Issue 079
September 2011
Whether you’re in Rio or Rhode Island, sculpt a perfect beach body with these five easy exercises
Copacabana beach will be the place to be seen this October when the UFC returns to Brazil for the first time since before the turn of the millennium. The prospect of flocking to its golden shores to catch the surf, soak up some rays and throw down on the sand is mighty tempting. And whether you’re lucky enough to be strutting your stuff amongst the Brazilian beach booty, horsing around on the shores of Lake Ontario or simply watching the sun go down from the Ibiza coastline, you’ll want to make sure that you have the perfect beach body.
Problem is, you’re so out of shape you gas out putting up a windbreaker while the last thing you curled was the spoon in an ice-cream sundae... Never fear, here are five exercises that will turn you from a beached whale into a muscle shark.
1 Walking Push-ups
Get yourself in the push-up position. Print your hands firmly into the sand. Now lower your body, keeping your back straight and aim to nearly touch the sand with your chest. After you push up, ‘walk’ your entire body to the left, stepping your hands sideways while maintaining a straight back. Repeat push-up and then return to original position placing your hands back into the sand prints. Repeat whole motion, this time walking your hands to the right, and return to original position. Repeat for eight reps for a carved chest fit for any Brazilian beauty.
2 Beach-Chair Dips
Sit on a beach chair then balance on your arms in the dip position, moving your backside in front of the chair with your legs straight. Bend the elbows and lower yourself down, keeping the shoulders down until your elbows are at 90 degrees. Push back up and repeat for 16 reps. This will build up your triceps and deltoids.
3 Pyramid Planks
Begin face-down in a plank position on the forearms (back straight, neck in neutral alignment). Press the hips up towards the sky while staying on the forearms (like an upside-down ‘V’) and gently press the heels to the floor. Hold briefly, then come back to your plank and push up onto the hands. Hold yourself for a few seconds keeping your back straight and then press back into a downward dog (rear in the air, head down and forearms flat against the sand) stretching the heels to the floor and the chest gently through the arms. This will train your core ensuring you can take a good blow (though not the type of blow when your board shorts split and you accidentally flaunt your mini warrior to the hotties behind you).
4 Beach-Ball Core Blaster
Get up in the press-up position and place your feet onto a well-inflated large beach ball. Now, using the beach ball to pivot, walk your hands sideways. If done correctly you should make a near-perfect circle around the beach ball with your hand prints. To train your fast-twitch fibers using plyometrics, you could also try ‘jumping’ with your hands rather than walking them.
5 Windbreak Vertical Leap
Take a windbreak and force the pegs into the sand. Now, standing around 16 inches away, vertical leap over the windbreak. Repeat the leap, each time pulling the pegs out of the ground slightly thus raising the height. This will develop explosive leg strength, perfect for shooting for a takedown. Georges St Pierre’s vertical leap is approaching five feet, so wannabe warriors better get practicing!
Note: you may want to find a quiet area of the beach to perform these – you don’t want to be ‘that guy’ who stands in the heat of the crowd groaning while uber-macho flexing thinking he’s the Terminator, when in reality he’s more Annie than Arnie. Leave seducing the samba ladies till later lotharios.
