You only have to browse the internet at the right time of year to see diet and workout content, most make the promise to get you in shape for summer. The truth is, for many people these diets come too late in the year to get a physique that many people desire. To achieve the goal in such a tight, tight time frame that this relies on crash diets and over restriction of foods which means these diets are really difficult, if not impossible for most people to stick to.
The other assumption people make is that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to dieting will work for everyone, this is simply not the case. Leading physique coaches know that there needs to be a period of adjustment, figuring which strategies get the best results in terms of fat loss and muscle growth for different individuals. Oh, and this is just for fat loss to get a lean beach body, this doesn’t include the slow process of muscle building, for those looking to go the beach not just lean, but with a muscular or athletic physique.
There’s a reason why people say ‘summer bodies are built in the winter’!
If we want a beach body for the start of summer, or a holiday, then a lot will depend on your starting point body fat wise. Obviously the more ‘fluff’ we are carrying, the longer we need to give ourselves. The good news is that the more overweight we are the quicker we typically lose weight, the real difficulty is knowing how long you should give yourself. The most effective way is to allow yourself 1-2lbs of fat loss per week, so if you have a stone to lose, give yourself at least 7 weeks plus a ‘settling-in’ period of a few weeks. A bit of leeway is advised in case of set-backs, so ten weeks would be a safe amount of time to get you from A to lean if you wanted to lose a stone!
The reason why slower weight loss is important is that it is more sustainable, easier to adhere to your diet and will help protect muscle tissue - which can be put at risk through crash dieting. Losing muscle is obviously something we don’t want, this can make a physique look far from lean and healthy, rather depleted and gaunt-looking. The slower process also means that once you have achieved your goal, you will be able to maintain that weight easier as you will have maintained metabolic rate (through preserving muscle), making you less likely to ‘rebound’ and regain weight. You will have been able to diet on more calories, therefore you will now know what you can get away with from a food intake perspective, without putting on any additional pounds. There’s no point spending 6 weeks to reduce weight rapidly, it’s going to go back on in the first two weeks of summer!
If you are looking to strap on a good amount of muscle tissue for that improved summer bod’, then there really is no time like the present to get going! Most people would be lucky to gain 10g of muscle a day, 70g a week, or just over 200g a month and that’s assuming they really go to town on their nutrition and training.
This is not quite as depressing as it seems, the increases in muscle also lead to increase nutrient and water storage, so the overall weight gain will be greater and you will look much bigger than your 200g of muscle suggests! But, even if you are looking at gaining 1lb of ‘muscle’ per month, you are doing very, very well. A small amount of muscle can go a long way on a physique, adding proportion and a better silhouette, making the waist look smaller, so building muscle tissue is a useful tool for both men and women to get the X frame or curves that they want. A little extra muscle will also encourage fat loss, as muscle uses fuel. No matter what your goal for summer, doing some form of weight training will definitely help to create the physique you want.
In summary, if you are aiming to look that bit healthier, leaner, or just to have a bit more confidence in your swimwear to enjoy the summer sun (if we get any), then by starting now with some resistance training, adding in a little cardio to increase calorie output and applying some sensible nutrition strategies, you’ll be well on your way to getting the body you want for summer.
Paul Rimmer (BSc, MSc, PhD).
