I’ve always been a gym guy, one who likes the sounds of weights as they clang together. The power and strength you get from pushing weights around is incredible. But sometimes you need a bit of a change to the everyday gym workout. You need to keep your workouts fresh, exciting.
Exercising on the beach is just the remedy— not only that, it enables you to work out AND get that fantastic tan your skin desires. Working out at the beach with a stretch cord is perfect. Guys, go shirtless for this workout and don’t hold back. Get that blood pumping with some calisthenics and warm-ups in the sand, standard jumping jacks, stretching and light jogging in the sand.
The workouts you get from the beach are some serious calorie-burning exercises because of the balance it requires with sand between the toes. Your calves, for example, get a whole new workout jogging just from doing the same job that you would on a track. You usher in new demand for muscles in places you never thought muscles could grow.
One of the best reasons to get a beach workout routine in place is for those long two-week tropical vacations some of you take every year. How many times have you run into the problem of not having the right equipment at the hotel where you are staying, and then feel stuck not knowing what to do for exercise the whole trip? It sticks in the back of your head after day three or four of being out on a shore in the beauty of it all, but not knowing what you can do to maintain that fabulous body you worked so hard to achieve beforehand.
Now you can maintain your fitness just with your arms and legs and a simple stretch cord. Follow these workout sets on the beach and watch that body of yours tighten up fast. Finish your workout with a nice dip in the ocean to cool off. It’s all right there for you every step of the way. Here are a few exercises on the beach that will make your deltoids and biceps look terrific.
Stretch
Extend arms to shoulder length and proceed to stretch deltoid muscles. Stretch 10-20 seconds
.
Side Bends
Stand grasping one end of a stretch band and proceed to bend at the waist. Hold extended bend position and return to starting position. Do 20-25 reps.
Calisthenics
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms fully extended. Proceed to stretch left arm down to right foot (toes). Pause, and return to starting position. Proceed to stretch right arm to left foot (toes). Pause, and return to starting position. Do 20-25 reps.
Abs
Sit at the end of a mound of sand at the beach or a large log with a flat surface, with legs extended out together and slightly bent. Proceed to bend the knees and pull them into the chest. Pause, and return to starting position. Do 20-25 reps.
Shoulders
Stand grasping a stretch cord in both hands, palms in at arms length in the front of the chest. Proceed to extend arms out to sides. Pause, and return to starting position. Perform 15-20 reps.
Side Shoulders
Stand grasping a stretch band in both hands at sides. Keeping the arms straight, proceed to pull arms up out to sides until parallel to the ground with shoulders. Pause, and lower to starting position. Do 15 reps.
Front Shoulders
Stand grasping stretch cord in front of waist, palms facing down. Proceed to raise palms up to shoulder length. Pause, and return to starting position. Do 15-20 reps
Biceps
Stand grasping one end of the stretch cord in the right hand. Proceed to curl the arm up until biceps meets the forearm. Pause, and return to the starting position. Perform 15 reps.
Photography by Christiane Posl
http://christianeposl.com/
