9 FITNESS STRATEGIES

Get lean and toned by swapping these overrated fitness tips for smarter alternatives

Position Your Hands Shoulder-Width Apart
You often see this in instructions for upper-body moves like bench presses and lat pulldowns. Why? Because it gives you a stable starting point. But that doesn't mean you need to stay there set after set.
"Spreading your hands a few inches farther out stresses more of the inner portion of your biceps; bringing your hands in a few inches builds more of the outer part," says New York City personal trainer Steve Lischin, M.S. Switch up your position after every set for balanced strength and overall tone.

Crunches for a Flat Belly
Turns out Pilates abdominal moves are superior to crunches for sculpting your midsection and uncovering those abs, according to a study at Auburn University Montgomery in Alabama. An exercise called "the teaser" is especially effective. It activates 39 percent more of your rectus abdominus muscle (that's your six-pack) and 266 percent more of your external obliques (your love handles).
To do it: Lie face-up on a mat. Lift your legs so your thighs are perpendicular to the floor and your knees are bent 90 degrees. Raise your hands toward the ceiling. Lift your torso and straighten your legs, so your body forms a V. Hold for one second, then roll back down, keeping your legs raised. Do 8 to 10 reps.

Squats = A Perfect Bum
To flaunt that sexy bikini bottom by your when-will-winter-end beach getaway, try doing hip extensions instead of squats. The move hits 55 percent more of your hamstring muscle and 79 percent more of your glute muscle, according to a study by the American Council on Exercise.
To do it: Get on your hands and knees. Keeping your knees bent, lift your right heel toward the ceiling, then lower it back down to the starting position. Do 12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Eat Lots of Extra Protein
for less jiggle and more tone
While it's true that protein is a vital muscle food, your body can use only so much of it. "Any extra protein calories you take in will be stored as fat," says Molly Morgan, R.D., owner of Creative Nutrition Solutions in Vestal, New York. "As a general rule, remember that 20 percent of your calories should come from protein."
So if you're eating an 1,800-calorie diet, try to shoot for a maximum of 360 calories, or 90 grams, of protein each day. Low-fat milk and cheese, broccoli, and chicken are all good sources of lean protein.

Up-Down-Up-Down. Repeat.
Instead of raising and lowering a weight (or your body weight) in one continuous motion, pause for a second about halfway up, continue the movement, then pause again about halfway down.
"In a set of eight to 12 repetitions, you'll add only an extra 16 to 24 seconds to each set, but you'll exhaust your muscles," Lischin says. Translation: You'll fry more fat without sucking much more time out of your schedule.

Watch Yourself in the Mirror while you work out
While the occasional glance at your reflection to check form is a good idea, for exercises that involve balance, such as the one-legged squat, you'll get a bigger boost if you face away from the mirror and close one eye. Doing so activates neural pathways between your brain and your muscles that you don't otherwise use.
"That forces your body to establish better balance," says Carter Hays, C.S.C.S., a speed and strength coach at D1 Sports Training and Therapy in Franklin, Tennessee

Burn the Most Calories with Cardio
According to a recent University of Southern Maine study, 30 minutes of weight training burns as many calories as running at a blazing six-minute-per-mile pace for the same amount of time. (And it has the bonus of building more muscle tone than running.) What's more, unlike aerobic exercise, lifting weights has been shown to boost metabolism for up to 39 hours after you finish your last rep.
Interval training--short, all-out sprints interspersed with periods of rest--has yielded similar benefits. For optimal results, do a total-body weight-training workout three days a week, resting at least a day between sessions, and do intervals on at least two of the off days.

Rest Between Sets
"Less rest increases your calorie burn and adds a cardio component to strength training," says New York City personal trainer Lindsay Dunlap, N.A.S.M.
Try supersets: two exercises performed back to back. For example, you might do a set of pushups immediately followed by a set of seated cable rows, then rest a minute before repeating.

Weigh Yourself Daily for Motivation
The scale measures water and muscle, too. It's not a great indicator of fat loss. For a better--and more, um, hands-on--progress report, place your fingers on your belly and inhale deeply so that it expands. As you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles and push your fingertips against your hard abdominal wall. Now pinch.
"You're holding pure fat," says Tom Seabourne, Ph.D., author of Athletic Abs. Do this every day, 30 minutes before your workout, and you'll find that you rarely decide to skip a session.

Tricks to Stick to Your Workout

10 surefire ways to stay motivated and keep yourself moving

Make It Cost You
Even if you already have a routine and know which machines to use and how, pay for a personal trainer. Since most of them charge you if you cancel last minute, you’ll be less inclined to recline on the sofa watching Wife Swap instead of hitting the gym like you'd planned. Sure, times are tough for most of us financially. But that means you should be cutting back on unnecessary costs—and your health doesn’t fit the bill.

