Training between bodybuilding and obtaining a beach body differs greatly. Bodybuilders use heavy weights in their workouts to achieve a huge, well-balanced body. If you want to get a beach body, you'll need to eat and lift a little less. But there's a lot more to it.
When we think about it, we all have an image of how we want to look in the end. Maybe you want to seem athletic and sleek, with beautiful abs and just enough muscle to turn heads at a pool party in Vegas. Or perhaps you wish to be big, with thick, dense muscular slabs. You want people to think “holy sh*t!” when they see you.
Whatever path you choose, it's your body, and the size and shape it takes is totally up to you. Once you've decided which end of the spectrum you want to pursue, the next step is to create a training and diet plan that best meets your needs. Here are some tips on how to get a beach body or a bodybuilder physique by exercising and eating properly.
Focus on Body Parts
Beach Body
Focus on the same areas that men's physique competitions do to achieve a remarkable beach body: shoulders, upper back, chest, arms, and abs. Of course, you should strengthen your legs, but if you're going to be wearing board shorts, there's no need to aim for tree trunk thighs.
Your abs and calves are two areas that require extra care. Abs are always a focus, so make sure to hit them three times a week. Your thighs may be hidden for the most part, but your calves are always visible. At least twice a week, for a total of 8-10 sets per session, hit them up.
Bodybuilder
More than just his increased overall stature defines a bodybuilder. It's the way his body is poised and complete. To get there, you must work hard on all of your muscle groups in relation to one another. You don't want one group to dominate or fall behind the others.
This may imply easing up on areas that grow more easily while concentrating on your more stubborn muscle groups by working them harder and more frequently. Your back, chest, shoulders, arms, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves should all be developed to their full capacity.
Rep Range
Beach Body
You won't need to lift very heavy weights because you're not trying to gain mass. Instead, reduce the resistance and reps to a more manageable level. For upper-body exercises, aim for sets of 12-15 reps and 12-20 reps for lower-body activities.
Bodybuilder
A variety of rep ranges is required to stimulate as much hypertrophy as possible. Keep your reps lower at the beginning of your workout, when you're laying a foundation, so you can grow strength as well as size. This equals 6-10 reps for the upper body and 8-12 reps for the lower body.
Start altering your rep ranges once you've gained some significant mass. You'll continue to do heavier sets, but you'll now alternate them with higher-rep sets. Some sets in the 6-10 rep range and others in the 12-15 rep range may be used in a back exercise. Supersets and drop sets for as many as 20-30 reps are possible.
Exercises
Beach Body
Compound movements are beneficial regardless of your goal since they allow you to work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, and military presses—just because you're not trying to be 250 pounds shredded doesn't mean you should avoid them. Include them, but also include movements that target the regions you want to strengthen.
Do lateral lifts using dumbbells, machines, or cables if you desire wider delts. Chin-ups and lat pull-downs are required for people with wider upper backs. Crunches and leg lifts should be used to target the abs. Standing and seated raises will cause calves to expand. Increase the mass in your upper chest by doing incline presses, which will improve your overall appearance.
Bodybuilder
To fully develop each muscle group, bodybuilders must use a combination of compound and isolation workouts. Basic compound workouts to strengthen your shoulders include overhead lifts with a barbell or dumbbells. To target the side and back heads of the deltoids, do lateral rises and bent-over rear lateral raises, or use a rear delt machine.
Deadlifts, as well as rows and pull-downs from various angles, are used to develop the back. Flat and incline presses, as well as flyes, should be used to strengthen the chest. Legs need more volume to respond, so squats, leg presses, hack squats, leg extensions, leg curls (lying, seated, and standing), lunges, and Romanian deadlifts are all good options. (Of course, not all at the same time!) Curls build biceps, but triceps require both isolated extension activities like skullcrushers and cable pushdowns, as well as compound exercises like close-grip bench presses and dips.
