***This is an article I published for BreakingMuscle.com, a fitness and strength website for athletes and coaches alike.
Summer is the time of the year to reap the benefits of your hard training and clean eating throughout the spring. Hopefully most of you know what I mean by that, and you are eager to take your new winter and spring gains out for a test drive this summer season. If not, don’t worry. You may still have some time, but you need to get started with these three workouts.
Why These Workouts Are So Effective
Before I dive in, I want to explain how these workouts came about, and the reasons they are so effective.
I got married almost a month ago in the Dominican Republic, and it was amazing. I was down there for nearly eight days, five of which were before my wedding day. Seeing that I was on the beach with my closest friends and family at an all-inclusive resort, I found it somewhat challenging to stay lean and trim for my big day and to look great for my now wife. I had been training my ass of for the past eight weeks leading up to my wedding trying to gain as much muscle as I could, and the last thing I wanted to do while on my wedding vacation was to work out more.
These workouts are amazing because they fit my vacation checklist:
Each workout had to be under 45 minutes, unless I felt great and wanted to repeat a couple more rounds. I wanted to keep time to fish, swim, and lay around.
Each workout had to burn calories, as I was drinking rum, beer, and devouring food.
Each workout had to incorporate abs, lower back, and arms, as those are not only every man’s trouble spots, but also confidence booster as well (ladies, my now wife hit these workouts with me as well, and she looked fabulous).
Each workout had to use minimal equipment, or even none at all. I was in the Caribbean, and the last thing I wanted to do was have to spend hours in the gym instead of getting my fitness on outside (or at least quickly indoors).
Each workout had to be repeatable, even multiple days in a row. I literally did these three workouts twice each, nearly back to back to back....to back.
The Beach and Bodyweight AMRAP
This workout was perfect for doing on the beach with my wife, or by myself. All you need is a stop watch. That’s it.
Time Duration: 40 minutes
Type of Workout: Cardiovascular and Muscular Endurance
Equipment: Bodyweight and Mother Earth
Perform four rounds consisting of:
5 minute beach run/jog at moderate pace
5 minute bodyweight AMRAP consisting of: 20 squats, 15 push ups, 10 V ups or 20 lunges (10/leg), 15 burpees, 10 side plank openers
For the sake of variance, I switched every time between the two AMRAPs. You can view both AMRAPs below. (I didn’t shoot on the beach, since I dropped my phone in the ocean.)
Ready to get in the best shape of your life?
Thruster Party and Bodybuilding Circuits
I was fortunate enough to have an archaic barbell located in the hotel fitness center, so I made do and got in a good barbell session.
Time Duration: 40 minutes (can add beach run afterwards if you like)
Type of Workout: Strength and Hypertrophy
Equipment: Barbell, Cable and Weight Machines
Barbell Muscle Clean + Push Press x Heavy Triple
After that, my wife and I did a partner thruster workout. We loaded the barbell and completed five rounds of 10 thrusters in a “you go, I go" fashion.
Following both those workouts, we did a quick 20-minute EMOM of four machine exercises, trying to get challenging rep ranges of 8-12 repetitions.
Lat Pulldown 5 x 8-12
Machine Close Grip Chest Press 5 x 8-12
Cable Row 5 x 8-12
Machine Bicep Curl 5 x 8-12
The Solo Dumbbell Session
This was arguably the hardest workout for me. Maybe it was because I chose to do it outdoors in the heat, or maybe because I did this after a long night of drinking. Whatever the case, it was a calorie blaster, and it left me with one insane pump.
Time Duration: 30 minutes (can add beach run afterwards if you like)
Type of Workout: Metabolic Conditioning
Equipment: Dumbbell (one only)
Perform the following list as a 30 minute AMRAP:
Burpees x 10
Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch x 10/side
Single Arm Dumbbell Front Squat x 10/side
Single Arm Dumbbell Push Press x 10/side
Get Results No Matter Where You Are
No matter where you are, there are always ways you can be creative to build your own workout program. I recommend scoping out your facilities or environment on day one, and get out a pad of paper. Do the things you love to do (arms, cleans, etc.) and then add some things you don’t like to do but you know are good for you (running and metcons). Regardless, doing anything is better than nothing on vacation, so take what your body gives you and do your best to train hard.