Rise to the Occasion
Literally. Get up an hour earlier three days a week and work out first thing in the morning, before work. If you plan to go after work, it's a lot easier to tell yourself you had an especially exhausting day and throw in the towel.

Have a "Lazy Day" Backup Plan
Invest in the basics for a quick at-home workout: an exercise mat and two 5-pound free weights. That way, when you really don't feel like making the trip to the gym, you'll have the resources to spend 30 minutes flexing your muscles at home. Even if you do fewer crunches, lunges, and bicep curls at home, it's better than skipping out on your workout altogether.

Keep a Log
Hang up a calendar in an obvious spot that is devoted solely to tracking your workouts. Every day you don't work out, mark it with a giant red "X." If you skip two or three days in a row you'll be faced with all of those giant "X"s--a visual reminder that it's time to get your butt in gear.

Bribe Yourself
It's always easier to get through something you don't want to do when you have something to look forward to after. On weekends, plan something fun post-workout. Tell yourself you'll stop for a pedicure on the way home from the gym, or plan a girls' night out for that evening. That way, the gym will be just a stop on the way to something else you're actually looking forward to.

Dress the Part
You know how when you get new shirt or dress, you're in a better mood to go out on a Saturday night? Well, the same can apply to working out. Putting on the same sweats and sports bra day after day can get old fast and become just another reason not to motivate. So once a month, treat yourself to a new piece of fitness fashion. Before you know it, you'll be in such great shape, you'll find yourself in the dressing room trying on those itty bitty Spandex shorts you swore you'd never be caught dead in. Because damn, you look good in them.

Buddy Up
You've no doubt heard it before: Having a friend to work out makes you more apt to stick to your fitness plan. So do it. And for extra motivation, make a pact: Each one of you sets up an "I'm lazy" jar. Then, whenever someone bails, she has to put $5 in her jar. When her jar gets up to $20 (four missed workouts), she has to buy you a gift with the dough. And vice versa.

Keep Your iPod Fresh
There's nothing worse than going through an hour-long workout in silence. Except maybe suffering through bad music that the gym blasts over their speakers. Or the same old music that you've had on rotation on your iPod for weeks. So create a high-energy playlist of stuff you like on your iPod--and remember to change it up every week to stay motivated.

Steer Clear of the Scale
Fitness experts will tell you not to weigh yourself regularly--when you build muscle, your poundage may go up before it goes down, which can be frustrating and motivation killing. If you know that, then you probably already tossed your own scale out the window. Yet there it is, the mother of all scales, mocking you in the locker room at the gym. This one, you can't get rid of. So just treat it like a cheesecake: If you must indulge, do it only once in a great while. Like, once every eight weeks.

Shake Things Up
Most gyms offer group classes in everything from yoga, to spinning, to hip-hop to African dance. Tell yourself you'll try one new thing every week, to break up your normal routine. Yeah, you may end up hating belly dancing, but by the time you're at home saying, "I hated that belly dancing class," you'll have 60 minutes of cardio under your belt.

Ashley Borden's Long and Lean Workout

Mix in some variety with this metabolism-boosting routine 

Ashley Borden believes no muscle should be left behind.
When Ashley is holding the clipboard, even the smallest details—posture, foot position, knee and hip alignment—are up for scrutiny. It's these minor tweaks that make this former dancer's cardio and dynamic strength routines deliver eye-popping results for regular women, pro athletes, and stars such as Christina Aguilera, Natasha Bedingfield, and Mandy Moore.
Ashley combined her passions for fitness and fashion in the book Your Perfect Fit, which she coauthored with Paige Adams-Geller, founder of Paige Denim.
Here's the workout she designed exclusively for WH.

This challenging strength-training workout will tone you from head to toe, focusing on improving your core stability and posture—necessities for a long, lean, and strong physique.
Starting with the first exercise, complete the prescribed reps for each move, resting 15 to 30 seconds between exercises. Repeat the entire circuit a total of three times.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Hold a pair of 10- to 20-pound dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows bent close to your body, and stand with your feet hip-width apart (a). Brace your core and sit back into a slight squat (b), then press through your heels to return to standing as you push the dumbbells directly overhead, elbows near your ears (c). Return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 15.

Reverse Lunge with Row
Loop a resistance band around a sturdy object at chest height and grab the handles with both hands, palms facing each other. Extend your arms straight in front of you and back away until there's no slack. From that position, step back with your right foot and bend both knees to lower into a lunge (a). As you return to standing, quickly pull the handles toward your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together (b). Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15, then switch legs.

Pushup
Get into a plank position, hands directly underneath shoulders (a). Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, tucking your elbows, pulling them close to your body (b). Pause, then push back to the starting position as quickly as possible. Keep your core braced the entire time. That’s one rep. Do 10.

