Well, unfortunately not my gorgeous personal trainer. But his sexy summer work out is a nice alternative. If you like torture, that is.

I see working out as a treat, not as a punishment. Now, anyone who knows what my personal trainer looks like might wink and say: “Sure you do!” And true enough, Patrick van Luijk, -a 6 ft 3 half-Jamaican Olympic athlete- is a total hunk. But he is not the main reason I love working out so much. Training gives me energy, it keeps me sharp and strong. And that hot bikini body? Another very nice bonus.

Patrick likes to push me. He isn’t happy till I can barely walk and I’m about to throw up. That, to him, is a sign that it was a good work out. So when I casually asked him to give me a few exercises to do during my beach holiday, Patrick –never one to do things half-assed– created a crazy hardcore schedule that would have taken up my entire holiday and made me crawl home afterward. I had to ask him: “Did you accidentally mix up the words ‘vacation’ and ‘Olympic training camp’? » Oh well, that’s what you get for having a top athlete as a personal trainer…

Patrick was happy to share some less hardcore holiday work out tips with you:

1. First of all, don’t just work out in your room or at your hotel’s gym. Use the pool well, and of course the beach. “The sand provides less stability, turning the simplest movements into excellent exercises.”
2. Keep it fun; work out for about 30 minutes a day, and take a break after 2 days.
3. When using the pool, be creative. Alternate swimming laps with doing exercises in the more shallow part of the pool, such as jumping or pulling your knees up. And of course, that edge of the pool is perfect for pulling yourself up. (3 sets of 10 should do the trick)
4. Start your beach workout -Patrick suggests doing planks, side jump lunges and push-ups, 4 sets each- with a classic sun salutation. It’s a nice warm-up and stretch, but also a wonderful way to greet the sun, the sand and the sea. After all, you’re on a holiday… Enjoy!