[WOTM, 04/2014] Sculpt The Ultimate Beach Body With The SUMMERTIME SHRED Workout Shuttle
Well hello there, April. We’re officially 8 weeks out from June 1, aka the universal beach body reveal date. Cue mass hysteria.
Don’t freak. THERE’S TIME TO DO THIS. Using a careful combo of training mechanisms, April’s WOTM — The SUMMERTIME SHRED Workout Shuttle — is designed to put your body on an accelerated fast track that’ll reconstruct your physique and recalibrate it into a compressed, fat-free, ab-laced masterpiece.
It has 3 main objectives, listed in order of emphasis:
- (1) Melt Body Fat — everything else is largely irrelevant if your body is plastered with a thick layer of blubber. Hyper-intense compound movements, ping-ponging supersets, and HIIT cardio all work synergistically to strip off body fat.
- (2) Construct Muscle Definition — fat-loss is priority #1, but don’t underestimate your ability to pack on lean muscle mass, carve out definition, and build swerving cuts. Exercises are strategically chosen to spike muscle-building hormones, stimulate growth, develop muscle groups that maximize aesthetics, smash the core, and tick off calories at a high rate.
- (3) ABS ABS ABS — while a six-pack is largely the by-product of priorities 1 & 2, stellar abs do require surgical training. Think of it like a scalpel dissecting little details. We’ve included powerful, ab-centric movements that’ll dominate your core and carve out a svelte, defined stomach.
Prepare yourself. April’s workout schedule is an intensive, uber-hardcore, 2-month shuttle (or longer, depending on when you pick this up) that’ll push your body to its physical threshold. Given its high-velocity, power-packed trifecta of turbocharged resistance training, slice-and-dice ab work, and fat-sizzling HIIT cardio, your training capacity will be inflated to new levels, your mental fortitude will be grilled to the breaking point, and your muscles will be demolished into an abyss of soreness and perpetual growth.
But challenge yourself and stick it out, and you’ll pop out on the other side of spring with a completely upgraded, powerfully re-manufactured physique. YOU have to control the intensity, though. The harder you work, the harder your body will look come June.
That way, when it’s time to rip your shirt off Superman style, you’ll have a fully-formed “S” below your chest. Six-pack abs, that is.
Get ready to storm the beaches in abtacular style. Let’s go. HOORAH.
The SUMMERTIME SHRED Workout Shuttle
Image: Fire Fighter Fitness
The SUMMERTIME SHRED Workout Shuttle is split into 3 different workout routines, each with an emphasis on different muscle groups and performance goals.
- Workout A: Chest + Shoulders + Triceps + HIIT Cardio
- Workout B: Back + Legs + Biceps
- Workout C: Abs + HIIT Cardio + Distance Cardio
Follow 1 of 2 different tracks, depending on your individual schedule, availability, intensity, and starting point. Regardless of which route you follow, workout SEQUENCE matters — if you need a random or unexpected rest day, or want to shift OFF days around (i.e. Wednesday instead of the weekend), just pick up where you last left off. DO NOT skip leg day.
(1) Hardcore/Maximal Results — 6 days per week. A → B → C → A → B → C → OFF.
(2) Traditional Shuttle — 5 days per week. A → B → C → A → B → OFF → OFF
Rest periods also matter. This is a HIGH-velocity, fast-paced plan — rest for 45 seconds – 1 minute in between sets. Using an interval timer like Gymboss is an awesome tool to stay on track, plus it’s perfect for requisite HIIT cardio.
And before jumping in, remember this. It doesn’t matter how hard you bust your ass over the next 2 months. If your diet spontaneously combusts and is a complete mess, you will not come out with a stellar beach body. I can’t emphasize that enough — HQ nutrition amplifies training; whereas poor eating can completely wipe it out. Use these high-powered tactics to make sure that your eating stays on point.
*Click on each exercise name for a full pop-out video demo. A printable recap is available here.
Workout A — Chest + Shoulders + Triceps + HIIT
Image: IAmBishop
1. WARM UP — Burpees
How To:
Protocol: 1 set — 15 reps
Target Muscle(s): Legs, Chest
- Start in a standing position, squat down, and kick your legs out into full push-up position.
- Do 1 push-up, hop forward into a low squat position, and explosively jump upwards into the air. Return to the ground, squat down, and repeat the rest of the movement for 10 total reps — each burpee should be one fluid motion.
2. Barbell Clean & Press
How To:
Protocol: 3 sets — 10 reps
Target Muscle(s): Shoulders, Triceps, Core
- Stand tall with a loaded barbell on your thighs (1). Tighten your core, dip down slightly, and powerfully pull the barbell up on top of your collarbone (2). Dip your legs slightly and explosively press the barbell overhead (3).
