The S2B Summer Rules: 5 Rules To Make This Summer The Best of Your Life
How to work out, what to eat, what to drink, and a challenge. If you’re man enough, of course.
The time to prepare for summer is long gone. It’s here and it’s hot outside. Might as well get out there and do something.
So while other guys drink too much shitty beer, skip their workouts, and do the same old thing, you’ll be making this summer as awesome as possible. The best of your life, maybe.
And to do that, you need some rules. Like these.
1. Train Outside
Whatever workout program you’re following right now, keep following it. This isn’t the time to change everything and sacrifice your ability to gain muscle.
But you can’t spend every day in the gym either. Instead, get outside at least once per week for a playground workout.
Playground Workout
- Pull-ups or chin-ups
- Dips
- Push-press
- Goblet squat
- Single-leg RDL
- Walking lunge
2. Grill good meat over fire.
The stove-top is fine in the winter — necessary, even — but cooking outside over fire is what summer’s all about. Gas or charcoal? Either is fine. Invite a friend over and tell him to grab a high-quality six-pack of microbrews. You’ll supply the rest.
The Perfect Burger
Ingredients:
- 1 pound grass-fed ground beef or bison
- 2 pinches chili powder
- 3 pinches salt
- 2 pinches pepper
- 2 pinches fresh garlic (minced)
- 4 tsp onion (finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Other ingredients: olive oil, tomato, butter lettuce, whole-wheat buns, some kind of sauce to spread.
How To Make It:
- Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands.
- Form into four burger patties.
- Heat a gas grill to high or heat coals in a charcoal grill until they grow bright orange and ash over.
- Drizzle some olive oil on both sides of each burger and gently rub in.
- Cook burgers 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Make the Pina Colada Super Shake
Forget plain protein and water. Hot days and hard workouts call for a refreshing post-workout smoothie.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup canned pineapple
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 cup chilled green tea
- 1/2 cup ice
Put everything in a blender and mix on high.
4. Embrace the Daiquiri
For whatever reason we always considered the daiquiri a “girl drink.” Kinda like a Long Island Iced Tea or an Appletini.
But we changed our minds a couple months ago when S2B Program Director Nate Green took a three-hour intensive cocktail class with one of the best mixologists in Portland.
Turns out a well-made daiquiri is refreshing and delicious. Plus Hemingway drank daiquiris. And if that’s not enough evidence to try it, we don’t know what is.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Rum
- 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime
- 3/4 oz simple syrup
How To Make It:
- Add all ingredients to a shaker, fill completely with ice, and shake vigorously.
- Strain into glass.
- Smile like a smug bastard.
Stuff you’ll need if you wanna get serious:
5. Challenge yourself
This summer, try something you’ve never done before. Something that may even seem a little crazy. Go whitewater rafting. Hike a huge mountain. Enter a contest of some sort. (Powerlifting, triathlon, eating, whatever.)
Or you can do what we did and compete in a hardcore adventure race, like the Spartan Sprint. Uphill mud crawls under barbed wire, 70-pound concrete block drags, 8 foot walls to climb over, a fire pit to jump over, and more.
Why a challenge?
Because you can learn a whole hell of a lot more about yourself by dragging a cement block 200 meters than you can ever learn by sitting on the couch.
What Are Your Summer rules?
Share one or two of your own rules in the comments below and we’ll randomly pick one guy to win a hand-picked box of our favorite summer gear, including some of the bar tools mentioned above.
Because we’re awesome like that. And so are you.
Update: Congrats to Ben Friedrich for winning some cool bar tools and a $100 gift card to Bonobos.com. (Ben, go get yourself some sweet threads.) Random gift-giving for this thread is now closed. But still, we’d love to read your rules. So post away.
61 Responses to The S2B Summer Rules
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Rick Flaute says:
I LOVE burgers and will be trying yours next time. Switched to grass fed beef a while ago and won’t go back! Thanks for the info!
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Monty says:
Go brawny dipping in a nearby pond!
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One of my rules I started last month: Ride my bike to play a round of Disc Golf instead of driving my car. This adds a 30 minute (mostly up hill) ride to the course and a 20 minute ride back.
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Jameshiatt85 says:
Step 1. Get sun
Step 2. Put on shortsStep 3. Take your Brawny ass jogging through town and enjoy the attention for your hardwork.. =)
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Greg Adriaanse says:
Hill Sprints with my 9 year old boy in tow – good times
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Bmicik says:
Deep Squats and Whole Milk
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Craig Leblanc85 says:
Rdl’s, squats and Tire flips followed by hill sprints and box jumps :) in the texas heat, and btw those burgers sound scruptious!!! I think I just might have to fire up the grill and try this recipe after work today!
