GET FREE SAMPLES

sign up for our newsletter to get free sample alerts

The Only 3 Moves You Need to Get a Dancer's Body

Strong, sculpted limbs in minutes a day? Yes, please. Here, the ballet-inspired workout for a long, lean body
Photo 3/4
Add Pliés to Your Planks for Defined Abs
What You'll Get: This total body move takes the plank (a super-effective move for building core and upper body strength), and adds a dancer's plié to target the glutes, inner and outer thighs, hips and hamstrings.

Here's How: Place your feet against the wall, slightly turned out, and walk your hands out in front of you until you're in the standard plank position. For the plié, bend your knees and pull your hips back towards the wall. Push off the wall to extend back into your starting plank position. If you're really feeling ambitious, add a pushup when you're in plank position after each plié.

Do This Many: Do 2-3 sets of 15 plié planks, taking short rests in between.

Photo 4/4
Diet Like a Dancer
When it comes to eating right, Kaiser -- who works with notoriously fit celebs like Shakira, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelly Ripa -- emphasizes the importance of eating whole foods and drinking lots of water to promote long, lean muscles. "Stick to unprocessed foods without sugar and additives and preservatives," she says. "Whole grains, veggies and lean proteins are all going to help you."

Kaiser also recommends you cut yourself off from eating three hours before bed, and "stay away from sugar," she stresses. "It's more toxic than alcohol and four times more addictive than cocaine. Be wary of foods like skim milk, processed yogurt, workout recovery drinks and any type of bar," she says. These are some of the things we don't realize are high in sugar.

There's a reason the dancers you see on stage (or on TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance") look so good: They work hard … like 12-hours-a-day hard. Since most of us don't have the time or desire to work up that kind of sweat, we talked to former New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer Rachel Piskin and celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser of AKT In Motion to find out how us regular folk (you know, those not training for reality TV stardom) can get the body of a Balanchine muse -- in just three easy, do-anywhere moves a day.

BY MARISSA DESANTIS | JUL 25, 2014 | SHARES
VIEW COMMENTS
Full Site | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
TotalBeauty is a property of Evolve Media Holdings, LLC. © 2024 All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclosure: Evolve Media Holdings, LLC, and its owned and operated subsidiaries may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links.