Summer Body Workout That Targets All Your Trouble Spots

Get beach-ready with an hour of cardio, squats, planks, pushups and more. This summer body workout is all about giving you a total muscle makeover.

Summer’s here once again, and if you’re anything like me, you’re currently cycling through the same regrets that you always have this time of year.

You’re not completely happy with your body, and you vow at the close of every summer to whip yourself into shape by the following one, only for the heat to take you by surprise yet again each time.

Now that the outdoor fun has already begun, it’s easy to feel defeated and just promise yourself that you will be successful in those efforts next summer (again).

But this time around, you don’t have to miss all the fun that self-confidence adds to outdoor activities. And you don’t have to spend months slaving away to achieve it either.

Whether you dislike a few key areas on your body or believe that you need a total muscle makeover, the summer body workout below covers all the trouble spots that we typically hide behind layers of clothing and swimsuits that we hate.

So get started today with one or all of the summer body workout sets below, mix and match them as your body needs, and hide no longer!

Summer Body Workout Routines

Start your summer body workout with a good 30-minute of cardio. It’s the easiest way to raise your heart rate, melt fat and shrink your belly.

1. Cardio

Some of us prefer it over any other exercise, and some of us will its necessity away with a deep loathing.

But your personal take on cardiovascular exercise does not negate all of the important benefits that it offers your body, particularly if you plan to start working out regularly.

By increasing your heart rate and breaking a sweat, you’re warming up your muscles, circulating more oxygen throughout your body, and over time increasing your metabolism, which helps increase the number of calories you burn and decrease the amount of fat your body thinks it needs to store.

And the best part is that your daily cardio can be any strenuous movement that gets you breathing heavy.

So if you’ve always shied away from the treadmill because you’re not an extreme long-distance runner, then grab a jump rope, climb some stairs, or push through some jumping jacks or burpees while you’re watching your favorite show.

It’s the kind of exercise you can get most creative with, and the one that is most beneficial in promoting weight loss and supporting overall health.

So even if you want to maintain your current body to save room for a few drinks on the beach this summer, spend thirty to sixty minutes a day keeping your heart rate elevated.

Your body will thank you for it!

After 30 minutes of cardio, it’s time to target your core. And two of the best core exercises ever are crunches and planks. Alternate them for about 10 minutes (30-sec crunches, 30-sec plank, then repeat).

2. Crunches

With your back on the ground and your feet flat on the floor beneath bent knees, keep your fingers locked behind your neck to support it as you sit straight up using your abdominal muscles and recline back down.

Be sure to keep your upper back off the ground to keep those muscles engaged until you’re finished!

You can also reverse this exercise by keeping your back on the ground and lifting straight legs up off the ground repeatedly, which will engage the abdominals not used for regular crunches.

3. Planks

Lay flat on your stomach, and support your upper body with your elbows and forearms on the ground.

Keep your elbows the same width as your shoulders and bring your hands together to clasp them in front of you.

Raise yourself onto your elbows, forearms, and toes, keeping your abs and glutes tight and your back straight, and hold this position for a minimum of thirty seconds for each set, working up as needed.

This one’s tough, but just stick with it!

Now it’s time to focus on your arms. And two of the best arm exercises ever are pushups and arm circles. Alternate them for about 10 minutes (30-sec pushups, 30-sec arm circles, then repeat).

4. Pushups

Get into the same position you use to do your plank sets with your palms on the ground under your shoulders.

Lift your body, keeping your back straight and your glutes tight until your elbows are at a ninety-degree angle, and then push up until your arms are straight.

Lower yourself back down to that angled elbow and repeat ten times to complete one set.

To start with an easier position, keep your knees on the ground, but remember to keep your back straight!

5. Arm Circles

Standing in a comfortable position, lift your arms straight out from your sides and begin rotating them forward as if your hands were circling small apples.

Over the course of a minute, gradually make your circles bigger until your hands are circling imaginary beach balls, and work back down to the apples before resting.

For your second set, be sure to rotate backward to strengthen the opposite sides of your arms.

The last parts of the body trained with this summer body workout are your legs and glutes. Do squats and lunges to build a nice, round butt and toned legs. Again, alternate them for about 10 minutes (30-sec squats, 30-sec lunges, then repeat).

6. Squats

With your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms out in front of you for balance, bend your knees and sink down as low as you can go without any strain, keeping your glutes popped and tight and your back straight.

Once you’ve lifted back up, repeat ten times for your first set and work up in volume as needed.

7. Lunges

Standing with your hands on your hips, extend one leg out in front of you.

Keeping your front foot flat on the ground, lower your body forward until your front knee is at a ninety-degree angle and you’re supporting your back leg with your toes on the ground and your heel in the air.

Return to an upright position and repeat with the other leg forward to complete one set.

Do this as many times as you can in 30 seconds, making sure that you really feel it in your thighs as you’re finishing up.

One hour of total body makeover is done. If you continue doing this summer body workout every other day, you’ll be ready for summer in less than 60 days, guaranteed!

If you’ve gotten started already… It’s not too bad, right?

To keep up with your improvements, make sure you set aside time every day to do your summer body workout. And above all else, make sure to breathe and take your time!

If you enjoy this summer body workout, please share it with your friends!