It seems like one of the bigger motives to diet and hit the local health club is getting in top physical shape for a certain event, notably Spring Break or Summer Vacations. For me, it has always been photo shoots. But I have been asked for advice many times for getting in shape for beach season (which usually starts here in Florida around March). While many times I answer “it’s a process and to go from no abs to a six pack within three weeks until your special occasion it’s not going to happen” there are some effective and safe ways you can get that last minute edge or tweak done.
One of the staples to any effective muscle gaining or weight loss program is always to drink a lot of water. However within the last few days preparing for a shoot I will start to cut back on my water consumption and will take in little to no water on the day of the shoot or time I want to look my best. The idea of this is to stop your body from maintaining any excess water, which will bring out definition and will keep me from looking at all bloated. Along with cutting back on my water intake I will also eliminate almost all of the sodium from my diet and eat diuretic foods such as asparagus. Finally, I will also sometimes take an actual diuretic such as xpel or taraxatone which will aid with the actual elimination of excess water. This will give you that dry, ripped look.
When it comes to my training I don’t alter my weight training too much. I already train with a high amount of exercises and limited rest in between sets. I have always found this most effective for maximizing definition. So, if you are not already I would recommend a high amount of sets per muscle group (I personally do 20) and limited rest periods for your weight training. The only modification I will make is upping my cardio the last week or two to 4-5 days a week.
A sample day of a diet before a shoot will look something like this…
- Meal one: (oatmeal, cottage cheese, egg whites) blended and made into pancakes. 2 whole eggs
- Meal two (post workout): 2 scoops pro complex mixed with water. 2-3 slices of multigrain bread with low sugar jelly and natural peanut butter
- Meal three: can of tuna, romaine lettuce
- Meal four: Isopure rtd, medium sweet potato or oatmeal
- Meal five: Tilapia, asparagus
- Meal six: 2 scoops casein protein mixed in water.
Jeff Grant is an internationally published fitness model and certified personal trainer, for more about Jeff visit his official site www.jeffdgrant.com