Introduction
By Jacqueline Stenson, contributor
It’s April. Swimsuit season is fast approaching. And maybe you haven’t exactly been doing enough — or anything at all — to work off that winter flab. We feel your pain.
Before you throw up your hands and cover up in your beach towel, though, realize there's still time to shape up. Granted, you’re not going to shed 50 pounds by Memorial Day — or even the Fourth of July. But it’s not too late to lose a noticeable amount of weight, firm up some flab and feel more confident, says msnbc.com fitness contributor Gina Lombardi, a personal trainer in Los Angeles and author of “Deadline Fitness: Toning Up and Slimming Down When Every Minute Matters.”
“Even if you only have a month to shape up, if you do the right things, you really can get great results,” says Lombardi. “In fact, in one month you can expect to see a weight loss of four to 10 pounds and an inch from your waist. Hello, Speedo!\"
OK, maybe you’re not the type to sport a Speedo, or a string bikini. Still, experts say it’s safe for most people to shed up to about two pounds a week, and that can have you looking fitter by summer. To lose a pound of fat, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. That means working hard to cut calories from your diet and burn more through exercise. (Diet is critical. After all, you can consume calories much faster than you can burn them.)
Weight loss is just part of the picture, though. It’s also important to strength train to build muscle. Toned muscle helps minimize the appearance of cellulite and keep backside jiggling at bay.
Ready to get your body in shape for summer? We asked Lombardi and other Hollywood trainers — who often have just a couple months, or even less, to whip celebrities into shape — to share their secret strategies. Click on the buttons above to learn about six key moves for a swimsuit body that you’re probably not doing.";
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Writing down your goals
OK, in and of itself, this act isn’t going to burn many calories. But writing down your goals is an important first step that can keep you motivated to move, says Valerie Waters, a Los Angeles personal trainer and author of “Red Carpet Ready.”
She advises detailing exactly what you hope to accomplish (e.g. losing 10 pounds by mid-summer) and what specific actions you will take (e.g. cutting out all junk food, doing cardio kickboxing on Monday evenings, jogging on Wednesday mornings, etc.).
Think of this as making a contract with yourself, says Waters, who trains celebrities including Jennifer Garner. Post it on the fridge and read it everyday.
“It really does start with getting your head in the game,” she says. “Take it from a ‘should’ to a ‘must,’ as in ‘I must get in shape right now.’”";
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Fitting in some fun
Who says exercise has to be miserable? Find ways to make it fun, such as heading outside and enjoying the warmer weather.
“A great tip for getting in shape for summer is to train like a lifeguard,” says Gregory Joujon-Roche, a Hollywood trainer who has helped stars such as Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio shape up for movie roles.
“Go for runs, do calisthenics, go swimming and paddle-boarding,” says Joujon-Roche, author of “One Body, One Life: 6 Weeks to the New You.”
After all, lifeguards do having rocking beach bodies.";
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Tossing the magazine
When it comes to burning off calories and really shaping up, not all cardio is created equal.
“You can’t just sit on the bike reading a magazine,” says Waters.
To really go for the calorie burn, practice interval training a few times a week for half an hour, she says. So instead of jogging at a steady, moderate pace during your cardio workout, for instance, incorporate short bursts of intense activity followed by easier periods of recovery. An example: After warming up, run (or jog) hard for one minute, then walk for two minutes, then run for another minute, etc. Start slowly and increasingly challenge yourself.
“Interval training, for sure, is how to get the most out of cardio,” Waters says. ";
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Thinking outside the crunch
Crunches, crunches and more crunches aren’t the only way to firm up your abs. Also try working your core with plank exercises.
To perform one, start by lying face down on the floor with your arms bent at your elbows and close to your chest. Your feet and arms should be shoulder-width apart. Then lift up onto your forearms and toes. Keeping your body parallel to the floor and your butt tight, squeeze your abs, hold (try working up to a minute) and then lower.
Once you’ve mastered a basic plank, try adding even more challenge. Joujon-Roche recommends this modification: From a basic plank position, take a deep breath in and then on the exhale extend your right arm out in front so that your shoulder almost touches your ear. Hold for five seconds and squeeze your whole body as you exhale. Then inhale as you slowly bring your arm back to the starting position. Switch sides.
For even more difficulty, when you extend your arm out in front simultaneously extend your opposite leg straight back and squeeze your butt. Hold for five seconds, then switch sides.";
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Breaking less
When you’re strength training, try skipping the full rest breaks between exercises and instead moving directly from one to another, suggests Lombardi. This keeps the heart rate, and the calorie burn, up.
To really work it, order the sequence of your usual exercises so that you do one upper-body move (such as push-ups) followed by a lower-body or abdominal one (such as squats, lunges or crunches), then another upper-body one and so on. Aim for eight to 20 repetitions of each of four to six exercises in a sequence, Lombardi says. Depending on your fitness level, you could do more sequences, resting for up to three minutes between each full sequence.
“By changing the sequence of the exercises and allowing very little or no rest between exercises, you can take your workout and your results up into the stratosphere,” she says.";
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Remembering all your major muscles
For an overall fit appearance, you want your body to be in balance, with all the major muscle groups strong and shapely. This also keeps you healthy and avoids posture and other problems, allowing you to stand tall and with confidence.
But too often, guys tend to work only the muscles they see in the mirror, says Waters. They pump up their pecs, biceps and quads, for instance, but ignore their entire backside. Some women focus on their thighs, butt and abs but forget about areas such as their shoulders and chest.
Instead of targeting your strength training on a few trouble spots, though, be sure to work all major muscle groups, ideally a few times a week.";
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