Beach Babe Workout

	Beach workout with 2012 Shape Champion Susan Baxter! The last thing we need during the silly season is people thinking that we are even MORE crazy for exercising inside during the holidays (nevermind that we want to keep up our fitness to our body and our temple). To be used as a more healthy alternative to filling your belly with a six pack of beer- sculpt your six pack instead!
Many kiwis flock down to the beach during the summer to soak up the rays and relax with a cooler full of beverages: sometime alcoholic. I’m certainly not against relaxation, but spending too many days like this: inactive, dehydrated, and downing heaps of empty calories is a sure fire way to have your work cut out for you when in-season training kicks off again!

So here you have it. The summer beach guide that I recommend for off season training (on a BEACH in the beautiful and sunny Dunedin- yes I did just put those two words together!)

The beach provides endless opportunities for new ways to train: not only does the uneven surface of the sand provide a total body workout, but a beach is freely accessible. Do this in the morning before the sun gets too high in sky, or in the evening before dinner time arrives. The benefit of being sun safe too is that there will be less crowds and you won’t feel like you are making a spectacle of yourself. (Whatever you do though, please do not attempt it drunk!)

This regime I’ve created is more of a HIIT routine, in that the fast you get it done the faster you get to go home. It’ll also keep your metabolism revved up for longer post workout (meaning you have to exercise for less time to achieve the same fat burning effects, and have more time for your holiday).

If you are someone who is quite sensitive to cardio, or you are trying to minimise your cardio in the off season, change B, D, F, H, J, and L for slower movements: the water will provide a nice amount of resistance as a change to walking, and sand dunes will provide extra instability to fire up your core.

Sand jog to warm up (set up some cones or rocks to mark your distances that you aim to cover).

(A)   Set of 10 with no rest: push-ups, sit-ups, Sand walking lunges, tricep press ups, tuck squats

(B)   Sand jog

(C)   Repeat (a) (but make both press ups decline)

(D)   Water jog

(E)   Set of 10 with no rest: shoulder push ups, tricep dips, leg lifts, squat, lateral side raises

(F)   Water Jog

(G)   Set of 10 with no rest: rock throws, squat woodchop, front raises, rock/wall sits, rock alternating shoulder press

(H)   Water Jog with knees up high

(I)   Repeat (a)

(J)   Sand dune run

(K)   Repeat (g)

(L)   Sand dune run

(M) Stretch

NOTE: When water jogging, you only need to be in waist high water: you aren’t swimming out to sea!!! Make sure that you are parrellel to the life guard and between the flags (all the pushups will make your shoulders tired).

Definitions:
Leg lift: Lay on your back by the waterline, either facing the water or away from it. Make a diamond with your hands underneath your tailbone for support. Bring your knees to your chest, then extend your legs all the way back out, keeping your heels three inches above the sand. Do this 10 times without letting your feet touch the sand.

Shoulder push ups: Bend down like you're picking something up off the ground and support yourself with your hands like a tripod. Do a push-up, trying to touch your nose to the sand. Repeat.

Water jog: Walk into the water until it is waist high. Jog parallel to the water line from the lifeguard stand for a distance of 30-40 yards, then come out of the water and sprint back to your start position.

Susan Baxter
January 2013

Beach Babe Workout

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