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Adam J says:
Rule 1: Get a slack line and enjoy. Its the perfect summer tool. Find a nice area near a playground, set up the line between two trees, fire up the ‘Q, repeat.
Rule 2: Tai Chi. Its actually a decent w/o if you work at it. Plus, the “dance” of tai chi is meditating, gets you in the team mentality, relieves stress, and gets you outside.
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I really like both of these ideas. Thanks for sharing, man.
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FlyGuy says:
Whitewater kayaking is a summer requirement. If you’re feeling brawny, carry the kayak to the river outpost by foot… uphill.
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Mathieu Rivest says:
My rules, get up as early as you can (I wake up at 5 am everyday, even the weekend) to enjoy the quiet morning. Get a workout early, go outside at least once a day and work on a project outside of work with my organic coffee!
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Matt D. says:
Spring the hills at Oregon Ridge park near my house once a week. These hills are brutal, and Fridays at 6am I conquer them.
Another rule is eat fresh fruit everyday. Sugary? Maybe. Delicious and refreshing in Maryland’s 105 degree summer? Absolutely.
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Ryanmurray60 says:
1. Up the fruits and veggies. Summer is the best time for fruits like watermelon, peaches, nectarines, blackberries, cantaloupes, carrots, onions, green beans, cucumbers etc…..
2. Drink lots of ice cold green tea and with fresh fruit thrown in for flavor. —-Make a jug of green tea, and throw in your favorite fresh fruits. Yum! -
Ben Friedrich says:
Summer rule: Carry a book everywhere. “Read to lead” as the saying goes. Reading is a workout for my mind, it shows girls that there is more there than just the physique, it keeps boredom at bay while I wait for friends to show up, and it hugely increases my appreciation and knowledge of the world around me.
This summer try hitting the weights AND hitting the books.
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As1459 says:
I’ve fully embraced working out in nature. My wife, 3 year old son and I have been in Europe for 9 weeks now. I’ve used only body weight and resistance band workouts. Keeping to the PN principles I’ve managed to Actually get a bit leaner in the process!!!
My favorite burger recipe would be a Greek burger, great for summer, grass fed beef, feta cheese, pepperoncini, red onions, and a dollop of Greek yogurt mixed with dill, sea salt and pepper. I love this burger!
-Aaron Sanchez
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Good post guys, my rules:
1. No more than 3 days in the gym and get outside.
2. Run 1 5k/ week.
3. Do 1 day of sprint agility training/ week
4. Do 1 metabolic calisthenic workout/ week. -
1. Start the day in the sun. I roll out of bed, drag myself to the balcony/backyard with a book and some ice water and just relax for a half hour. Means waking up earlier, but my days seem longer and fuller.
2. Rest days in the water. Swimming in cold water has some pretty magical effects on fat loss, since your body needs to produce a ton of heat. (Which explains why Michael Phelps has to eat 10 000 calories a day.) It’s also relaxing, and a great way to get in some enjoyable cardio. Front crawl seems like a more enjoyable way to jog, whereas the butterfly can be a pretty good higher intensity workout.
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Better burger: add your seasonings to 1/4 cup milk and two slices worth of bread torn into chunks, mash until smooth and then add to 1-1.5 lbs of ground meat, preferrably 85% lean. Burger will stay moist even when well-done. Tip 2: if you put a chunk of cheese inside the burger you don’t have to worry about overcooking the outside while undercooking the inside; another way to ensure a moist burger. Use a harder cheese, like cheddar so it is less likely to ooze out and disappear in the cooking process. And let the burger cool at least 5 minutes before biting into it, the cheese will be HOT!!!
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My rules for the summer:
1. Be happy, enjoy life and everything it has to offer
2. Enjoy the new home my fiance and I just bought, to be 25 and own a home is a wonderful feeling
3. Spend 3 nights a week in the gym, no more no less.
4. Visit the local farmers market once a week
5. Grill out for friends/family, nothing wrong with paying something forward -
James says:
Love the burger recipe, it’s the same as my but I chop a handful of flat leaf parsley and have that in there too. Adds to the taste and looks better with a bit of green in there too. Summer rules – 100 calf raises everyday to add some serious size – I struggle with calf’s and this seems to be doing the trick. 2 weeks in now. Added a couple of inches.
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Aaron Legare says:
Get up early on a Sat morning and hit the farmers market for some fresh veg and maybe some grass fed beef so I can make those awesome looking burgers. Follow that up with a good workout outside, a walk with the wife and dog and maybe even a nice bourbon. It is summer after all!
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Toby E says:
1. Spend at least 5 hours a week outside reading.
2. BBQ meat at least twice a week.
3. Drink a bottle or two of ice cold imported beer after work on a Friday. -
Awesome stuff!
