Whether we’re ready or not, summertime has officially arrived and millions of people have already begun trading in their sweatshirts for their swimsuits. For some, hotter months means hitting the gym more to shave off some unwanted winter weight that’s been hiding underneath those oversized coats. But fret not, because celebrity fitness trainer Massy Arias has got you covered with an eight-week summer body plan that focuses on nutrition while prioritizing fitness everyday for a set amount of time that’s delicious, nutritious and even stylish.
“If your nutrition isn’t made a priority in combination with the workouts you decide to do, then these results we are looking for will not be great,” Arias says while working with Athleta to promote their Find Your Movement campaign.
The Latin-born fitness guru loves to mix up her workouts with cardio like skipping rope, running, cycling and hiking while mixing in lower-impact activities to help her clients target those pesky spots on their bodies that are hardest to tone.
“I train in a hybrid way which means I prioritize strength workouts,” she says. “I add mobility training through yoga modalities and cardiovascular work. For example, if Monday I am doing a lower-body strength workout, the next day I’m doing a yoga flow with 20-30 minutes of my favorite cardio workout. The following day, I do an upper-body and core workout from my programming and the following day may look the same with cardiovascular work followed by mobility work I do when I get home.”
With a celebrity roster consisting of names like Kelly Rowland, SZA and Gabrielle Union to name a few, the mother of one knows how hard it can be to find time to pack a workout in, so finding a workout that fits with your lifestyle is important.
“I feel like the majority of the population thinks that they have to work out really hard in order to accomplish a goal and they don’t take the whole body as a whole in consideration,” Arias shares. “Smart programming that takes functional patterns, strength, endurance, mobility, tendon health and core stability in consideration as the foundation of those workout is what I advise someone to look out when choosing to exercise. There should be a variety of exercise selection to help you be more functional outside of the gym and not hurt you in the process. I’m lucky living in L.A. and able to get outside all year long. I love hiking, or going to the beach to relax and spend time with my family even if we use those opportunities to be active and workout together.”
Women especially strive to have long, lean and tone muscles, and Arias says when it comes to achieving that look, it’s all about balance.
“Toning is just having enough muscle mass and decrease body fat to see that well-earned muscle,” Arias says. “If you want to tone a certain area of your body, the focus should be strength training and eating to accommodate the recovery of that muscle to achieve hypertrophy. If you’re not eating enough protein to sustain the muscle you are trying to build and maintain, that toned body will be hard to achieve. Most women think of being on a deficit of calories, when the focus should be on choosing the right foods to curve hunger and feed our lean muscle mass needs.”
She adds: “When you perform strength training, despite of the exercise selection of movements, you are creating tears in the muscle fibers and with proper recovery and meeting your protein needs, you will see hypertrophy or muscle gain. If you want to tone, you need to lift and you need to accommodate your protein requirements on a daily basis to see that happen and also maintaining it.”
Although we’re already into summer, Massy Arias, who just launched her own Summer Shape Up challenge with her millions of social media followers, shares eight weeks is more than enough time to see results and feel good.
“Our challenges vary in time and commitment, but I believe that any amount of time you can devote to fitness and focusing on your physicality is improving your wellbeing,” Arias says. “Our summer challenge will last 45 days, but that isn’t a hard and fast rule. The principles you learn in our programming will be sustainable and you will continue to see progress all on your own. I am a believer that everyone moves at their own pace. More than anything, I want people to have the education they need to create change on their own and be able to fit in into their lifestyles or better yet, improve their current lifestyle. I want them to feel strong, functional, while equally motivated and excited about their movement.”
When it comes to fueling your body, Arias says it’s important to focus on non-processed, low sugar foods to compliment the hard work you’re putting in during workouts in order to see results.
“I would eliminate processed foods,” Arias said. “And these include fast food. And start including all Whole Foods in your diet. If the food you’re eating has gone through so much processing it no longer resembles what it was to begin with, eliminate it. Soft drinks and juices, [too]. Look at the sugar in most soft drinks and juices, including Starbucks drinks which have so much sugar.”
Summer Body Essentials Starts with Water, According to Massy Arias
Hydrating properly is just as important to flush the body out, and Massy Arias even has tips for people who need to sweeten things up.
“Start drinking water alone even if you decide to infuse the water with fruit, mint, lemon, cucumber for taste,” Arias shares. “When you eliminate the added sugars even if it’s fruit juice, you will maintain better levels of insulin in the body which will crave your hunger. Instead, stick to infused water or water alone. Also, eat the fruit instead of having a glass of the juice of that fruit. When you do this you are actually consuming the fiber that will curb your hunger and satiate you for longer.”
Arias also notes carbs are an important part of your diet, but recommends choosing wisely.
“When the carbs you choose are refined and processed, they probably do not have any fiber which is responsible to keep your insulin controlled and keep you satiated,” Arias says. “Start looking at the nutrition content of these carbohydrates and choose the one with most fiber. Each serving that is providing you with more than 2g of fiber per serving. Women need about 25g of fiber a day and you will achieve those numbers with fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates that are loaded with fiber [like] oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, amaranth [and] whole grains.”
And if you’re feeling good, you want to look good, which is why Massy Arias has teamed up with Athleta to get her through her workouts looking as stylish and practical as possible all summer long.
“You’ll find me wearing my Salutation High Rise 7 Shorts and Elation Ultra High Rise 7 Shorts because they fit perfectly and I don’t have to worry about them moving while I’m working out,” Arias explains. “I’m lucky living in LA and able to get outside all year long. I love hiking, or going to the beach to relax and spend time with my family even if we use those opportunities to be active and workout together. Whenever I go, I have my Athleta All About Tote Bag to carry everything from my workout necessities to snacks for my daughter.”