Standing Leg Cradle
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides (a). Standing on your left leg, lift your right knee and grasp it with your right hand and grasp your right ankle in your left hand. Stand as tall as you can while gently pulling your right leg toward your chest (b). Release your leg, step forward onto your right leg and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Do 10.

Side Bridge
Lie on your left side with your knees straight, feet stacked, and prop your upper body up on your left elbow and forearm, elbow directly under your shoulder; place your right hand on your hip. Brace your core, then raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Plank
Starting at the top of a pushup position, bend your elbows and lower yourself down until you can shift your weight from your hands to your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Brace your abs and hold for 20 seconds.

Good Morning
Grab a barbell or body bar and position it across your upper body, holding it with an overhand grip just wider than shoulder width, and stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent (a). Without changing the bend in your knees and keeping your back flat, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor (b). Pause, then push down through the heels and squeeze your glutes to return to start. That’s one rep. Do 10 reps.

Ashley's Top Tips
1. Avoid "mirror body syndrome." This is when you train just the body parts you can see in a mirror, which usually means the front. Too many people ignore the muscles on the other side of the body (lats, upper and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves), which can lead to muscle and posture imbalances and, well, a not-so-hot-looking rear view.
2. For every "push" exercise you do, do two "pull" ones. In other words, if you do a set of pushups or chest presses, chase it with two sets of lat pulldowns, seated rows, or assisted pullups. This ratio will tone the entire range of each muscle.
3. Strap on a heart-rate monitor. People always think they're working hard enough, but most aren't. The way to know if you're getting the most from your workout is to watch your heart rate. Aim for 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Find your max heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.)
4. Get a foam roller. When I started training singer Natasha Bedingfield she was already fit, but she still felt out of proportion—dense in some places, trim in others. By using the roller to stretch her muscles and loosen tight fascia (the connective tissue that surrounds the muscles), she finally achieved a more lithe look.

Harley Pasternak’s Time-Saving Workout

Harley Pasternak is an unapologetic butt kicker.
He won't stroke your ego or let you off easy—even if your name is Katy Perry, Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Lady Gaga, or Jennifer Hudson. He'll push you hard and you'll love it (or at least the results you'll get). Yes, this fitness and nutrition pro, author of The 5-Factor Fitness Plan, is known as a formidable taskmaster. But his philosophy (an ongoing lifestyle plan) is actually pretty simple: Eat five meals a day, plan five-ingredient meals, do 25-minute workouts, and treat yourself to five cheat days a month. If you can do simple math and follow his straightforward orders, you'll be hugely successful.
Here's the workout he designed exclusively for WH.

Cardio Warmup
Starting with the first exercise, do as many reps as you can in one minute, moving immediately from one exercise to the next.
Walking High Knees: Standing tall with your feet shoulder width apart, raise your left knee as high as you can and step forward. Repeat with your right leg; continue alternating.
Jog in Place: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, elbows bent and at your side. Move as quickly as you can, bringing knees to hip height while pumping arms.
Jumping Jacks: Stand with your feet together, and simultaneously raise your arms above your head and jump your feet out wide. Quickly reverse the movement and repeat.
Jumping Imaginary Rope: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, imagining you’re holding the ends of a jump rope. Push off the floor and point your toes downward, making small circles with your wrists. Land softly on your toes, immediately pushing off again, jumping as quickly as possible.
Mountain Climbers: From a pushup position, bend your right knee to bring it toward your chest. Return to start, and quickly repeat with the left leg; continue alternating.

Total-Body Circuit
Starting with the first exercise, complete all prescribed reps, moving from one exercise to the next without resting in between. Repeat the circuit three times.
Skater Lunge
Cross your right leg behind your left leg as you bend your left knee into a half-squat position. Extend your left arm out to the side, and swing your right arm across your hips (a). Hop a few feet directly to the right, switching the position of your legs and arms (b). That's one rep. Continue hopping from side to side without pausing or resetting your feet until you’ve completed 20 total reps

Pushup
Start in a pushup position with your hands slider wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet close together (a). Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head. Brace your core and lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor (b). Pause, then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible. That’s one rep. Do 20

Seated Trunk Twist
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and heels on the floor, holding your arms straight out in front of your chest, palms together, and lean your torso back at a 45-degree angle (a). Brace your core and rotate to the right as far as you can, without raising or lowering your torso (b). Pause, then reverse your movement and twist all the way back to the left as far as you can (c). That’s one rep. Do 20. Make it harder by lifting your feet off the ground.

