If
you want to get your body beach ready, pack your bags because we’re
heading to 
Vincent…a
super-sculpted trainer who served in the Army as an
engineer and fitness trainer for the troops in
We
were scheduled to start at 0800 sharp—but someone showed up late—okay,
it was
me. I was on spa time, not military time, but because I was a civilian,
Malcolm
let it slide and we got down to business in the 80 degree heat. I asked
Malcolm
what he had in store for us, and if it would be anything like what he
did with
the troops in
Well
Bonnie, we’re going
to start from the top of the body and work our way down with some
cardio, some
strength training, and some dumbbell work. Just sharing my experience
from the
Army with the group today to get everyone fit and buffed.
First up—military presses with weights, and not wimpy ones either, for sexy, sculpted shoulders--key to a lean physique. The girls pumped, the boys spotted. I mentioned the weights were getting a bit sweaty and heavy, as it was hotter than when we started, about 85 degrees now, and I was beginning to melt in the
“We didn’t
have
dumbbells. We improvised. We used sand bags for dumbbell curls. And
concrete
blocks on our shoulders for squats. No
one complained. And everyone was fit.”
I
got the message—stop whining, and keep pumping.
Military
Push-Ups
Next
we moved onto push-ups, military style, up on our toes. This is
probably my
all-time favorite exercise, and one I try to get my female personal
training
clients to do all the time to develop upper body strength and
definition
because you can do them anytime, anywhere without weights, and your
body adapts
very quickly, within a week if you add a few more reps each day.
“C’mon
ladies, all
the
way down—no cheating”!
Now I am pretty sure Malcolm was talking to
the guys when he said this, as the girls were cranking them out.
Push-ups are a
time-saving efficient way to get strength and definition in multiple
muscle
groups in your upper body simultaneously without equipment. I recommend
you do
3 sets of 10 every morning while your coffee is brewing and you are
catching up
on the morning news. Although, I must admit, it’s easier to do more
reps if you
have a hot trainer barking out commands at you.
“C’mon
Bonnie, keep your
back straight. Give me two more good ones.”
Okay,
that time, he was probably talking to me.
Sand Sprints
Finally,
for some fat-burning cardio, we did barefoot sand sprints, using our
dumbbells
for markers in the sand. Malcolm told us to line up, run to the first
marker,
back to the start line, out to the second marker, then race to the
finish line.
Not only are sand sprints a fun way to burn calories and elevate your
heart
rate for a good cardiovascular workout, but can sculpt your legs and
derriere
as you lift your feet out of the sand, especially if you are doing them
barefoot without the help of high-tech running shoes.
Now
even though we were lucky enough to do our workout on the beach against
the
magnificent backdrop of the ocean, many of these exercises can be done
in your
living room, health club, back yard, or even at a local park. And of
course,
you can always stop by and see Malcolm personally at the Ritz in
This
story was taped on location at The Ritz Carlton South Beach Hotel in
To
read a longer version of The South Beach Boot
Camp Workout
that appeared in a special edition of The
Brooklyn View and was sent to 5,000 troops in
Bonnie
contributes a weekly column to The Brooklyn View.
Watch
the rest of the South Beach Summer Shape-Up Series and more fitness
tips at:
the Ritz Carlton Resort, South Beach