Another Summer Rule: Run Hill Sprints twice per week..I’ve got an awesome hill half a mile from my apartment with an awesome mountain view at the top.Burgers sound great too, heres my favorite:
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1/4 cup mozerella cheese
1 cup shredded cabbage or spinach
1/8 cup chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
-Mix all ingredients together and top with grilled red onions.
Great read! -
Jason says:
1) take your son with you for morning tire sled pulling Fun cardio and bonding that is priceless
2) pick a random activity as selected by a family member to try something new once a week this summer. Adventure and family fun rolled into new experiences
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Rjkrebsbac says:
Skip the gym to swim some laps.
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The biggest rule that has helped me this summer is to enjoy challenges, adversity, and learning from failure.
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Jay-C says:
Play a sports (any sports) outside during a very hot day and endure the perspiration for several hours. Finish off by jumping in the pool and having a barbecue with some friends. Now that’s summer!
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Kboone00 says:
Make that rink a little healthier andthrow it in a blender with fresh fruit! Yum
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Brockpg55 says:
stopped reading after daiquiri
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Pokum Yung says:
18. Sun’s out, guns out.
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Stephen Frianeza says:
Do something physical outside of my workout at least 2 days out of the week, like hiking, swimming (especially in the ocean), playing sports, etc. and do it with the people you love.
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Jacob Huff says:
1st rule is to take some time off of work. Work when you’re stuck indoors during the winter. Have fun when you can go outside during the summer.
2nd rule smoke a cigar and watch the sunset. Summer is one of the only times of the year you can enjoy a sun set with out freezing to death. Get a good cigar to enjoy it with.
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Matt says:
You can learn a lot about yourself training outside in 100+ degree heat too!
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Great post Nate! Love the rule to challenge yourself! It seems that many people lack the motivation once summer is here and we are surrounded by unhealthy food at every BBQ. Challenging yourself to make changes in this environment can be really hard but ultra rewarding in the end!
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Zurinayeem says:
hmm:
1. take a dance class/learn how to dance/movement: It seems odd, but taking dance class is a) a lot of fun b) a way to meet people c) a workout in and of itself and d) it’s a stress releaser. Salsa, Tap dancing, modern, hip hop, west african, etc. it’s fun.
I’d definitely recommend Salsa and tango for guys who are trying to impress the women in their lives. At least the women I know, a guy that can dance is a plus…
2. Grill, grill and GRILL! Veggies, fish, chicken, steaks, burgers, fruit..just grill and enjoy the great food! :)
Ryan
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Simon G says:
Rule 1: Regularly play sports and mix them up too. Great outlet to increase fitness and test your skills.
Rule 2: Keep it compound. Squats, Presses, Cleans, Snatches, Deadlifts and Pull ups should be the focus.
Rule 3: Short, intense metabolic workouts following strength exercises.
Rule 4: Eat well to help support the rest of the rules but don’t be too strict, enjoy life and what it has to offer!
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NickVukorepa says:
Can’t wait to try the recipes Nate!
Rules for Summer:
1. Suns out, guns out
2. Explore. In my opinion, summer is the best time to check out all the interesting parts of cities (not the tourist way of only visiting major landmarks, I’m talking about walking through the streets and experiencing the area for what it really is). Sometimes wandering around can lead to some great adventures and stories; I’m gonna plan a trip with some friends and visit some microbreweries in the near future!Nick V
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Shortys7777 says:
Instead of drive I try riding my bike as much as possible. I’ve also been trying to swim 2 times a week. I like to do a few laps to get the body moving then spring laps. Not as bad as the incline sprints I learned from you but gets the entire body moving.
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Rickjames94952 says:
Rule number one is to golf 1-2 times a week. Walking is a great way to get some solid exercise. If you have kids make sure to have them play out side every day. Why not go for a bike ride with them. Thanks for the blog and a shot at a fun little surprise box.
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Ian Korn says:
One of my rules: TRAVEL. It’s way too easy to get stuck in our own little bubble. I always make it a point to go somewhere different and experience something new, whether it’s a weekend in the mountains, Jazz Fest in New Orleans, or a month-long trip to another country. The experience more than pays for itself.
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Tim says:
Bluefishing, double sessions, summer brews and Ben Howard music.
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Did you catch this cover Ben Howard did earlier this year? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPU8V-nvUEk
I was sad, then happy, then really confused because I liked it.
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yeah that was an emotional roller coster. I stumbled on him here http://youtu.be/phktiVZqUbQ
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Milo Bobbitt says:
Rule one: No regrets while I am still young and don’t have a family or a lot of responsibilities summer is a time I can go out take chances and go on adventures knowing each summer has its own memories to make.
Rule two: Take a trip. Whether its a 30 min drive to a brewery, small town or a trip across the country I feel taking a trip and going some place new for a while to just leave your life behind and unwind is perfect for the summer.
