We all want to know how our favorite celebrities got their rocking bodies. Is it millions of dollars of plastic surgery? Or is it just good old fashion hard work? For these five fabulous celebs it’s the latter. As the month of January goes on, many will find it hard to stick to their 2013 New Year’s resolutions of getting fit. Let these celebrities inspire you to keep going in your quest for health and fitness and then we will tell you where you can find places with the equipment you need to follow their workouts in and around Allen, TX!
Michelle Obama’s arms have been the talk of the nation since President Obama was elected in 2008. Women’s health was able to score her coveted arm workout from her long time personal trainer Cornell McClellan. With spring just on the horizon, the time is now to start getting your arms from flab to fab just in time for the Michelle Obama sleeveless craze to return for warm weather.
This workout consists of only two moves. Perform one set of exercise 1, then, without resting, do one set of exercise 2. Immediately repeat the entire routine until you've completed 2 to 3 sets of both exercises.
· Exercise 1: Tricep pushdown with grip flip
Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable station and grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Tuck your upper arms next to your sides and bend your elbows more than 90 degrees. Without moving your upper arms, push the bar down until your arms are straight. Pause, then return to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Do 15 reps, then reverse your grip so that you're grasping the bar underhand and immediately do another 15 reps.
· Exercise 2: The one-minute hammer curl
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them next to your thighs, palms facing each other. Raise the dumbbell in your left hand as high as you can in front of you by bending your elbow and curling the weight toward your shoulder. As you lower the dumbbell, curl the weight in your right hand. Alternate rhythmically back and forth for 1 minute.
43 year old mom of two, Gwen Stefani, has the washboard abs of a teenager. Gwen Stefani shares one of the main exercises created for her by her Beverly Hills-based trainer, Gunnar Peterson, for all of those who think their abs are lost forever. She revealed this exercise in the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 5- to 10-pound dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent 90 degrees, with palms facing forward. Keeping chest up, squat down.
• As you lift back up through glutes, twist body to the left, allowing feet to pivot so that right heel lifts off the floor. At the same time, press dumbbells overhead.
• Return to start. Switch sides and repeat.
• Do 16 reps, alternating sides. Do 3 sets.
Much like Gwen, Pink is a recent mother with the body of a goddess. Pink shared with Shape magazine some of her secrets to losing 55 pounds of baby weight! She worked with Jeannette Jenkins based out of LA as well as the amazing Jillian Michaels. Here is one of her ab routines.
· Knee In: Get in plank position. Bring one knee forward as you tuck your head down towards it. Then repeat with other leg.
· Tuck and Hold: Get in a plank position with shoes on a stability ball. Pull knees towards chest.
· Toe Touch: Stand with feet hip width apart, feet pointed out, and arms shoulder height. With palms facing the floor. Kick one leg high while reaching towards it with the opposite hand.
· V-up Tuck and Pike: Lay down on your back with arms behind you head and legs straight out. Sit up while bending your knees in towards your chest. Then return to start position. Next bring legs straight up without bending and sit up while reaching towards toes. Then return to start position.
· Long leg rotation: Lie on your back with legs extended straight and held slightly off the ground. Lift your right leg up and crunch up with hands behind your head and elbows extended out and bring your left elbow to your right leg. Then switch and repeat.
Of course, we can’t forget about the amazing and fit male celebrities of 2012 and 2013. At the top of every sexiest celebrity list over the last year has been Ryan Reynolds. Who has also been spotted at races and other fitness events. At 200 Ibs and 8% bodyfat for all of his major movies, Ryan’s workouts are incredibly important. Here is a taste of one of his workouts with trainer Bobby Strom.
· 4 sets 15-20 reps
· Decline Bench Situps: Find a decline bench and hook your ankles behind the pads at the top of the bench. Then recline back to rest flat against the bench. Then crunch upwards and repeat.
· Hanging leg lifts: Hang from a bar above your head. Keep your legs straight and together and pull them up to form a 90 degree angle.
· Wood chops on cable: Put the handle on a cable tower to the top position. Exhale, pull abs to spine, and rotate torso to pull cable down to the outside of your left knee while simultaneously bending it. Imagine you're swinging an axe across your body.
Finally, up and coming actor Joe Manganiello plays a rugged powerhouse werewolf in the incredibly popular TV series, True Blood. He has also recently stared next to Channing Tatum and Matthew Mcconaughey in the movie Magic Mike. In an interview with British Men’s Health, he reveals that at first his broad muscular frame made it hard for him to get roles. He says that directors were always looking for a finer and leaner built guy for the part. More recently he has embraced his frame and aspires to be the rugged and silent type like Clint Eastwood. Here is an example of his manly Olympic style training.
· Hammer Blows: Swing a 5-10kg rubber sledge hammer into a tractor tire for 30 reps.
· Tire Flips: Flip an 80-130kg tire the length of a football field.
· Medicine Ball Slams: Take a heavy medicine ball. Raise it above your head. Slam it down onto the ground in an explosive movement for 14 reps.
So where can we go to emulate these celebrities and their training habits? There are a staggering number of fitness facilities in and around Allen and Dallas. Many major gyms such as Lifetime, 24 hour fitness, and LA Fitness offer deals on personal training around this time of year and that is an excellent place to start. Having a personal trainer can be especially helpful if you are a beginner and don’t yet know how to perform these exercises on your own. If personal training is a bit out of your price range, look to smaller gyms that may provide a bit more guidance to anyone signing up for a membership. Smaller gyms in the area include Koko fit club and Private Workout. To get involved in a more rugged style of training there are many Crossfit gyms in the area such as Crossfit .380 or Frisco Crossfit.
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