protein is not good for you. All three macronutrients are important but all three can be abused because of misinformation. The trick is having a combination of the three based on your body’s needs and structure. Whether you realize it or not, you have already been following a macronutrient nutrition plan to some degree. If you ask someone advice on how to build muscle, what do they say, “Eat protein!” Need energy, “eat carbohydrates!” Some nutrition questions to ask yourself, are you eating less dense foods that don’t satiate your hunger? Are your fats too high? Regardless of whether you are eating “healthy” foods, if you are eating too much of it, what happens? It stores as fat. Whether it’s from healthy food or unhealthy food, your body doesn’t know the difference. The only thing the body knows is that it has to do something with it. If your body can’t use it, the surplus of “healthy” food will store as fat.

"Gotta get my pump in bro!"

Train hard: Put down the dumbbells and stop bicep curling. It’s ok to have programs that last 12 weeks or more that don’t include isolated arm work or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Vary the program between strength and muscle hypertrophy. Take the time to get your body to build a skill-set by learning strength pattern techniques like: squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing and pull-ups. Rather than “workout”, try to practice lifting heavy weight in your training sessions. By building a skill-set, you have set into motion a great plan for improvement and to help in other forms of training. Don’t let ego get in the way, there’s a lot of skill and technique involved with moving heavy weight. When is a 500lb squat a real 500lb squat? If your hips get below your knees and you can stand up…while avoiding a trip to the emergency room after doing it. When you are finished with the program, a great way to de-load would be to transition to a less taxing form of training like muscle hypertrophy or fat burn. This doesn't mean it's not challenging, it's just less stressful on the body both from a training and recovery standpoint (bodybuilders can train more frequently because of the split training method compared to powerlifters that need more recovery time due to the strenuous nature on the entire body as a whole).

You should already notice you have gotten leaner by putting in the time and changing your lifestyle. Because your growth season has been successful you can continue to train to get leaner without missing a beat. There’s no skill taking an anorexic Barbie doll and making her skinnier, weaker and as fragile as a china doll. Again, make sure you have a safe and smart plan in place.

Look, I’m not against people getting lean. I am against people forsaking other important things to get there. Be honest and accountable by trying to step outside your comfort zone. Remember, if it were easy everyone would look great and we wouldn’t take pride in the hard work and results from the lifestyle changes (plus, I’d be out of a job). Best of luck in training for next year’s summer body!