Cardio Cooldown
Starting with the first exercise, do as many reps as you can in one minute, moving immediately from one exercise to the next.
Mountain Climbers: From a pushup position, bend your right knee to bring it toward your chest. Return to start, and quickly repeat with the left leg; continue alternating.
Jumping Imaginary Rope: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, imagining you’re holding the ends of a jump rope. Push off the floor and point your toes downward, making small circles with your wrists. Land softly on your toes, immediately pushing off again, jumping as quickly as possible.
Jumping Jacks: Stand with your feet together, and simultaneously raise your arms above your head and jump your feet out wide. Quickly reverse the movement and repeat.
Jog in Place: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, elbows bent and at your side. Move as quickly as you can, bringing knees to hip height while pumping arms.
Walking High Knees: Standing tall with your feet shoulder width apart, raise your left knee as high as you can and step forward. Repeat with your right leg; continue alternating.

Harley 's Top Tips
1. Work out less. You don't need to work out for more than 60 minutes a day. Just up the intensity! A typical lunch break on a Hollywood set is 30 minutes, and I can get any star into shape in that time. Lady Gaga wanted to get toned for a grueling tour and although we fit in longer sessions when she had time, she looks like she does with just 25 minutes a day of smart exercise.
2. Think ahead. Don't even open the door to the gym or head out for a run unless you have a clear plan in mind for what's going to happen. Otherwise, you might end up wandering around, wasting time, and not trying all that hard.
3. Nix the triceps kickbacks. It's the most overrated exercise I see women doing. Try skull crushers (or supine dumbbell extensions) instead. Lie faceup on a bench with your arms raised straight above you, a weight in each hand; slowly lower them to the sides of your forehead.
4. Give 100 percent at the gym, but 80 percent when you eat. Adopt the Japanese practice of hara hachi bunme, which involves eating only until you're 80 percent full and then waiting 20 to 30 minutes to see if you require more food.

Valerie Waters' Fast Track to Fit Workout

Utilizing the same method she practices with her clients, this fast-and-effective circuit workout will ignite your metabolism, torch tons of calories, and sculpt lean muscle—all in about 30 minutes.

Valerie Waters sculpts rockin' bods in record time.
Her signature six-week Red Carpet Ready programs are based on an accelerated three- to six-exercise circuit that moves so fast you don't know what hit you. It's Valerie's "get in, get out, and get on with your life" approach that has helped shape up celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, and Cindy Crawford, not to mention the millions of women who have tried her Valslides—portable foam-and-plastic disks used to do controlled sliding moves that help tone and slim your abs, thighs, and butt.
Here's the workout she designed exclusively for WH.

Circuit 1: Side-to-Side Hops with Resistance Band
Place a 9-12-inch resistance band around your ankles, with your feet wide enough apart to feel the tension in the band, and get into a squat position (a). Hop to the left, leading with your left foot and then following with the right (b). That’s one rep. Quickly hop back to the starting position, leading with your right leg and following with your left. Continue alternating at a quick pace until you’ve completed 20 reps to each side.

Circuit 1: Valslide Reverse Lunge with Ball Lift
Note: If you don’t have Valslides, you can use small hand towels on hard wood floors, or pick up a pair at valslide.com.
Holding a 5-lb. medicine ball or dumbbell with both hands between your legs, stand with you feet hip-width apart, right foot on a Valslide. Slide your right foot behind you and lower your body until your left knee is bent about 90 degrees (a). As you push through the left foot and slide your right foot forward to return to standing, raise both hands overhead (b).Lower your arms. That’s one rep. Do 12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Circuit 1: Squat and Row with Resistance Band
Loop a resistance band around a sturdy object at chest height. Grab a handle with each hand and back away from the object until there’s no slack in the band. Hold the handles with your arms extended in front of you as you sit back into a squat position (a). As you stand up, pull your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together (b). Return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 15. 

Circuit 1: Valslide Mountain Climber
Start in a pushup position with your arms directly under your shoulders and a Valslide under each foot (a). Brace your core, then slide your right knee toward your chest, keeping your back flat (b). Slide back to start. That’s one rep. Repeat on the other side and continue alternating until you’ve completed 20 total reps on each side

After you've completed circuit 1 three times, move on to circuit 2. Circuit 2: Valslide Side Lunge with Chest Press
Hold a 5-lb. medicine ball or dumbbell with both hands at chest height, elbows bent and close to your body, and stand with your feet hip-width apart with a Valslide under your right foot. Keeping your right leg straight, slide it to the right, then bend your left knee and sit back into a side lunge (a). Press into your left foot and slide your right foot back to return to standing, while pushing the ball out in front of you (b). Return to the start position. That's one rep. Do 15 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Circuit 2: Forward Lunge and Fly with Resistance Band
Loop the resistance band around a sturdy object at chest height. With your back to the object, grab a handle in each hand and step forward until there’s no slack in the band. Stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent, then raise your arms to shoulder height, palms facing away from you, so that your body forms a T (a). In one motion, step forward with your left leg, bend your left knee, and press the handles towards each other in front of your chest, keeping your arms straight (b). Return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Repeat on the other leg and continue alternating until you’ve completed 15 reps on each side.

