As we are finally past the end of the gloomy days of winter and now in the middle of the spring, it is only natural that we begin thinking more about the upcoming warm and comforting months of summer. You see yourself lying on the beach, dressed in little more than your bikini or swim trunks, showing some skin. And with this in mind, you contemplate over how to make that body of yours look better. The time to get your body ready is NOW, if you want that aesthetically pleasing physique you so desire by the time you find yourself amongst others who are outside and enjoying the nice, warm weather – many of whom are showing off their fit and firm bodies.

In order to get your body ready for such a tune-up, you will need to focus your attention on the matter at hand. You will need to clean up your diet. You will need to spend more time in the gym, or at least engage in some type of regular exercise regimen. And what’s most important – you will have to keep your mind on the end result that you are wanting to attain.

Clean up your diet

Without a nutritious, low-calorie diet, you will have a difficult time leaning up. So make the decision right now to eliminate the cookies, the bread, all fast-food, sodas, and everything you know to be categorized as unhealthy meal choices.

Items necessary for your diet:

Kale. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, this leafy vegetable is a true super food that should be a staple in your diet, if you want a beach-ready body. The fiber from this food also improves satiety, halting your hunger for more food.

Water. Did you know that by keeping yourself hydrated with at least two liters a day will boost your metabolism? A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology shows that you can actually increase your body’s metabolic rate by thirty percent for 30-40 minutes after drinking 17 fluid ounces of water. This is a quick and easy way to ramp up your metabolism.

High protein foods. You do not have to be a carnivore to include high-protein foods into your diet. Whether you receive protein from lean beef, fish, chicken, or from legumes, so long as you are taking in protein though a low-calorie, low-fat source, this aspect of your diet will be adequate. You need this macronutrient because it prevents catabolism of the body’s hard-earned skeletal muscle. When you lose muscle mass, your body’s metabolism drops, which is not a goal for anyone reading this article, I am assuming. So when dropping the calories, remember to keep this macronutrient high. Try take in two grams per kilogram of body weight.

Bring your workout regimen up a notch or two

In order to shift your metabolism into high-octane mode, you will need a high-powered workout regimen. The quickest way to elevate your metabolism to new heights is with high intensity interval training. This type of exercise is so effective because with interval training, the intensity level of an activity is constantly changing, inhibiting the body to adapt to a certain stimulus or level of intensity. Adaptation to a stimulus is never a good thing in the world of fitness. Once your body becomes familiar with the type or level of stress placed upon it, a plateau follows. Interval training minimizes this problem. High intensity interval training, which is interval training with larger alterations in the levels of intensity change-up, is even more powerful in averting exercise stimulus adaptation. If you want to burn body fat in a short period of time, this aspect of training is a must-add in your plan.

Weight training

To firm up your muscles and achieve a chiseled physique, you’re not going to get there without bringing weight training into the mix. A program with sets in the range of 10 to 15 repetitions, 3 to 4 sets per exercise, is ideal. One gym tip to take note: work towards limiting the rest periods between sets to under 45 seconds. This insures that the heart rate remains high, thus keeping the metabolic rate high. Not to mention keeping the testosterone and growth hormone levels at a heightened level throughout the entire workout session, which is vital to improvement in strength, muscle mass, and muscular endurance.

Getting in shape in time for the summer is a simple task, so long as your mind is set with a goal to strive for. Just imagine what you will feel like on the beach, showing some skin, after several weeks of hard work in the gym and adhering to a healthy diet. Now imagine going out on the beach in the shape you are in now, because you failed to put in the effort to tone up and lean out. Which of these two scenarios do you want to face in the coming months ahead? Follow these guidelines over the course of the next several weeks and work towards a beach-ready body. You will thank yourself this summer!