9 Tips to Get 3D for Summer

Summer is here, vacations are booked, the sand is between your toes, and you’re looking down wishing you had taken your summer shred more seriously. If you want to get 3D for summer, we have the perfect checklist for you to follow. 

In this article, we are supplying you with the necessary tools to get 3D for summer by eliminating body fat and showcasing your hard work in the gym. Be sure to implement each of the strategies found below to look your best this summer and make your muscles POP!

1. Focus on Being in a Caloric Deficit

If asked what your current physique resembles and you consider answering with a cross between a blowfish and water buffalo, it’s safe to say a cut is in store. That said, it’s not as difficult as you’d imagine to drop body fat fairly quickly and get 3D for summer. The goal moving forward should be to put yourself in a caloric deficit.

In order to ensure such, track your nutrition. This can be accomplished by using something like MyFitnessPal (the free version will do the trick). Simply log your nutrition and put yourself in a deficit each day. Weight loss is a numbers game. End your day below your maintenance caloric level, and you’ll be able to see weight loss at the end of each week.

2. Increase Your Protein Intake 

Piggybacking off of tracking your calories and being in a deficit, another aspect is protein intake. To effectively drop body fat and preserve lean muscle mass, increase your protein intake. Strive to hit around 1g of protein per pound of body weight when you are cutting. This will help provide your muscles with enough protein/amino acids to prevent your body from breaking down your lean mass to be used as energy.

Lean muscle mass is important as the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn each day since muscle requires energy. Add in the fact that in order for muscles to be repaired from workouts, energy is required, which also helps boost your metabolic rate.

It’s not uncommon at this stage to recomp where not only are you losing body fat but also adding a little bit of muscle in the process. However, this can only be done if you take in adequate amounts of protein each day.

3. Work Your Carb Intake Around Workouts

We aren’t fans of completely eliminating carbs from your nutrition plan to help get 3D for summer. However, if you decide to lower your carbs, work them around your workouts. This will allow you to push hard during your workouts and have enough energy to get through your grueling workouts. You can introduce them again post-workout to help replenish glycogen levels as well as help fill out your muscles.

Related Article: Importance of Using Carbohydrates to Build Lagging Body Parts

Rice, oatmeal, fruits, and vegetables are all good choices for you to include in your nutrition plan if you’re looking for healthy carbs that serve a purpose versus loading up on carb sources that are high in added sugar.

4. Eliminate Empty Calories

Consuming things like regular soda, coffee with cream and sugar, alcohol, and many other items with empty calories should be eliminated. Sure, they taste amazing, but they are also adding hundreds if not over 1,000 calories a day to your nutrition plan if you aren’t paying close attention. These empty calories can stall your progress and prevent you from looking your best this summer. 

If you want to get 3D for summer, you need to eliminate as many of these empty calories as you can. To make the process easier, make healthier substitutions. Sure, the taste and flavor may not be exact, but similar is better than not having them at all or not getting the results you’re hoping for. 

For instance, swap out regular soda with a zero-calorie variety. Instead of cream and sugar in your coffee, add a sugar substitute and even some flavored protein powder to improve the taste.

5. Stay Hydrated 

Hydration is pivotal for success. Your muscles need water, your brain needs water, every part of your body, including your cells, requires water. Dropping your water is a terrible strategy if you want to not only get 3D for summer but help your muscles pop all year round and stay full.

Carry a water bottle around with you everywhere you go. When it’s empty, either refill it or get another bottle. Being that the weather is warming up, spending time outdoors or in a hot gym can cause you to sweat. Replenishing lost fluids and electrolytes is essential to your health and preventing your body from shifting into a dehydrated state where health issues can arise. Therefore, play it safe and always have water on hand and sip it throughout the day.

6. Continue Lifting Heavy 

Far too many people think that they’ll get better results when cutting if they lower the weight and do more reps. This is false. The best way for you to maintain your muscle mass when trying to get 3D for summer is to continue lifting heavy. This allows you to stimulate the muscle in the same manner, helping not only preserve your gains but also help build upon them even while in a caloric deficit. 

Being that you’re in a caloric deficit, your energy levels may be running low. Therefore, you’ll definitely want to plan your high-carb meals around your workouts so that you have ample energy when training. That said, you could also toss in a pre-workout that that can help get you dialed in, such as Evogen Nutrition EVP 3D to help you get through your training sessions and allow you the ability to maximize your muscle pump and vasodilation.

7. Add in Cardio 

Ah, that C-word! There are probably some other expletives you’d like to throw in there when talking about cardio. Like many others, cardio isn’t exactly what many of us would consider “fun.” It’s boring and monotonous. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil if you really want to see the best results from cutting.

By including 20-30 minutes a day of cardio into your routine can help you get 3D for summer and wipe away that layer of fat that is preventing you from looking your best.

What would we recommend? Why not kill two birds with one stone by listening to an audiobook while doing cardio to get your learn on? Find a skill you want to improve upon and listen to it via an audiobook format. In a week’s time, you may be able to get through an entire audiobook if you include 3-4 days of cardio in your routine. Not only will you burn fat, but you’ll improve your skillset at the same time. That’s a win-win in our book! Always keep improving!

8. Get a Tan

Bodybuilders and fitness competitors around the globe get a tan when jumping on the stage. Why? Because it enhances the appearance of your musculature and helps make your muscles and definition pop. If you want to turn heads and crack necks when you walk by, get a tan.

While you may want to get 3D for summer, the last thing you want to do is increase your risk of skin cancer. If you head outdoors to naturally tan, be sure to apply sunscreen. Limit your exposure to tanning beds whenever possible. And if you want a great way to apply a tan without risking your health, consider getting a spray tan or applying a sunless tan lotion to help achieve the color and skin tone you desire.

9. Leverage Key Supplements 

Last but not least is implementing the right mix of supplements to help ignite your metabolism and help burn fat all day, every day. Above, we mentioned increasing your protein intake. If you have trouble getting in adequate amounts of protein from real foods, try including a protein powder in with your nutrition plan. 

In addition, a fat burner or thermogenic would be a great idea to help boost your metabolism. If you want an all-in-one product to ignite your shred, pick up a bottle of Evogen Nutrition EvoBurn. Not only can EvoBurn ignite your metabolism, but it can also help you crush your cravings and reduce your appetite to prevent you from overeating throughout the day.

While supplements aren’t a quick fix, they can be added to give you that extra push needed to get 3D for summer.