Prepare your body for Spring Break

You have four weeks to get in shape for Spring Break. That's 16 workouts, which equates to about one day of solid training before you hit the beach.

Unfortunately, I'm not a miracle worker. I'll do my best to guide you on this rocky stretch, but we're not going to be losing 100 pounds in four weeks or turn your average Joe into an Austrian Oak.

You've got to want it. You have four weeks to get in shape. Every workout counts.

If you're looking to lose weight, you're going to follow a four-week nutrition schedule adapted from Muscle and Fitness gurus Chris Aceto and Eric Velazquez.

During the first week, you're going to cut your carbohydrate intake in half for four days. The remaining three days, you will intake foods rich in grains, wheat and fiber.

For all you hard gainers out there, it's time to pack on some muscle. Increase the size of your portions substantially four days a week with a focus on proteins and whole-grain carbohydrates.

The remaining three days, consume a smaller quantity at each meal, but confine your diet to wholesome protein and carbohydrate sources, such as chicken, pasta, brown rice and nuts.

I don't know how you normally eat, but over the next four weeks - whether you're looking to increase mass or lose fat - you're going to have to eat clean so throw out the chips, sodas and sweets.

As a general rule, try to eat about five or six times a day and drink about a gallon of water a day to gain muscle. You don't have to count calories to make gains - just increase and decrease the portion sizes at each meal.

There are specific workout routines depending if you want to lose weight or gain muscle.

To lose weight, do one set of exercises and then move on to a different motion till you have done four motions, which composes a circuit.

After completing the circuit, rest for two minutes and then repeat the circuit three times.

If you're looking to gain muscle mass do about three consecutive reps per exercise and then move on to another.

These routines along with nutrition schedules will change each week so stay tuned.

- Daniel Hanna is a columnist for The Red & Black.
Originally published in the Red & Black 2/13/07