From Dadbod to Beachbody – The Ultimate Guide

The ‘dad bod’ – The term for a man of a certain age (typically 30-40) who’s found a partner, had children, and then let himself drift. If you fit the definition, From Dadbod to Beachbody – The Ultimate Guide is going to be a slap on the wrist and a wake-up call.

Unlike some of the Beachbody DVDs, neither do we want to fool you into thinking that you can build a Greek God-like physique in a couple of weeks nor do we have a diet and training program to sell. As much as we would like it – body transformations don’t work in isolation.

If you want to go from fat to fit, you’ll have to change your lifestyle completely. In From Dadbod to Beachbody – The Ultimate Guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about shedding weight and keeping it off.

Transform Your Bod From Dad to Rad

As weird as it might sound, the dadbod takes some people by surprise. These people are so busy climbing the corporate ladder that they stop the evening gym visits. Sports filled weekends are replaced by helping kids with their homework or pies and beers with friends and family.

Transforming your physique after you’ve turned 40 is easier said than done. It’ll test your patience and perseverance, but your kids do that every day, right? Apart from the aesthetic, the psychological benefits of a transformation are highly underrated.

A study conducted by the International Journal of Scientific Research proves the relationship between body image and self-worth. The research found that a large proportion of adolescents with negative body image had psychological distress.

Get Your Diet in Place

No matter how hard you train, if your diet is not in line with your goals, you’re not going to turn your dadbod into that bod. People who workout every day but wind down in the evening with a burger or a beer are doing more harm than good.

If you’ve never counted calories, it’s time you get used to picking food according to their micro and macronutrient contents. Making a habit of reading labels before buying any packaged food is key to losing and keeping off weight.

How many calories do I need? The answer will depend on your current and goal weight. If you want to lose weight, you’ll have to follow a calorie deficit diet. For people who want to put on muscle mass, a calorie surplus diet should be the way to go.

Many people make the mistake of making big adjustments in their diets to get quick results. We would counsel against trying to lose more than 2lbs in a week. Since 3,500 calories equal about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, it’s estimated that you need to burn about 3,500 calories to lose 1lb. So, in general, if you cut 1,000 calories a day from your typical diet, you’d lose ~ 2lbs a week.

Recovery

The muscle tissues are broken while you’re training in the gym. Your muscles grow bigger and stronger while you’re sleeping. A 7-8 hour sleep in necessary for optimal recovery and recuperation of your muscle fibers.

If your body is incapable of recovering completely from your workouts and your muscles are sore even after a couple of days, you should consider using supplements. Protein powders, BCAAs, glutamine and creatine supplements are all proven to help with recovery from workouts.

When it comes to training, some people have the wrong notion that more is better. As a rule of thumb, an effective bodybuilding program constitutes 40% training, 30% diet and 30% recovery. Over or underdoing any of these will get you impaired results.

The Ultimate Muscle Building Kit

Get Expert Help

While fixing a door might be an easy DIY, trying to get rid of the dadbod on your own can lead to wasted time, money and energy. Some people have the wrong assumption that losing weight is just a case of eating more veggies and lifting as much weight as possible.

If you’ve never stepped a foot inside the fitness lifestyle, you’ll be better off consulting a professional with a successful track record. A pro trainer can help you with advice and encouragement when you need it the most.

Experts will also track your progress actively and will make adjustments if and when required. Fitness noobs who work out on their own realize they’ve made a mistake only when it’s too late. Backtracking on a fitness program is something you want to avoid at all costs.

Tailor-Fit

One of the first mistakes that most people commit when starting on a fit lifestyle is that they type “fitness program” into Google and follow the first result that shows up. We wish building the physique of your dream was so simple.

Your diet plan will depend on your current lifestyle and should answer these questions –

Amount of calories you need to maintain your body
The total weight you need to lose
The lean muscle mass you aim to gain in your target period

A fitness program for someone who wants to build muscle will be different from someone who wants to shed the extra kilos. No two people with different aspirations can have the same transformation program, so stop looking for Chris Hemsworth’s Thor workout if your main objective is to get rid of the spare tire.

Planning

A transformation isn’t as simple as hitting the gym a couple of days a week. You can’t go to the gym without a plan and expect to lose weight. If you’re serious about turning your dadbod into a beach body, you should carve out time for it from your daily schedule.

Depending on your daily routine, you might need to start prepping your meals on the weekends or schedule a run before or after work. If you have kids, you might have to involve them in your new fitness routine in some capacity.

To live the fit life, you’ll have to plan for it and make adjustments in your schedule. The pre-planning might sound intimidating now but it gets easier as you get in the groove. All the planning and prepping will also help you save money as you’ll be less likely to eat out and depend on food fixes.

Hurdling

In the From Dadbod to Beachbody – The Ultimate Guide, we don’t want to make you think that losing weight and building muscle is going to be a cakewalk. Building a beach body will need ground rules and a lot of discipline – especially when the going gets tough.

As Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” No matter how elaborate your planning might be, there are possibilities of a wild-card entry that can derail your progress.

An injury/accident or fever are some common problems that can get in the way and become an excuse to give up. Similar excuses are the reasons why most people end up with a dadbod in the first place.

Training Program

All the steps mentioned above aren’t going to work until you do. Our From Dadbod to Beachbody – The Ultimate Guide wouldn’t be complete without a training program which helps you lose the extra kilos and put on muscle mass.

