If you're not ready to go sleeveless, bare your midriff and sport your short shorts, it's time to ramp up your workouts. Killer arms, sculpted legs, and tight tummies can be yours with a little hard work. Try these fun but hard hitting, high intensity workouts to torch calories, tighten up and sculpt your body from all the right angles. Take the workouts outdoors and even with you on vacation.
Three Summer Workout Options
A summer slim-down coming out of the sedentary winter months is probably on your to-do list. While it may have taken you a couple of months to pack on the extra pounds, with the right workout you can turbo charge your caloric burn and slim down in less time.
Download and print a copy of these summer workout plans by clicking on the image above. If you need help downloading the printable, check out these helpful tips.
Tabata Workout
A high intensity workout style like Tabata training is a great way to get in shape for the summer. Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata, along with researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, uncovered the incredible benefits of a simple ratio for high intensity training.
The Tabata workout calls for 20 seconds of all-out, go as hard as you can intensity followed by a 10 second recovery period. This cycle gets repeated 8 times. So, it lasts a mere 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
A research team commissioned by the American Council on Exercise in 2013 concluded that on average of 15 kcals per minute can be burned during the workout. Stretch your Tabata workout to 20 minutes and you can melt 300 calories.
You can do a Tabata workout anywhere with little to no equipment. Since the weather is heating up, make your way to the park or a local playground. Download the Tabata Pro app for your iPhone or Android phone. It's a quick an easy way to time your intervals, as it tells you when to rest, when to work and when you have completed a cycle.
Try this workout:
Tabata Cycle #1 (Repeat 8x before moving to the next cycle)
- 20 seconds of jump squats
- 10 second rest period
- 20 push ups
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #2
- 20 seconds of walking lunges
- 10 second rest period
- 20 seconds of jumping jacks
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #3
- 20 seconds of push ups
- 10 second rest period
- 20 seconds of mountain climbers
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #4
- 20 seconds of skaters
- 10 second rest period
- Hold a plank for 20 seconds
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #5
- 20 seconds of burpees
- 10 second rest period
- 20 seconds of high knees
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #6
- 20 seconds of jump rope
- 10 second rest period
- 20 seconds of tuck jumps
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #7
- 20 seconds of lunge jumps
- 10 second rest period
- 20 seconds of dead bug crunches
- 10 second rest period
Tabata Cycle #8
- 20 second of frog jumps
- 10 second rest period
- 20 seconds of front kicks
- 10 second rest period
Bicep and Tricep Workout
Seeing as your biceps and triceps will take center stage this summer, you had better be armed for your warm weather fashion essentials. You can easily sculpt your guns with dumbbells, resistance tubing and even your own body weight.
Add this biceps and triceps workout to your cardio routine at least twice a week. Make the exercises more complex by stacking moves where it makes sense. For example, instead of just doing a bicep curl, combine it with a lunge to get more bang for your buck.
Dumbbell Workout
Do 12-15 repetitions of each.
- Squat with an overhead press
- Bicep curl with a curtsy lunge
- Overhead tricep press with calf raises
- Forearm plank to a fully extended plank
- Lateral arm raises with a side squat
Resistance Tube Workout
Control the intensity of the band by lengthening or shortening it.
- Bicep curl standing on one leg
- Concentration curl in a forward lunge position
- Overhead tricep press with a squat
- Tricep kickbacks in a forward lunge position
Yoga
For toning the arms; flow from one pose to the next, holding each move for 5 breaths.
- Plank pose
- Downward dog
- Knee up plank
- Dolphin with one leg lift
- Four limbed staff
Aquatic Intervals
Like many people, your idea of summer vacation may not include going to the gym. You can still enjoy your vacation and get a workout in. Hit the hotel pool for a high intensity water workout with many benefits.
An interval training aquatic workout should include a five to seven minute warm-up followed by about three minutes of moderate intensity exercise. Then go all-out for about one minute before returning to moderate. Repeat the entire cycle two to three times.
- Jumping jacks at moderate intensity for 3 minutes
- Jumping jacks at high intensity for 1 minute
- Jogging at moderate intensity for 3 minutes
- Jogging at high intensity for 1 minute
- Split jumps (start with legs together, jump up bringing right leg forward and left back, repeat) at moderate intensity for 3 minutes
- Split jumps at high intensity for 1 minute
- Tuck jumps (jump forwards and backwards as if jumping over a barrel) at moderate intensity for 3 minutes
- Tuck jumps at high intensity for 1 minute
Summer Fitness
Remember that looking great in your summer outfits is not just about losing weight. It's also about sculpting lean muscle. These workouts will allow you to achieve both at the same time.
Balance these high intensity workouts with long trails walks on the weekends, power walks during your lunch break and a recovery workout like yoga. Don't sabotage your hard work by overeating. To achieve optimum results, monitor your caloric intake. Stay focused on your fitness goals and you'll definitely see results.
