Gunnar Peterson, trainer to Angelina Jolie, says one of the biggest mistakes women make is thinking there is a "quick fix" or "easy" way to get toned. He says that if you want to see the scale go down or get more muscle definition, you have to "turn up the volume." That means if you're going to a fitness class, get there 10 minutes early and do 50 crunches or 50 pushups while waiting for your class to start. He says that if you are "five minutes early, you are five minutes late." Never give yourself excuses while you are at the gym; constantly be moving, trying harder, pushing yourself.
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Tip 2: Do your least favorite strength training exercise first
When people dread a certain exercise, it's most likely because they are weakest in the area of the body that the movement is targeting. That means ideally, it's the part of the body that needs to be worked the hardest. But when you hate the exercise, you tend to leave it until the end of your workout, which is when your energy is low and your muscles are fatigued, says Peterson who also trains Halle Berry. He says to always do the exercise you hate the most at the very start of your workout, that way you put in maximum effort, hit the muscles at your strongest, and will get through all the desired sets.
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Tip 3: Throw "curveballs" at your body
Peterson says that with his A-list clients like Jennifer Lopez, he never repeats the same workouts. He switches up their routines and says you should too. "Never marry yourself to something," he says. "Try [a workout] for a month, then try something else the next month," he says. You have to throw your body "curveballs," explains Peterson, to keep your muscles guessing and working at their optimum level. That's why he has his stars do all pulling exercises one day, then all pushing the next, for example.
Have you ever been sitting in the movie theater, watching the Oscars, or flipping through gossip magazines and just thought, "Celebrities seem to have it all, don't they?" Fame, money, washboard abs. Life is a peach for the ladies of the red carpet (personal scandals aside). However, before you get jealous of gorgeous celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Eva Mendes for their enviable bodies and income brackets, you should know they work hard for their assets -- particularly the ones men ogle over and we dream of having.
The women of Hollywood might have some slight advantages: There's genetics, of course. But they've also got access to the best fitness trainers in the world, and enough money and time to invest in those trainers. So sure, they've got a one up, but does that mean you should give up on the body of your dreams? The tight butt of a superstar? The svelte thighs of a pop star? The lean arms you see on the big screen? No. And even if you don't care about getting Aniston's body, it never hurts to learn some new tone-up tips, right?
To help you reach your fitness goals, we chatted with the trainers of the hottest bods in Hollywood. Our goal? To find out the exact exercises and general fitness tips they teach their A-list clients in order to get them toned and tight. These blockbuster moves will get you into shape, and who knows, maybe even an agent.