Follow this 8-Week Transformation Program to get in the best shape of your life –

Week 1-4:

Day 1

Cardio #1 (5 minutes)
- Skip rope: 60 seconds
- Jumping jacks: 60 seconds
- Skip rope: 60 seconds
- Jumping jacks: 60 seconds
Arms (2 minutes)
- Pushups: 3 sets 1 minute
- Cable Curls: 3 sets 1 minute
Cardio #2 (5 minutes)
- Box jumps: 10 jumps in ~ 60 seconds
- Sprint drill: Sprint (or run in place) as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Rest 15 seconds. Repeat.
- Box jumps: 10 jumps in ~ 60 seconds
- Burpees: 90 seconds
Legs (3 minutes)
- Leg extensions: 3 sets 1 minute
- Bodyweight squats: 3 sets 1 minute
- Leg press: 3 sets 1 minute
Abs (2 minutes)
- Sit-ups: 30 seconds
- Crunches: 30 seconds
- Planks: 60 seconds

Since this is the first day of the training program, you’ll not be going too hard but at the same time, we’ll not be lenient with you. If you are a beginner and don’t know how to perform some of the exercises mentioned above, feel free to take help from someone at your gym or browse YouTube for tutorials.

Day 2

HIIT Cardio (10 minutes)
- Treadmill: 5 minutes
- Rowing: 2 minutes
- Elliptical: 3 minutes
Back
- Deadlifts: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Cable Rows: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Hyperextensions: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
Calves
- Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets 1 minute each
- Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets 30-20-10 reps
- Donkey Calf Raises: 3 sets 30-20-10 reps
Shoulders
- Arnold Presses: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Side Lateral Raises: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Dumbbell Front Raises: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Rear Dumbbell Flyes: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Barbell Shrugs: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
Circuit (5 minutes)
- Burpees: 60 seconds
- High knees: 60 seconds
- Step-Ups: 60 seconds
- Mountain climbers: 60 seconds
- Plank: 60 seconds

The second training day will be focused on strength training. The workouts in the From Dadbod to Beachbody – The Ultimate Guide should be intense and should not take more than an hour to complete.

Although this is mostly a fat shedding program, we won’t be leaving any stones unturned. We’re aiming for the overall development of the physique and will lay equal emphasis on smaller muscle groups like calves and forearms.

Day 3 – Rest Day

Run: 15-30 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes

A rest day doesn’t mean you’ll spend the day in bed or on the couch. While you’ll not be lifting weights or doing HIIT cardio training, you still need to keep your metabolic rate high and burn the excess calories.

Depending on your schedule and calorie intake, go for a 15-30 minute jog. After you’re back from your run, spend a good 10-minutes stretching. Stretching can help with blood circulation and improves recovery from workouts.

Day 4

Cardio #1 – LISS (30 minutes)
Chest
- Cable crossovers: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Dumbbell press: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Decline bench press: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Incline dumbbell flyes: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
- Machine chest press: 3 sets 12-10-8 reps
Abs
- Hanging leg raises: 3 sets 20 reps
- Crunches: 3 sets 20 reps
- Russian twists: 3 sets 20 reps
- Cable crunches: 3 sets 20 reps
Forearms
- Reverse Wrist Curls: 3 Sets 15 reps
- Behind the Back Barbell Wrist Crushes: 3 sets 15 reps
- Wrist Curls: 3 sets 15 reps
Cardio #2 – HIIT (10 minutes)

The first exercise of the day is a low-intensity steady-state cardio session to be performed for 30-minutes on an empty stomach. If you hit the gym later in the day, perform the LISS workout right after waking up.

The second cardio session (HIIT) has to be done at the end of your resistance training workout. Maintain a medium pace for the first minute and go all out in the second minute. Repeat this cycle for the entire ten minutes.

Day 5

Circuit – Upper Body (5minutes X 5 rounds)
- Push-ups: 1 minute
- Smith machine bench press: 1 minute
- Dumbbell flyes: 1 minute
- Machine press: 1 minute
- Pec deck flyes: 1 minute
Circuit – Lower Body (5 minute X 5 rounds)
- Leg extensions: 1 minute
- Squats: 1 minute
- Leg curls: 1 minute
- Walking lunges: 1 minute
- Leg press: 1 minute
Cardio HIIT Treadmill (10 minutes)

The fifth day is going to be a brutal workout. Make sure you’re not resting more than 15 seconds between exercises. If you’re not able to perform the exercises for one minute at a stretch, take a 5-second rest before resuming the reps.

After performing the upper body circuit, switch to the lower body set and then back to the upper body. Once you’re done with the upper and lower body circuits, move onto the 10-minute cardio session to end your workout.

Day 6 – Rest Day

Lunges: 15-30 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes

Day 7 – Rest Day

Run: 15-30 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes

After you turn 40, your joints and muscles have taken their fair share of pounding and we’ll not be adding to the stress in this workout program. You’ll be training four days a week and assuming active-rest days on the remaining three days.

On the rest days, you have the liberty of doing your cardio in the morning or the evening. You can also replace the stretching with a massage, sauna, yoga or chiropractor session. The ultimate goal is to keep the body moving.

Week 5-8:

In the 5-8 weeks, the number of reps (and time) will double while the number of sets and circuit rounds will remain the same.

For example:

Week 5-8

Day 4

Cardio #1 – LISS (45-60 minutes)
Chest
- Cable crossovers: 3 sets 24-20-16 reps
- Dumbbell press: 3 sets 24-20-16 reps
- Decline bench press: 3 sets 24-20-16 reps
- Incline dumbbell flyes: 3 sets 24-20-16 reps
- Machine chest press: 3 sets 24-20-16 reps
Abs
- Hanging leg raises: 3 sets 40 reps
- Crunches: 3 sets 40 reps
- Russian twists: 3 sets 40 reps
- Cable crunches: 3 sets 40 reps
Forearms
- Reverse Wrist Curls: 3 Sets 30 reps
- Behind the Back Barbell Wrist Crushes: 3 sets 30 reps
- Wrist Curls: 3 sets 30 reps
Cardio #2 – HIIT (15-20 minutes)