5 days of get summer fit

For those of us in Australia summer is right around the corner. It’s already time to get rid of the layers, pull out the swim suits, and hit the beach. SUCH a liberating experience; unless of course you’ve sat around and indulged over the cooler months to build a collection of junk in your trunk.

It’s time to drop the croissant, give yourself a reality check and work your butt off to repair the results of all that winter comfort food. But you’ve gotta do it now. No more procrastinating. Here’s your ultimate summer workout plan, and it all starts with the commitment to yourself.

Commit

OK, so you’ve made up your mind to get in shape. What next? You must have a plan. “Fail to plan and you will plan to fail,” as the saying goes. Keep a basic monthly calendar for your fitness plan somewhere visible, perhaps, on your refrigerator. That way, every morning when you get up and walk into the kitchen, you’ll see what your daily fitness appointment is that day. Treat this as an important—a cannot-be-missed meeting. It’s that important; and yes, you are worth it.

You don’t need a gym or any fancy equipment. All you need is your imagination, a little fire in your stomach and determination to grind it out.

If you’re truly serious about getting fit and shredding some weight, we recommend you try working out at least 5 days a week. Consistency is the name of the game. Get yourself some cool, comfortable workout gear and a good pair of running shoes. The last thing you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells (or a 2-liter bottle, a heavy book, brick or jar lying around your house if you don’t have the equipment). Generically speaking – the average male uses 10kg dumbbells whilst their female counterparts use 4kg.

Next is the workout plan. We’ll break down a week for you to give you an idea of how it works. The goal is for you to take this format, get creative, and build your own plan.

Monday

Start out with five to 10 minutes of stretching to get warmed up. It’s time for some bodyweight calisthenics. There are a few ranges you can work with. Beginners may want to start with less. There is no shame in starting off at a pace you are comfortable with. We’re going to do two sets of 10 (beginners) to 50 (advanced) of each exercise. Go through the list and do each exercise one time with 10 jumping jacks in between. Then do the circuit again.

  • Pull-ups (regular or modified)
  • Burpees
  • Sit-ups or crunches
  • Starbursts
  • Push-ups
  • Speed skaters
  • Dips
  • Alternating lunges
  • Leg lifts

Repeat and remember to do the 10 jumping jacks between each exercise. Finish it off with five to 10 minutes jogging or walking and 10 to 15 minutes of stretching.

Tuesday

It’s time for hill or stair repeats. Always remember to start with a five to 10 minute warm-up and finish with a five to 10 minute cool down and 10 to 15 minutes of stretching. Find a hill or set of stairs—the steeper the better. We always say, “Gravity and fat are bitter enemies and one’s gotta give!” We’re hoping it’s the fat. You can do 20 to 30 minutes of straight repeats up and down or change it up. Change it up and have fun.

Wednesday

Bring out your dumbbells (or makeshift dumbbells if you don’t have equipment—there’s not excuse not to get moving!). Do your warm up then do two sets of either 10 or 50 reps of each exercise. It’s your choice. This time you’re going to add a 100 metre jog between each exercise. Here we go:

  • Burpees
  • Dumbbell squat/curl/press (all one motion)
  • Dumbbell alternating lunges
  • Sit-ups/crunches with a dumbbell
  • Dumbbell flies
  • Dumbbell squats
  • Dumbbell bent over rows
  • Dumbbell deadlifts
  • Overhead triceps extensions
  • Dumbbell Hammer curls
  • Flutter kicks

Finish off with a cool down and some stretching.

Thursday

“The need for speed!” is what you should tell yourself today. It’s time to pick it up. You can do this work out at the park or around your neighborhood. It should be about 20 to 30 minutes. Jog a couple laps to warm up. Run each distance with about a minute break in between. Start with 100 metres. Then go to 200 metres. Or start at 400 metres and go to 800 metres then work your way back down 800 metres to 400 metres or 200 metres to 100 metres. Remember to modify the workout to your fitness level. You can take away or add. Do a couple cool down loops and remember to stretch it out.

Friday

The weekend is almost here, so let’s end the week with a bang. This time you’re going to take all the exercises from Monday and Wednesday and put them together on one list. The goal is to go through the list only one time, but to do as many reps of each one as you can. Nothing to it, right? Do an exercise then 10 jumping jacks. Then do another exercise and run 100 meters. Then do another exercise and follow it up with five burpees. Repeat this between each exercise. This is a barn burner that’ll really get your heart rate up, burn calories fast and keep it fun.

That’s all there is to it. Now you can take this format and use the basic outline for the next four to six weeks. Take ownership of it. Make it yours. Add things that you like or remove those you don’t. The goal of this workout is to kick your body into motion and really get you fired up. The sky is the limit, so remember: you get out of it what you put into it. Have fun and get after it.

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