This article was published on March 28th, 2020

Spring is here, and it is not starting off great. Corona is in the air, and it is causing major interference for people’s everyday life. Many of us are being forced to quarantine to help flatten the curve of infection. And equally unpleasant, we have to sit out the spring circuit and Pride season. This would normally be pretty upsetting, except summer is coming in a few months, and hopefully, at some point, we can begin getting back to our regular lives and routines. That means that gays everywhere are going to be ready to let loose when they break out of quarantine and dash to bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and events. The silver lining of this entire debacle is that you can start preparing for your summer body now. 

Building an epic summer body can’t be done overnight, but three months is plenty of time to get in shape and build lean muscle. Anybody can do it – all you need is guidance and determination. Keep reading to learn some great tips for crafting your ideal summer body.

Have a Goal
Getting in shape is all about dieting and consistent exercise. But that’s not the only thing you need; you also have to have discipline. The first step to getting in shape is to have clear goals. It is much easier to stay focused and determined when you can see the finish line. 

Learn to Count Calories
You will make significant progress if you learn about food and calories to understand which foods will help you with weight loss, energy, and muscle recovery, compared to those that are just empty calories. You have the opportunity make exact and amazing progress if you take the numbers seriously. If you want to get closer to auditioning for the third rendition of 300, learn to count calories and macros. As a general rule of thumb, try to keep to twelve calories per pound of lean body mass. Make your protein – 1 gram per pound of your target weight, fat – .04 gram per pound, and carbs – 1 gram per pound. 

Commit to Full Body Workouts
Doing a body-part split workout strategy is a good idea if you’re trying to build serious muscle that functions a certain way. Firemen need to be able to handle a big hose, so they need biceps and triceps, for example. But full body workouts are the way to go if you want to burn more calories and build lean muscle. They work more overall muscle and shorten your overall recovery time. Pick a different part of the body to work each day and work through a cycle of different types of workouts, instead of doing the same workout day after day, for the best results.

Work on Your Lats
Everyone wants to rock the triangle look: wide shoulders and slim waist. The best way to do that is to make your lats wider. This means focus on pullups and back exercises. If you can’t do a pull-up then start working on getting to 10. Start by doing dead hangs, then upgrade to do doing assisted pull-ups using an elastic band (you can do these at your local playground, if it’s open, just remember to sanitize the surfaces before you grab on).

Focus on Your Pecs
Abs are great to have, but the look you’re going for is probably not defined by having a 6 pack. The real eye catcher is the chest; therefore, the pecs are of primal importance. You don’t even have to go to the gym to build an amazing chest. You can do it at home by focusing on doing pushups, lots and lots of pushups. Use a variety of different types including wide, triangle, narrow, and Spiderman pushups. Each will help build and define a different area of your chest.

Mix in some cardio by running outside and doing stairs in the stairwell. You can also do a bootcamp-style routine at home. And turn out the yoga matt to get in a good stretch and work your core. Don’t forget to do your Jane Fonda’s! If you don’t have free weights, you can always make-shift by using jugs of water and bags of flour.

The most important thing is to focus on a goal, find a routine to reach your goal, and stick to it. If you are consistent and diligent throughout these upcoming months, you will exit this spring quarantine with your ideal summer body and be ready to party.