Circuit 2: Bruce Lee Kick
Stand to the left of a chair or study object, your feet hip-width apart and both hands placed lightly on the chair. Shift your weight onto your right leg, bend at the waist, and pull your left knee up toward your chest (a). Quickly extend your left leg, pushing through your heel and contracting your left glute (b). Reverse the movement to return to start, lowering your left leg back to the floor. That’s one rep. Do 15, then repeat on the other side

Circuit 2: Valslide One-Arm Slide
Start in a pushup position, feet hip-width apart and a Valslide under each hand. Your body should form a straight line from head to heel (a). Keeping your core engaged and your hips square to the ground, slowly slide your left hand six inches in front of you (b), then slide it back. That’s one rep. Repeat on the right side and continue alternating until you’ve completed 12 reps on each side.

Val's Top Tips:
1. Make every second count. When I'm training Jennifer [Garner], it's one move after another—no resting. That keeps her heart rate up so that she's burning tons of calories during the entire strength-training workout.
2. Lunge, lunge, lunge! The best move to tone your butt and thighs is the reverse lunge. It protects your knees more than the regular lunge, but still recruits all the muscles from your glutes to your toes. Try one: Step back with one leg and bend both knees until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then push back to start. Increase the challenge by holding a pair of light dumbbells.
3. Learn to row. If you want a lean, graceful look, you need to do more than just curls and pushups. Seated or bent-over rows are great for getting you into that strapless dress fast. They'll sculpt your arms and tone your middle and upper back.
4. Whip out a measuring tape. Don't rely on the scale to gauge your progress—it's not the best barometer of meaningful change. Working out will replace fat with muscle (which is heavier), so your weight may not budge while you drop a jeans size. Every four to six weeks, measure your waist and thighs to track shrinkage.

Tony Horton's Hard Core Workout

This exclusive workout, modeled after the notorious P90X core routine, will improve the strength, stability, and power of your entire core.

Tony Horton sees boredom as Enemy Number One.
P90X—Tony's wildly popular 90-day, 12-disc DVD workout program--has more than 3 million dedicated followers, despite its grueling reputation. Each strength disc hammers at least two or three major muscle groups at a time, and the high-octane cardio installments burn fat while warding off tedium. And Tony, author of Bring It! The Revolutionary Fitness Plan for All Levels That Burns Fat, Builds Muscle, and Shreds Inches, hasn't won over only the masses; celebs such as Pink, Sheryl Crow, and Demi Moore have all submitted to his extreme regimens too.
Here's the workout he designed exclusively for WH.

In and Out Crunch
Lie faceup on the floor, legs extended straight six inches off the floor and hands behind your head, elbows out (a). Bracing your core, simultaneously lift your shoulder blades off the floor as you tuck your knees toward your chest (b). Reverse the movement to return to start, keeping your feet off the ground. That’s one rep.

Double Banana Crunch
Lie faceup on the floor, with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees, hands behind your head, elbows out. Brace your core and lift your shoulders off the ground (a). In one motion, extend your legs about a foot off the floor and reach your arms directly overhead, elbows near your ears (b). Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep.

Side Arm Oblique Crunch
Start in a side plank position, with your weight resting on your left arm and foot, and reach your right arm overhead (a). Without dropping your hips, bend your right knee towards your chest while pulling your right arm down toward your knee (b). Return to start. That’s one rep.

Tick Tock Lift
Lie faceup on the floor, arms at shoulder level, legs extended straight and together perpendicular to the floor. Bracing your core, slowly drop both legs to the right (a), then bring them back to center and drop them to the left (b). Return to center, and raise your hips a few inches off the ground (c). Lower back to start. That’s one rep.

In-Up-Open Series
Lie faceup on the floor, legs extended straight six inches off the floor, hands by your sides, palms facing down (a). This is the starting position. Keeping your core engaged, bend your knees into your chest (b), return to start, then raise your legs straight towards the ceiling so they’re perpendicular to the floor (c), then return to start; slowly open your legs so they form a wide V, keeping them six inches off the ground (d). Return to start.