- Hold for 1s, slowly lower the bar back to your collarbone (2), then down to your thighs (1), and repeat for a set of 10. Complete each clean & press in on fluid motion.
3. SUPERSET — Dumbbell Chest Press + Dumbbell Flies
How To:
Protocol: 3 sets — 12 reps (dumbbell chest press); 12 reps (dumbbell flies)
Target Muscle(s): Chest, Triceps
- Complete 12 reps of the flat dumbbell chest press immediately followed by 12 dumbbell flies back-to-back in superset fashion. Drop down to lighter dumbbells for each set of flies.
- For both exercises, lower your arms until they’re slightly below chest height to get maximal range of motion.
4. Incline Dumbbell Press
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 12 reps
Target Muscle(s): Chest, Triceps
- Set the bench at a 45° angle. Lower the weights down along the top half of your chest; they should reach about chin height. Powerfully press up and squeeze the top half of your chest for 1s before lowering.
5. SUPERSET — Dumbbell Snatch + Dumbbell Push Press
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 10 reps/arm (snatch); 10 reps (push press)
Target Muscle(s): Shoulders, Triceps, Core
Complete 10 reps/arm of the dumbbell snatch immediately followed by 12 dumbbell push presses.
- Dumbbell Snatch — start in a low, wide squat position with a dumbbell in between your feet. With your chest puffed out, abs tight, and lower back pinched, powerfully contract your glutes and pull the dumbbell overhead with your shoulder. Under control, lower the weight back to the ground, stick out your butt, and immediately complete the next rep. Complete 10 with the right arm and repeat for the left.
- Push Press — grab 2 dumbbells and hold the weights with a neutral grip (palms facing in). Dip your knees slightly, explode upwards, and press the dumbbells up overhead. Keep your core tight and don’t bend backwards.
6. Dumbbell Pullovers
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 12 reps
Target Muscle(s): Chest, Lats, Triceps
- Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell raised straight up over your chest (1) — hold it so that your palms are pressing up on the top disc.
- Keep your core tight and lower the dumbbell behind your head, slightly below the height of the bench (2).
- With your arms straight, contract your lats and pull the the weight up back to start (1). Repeat. You can also do pullovers on a stability ball, or perpendicular do a bench with your hips raised (it’s more difficult and engages the core more).
7. SUPERSET — Upright Rows + Front Plate Raises
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 12 reps (upright rows); 12 reps (plate raises)
Target Muscle(s): Shoulders (Front Deltoids)
Complete 12 upright rows immediately followed by 12 front plate raises.
- Upright Rows — hold the bar slightly narrower than shoulder width and pull it up to your chin. Keep your core tight and shoulders back throughout.
- Front Plate Raises — make sure to keep your core tight and body steady. Raise the plate up to eye height and hold it for 1 second. Resist the pull to fall forward.
8. Overhead Triceps Extensions
How To:
Protocol: 2 sets — 12 reps
Target Muscle(s): Triceps, Core
- Grab a dumbbell so that your palms face up and are pressed against the inside of the top disc. Rest the dumbbell on your chest while positioning your hands.
- Tighten your abs, maintain a straight back, and extend the dumbbell directly overhead — this is starting position.
- Keep your upper arms stationary, bend your elbows, and slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head until it’s slightly below parallel.
- Contract your triceps, press the dumbbell overhead, and squeeze the contraction for 1 second at the top. Repeat.
9. HIIT Cardio
Protocol: 10 minutes of HIIT cardio
- 1. Walk 1 minute as a warm-up (~3 MPH)
- 2. High Intensity Interval 1: 45 second all-out sprint. Sprint speed is going to vary on a person-by-person basis — choose a level that’s intense and makes you run HARD, but at the same time make sure it feels safe. Start conservative and gradually work your way up over time.
- 3. Low Intensity Interval 1: 60 second walking rest interval (3 MPH)
- 4 High Intensity Interval 2: 45 second all-out sprint
- 5. Low Intensity Interval 2: 60 second walking rest interval (3 MPH)
- 6. Repeat 3 additional intervals
- 7. 2 minute walking cool-down (~2.5 MPH)
- 8. Finish
Click the links below for Workouts B & C.
Page: Workout B | Workout C | Printable Recap
Bryan DiSanto
I also contribute to Men's Health Magazine.
When I'm not working on my abs (or somebody else’s), whipping up avocado roses and avocado toast, or running a Tough Mudder, I'm probably yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.
Come be friends with me on Instagram (@BRYDISANTO) & Snapchat (BRYDISANTO).
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