These are my top 5 tips for staying ripped while still having fun on a beach vacation:
1.
First off if your goal is fat loss you’ll need to start getting lean well in advance. It’s pretty much pointless to expect to get visible abs in just a few weeks if you have a layer of bodyfat covering them now. I get asked this question all the time:
“Lee, I’m going on vacation in 3 weeks time. How can I lose bodyfat as fast as possible so that I”m ripped in time for the beach?”
Bottom line, they left it too late to make any significant changes. For me personally, I’d treat it just like I was getting ready for a bodybuilding contest and start dieting at least 3 months in advance. Granted this may seem a bit extreme for a beach vacation. But hey, any excuse to get in shape is a good one, so why not use your beach vacation as an excuse to get in your best shape ever!
To learn how I go about getting lean and ripped you should check out my “Extreme Fat Loss Program”
at: http://www.leehayward.com/dvd
2.
For the last week before your vacation I’d suggest following a very strict low carb diet and doubling up on your cardio. For us we actually did an hour of cardio each morning and then weight training followed by 30 minutes of cardio each evening everyday for the last week before we left.
This will prime your body to absorb all the extra food you’ll be eating and shuttle a good percentage of the extra calories towards muscle growth rather then getting stored as bodyfat.
3.
Realize you are going to gain some bodyfat while on vacation, especially if you are staying at an “All Inclusive Resort”. No body is going to leave a resort leaner then when they got there, and if you do, then you never enjoyed your vacation LOL
This is how we went about minimizing the damage…
Day 1: Pig Out!
The first day we went all out and totally enjoyed ourselves. We ate whatever we wanted, we drank a few high calorie adult beverages, and just had fun!
Why did we do this? To get the cravings out of your system right off the bat. Treat day 1 as a big ole cheat day!
4.
For the rest of our stay at the resort we went easier on the buffet. Focus on eating more veggies, lean protein, and fresh fruit while keeping the starches, and desserts to a minimum. Now if I wanted to try something I would, but emphasize portion control, often times a little taste is just as satisfying and a huge serving.
As for alcoholic drinks, even though they are included for free at most resorts doesn’t mean you need to drink like a fish. I’ll personally have an alcoholic drink, then for my next have a diet soda or juice, then for my next have a glass of water, and then another alcoholic drink. This way only 1 out of 3 drinks are “bad” and this goes a long way in keeping the damage to a minimum. Plus you’ll feel a lot better the next morning when you are NOT hung over 🙂
5.
Stay active and have fun at the same time. Try taking in a workout at the resort gym on a daily basis, even if it’s just a quick 30 minute pump up. You can also keep active by walking, swimming, playing sports, paddle boats, kayak, or what ever physical activities they provide at the resort.
Follow these 5 tips right here and you’ll have fun, look your best, and have a kick ass vacation!
21 Comments
Jerry K.
Lee, what did you do to loose water weight before your contest? Limited water consumption? Diuretics (caffine intake,dandelion root,etc)? etc?
-Thank, Jerry K.
john
Looks like a good plan, but i always take the drinking to far!! Best thing to do is just relax and enjoy yourself, and pick up where you left of when you get back!
Farley
Must be nice to be able to visit Cuba….
Farley
legally, I mean.
Borys
Hey Lee, You are doing great in Cuba!! Enjoy your vacations!!
Andre
Hey lee enjoying life in vacation in Cuba after the contest well that’s nice me I live in Puerto Rico and the heat is strong is very hot here all year a have to drink a lot of water and have a fan next to me all the time when I train at my house so enjoy your vacation in Cuba.
JON
i got a 2 year “vacation” at gitmo at the dettaintion center there try being on duty 8-10 hrs in fatuges and carying a rifle and walking an attack dog around the perimator of the inclosure,,,, not fun except when off duty
Coskun Toktamis
It`s awsome Lee…you and your girlfriend look fantastic….
You must let me know the type of supplements you are taking before and after training. Send me a private e-mail….won`t you??
Nice tan…enjoy your seaside adventures….
Gilish
You lucky bastard!
Pringles
I wish i was canadian so i could go to cuba!
anup
U r looking awesome man………
muhammad imran
lee,in last email,u advised to go for full squat unti back thigh tuches calves,many people advise against it and advise to squat till thighs r parallel to ground n knee behind front toe,im beginner,though i find full squat advised by u as better as it helps me in sprint and games,plz clarify dear.
u r havin nice time in cuba,its motivating to see ur passions bout shape even on vacations,it shall keep on inspiring me,thnks
Cody
thanks lee, im going on a cruise in a few weeks and everything there is buffet style, so i will use your suggestions when i go leave. thank you
Ganesh
but lee,what item should we take in a cardio workout
leehayward
For the last week before the show I drank 8 liters of water a day (about 2 1/2 US gallons). Then Friday night I stopped all my water. What this does is it gets your body so used to flushing out water that you don’t retain any. Then when you cut it, you’ll dry out even more because the body is still used to flushing water, but now we aren’t putting it back in.
This is only a temporary thing to “peak” and look extra lean before a contest. Obviously it’s not something that can be done on a regular basis.
leehayward
Everyone thinks the secret to getting in great shape is supplements. Just goes to show how powerful supplement and media advertising is for brain washing people. But honestly the key is consistency with your diet, cardio, and training.
I’ve been training for fat loss and following a strict low carb diet and averaging at least an hour of cardio a day since December of last year to get in shape. Now yes I did use some nutritional supplements to help me out such as ephedrine and caffeine at: http://www.leehayward.com/ephedrine.htm and the basic supplements that I have listed at: http://www.LeeHayward.com/lees_top5_supplements.htm
But with out the training, dieting, and cardio the supplements would have been useless.
leehayward
Everyone is going to have their own opinion on this… You know what they say “opinions are like a$$ holes and everyone has one”… So my advice is do what feels right to you. If you like doing full squats, you feel they work well, then do them. The hell with what Joe Blow at the gym says.
But on a side note, from what I’ve seen, “generally” the guys who squat big and squat deep are the guys with the best leg development. Compared to the short half rep squatting guys who are afraid to go below parallel.
leehayward
The only thing I have before cardio is a cup of strong black coffee and the caffeine and ephedrine stack at: http://www.leehayward.com/ephedrine.htm this gives me a good energy boost and mental pick me up to get through a hard cardio workout.
rogers
Tips for slim guys who want to bulk up? i know its not related to your email but i really am interested in what you’re tips are. Would you incorporate compound exercises as the main part of your workout?
leehayward
Go to an all inclusive resort and eat everything in sight… Trust me you’ll “bulk up” LOL
Seriously through I’ll post some mass building tips, etc. soon.
rawnit
hi lee
wass up u knw its realy nice to hv u as triner . u knw wat i hv a slim body bt my belly is out i mean it dont had a fat bt its out . i always hv to pull it back .
can u help
rawnit