Tony's Top Tips
1. Confuse your body. Muscle confusion is the basis of my program. Keep your muscles guessing and they'll get leaner and stronger. It will also prevent injuries.
2. Work out five days a week. Yes, that's a jagged pill to swallow, but it's the truth. Hopping on an elliptical trainer three days a week is not the best use of your time.
3. Do more than walk. Just plodding along is not really going to change your body, unless you kick it up a bit by adding speed and walking on an incline.
4. Think pullups, sprints, and swimming. You're moving your own body weight in space. All you need is your body and the earth. If these three exercises aren't your thing, just use the same principle as your guide.
5. Cram in a mini workout. There's always time to work out. On busy days, take 10 minutes and do "U.C.M.L."—upper, cardio, middle, lower. Do as many pushups as you can do with good form. Then do any kind of cardio move (mountain climbers, jumping rope, running in place) for 60 seconds. Then do 30 reps of an abdominal move, and finish with 20 to 30 reps of a squat and plyometric jump. Do three to six rounds

Mandy Ingber’s Strong and Slim Yoga Sequence

Based on Ingber’s signature hybrid workout, Yogalosophy, this sequence pairs the mind-body power of yoga with the muscle-toning benefits of strength moves to get you great results.

Mandy Ingber is the Makeover Master.
It's one of the most legendary celeb transformations of all time: The softer, curvier Jennifer Aniston from the first season of Friends morphed into the lean, sculpted specimen we see today. What happened? She met Mandy Ingber, who turned Jen on to her unique training combo of hard-core cycling and supertoning yoga. Mandy says these two opposing forces of fitness--constant motion and extreme calorie burning at one end, stillness and strengthening at the other--are the keys to unearthing your best body.
Here's the workout she designed exclusively for WH.

Temple Pose
Stand with your feet three to four feet apart, toes and knees turned out, palms together in front of your chest, elbows out. Bend your knees to lower your body until both knees are bent at least 90 degrees Hold for 30 seconds.
Return to start, then complete 10 reps at a quick tempo, holding the lowered position after your last rep. From that position, pulse up one inch and down one inch 10 times.
Without coming out of the pose, press your knees open 10 times. Return to standing. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Chair Squat
Stand with your feet together, palms together at your chest, elbows bent (a). Sit your hips back and bend your knees, lowering your body like you’re sitting into a chair, while raising your arms overhead (b). Hold for 30 seconds. Return to start, then complete 10 reps at a quick tempo, holding the down position after your last rep. From that position, pulse up one inch and down one inch 10 times. Hold for a final 30 to 60 seconds. Return to standing. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Boat Pose
Sit on the floor with your legs together, knees bent and feet flat on floor. Lean back slightly and straighten your legs to raise them off the floor, until your body forms a V. Extend your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, palms facing each other (a). Hold for 30 seconds, keeping your core braced. Return to start, then complete 10 reps at a quick tempo. Then bend your knees so your shins are parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Forearm Plank
Starting at the top of a pushup position, bend your elbows and lower yourself down until you can shift your weight from your hands to your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Brace your abs and hold for 30 seconds. Then lift your left foot one inch off the ground, hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the right side. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Side Plank
Start in a pushup position, then shift your weight onto your left hand and rotate your chest to the right as you raise your right arm toward the ceiling, feet stacked together. Hold for 30 seconds. Shift back to pushup position, do 10 pushups, then repeat on the other side. Return to start and raise your right leg toward the ceiling and hold for 30 seconds. (You can make it easier by bringing your left knee down to the floor, as shown.) Repeat on the other side. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Mandy's Top Tips:
1. Do yoga...and then some. It's hard to drop pounds with just yoga. You also need a cardio challenge like cycling to get a huge calorie burn in a short period of time. That's what I did with Jennifer. We added bursts of pedaling and running to peel away the layers, and then did yoga to get her more defined all over.
2. Cycle smarter. Get the most out of every indoor cycling class with these simple adjustments. Keep your weight back and down (hover about an inch or two above the seat), chest up, and shoulders back and down. This ensures that you're targeting the stubborn area where the tops of the hamstrings meet your rear and keeps you from fatiguing your upper body.
3. Embrace the burn. Strive to feel your muscles working. Don't immediately moan at the sensation; relish it and see it as a sign of change.
4. Aim to plie. This is my favorite move for making legs look long and lean. Stand with your toes turned out slightly, palms pressed together in front of your chest. Bend your knees and lower your butt until it's in line with your knees. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then plie deeply eight times, followed by eight quick, shallow pulses

Bob Harper’s Fat-Blasting Workout

The co-trainer on The Biggest Loser knows how to push people to their limits in order to get jaw-dropping results

Skaters
Cross your right leg behind your left leg as you bend your left knee into a half-squat position. Extend your left arm out to the side, and swing your right arm across your hips (a). Hop a few feet directly to the right, switching the position of your legs and arms (b). That's one rep. Continue hopping from side to side, without pausing or resetting your feet, until you’ve completed 30 reps on each side.
Single-Arm Hang Snatch
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with an overhand grip, and bend at your hips and knees to squat down until the weight is just below your knees (a). In a single movement, bend your arm, raise your elbow as high as you can, and try to raise the dumbbell toward the ceiling as quickly as possible (b). Allow your forearm to rotate up and back from the momentum, until your arm is straight and your palm is facing forward (c). Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 20 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Burpees
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides (a). Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body as deep as you can into a squat, placing your hands on the floor in front of you (b). Kick your legs backward, so that you’re now in a pushup position (c). Quickly reverse the movement to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 50. Make it harder: Instead of kicking your legs straight back, work your obliques harder by kicking your legs out to the right, then the left. Alternate sides with each rep.

