If you’d like your body to look great at the beach, try these two exercises. You’ll get a total-body workout … and you can adapt them to whatever shape you’re in.

Please don’t forget to warm up for a few minutes before doing these. I recommend you do the following twice: 30 seconds of marching in place followed by 30 seconds of jumping jacks, 30 butt kickers and 30 seconds of pushup walkouts.

After your warm-up, let’s get started with dirt diggers. They’re one of my favorites. They’re easy to learn and really work your core.

You start out almost as if you’re doing pushups. Put your hands flat on the floor, about shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs almost all the way out, but keep a very slight bend at the waist.

Now, lift your left foot a few inches off the floor and bring your left knee forward (towards your chin) as far as you comfortably can. Then straighten your leg and touch your toes to the floor again.

Next, do the same thing with your right leg. Repeat, always alternating sides. You can do these as slowly as you need to – or as fast as you’re comfortable going.

For a little extra challenge, you can add a rotation. Here’s what I mean:

When you’ve brought each leg forward, stop and rotate from the hips so you swing that leg under the opposite leg. Try to keep your upper body straight while you do this. Then swing your leg back to its “normal” side, and extend it all the way back before returning to your starting position.

You’ll really feel it after you’ve done a few of these.

Another exercise that’s great for building a beach body fast is the burpee. This is an exercise lots of pro athletes use. But they can be done at any intensity level.

Stand about a foot back from a sturdy table or weight bench that’s about knee-height. Place your hands flat on the bench, palms down. The heel of your hand should be right at the edge of the bench.

Now, leaving your hands resting on the bench, hop upwards slightly and thrust your feet back 12-18 inches. Land on your toes and the balls of your feet. With your hands still on the bench, hop back into your starting position and stand straight up. That’s all there is to it.

As you become comfortable with the movements, add a little speed. Burpees will quickly get your heart pumping.

For a bigger challenge, do burpees without a bench.

Start out standing straight up. Then bend at the waist and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Use the same hop and thrust you did with the bench, but extend your legs out almost as far as they can go.

Now reverse the hop and thrust so you’re crouching with your feet just behind your hands. Then stand up straight and repeat.

Again, as you become comfortable with the movements, add in more speed.

If you’re already in pretty good shape, you can use variations to really accelerate your progress. For example, you can …

• Do burpees with a pushup in the middle
• Do a spread-legged pushup in the middle
• Replace the stand-up step with a jump. From your crouch, jump into the air, raising your hands over your head.

Dirt diggers and burpees are the easiest way I know to build a beach body fast. Start doing them now, and by the time summer hits, you’ll be ready for that bikini.

Your Health and Fitness Specialist,

Yarixa “Coach Yari” Ferrao

If you’re still doing a “modern” workout routine – working out separate muscle groups each day like back and biceps, chest and triceps, shoulders and hamstrings – you could be making yourself more prone to injury.

Our bodies do not move anything in isolation, but rather integration. This is when all muscles work together to move, such as picking up a baby, walking, or pulling a door open.

If you train your body to do isolated movements, the muscles needed for everyday movement are not communicating with each other.

You’re conditioning your body to train slowly. So if you try to do things like play a sport which requires explosive movement, your body may not respond accordingly. And you might get hurt.

This is just one of the flaws of typical training workouts recommended today.

So, what should you do instead?

One of the best things you can do is use your own body weight in a circuit-style routine. You start by picking 5 or 6 exercises. One for each major muscle group in the body.

This works beautifully for Dr. Sears’ PACE program… it’s fun, quick, and it’s easy to create variations. And it’s the variations that will keep it effective over time.

For example, here’s what a simple circuit could look like:

• Push-Ups – 10 reps
• Crunches – 10 reps
• Pull-Ups – 10 reps
• Lunges – 10 reps each leg
• Dips – 10 reps
• Run/Sprint (to your best ability) – 50-100 yards or 10-20 seconds

At the end of this set, rest until your heart rate lowers to at least 30 beats above your resting heart rate. For example, if you have a resting heart rate of 70, and you then do a set and it reaches 150 or so… wait until it at least goes back down to 100 beats (30 beats above your resting). Then repeat the circuit.

Start off with at least two sets. As you become more conditioned, you can make progressive changes by adding sets and changing the exercises in the circuit pattern.

Try out this simple circuit, and I guarantee you’ll build bigger and stronger heart, lungs, AND muscles.

This is just one of the many valuable tips I’ve included in my brand-new exercise program, The Unconventional Fat Loss Methods 99% of Trainers Don’t Tell YOU! I’m so excited about this, because I want you to know the correct way to train for maximum energy and fitness.

You’ll get a two-volume DVD set, plus a companion manual full of even more tools to ensure your success. This is the stuff you need to know to keep you looking and feeling full of energy, super fit, and healthy.

You’ll also see what my brilliant colleague, Dr. Al Sears says on the most coveted anti-aging secrets that will blow your mind – especially once you realize how easy and inexpensive they are.

There’s no time like the present. Get your copy today!

Your Health and Fitness Specialist,

Coach Yari
Certified Personal Trainer (NASM)

[Ed. Note: Yarixa Ferrao, A.K.A, Coach Yari is a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM) and an expert in functional training, fat loss, sports performance, and cellulite. Coach Yari is the founder of Get Fit in 6, a 6-week life transformation program for both men and women in Delray Beach, Florida. You can visit her at: www.getfitin6.com.]