Shirtless by August

The most common desire for any man or woman looking to shape, tone, firm and look sexy is to achieve “washboard abs.” This goal is achieved by the five components of fitness: a nutritional, healthy diet; resistance training; supplements; cardiovascular exercise; and the benefit of a personal trainer to teach these components. While it seems that athletes and actors are the only individuals portrayed with this sexually appealing attribute, anyone with the will to remain committed to the components of fitness can achieve “washboard abs.”

Diet

A low-fat diet, perhaps no more than 20-grams of fat per day, should be a starting point; this will help trim away excess calories, and in turn, help shed excess pounds from the body.

Cardio

In order to speed up the process of fat loss, it is necessary to jumpstart the metabolism with both cardiovascular training and resistance training. The most effective cardio training is done with a slow interval at first, followed by an interval that pushes the person to go as fast as possible; then repeating the slow interval, followed by another fast interval; repeating this process for a period of at least thirty minutes for up to an hour.

Resistance

Resistance training can be done with balls, bands and a person’s own body weight. One effective way to workout and achieve the goal of being shirtless by August is to alternate with cardiovascular training one day, and resistance training the next. The workouts should occur at least six days a week.

R&R

The seventh day should be for rest and recuperation. A person that is just beginning a workout program should always check with his or her doctor to determine a level of fitness and what goals to set. Fat loss occurs generally at a resistance weight of fifteen pounds or less. Heavier weight adds muscle mass, and the more muscle the body has, the more efficiently the body will burn fat.

Trainer

A certified, knowledgeable personal trainer can offer advice on any fitness component; it is best to get advice about supplements from a qualified personal trainer because each body has very different needs, and supplements do different things.

Body hair

Once the fitness goal is reached, or while in the process of achieving that goal, there are some optional steps to preparing the body to look good shirtless. A man with “washboard abs” wants the world to admire and appreciate his hard work and dedication to his body. He may not want so many follicles on his chest, back or stomach. There are several possible solutions to this dilemma, but each has its cost. It is up to the individual to choose what the best course of action is. The cheapest and simplest, but least rewarding solution, is trimming with scissors or a razor. Depending on genetics, trimming hair can make it grow back thicker, darker and coarser.

Another possible solution is to use a hair-removal cream, but this choice has some negative drawbacks. These creams use chemicals that can be just as harsh on the skin as they are on removing hair. They can lead to burning, irritation and, in some rare cases, cause bleeding. Prolonged use of hair-removal creams does condition the hair to grow back thinner with each use, but it can also cause discoloration of the skin. It would be a travesty to invest the time and hard work on the body as described and have admirers distracted by a blotch of green skin.

A third choice for hair removal is to wax. While there are many promising home-care wax products, they can be quite messy. Waxing is also painful for people with sensitive skin, and it is possible to rip the skin off with the hair if the wax process is not done correctly. It is highly recommended to get a wax job at a salon.

The final method is electrolysis. This can be a costly procedure, but the benefits tend to outweigh the costs. Some people require a few more treatments than others, but electrolysis is designed to completely eliminate body hair over time.

Tan

With a healthy diet, smooth skin and “washboard abs,” there is still more to do in order to become shirtless by August. No one wants to see whitewashed abs. Get some sun! A little bit of tanning goes a long way in an admirer’s eye. Invest in deep tanning lotions so that the sun does not permanently damage the skin. If the outdoors is not a comfortable place, it’s back to the salon! It is vital to skin-health to verify the salon is licensed to do tanning because of the tricky lighting process. One should also ask about sanitizing routines before and after the use of a tanning bed or tanning spray.

Shirtless and proud

At the completion of all these steps, the body is ready to be shirtless. Take it off, be proud and share with the world. All eyes will be on the shirtless guy, with “washboard abs,” smooth skin and a great tan.