There's a reason every guy out there isn't walking around with washboard abs and an abdominal V. Scoring them takes hard work, time, patience, and then, after that, some more time. But whether your friends are throwing a last-minute beach party, you've managed to lock down a third date, or you've procrastinated on your exercise plans for months on end, sometimes, you just need to get (or at least look) fit fast. Here's how to do it:
1. Hydrate
Skip the soda and alcohol, and start sucking water like it's your job. The former are diuretics, meaning they cause your body to flush water from your body, while good 'ole H2O is an awesome hydrator, says nutritionist Rania Batayneh, M.P.H., author of The One One One Diet: The Simple 1:1:1 Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. And contrary to what most guys think, being dehydrated won't make you look slimmer. Dehydration, by alerting your kidneys that you're low on fluids, causes your body to hang onto water weight and bloat around your middle, she says. Luckily, it turns out, coffee might be okay. Per a 2014 PLOS ONE study, java actually hydrates as well as water.
2. Get Pumped
"You know how after the gym, your muscles look bigger and better than when you started your workout session? That's from the pump you got while working out," says Beverly Hills-based trainer Mike Donavanik, C.S.C.S. "During a workout, the blood in your body gets diverted and rushed to your working muscles. So that 'swole' feeling you get is because the blood is causing your muscles to swell and become larger. However, this shortly wears off within 30 to 60 minutes of working out, so use your pump wisely." Opt for push-ups, chin-ups, and lateral raises to enhance your most important sans-shirt musculature.
3. Moisturize
Or get a spray tan. (Just don't go too dark or you'll look weird.) "When the skin appears soft, moist, and not pale, it gives the healthiest, fittest appearance. The body appears thinner and body definition shows better," says Julius Few, M.D., founder of The Few Institute and clinical professor of plastic surgery at the University
of Chicago.
4. Stand Tall
Not only does proper posture keep you from looking frumpy, it makes you look more muscular and slim, Donavanik says. "Most guys have posterior pelvic tilt due to sitting at a desk with bad posture all day," he says. Tall posture starts with the hips. Stick your butt out a bit to untuck your pelvis. Then, lift your rib cage. Your chest will open up and become broader. Lastly, keeping your arms at your sides, roll your shoulders up to your ears and then release them, letting your shoulders blades slide down your back. Doing this last part eliminates that "I'm trying really hard to puff my chest out" look, he says.
Follow these 5 moves for a full-body workout:
SOURCE: Details
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