Summer is fast approaching and now is the perfect time to work off the last of that Easter chocolate and start getting your summer body ready. Roel Jansen from Fit For Anything shares how he gets his clients ready for summer:
Now that spring is here and the sun has finally been showing itself over the last few days, I have been getting those ‘summer body’ requests from our Clients at Fit For Anything. This can be a dangerous moment. You need to be prepared to harness the motivation, develop a plan and manage expectations. I always like to ensure my clients do the following 5 key things!
1. Make a Plan that's unique for you
It’s important to make a personal plan of what you want to achieve and by when - you need to allow at least 3 months to see any real changes - changes to your body shape will not happen overnight! Make sure you are realistic, and as your body adapts to the changes in exercise levels you will need to up the intensity to see results.
2. Find Out What Makes You Up
Find out what you are made of and Get some solid data about YOU and don't leave it down to guessing. Knowing your body composition (body fat percentage etc.) allows you to know what will work in terms of your exercise and diet plan over the time frame you have set. To find out what % muscle vs fat you are you will need a qualified Personal Trainer to take your measurements. Setting targets from here will be able to let you see how all your hard work is paying off.
3. Work Closely With Your Personal Trainer
Now that you’ve set aside the time with a personal plan and have the information about your body you need, it’s time to design a workout plan unique to you using your information. A good trainer will be able to show you how to perform these exercises properly so you don’t get injured, as well as showing you ways to make the exercises work even better, with techniques such as supersets, time-under-tension, plyometric and callisthenic workouts that you can fit into a busy lifestyle.
4. Find the Right Diet
Your approach to your nutrition is perhaps the most important of all the things you do and as with your training, you need to know what your % of muscle to fat is because this will define what, how much and when you eat. Do not just go on a calorie restrictive diet. In order to build muscle, you need to fuel the body according to the macros (proteins, fats, and carbs) it needs, which you will know from calculating this based on your body composition readings. You are far more likely to keep motivated if you are happy than if you are miserable and hungry.
Cheat days are ok but I prefer a more consistent approach that requires a little more planning. For example if you are out for a work dinner or a family Sunday lunch, sacrifice some of the starchy carbs (like the bread or potatoes) if you are having wine; stick to foods that don’t have sauces, and if you really don’t trust yourself, have a high protein snack before you go out which will curb your appetite meaning you will probably eat less of the naughty stuff anyway.
5. Rest & Relaxation
Make time for rest and recovery; chances are as panic sets in you will try and exercise more and eat less. But in my experience, it nearly always goes wrong because generally, people do this to the extreme. Make sure you have one full day off exercising – catch up on sleep, go out with friends, whatever you like to do that isn’t diet and exercise-related, you will need this for your mental sanity and that is the key to staying motivated
For more information on our fitness programmes get in touch to find the right programme for your needs.