Split
Beach Body
Individual training splits are always a personal choice, although it makes sense to combine comparable muscle groups. For example, one day you could train "push" muscles like the chest, shoulders, and triceps; another day, "pull" muscles like the back and biceps; and a third day, lower body and abs. Those could be done in order or with a day or two of rest in between.
Unless you're one of the lucky few who is naturally thin, include cardio at least three times a week if you want to fully flaunt your beach figure. If obtaining and keeping thin is a struggle for you, you may need to do cardio up to six times each week. You could exercise like a bodybuilder and concentrate on one muscle part every day, but it wouldn't make sense given your various objectives.
Bodybuilder
While bodybuilders can combine muscle groups, most find that dedicating separate training days to the back, shoulders, chest, arms, and legs yields superior results. There are no hard and fast rules here. If you want to strengthen your arms while also working on your chest or shoulders, go for it.
Similarly, you might notice that your legs aren't getting the optimal results unless you separate quads and hamstrings into separate workouts. A wide range of workouts will be used to assault your muscles. Combine only a few muscle groups or reduce the volume of each session if you need to cut back on your weight-training sessions. Few people can work out at maximum intensity for more than an hour in the gym anyhow, so try to finish your weight training in a decent length of time.
Meal Frequency
Beach Body
Every day, eat three to four full meals and a protein shake or two. Never skip a meal for longer than 3-4 hours.
Bodybuilder
If you want to gain a lot of muscle mass, you'll need to eat a lot more often than the average person. Plan on eating at least four decent meals plus a shake every day, though you'll probably do better with five or even six. This amounts to a meal every 2-3 hours of waking time. Most would-be bodybuilders struggle with this increased meal frequency. It's not easy to prepare—and eat—this much food every day, yet the finest bodybuilders do it all the time.
Macros
Beach Body
You want to gain muscular mass while remaining lean. Protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats should all be included in your diet, but in moderation. Aim for a 40-percent protein, 30-percent carbs, and 30-percent macro ratio.
Bodybuilder
The macronutrient ratio for bodybuilders should be 45 percent protein, 45 percent carbs, and 10 percent fat. You'll need a lot of protein and carbohydrates, as well as a small amount of fat to support various body functions, for optimum muscular development. If you're having trouble gaining weight, try switching your macros to 35% protein, 55% carbohydrates, and 10% fat.
Portion Control
Beach Body
Portion sizes will constantly change based on your height, weight, metabolic rate, and degree of activity. Nonetheless, it's reasonable to state that anyone who wants to have a fantastic beach figure shouldn't eat too many calories. A 180-pound male should eat around 8 ounces of chicken and a cup of cooked rice as a regular meal to maintain lean or gain a little muscle while shedding fat. For at least the first two weeks, keep a food journal to figure out how much food you'll need. Find a balance between overeating and gaining weight and undereating and losing muscle mass.
Bodybuilder
The portion amounts for a 180-pound amateur bodybuilder and a 350-pound pro would be vastly different, but the premise is the same. To support rigorous training, muscle repair, and growth, you should consume a surplus of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and calories. That could imply 12 ounces of chicken or steak with 2 cups of cooked rice or a large sweet potato for dinner.
2-3 whole eggs, 6-8 egg whites, a cup of oats or cream of wheat (dry measure) with berries, and two slices of wheat toast are common breakfasts among bodybuilders I've met. When a bodybuilder bulks versus cuts, the portion sizes will definitely shift. When cutting, you normally maintain your protein servings the same while reducing your carbs.
Supplements
Beach bodies and bodybuilders alike may and should use the same supplements to achieve their objectives. Here's a quick rundown:
• Protein powder (whey isolate and a casein blend)
• Multivitamin
• Creatine monohydrate
• Pre-workout
• L-glutamine
• BCAAs or EAAs
These are the fundamental building blocks for anyone looking to improve their physical appearance. Other supplements may help you attain your goals with time, experience, and input from others.
