The bikini season is officially here, so everyone’s trying to make up for the lost time and get the body of their dreams in a matter of weeks. While this isn’t really possible, it’s never a bad moment to finally introduce sport into your life. It’ll improve your physical and mental health and make you feel stronger and healthier.
Summer waits for no one, so get rid of all the duties. Complete work tasks, buy essay online, and hand in final college assignments. Leave your professors and classmates behind, at least until September. Now, focus on staying active and making the most out of the summertime energy boost.
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How to Find Motivation for Sports?
The number one problem that prevents a lot of people from having a consistent workout routine is the lack of motivation. When one isn’t used to being active every day and hitting the gym at least two-three times a week, they struggle with getting into the new routine. And when they do start, they’re very likely to quit after a month or so. So the first issue to solve is motivation.
Start with learning helpful psychological hacks for motivation; they are a great way to “trick” your brain, at least initially. To give you an idea, the most popular and effective ones are visualizing your goal, using positive reinforcement, and practicing goal-setting. But that’s not enough. You also need to find a workout routine or sport that works for you. It must be fun, enjoyable, and challenging enough.
Upper Body
There are tons of awesome upper body exercises. They target arms, shoulders, and chest and can rely on your body weight or include additional equipment. Here are a few effective ones you should totally add to your upper body routine:
- Dumbbell curls. Dumbbell curls target your biceps and are one of the easiest and most efficient ways to get toned arms. If you’re training at home, you do need to buy dumbbells, but they aren’t expensive or hard to find.
- Triceps kickback. As the name suggests, triceps kickback targets your triceps. It’s another basic yet very effective exercise you can perform anywhere.
- Triceps dips. Triceps dips are a bodyweight exercise, so even dumbbells aren’t necessary. But you’ll need a regular chair or bench, so keep that in mind if you train outdoors.
- Mountain climbers. Who doesn’t know mountain climbers? They are an easy exercise that trains not just your chest and shoulders but your core as well. It’s not unlike plank in terms of how helpful it is for your entire upper body and beyond.
- Deltoid raise. Deltoid raise is great for your shoulders and doesn’t require any equipment besides dumbbells. Also, unlike, say, mountain climbers, it doesn’t involve any cardio. You can perform deltoid raise as slowly as you feel comfortable yet still get results.
Abs
Abs is perhaps the first thing most people getting into working out think of when they think of a summer body. Here are a few basic exercises:
- Flutter and scissor kicks. Flutter and scissor kicks (performed laying on your back) may be a bit challenging for a beginner, but the results are well worth the hard work.
- Leg lifts. Leg lifts are another basic ab exercise that everyone has performed at least once, even if it was only during a PE class at school. It’s also performed on your back, so you can do it right after flutter and scissor kicks.
- Sit-ups. Sit-ups are the most well-known and universally performed ab exercise and for a good reason. It’s effective, easy to follow, and just challenging enough.
- Plank. Finally, no ab routine is complete without a plank. It’s great not just for your abs but core and arms as well. Don’t skip it.
Glutes
Glutes are another body part everyone is concerned about when the bikini season comes. Training them is a bit more challenging and requires a strict meal plan for the best results. But you can still see some progress with exercising alone. Aside from squats (which need quite a bit of mind-muscle connection to affect your glutes instead legs), consider doing these:
- Split squat. Split squats aren’t exactly squats. They are more difficult, but unlike regular squats, they do target your glutes even if you have yet to develop a good mind-muscle connection. Like all the best exercises, they aren’t about speed.
- Side band walking. This one’s unparalleled for your glute-ham tie-in. Granted, you’ll need to buy resistance bands (and work hard once you do), but they’re more than affordable.
- Fire hydrant. Fire hydrant (otherwise known as “peeing dog” for the resemblance that’s impossible to miss) is a fundamental and highly effective exercise. You can perform it without anything, but for the best results, add resistance bands.
- Glute bridges. Glute bridges are yet another exercise everyone knows. They are perfect even for beginners because it’s quite easy to perform them well enough even without much mind-muscle connection.
Fun Summertime Alternatives to Regular Workouts
But if your goal isn’t to join a model agency anytime soon, consider substituting regular workouts for something more fun. Summer is the best time to do so. Sure, you can simply work out outdoors, but that’s not that much more exciting than home or gym workouts.
Instead, make the most out of the nature and activities available in your area.
If you live somewhere with scenic hiking tracks nearby, hike as much as you can. What’s better than looking at the sunset from the top of the mountain with your significant other by your side? If you live next to the ocean, your options are even better. Drop your home workouts for swimming, surfing, and snorkeling.
Or just do yoga on the beach for maximum relaxation.
TL:DR
It’s not that difficult to get the body you want without spending hours at the gym every day. Most importantly, find motivation—it’s critical for your consistency and dedication. And don’t limit yourself to regular home workouts with exercises for different body parts. They’re great, but leave them for cold months. Summertime workouts should be outdoors. Have fun!