Prisoner Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your fingers on the back of your head, pulling your elbows and shoulders back and sticking your chest out (a). Lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, keeping your torso upright and your core tight (b). Pause, then slowly push yourself back to the starting position. That's one rep. Do 50. 

Mountain Climber
Start in a pushup position with your arms completely straight and your body forming a straight line from your head to your ankles (a). Lift your right foot off the floor and slowly raise your knee as close to your right elbow as possible, without changing your lower-back posture (b). Return to the starting position. That's one rep. Repeat with the other leg, and continue alternating until you've completed 25 reps on each side.

Weighted Turkish Getups
Lie faceup with your legs straight, holding a dumbbell in your left hand with your arm straight above your chest (a). Keeping your eye on the dumbbell the entire time, roll onto your right side and prop yourself up on your right elbow (b) and place your left foot flat on the floor (c). Push yourself into a kneeling position (d), while keeping your arm straight and the dumbbell above you at all times, and stand up (e). Once standing, reverse the movement to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 15, then repeat on the other side.
Lunge Jumps
Stand with your feet together, arms bent by your sides, and lunge forward with your right foot (a). Jump straight up off the floor, swinging your arms forward, switching legs in midair, like a scissor (b). Land in a lunge with your left leg forward (c). That’s one rep. Continue alternating back and forth with each repetition until you’ve completed 25 reps on each side.

T-Pushup
Get in plank position and lower your chest toward the floor (a). As you push back up, lift your right arm off the floor and straighten it as you rotate your torso to the right until you're balancing on your left hand and your right hand is pointing toward the ceiling (b). Return to plank position. That's one rep. Do another pushup, then rotate to the left. Continue alternating until you’ve completed 15 reps on each side.

Bob's Top Tips:

1. Practice the sun salutation. This isn't just for yogis--it's a total-body move that strengthens every inch of you. Do them fast to raise your heart rate.
2. Work in intervals. For the fastest and best results, add bursts of sprints into a slow run. Try this on your next jog: After a five-minute warm-up, dial up your speed to an effort of about eight or nine (out of 10) for 30 seconds; then slow down to an effort of three and recover for up to three minutes. Your goal: Work up to seven sprints in a half-hour run.
3. Fill up on fewer calories. I like these wheat-germ crackers called Bran Crispbread. Each has 12 calories, no fat, and five grams of fiber. Add a bit of hummus and you can have a plateful.
4. Get some shut-eye. People who get enough sleep make better choices and have more successful weight loss. Recovery time is essential, so make it a priority.

Foods for Weight-Loss

Recharge Your Body (and Energy!) in 5 Easy Ways

I’ve seen a few questions asked on both Instagram and Twitter on how to boost energy WITHOUT having to rely on a big mug of coffee every day.  And luckily, there are ways to naturally recharge your body and increase your energy, and they don’t even require a Caribbean holiday (though if you can take one of those, you’re all set!).

1. Cut out all the processed, refined junk.

 Besides destroying your health, and consequently beauty, here’s a news flash: fake food depletes your energy. The cookies, cakes, candy, ice cream, energy drinks, coffee, soda, and packaged or processed foods have got to go! I also consider most all packaged things junk, including faux “health foods” like protein bars, which contain a bevy of ingredients which are actually hard for your body to digest and assimilate. These things may give you an immediate boost when your energy starts to lag, but they’re not doing your body any favors.  They just set you on a cycle to need more when the crashes happen.
That cup of coffee in the morning won’t give you energy to last throughout the day, and you’ll probably find yourself reaching for another cup or some kind of sweets by the time afternoon rolls around in an attempt to stay focused and make it through the rest of the work day. If you cut these products out of your diet, your body will run so much more smoothly and you won’t waste precious energy trying to digest “food” that your body struggles with and can’t really use.
Stimulants like caffeine and sugar also steal your Beauty Energy, making you look as tired as you feel. They are acid-forming in the body. Don’t expect cutting out the caffeine and sugar to be a one-day fix; there will be a withdrawal period, especially where caffeine is concerned. John Hopkins Medicine has even listed caffeine withdrawal as a disorder. Stick out the pangs of withdrawal and you’ll feel so much better after it’s over. Feeding your body only natural foods will give you the nutrients your body can easily put to work for a more energetic you!
 If you crave a warm beverage in the mornings, try replacing your coffee with hot water and lemon or a caffeine-free herbal tea. Rooibos is a great choice. When you start to crave something sweet halfway between lunch and dinner (at least a few hours after lunch), have some fruit. Take some to work with you and keep it in your desk so you’re not tempted to hit the vending machines. Some almonds or sunflower seeds (chew very well!) can also scratch that itch and help you make it until dinnertime. Another great alternative is crunchy veggie sticks and salsa or even hummus. Try my Zucchini Hummus!