Rule three: Set a goal or summer resolution and accomplish it. Summer is a period where a whole lot isn’t going on besides work so every summer I set out a goal for myself to accomplish. It could be transforming my body, saving up for something big, or to just make a big change in myself summer seems to be the time where I actually have time to sit down and accomplish something big. This summer is moving to Texas to fulfill a dream of mine and start a new leg in my journey to become my own hero.
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Adam Sayih says:
You forgot to add the almighty “Shower Beer” to the summer list. Nothing like an ice cold summer ale during a post-outdoor activity shower.
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Steve says:
Love it! I’m a big fan of taking the workout outside. I also feel that some pool time is mandatory for de-stressing and recovery. We always float in the shallow end here in NC as the weather is wonderfully balmy this time of year. And microbrews are an approved recovery beverage after a hard metabolic workout.
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Rule #1: Pick a new sport. Get as good as possible as quick as possible.
Rule #2: Pick a new scotch/bourbon/cognac. Relax to a good drink at the lake as often as you can. -
guy says:
You think a long island iced tea is a girls’ drink? Those things are dangerous!
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Forwarded this onto some of my friends, good stuff on changing it up!
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Vinleonetti says:
1- catch and cook my own fish. This summer it’s deep water fishing. It can be quite a workout battling a 30 lb. tuna.
2- beach sprints…ouch.
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Andrew White says:
Some of my rules:
-Get out in the sun! Living in the north this one of the few times we can get enough Vitamin D naturally
-Try growing some of your own veggies and fruit or at least eat lots of fresh local produce
-Get out and do something in the community for other people!
-Spend time relaxing under the stars at night -
Katie Nicole Arnold says:
Bike rides are nice, running the sand dunes is great, but going skydiving…awesome!
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Jake says:
My rule is earn your beer. Get the workout in during the a.m. so by the p.m. you can enjoy some beer.
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Derek Travers says:
Anything with a team. Team sports, team hike, team beach exploration, team adventure race. Get together with some people and get outside. We work out and/or eat alone so often, try to buck that trend during the goof weather by getting fit together and enjoying a good time together as well.
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Jonathan says:
My Summer Rules:
1. Whenever I’m invited to someone’s cottage, I go! It allows me to combine my love of cottaging, getting back to the nature, enjoying my times with my friends, reading outdoors, taking in the sunsets and sunrises, enjoying the road trip and stopping at a few places that I’ve wanting to stop at along the way, and feeling rejoiced when I return back home.2. Whenever friends come to visit me from out-of-town, go to the nearby beaches that only the locals know. Being able to enjoy beaches that aren’t crowded is a rare treat in this part of Canada.3. Whenever I go on a long-distance road trip, I seek out for opportunities to meet up with acquaintances, friends, and mentors who live within the general area that I’m driving through. Making a detour to pay a visit with them is always worth it. Right, Nate?
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James Orr says:
Love the rules. I’ve been thinking about going S2B in November (in LE now). I’ve never trained for size, so it would be interesting. One of my lingering questions is if I’d also be able to stay in shape to hike and climb the aforementioned big mountains. Next year I’d like to climb a big wall in Yosemite and summit Mt. Whitney, both of which need a decent aerobic engine and a lot of endurance. Whitney is usually a multi-day trip, and the big walls always are. Would those conflict with the S2B training? In the book I know metabolic conditioning is kept to a minimum.
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Hey James –
If you get done with LE and feel like S2B would be a good fit, then we’d love to have you. And just like with LE, you can work with your coach to figure out the details of training and nutrition.
In other words, climbing some mountains shouldn’t be a problem at all. In fact, it’s encouraged. :)
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Thanks to everyone for commenting!
And congrats to Ben Friedrich for winning some cool bar tools and a $100 gift card to Bonobos.com. (Ben, check your email. Then go get yourself some sweet threads.)
Random gift-giving for this thread is now closed.
But still, we’d love to read your rules. So post away.
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D Y says:
Summer rules: 1. Enjoy the outdoors – a) Hike and/or swim the Greenbelts with my 2yo son, we both get plenty of exercise plus it’s an opportunity for him to learn about outdoor life. b) Play Disc Golf, courses are anywhere from 1.5 – 3+ miles with varying terrains, the sport affords an opportunity to be with friends and contributes to mental and physical performance. c) Go tubing down the river, hey it doesn’t all have to be hard work, sometimes the best things we can do for our body is to let it relax, plus it beats sitting in front of the TV.
2. Grill – Anything, burgers, steaks, chicken, ribs, pizza, kabobs.
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Bill says:
Spend time outside especially late at night with your friends, and go running with no shirt.
One of my rules: chop wood! Nothing feels better than an ice cold beer sitting by a lake after a day of chopping wood.