The anxiousness of having that bathing suit body, summer body, or even a wedding dress body is completely natural and understandable. However, these “bods” will only come in time with consistency and dedication for both men and women. It's easy to want to focus on just "cardio", but cultivating a lean and toned summer body requires several types of exercise, including strength training. Many women avoid strength training because of the fear of bulking up. However, with a little dedication to certain fitness routines and diet, you can gain some lean muscle mass and still look trim.

Here's what you need to know about slimming down and toning up.

Many individuals rely too heavily on highlighting their “pounds on the scale.”

This is not something one should become too focused on. Consider your current exercise and nutrition program, consider how you feel, and consider how your clothes feel on your body. Those are better indicators for your body's overall health than how much you weigh each week.

The way to have a lean and toned summer body is not as difficult as some may say.

All that it requires is consistency, as well as exercise combined with a nutrition and dietary program. This consistency is what will truly allow you to achieve your fitness goals and become lean and tone.

1. The first step – H2O! You need to drink lots of water. Dehydration can create a false sense of hunger, leading you to eat when you are not truly hungry. Your body needs suitable hydration for adequate muscle recovery and fat burning.
2. Make interval training, where you alternate between high- and low-intensity exercise, your cardiovascular exercise of choice. By implementing cardio into your routine will guarantee you build lean muscle rather than large bulky muscle. Another benefit to this style of training is it supports muscle growth and also will increase your metabolism, which will prevent the excess calories from turning into fats.
3. Start a full body strength-training program that is done three days a week. Complete between two and five sets per exercise and weights that are comfortable enough that you can do between 8 and 12 repetitions.

Want to finally achieve that lean and toned body? Book a consultation with Tyler today to learn more about personal training!