2. Sweep those toxins out!

Once you stop inundating your body with processed or packaged foods, you’ll start to kick up the toxins that have been stored in your fat cells. You don’t want to keep those things floating around in your body, do you? Nope! Flush them out. Ways to do this:
 Drink lots of (filtered) water! The Mayo Clinic recommends at least nine cups of fluid for women and 13 for men. This includes all beverages, though, so if you’re having coconut water, GGS, a green juice, or eating a lot of water-rich veggies and fruit (as you should be!), you may find that you’re able to get away with a little less plain water than that. If you drink lemon water in the morning, that will help flush the toxins out of your liver.
In addition to the obvious boost we’ll get from all the nutrients in ripe fruits and vegetables, they’re also fantastic for drawing toxins from the cells and carrying them out of the body, mainly because of their fiber content and alkalinity. When your body is carrying around less waste and fewer toxins, you’ll feel lighter and more energetic.
There are other ways of helping to encourage your body’s natural detoxification processes I mention in the Beauty Detox Solution, including taking probiotics, enemas and properly administered gravity colonics.

3. Give yourself a natural boost

 When you need a pick-me-up, there are ways to give yourself a natural boost. First thing in the morning, your Glowing Green Smoothie will perk you up because it’s absolutely packed with nutrients. You might not be able to sit down with a fork and all the ingredients of the smoothie and gobble it all up first thing in the morning, but when it’s blended, all that nutrition your body can use instantly goes down easily.
Other things you may want to try are my Energy in a Spoon recipe (a little bee pollen with coconut oil drizzled on top) or extra B vitamins, particularly B12, which you can get from adding nutritional yeast to your food (it has a cheesy flavor).
Spirulina and chlorella will do the trick, too, thanks to their high protein content and B vitamins. Just mix a little spirulina with some coconut water (warning: the taste may take some getting used to!) or try chlorella tablets.

4. Be still and be grateful, then stretch

 Sometimes, you just have to slow down a minute to recharge your body and mind. A few moments of quiet can work wonders. You can do this first thing in the morning to start your day off on the right foot, but if you start feeling a little frazzled or lethargic later in the morning or even in the afternoon or evening, you can take a few moments to clear your mind and focus on your breathing. It’s a great idea to pause after work and before the rest of your evening. Then spend some time thinking of what you’re grateful for. When you’re grateful for what you already have, you lose the energy-draining pull to have and achieve more and more. Love where you are right now. I’m not saying you should never set goals and set out to achieve them, but take things a day at a time and don’t lose sight of the beauty of your life as it is today.
You probably won’t break out the yoga moves in your cube at work no matter how restorative yoga is, especially not in a dress or nice slacks, but stretching also helps you reset your body any time. If you can get in a few poses (it doesn’t have to be an elaborate sequence or anything!) first thing in the morning after a few minutes of quiet, do. At work, you can do seated twists in your chair. You could also lock yourself in the bathroom to do a few standing poses, like warrior, forward fold, or pulling your heel up to your bottom (hold onto the counter and don’t do this in heels) to stretch out your thighs.
Studies actually show that work-site exercise programs can boost productivity (hinting at a recharged body and mind), but if your office doesn’t have anything like this, a few yoga poses in the bathroom and some deep breaths or a walk around the block in the sunshine can help.

5. Take your skin care up a notch

Your skin care routine can recharge your body and make you feel more energetic. You can add to the glow you’re already achieving through the Beauty Detox principles you’ve incorporated into your life. We’ve talked about dry brushing before, which makes your skin tingle and feel really awake (it also removes more toxins). It helps your circulation, which will more efficiently move the blood—and along with it, oxygen—through your body to perk you up.
 Another thing you can do is use aromatherapy to feel recharged. Add a couple of drops of peppermint, ginger, or citrus pure essential oils to your body scrub or moisturizer, for example, or light a scented candle to enjoy while you get ready for your day. Keep a small bottle of your citrus-scented lotion in your drawer at work in case of an afternoon slump. Lemon oil has been shown to reduce stress in mice.If you’re using essential oils in your skin care products, always be sure they’re diluted well because they can be irritating to the skin when used alone or in high concentrations).
So now it’s your turn…work to incorporate these tips into your life! Try to avoid adding more toxins to your body while sweeping the old ones out, snack on natural energy boosters, be still, be grateful, stretch, and catch a whiff of your favorite minty or citrus scents to feel more recharged from morning until evening.