Workouts for the Perfect Beach Body

Just hearing the word 'beach' conjures up images of white sand, sparkling water, and - oh yeah, visions of tanned, in-shape bodies, as well. Unfortunately for some of us, that might not be a great depiction of our own body. Wearing three layers while struggling through another below-freezing day has a way of sapping a person's will to hit the gym. But with the winter weather receding, you may be feeling a tinge of regret that you weren't a little more diligent about your workouts over the past few months. Worry not, friends, because we've brought you some of the best workouts to get yourself in shape for those spring and summer beach trips. So once you've booked that condo, get started on these workouts, and you just might end up turning some heads on the beach.

• Yes, we know that your first thought is probably going to be about your abs. It's human nature. Just know that you won't be getting a six-pack by only doing ab workouts. It just doesn't work like that. That being said, working your abs is still essential to the process. So check out these three great ab exercises.

• First is the spiderman plank crunch. Get yourself in plank position, then bring your right knee up to your right elbow. Return your right leg to the plank position, and do the same with your left knee. Shoot for a total of ten on each side.

• Next we have the bicycle crunch. Lie on your back with your legs raised and bent at 90 degrees. Place your hands behind your head, and bring your right elbow towards your left knee. At the same time, extend your right leg fully, then return to the starting position. Then alternate, bringing your left elbow towards your right knee. Do this slowly, rather than repping them out as fast as possible.

• Finally we have the dip/leg raise combo. Suspend yourself over parallel bars, and then bring your legs up and extend them out in front of you, parallel to the floor. Hold that, and you'll start to feel it immediately.

• Okay, you can't just crunch your way to some abs, so prepare yourself for a little cardio. Now, as with all of these workouts, you can't just throw yourself into them a week before your beach vacay and expect results. That's unrealistic and dangerous. For cardio, start running a few times a week, and become consistent. That's the best way to shed pounds and build endurance. I know, it may not be easy, but it will be worth it when you show up on the beach.

• Let's not forget that upper body, though. Maybe time is short and you don't even have a gym membership. What should you do? Pullups, pushups, and dips. Bodyweight workouts help burn fat and build muscle, especially if you use the 10 to 1 workout technique. That means on your first set, you do 10 pullups, then decrease that by one every set, until you finally end by doing one pullup. You'll get one heck of a workout, and you'll thank us when you're looking your best down at PCB.

Start doing each of these exercises today, and by the time you're packing your bags, you'll feel much more confident about your beach-ready bod. Just remember - you're going to need plenty of nutrition to refuel after these workouts, so stop by Promax today and check out our full line of protein bars.