Summertime Fitness Guide: Mark’s Six Essential Guidelines
Summer certainly comes with a beat, demands, and kind of freedom of its own. The summer is a great time to refresh, revitalise, and reinvent your exercise regimen. The walls of a traditional gym may feel more like a prison cell than ever when the temperature increases. So how about we make some slight adjustments? Let’s defy tradition and treat ourselves to a summertime workout that’s unlike any other. Get ready for a thrilling trip to achieve your finest physical condition ever.
These are my six fundamental guidelines for summertime fitness.
Train Away
Of course, you can work out in the gym in the summer. I spend a lot of time training indoors, in the gym, all year round. But summer isn’t the only season for working out. In addition, the majority of individuals use it by default. I want you to train in a way that you can’t always train, to do something you’ve never done before.
Sure, you might want to work out at the gym if it’s 100 degrees outside. Consider getting some shade. However, most places allow you to workout outside throughout the summer.
Walk barefoot through a park or on your background. If you own exercise equipment, just move it outside and use it like you would in the garage—only on the dirt or grass.
In the wilderness, train. Climb trees, move logs, and launch stones.
Train besides a lake, river, or beach. Take a kettlebell outside and start working.
Put Fun First
The secret to excellent summertime fitness? Making it about the pure joy of movement and the rush of performance rather than just the sweat and effort. A key component of being human and thriving as a human is seeking out good pleasure. Our brain reward systems motivate us to act in healthy ways because they bring us pleasure. Exercise is no exception. When exercise is enjoyable, you genuinely look forwards to it. Not only when it’s over, but also while it’s happening.
Furthermore, just because something is enjoyable doesn’t imply you won’t work hard at it or benefit greatly from it in terms of training. It indicates that the exercise is more maintainable since it has inherent value in the here and now.
This is first seen in your backyard, in the blazing summer heat. Here it is, a kettlebell—a seemingly straightforward but remarkably powerful tool. You use it to swing, lift, and push, turning every action into a chance to increase your strength, stamina, and muscle mass. A refreshing breeze greets each swing, and the sun’s rays highlight each lift, leaving you with a radiant golden glow and plenty of vitamin D.
Change your training area from your yard to the wide, blue waters of an ocean or lake. Imagine yourself riding the waves in a kayak or gliding about on a stand-up paddleboard with grace. It’s more than simply physical exercise; it’s a close relationship with water, a substance that has been a part of human existence since the beginning of time. Swimming comfortably is a must for fitness, and summer is the best time to get it down.
There’s a whole new experience waiting for you on dry land. Imagine yourself skating down the coast or riding a bike on meandering paths. Think of these as exploring vessels as well as fitness tools. It’s not just about burning calories; it’s also about taking in the scenery, blending in with the environment, and enjoying the freedom summertime offers.
These equipment, which includes the inexpensive kettlebell, your boat, and your prefered method of land exploration, are your fitness allies and will help you unlock the untapped potential of outdoor training. Their unique characteristic lies in the fact that they are more than simply exercise gear; they are an integral part of your summertime fitness journey, improving both the calibre of your workout and your whole experience.
Take Adventures
Go kayaking down the river, across the lake, or through some sea caves rather than merely using the rower at the gym (for time, if you wish to enhance the effort). Alternatively, like I do, kayak down the canals in Miami, frequently coming across manatees and dolphins.
Take a day or twolong backpacking journey rather than just using the treadmill. Move your belongings across rivers, through meadows, over stones, and up and down mountains. You will experience an amazing sensory overload while walking considerably more steps than you would on a treadmill.
The gym is excellent. I myself use it all the time, regardless of the season. However, the idea is to use your traditional gym training to go on adventures and conquer the world.
Be EffectiveI don’t prescribe any particular exercises for you to perform. These are all excellent options: deadlifts, squats, pull-ups, push-ups, presses, rows, swings, muscle ups, dips, lunges, step-ups, hip thrusts. You are aware of your interests. I’m going to advise you to attempt training with a little more intuition and “touchy-feely.” Summertime is a time for feeling, intuition, and spontaneity. Get people excited about summer with your rep schemes.
This is what I mean.
Let’s say you are performing squats, pull-ups, push-ups, and kettlebell swings. Or lunges, rows, trap bar deadlifts, and dips. A pull, a push, a row, and a flexion of the knee.
Instead of reaching a predetermined number of repetitions, perform the first exercise—push-ups—until you almost fail. 2–3 reps remain in the reserve.
Continue in the same manner with the next one, which is kettlebell swings. Maintain a couple reps in reserve while feeling that intense burn. When you’re prepared, go back to the initial workout and repeat. Repeat for the following one.
Once you’ve completed three to four sets of these, go on to the following two exercises and do them again.
You’re developing the ability to sense when you’ve reached your limit. Not only are you strengthening your muscles, but you’re also developing your instincts. That is summertime.
Accept the Elements
Despite all of its benefits, summer also comes extreme heat. However, let it motivate you rather than letting it weigh you down. Enjoy the perspiration and embrace the warmth. Become muddy, dusty, and disgusting. You have the opportunity to increase your heat tolerance and level of general fitness during the summer.
This is also your chance to make the most of the water. The water is a whole new playground for your fitness adventures, whether you’re swimming against the current in a river, diving into a glistening alpine lake, surfing the waves at the beach, or even just completing laps and underwater pool exercises.
Solar Education
Avoid hiding inside as the sun reaches higher altitudes. Step outside and work out in the world’s largest and oldest gym. Take in as much sunlight as you can while being safe—of course, avoid getting burned. It is more than simply a means of getting a healthy tan; it is also a source of vitamin D, an essential prohormone that is involved in the synthesis of muscle protein, the growth of bone density, and hormonal balance. Additionally, it boosts the synthesis of nitric oxide, which can enhance the “pump” you feel from lifting weights and improve the delivery of oxygen and other vital nutrients to your muscles and other tissues.Moreover, exercising in warm conditions might increase the training impact by adding another stressor: the heat. Even while an outdoor workout in the heat can be stressful and need more recuperation, there are many advantages.
Just remember to drink plenty of water. Make an electrolyte mixture or season your water with premium salt. Before and during my workout, I prefer to mix some water, collagen, and creatine with a packet of LMNT. Staying hydrated will enhance both the intensity of your training and the UV protection of your skin.
Summer fitness is really about harnessing the natural energy of the season, which includes the heat, sunlight, sand, water, and peaceful force of nature.
Fitness in the summer is an exploration and an adventure. The season of endless sunshine challenges you to go beyond the ordinary, to escape routine, and to design a summertime exercise programme that captures the special chances that come with each passing day. The entire globe serves as your exercise facility. Now get outside, enjoy the warmth, sunlight, and water, and create a summertime fitness journey that will never be forgotten.