Now that we are at the end of this 10-part series on building a beach body, you can feel confident that you have all the right ingredients to create the summer physique that you want.
In this final instalment, I have decided to share with you three of my favourite workout “finishers” that are a great tool to use at the end of a workout. If you’re new to the term “finisher” it can be described as a short, intense period of effort done at the end of a workout to help boost the fat loss effects of a training session. Additionally, it’s a great way to add some variety to your training and will leave you feeling boosted by a nice endorphin rush.
This is a great way to finish a workout and it can be done with a variety of different exercise pairings (bodyweight exercises tend to work best). My favourite pair of movements to use is a body weight squat and a press up. To perform the ladder simply complete a body weight squat followed by a press up. Then, with little to no rest complete two squats and two press ups.
Follow this with 3 reps of each, then 4 and so on until you’ve made it to 10 reps of each. Try to do the whole thing with as little rest as possible. Even though this might sound simple it is by no means easy and you’ll be feeling the burn by the end. For an extra challenge, each week you do it add a rep to the total. For example, week 2 work up to 11 reps, then week 3 work to 12 and so on until you reach 15 of each.
This one is probably best performed on leg day and it will also work well if you’re doing full body sessions. The sequence is as follows: perform 6 vertical jumps, then 12 alternating lunge jumps (6 on each leg), then 6 bodyweight squats, then 12 alternating reverse lunges (6 on each leg). For some people one round might do the trick but if you want more then rest for 60seconds and repeat for another 2-3 rounds. This one will leave the legs feeling like jelly but it’s a great fat burner.
I love med ball thrusters as they are a great and simple total body exercise that really gets the heart pumping. To set up for this one use a medium weight med ball (preferably one of the larger soft toss models) and stand close to a high wall. To perform the thruster, hold the med ball at chest height and do a full range squat. As you drive out of the bottom of the squat, use the momentum created by your legs to throw the med ball up and against the wall.
The med ball should “kiss” the wall and fall back down into your hands. As you catch the med ball go straight into the next squat, repeating the throw as you come back up again in a nice fluid motion.
For this finisher protocol start a set of 15 thrusters at the top of a minute. Once you have completed a set rest for the remainder of the minute and go again when the next minute starts. Repeat this for anywhere between 5 and 10 rounds for a sweaty and effective end to your workout.
So that concludes this 10-part series on building a beach body. I hope you managed to find it useful in your quest to be beach ready and with about 6 weeks left of summer there’s still time to put it all into practise!
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