Shape-Up Secrets From Top Trainers

Get in shape by eating right, exercise right and avoid plateau, and stay in good shape for life!!!

Fitness expert  and a believer of one-meal-a day (Warrior Diet taken a Level Higher)Thomas O. Ochieng, Master Trainer at Equinox in Bethesda, MD, suggests doing different exercises every time you work out. "I never repeat the same exercises back-to-back. I may repeat an exercise, but it will never be back-to-back. There are thousands, if not millions of exercises, so there is no reason to plateau by doing the same things over and over. Always mix it up, making sure you exercise your full body every session."

Thomas also suggests doing plenty of cardio, and doing the tough exercises first, then doing easier exercises towards the end of the workout. "Do the hard, multi-joint exercises first when your energy levels are still high, and then do the easy workouts at the end of the session when your energy level has slowed down", he suggests.

"I always begin my workouts with a very hard 20min-30min run,before I hit it hard. Running gets my heart and lungs going, since the lung/oxygen capacity(VO2 Max) is very important. The higher the VO2 Max, the lower the % bodyfat. So run.....baby......run......."

Thomas also insists that 80% of your success is based on diet, so avoid a lot of simple sugars, fried foods and eat more boiled or grilled foods, fruits and veggies, and eat lemons/drink lemon water. Oh, and drink water, water, water, cut back on cheese too!!!!"

Burn More Calories in Less Time: Try Shorter, Intensive Cardio Sessions

Fitness experts say interval workouts, in which you alternate a short bout of hard-as-you-can-push-it exercise with several “recovery” minutes at a more moderate pace, are among the most effective weight-loss methods on the planet. “They burn more calories than a longer, same-paced workout would because your heart rate stays elevated even when you drop the intensity back down. Plus, constantly revving up and then putting on the brakes a bit really challenges your body and expends more energy,” explains Pete McCall, a San Diego personal trainer and exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. (And there’s a lot of research backing that!) Bonus: Working out this way enables you to accomplish more in less time. 

Look Leaner Faster: Say No to Carbs at Night

“All carbs cause your body to retain water, so by cutting back you’ll wake up feeling lighter, tighter and leaner,” says Beverly Hills celeb trainer Gunnar Peterson, whose clients include Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. And that, he adds, can spill over and positively affect the choices you make the next day. “When you feel good,” he explains, “you tend to make healthier choices.” Think Greek yogurt and berries for breakfast versus a gigantic scone from the coffee shop.

Burn Extra Calories: Don’t Rest Between Exercises

Doing moves back to back without a break keeps your heart rate up and burns more calories than your average do-a-set-and-catch-your-breath method, so you get the toning and fat burning benefits in one short workout, says McCall. To do: Pick five exercise moves. Do a set of each one without pausing, and then go back to the top and repeat the whole thing one or two more times

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Get Better Results: Push Yourself a Little Harder

“If you ever wonder: Am I working hard enough? Odds are, the answer is no,” says Teddy Bass, a Beverly Hills personal trainer (and the man behind Cameron Diaz’s rockin’ bod, as well as celebs like Christina Applegate and Lucy Liu). “You’re not only wasting your valuable time, you’re simply not going to see the change you’re looking for.” Instead, to get the most of their fitness routines, Bass advises clients to check in with themselves several times during their solo workouts and ask if they’re really challenging themselves.

Speed Weight Loss: Take a Day Off

Yes, you read that right. “I see so many women who think that if they want to get in shape and lose weight fast they need to exercise like crazy every single day. Not true!” says McCall. “Your body needs at least one or two rest days a week, where you either do a much easier workout, or just totally take it easy.” It may sound counterintuitive, but it works. “If you push yourself too much you’re going to put your body into a stressed state where it will actually hold onto any excess weight (rather than give it up) because it fears you’re going to run it into the ground and sooner or later it’s going to need those fat reserves for energy.” It’s kind of like the starvation diet, but in reverse. So for best results, ease up once or twice a week.

Maintain Your Fitness Focus: Ditch the Reading Materials

“I can’t tell you how many women I see at the gym and they’re barely pedaling the bike or elliptical machine because they’re so focused on what they’re reading, be it a magazine, cell phone or newspaper,” says Bass. It's okay to zone out, but don't forget why you're there. To get the biggest fitness bang for your buck, he suggests leaving the reading material at home and listening to tunes or even a podcast.

Sculpt Your Butt and Thighs Faster: Lose the Basic Lunge

Surprise: There’s a better and faster way to slim down your lower half, says Peterson. Rather than doing moves that isolate your butt or quads, as lunges and squats do, try doing combo moves that tone your upper and lower body at the same time. “They use so many different muscle groups all at once, which will burn more calories. And because compound exercises usually involve movement of some kind, you get an added calorie-burn bonus.” Try doing a squat and adding a shoulder press at the top of the move. Or do walking lunges, adding a biceps curl as you lower down. 

Intensify Your Workout: Turn Up the Tunes

Research shows that a killer playlist can actually make you work out more intensely, without even realizing it, according to McCall. The speedier the tempo, the harder people tend to exercise, so load your iPod with upbeat songs. There’s even evidence that music makes workouts feel easier and more enjoyable. So turn those tunes up!

Avoid the Plateau Effect: Shake Things Up

Why? “Because workouts don’t work forever,” says Bass, who shares the same sentiments as Thomas Ochieng. “I see so many women doing the same routine day in and day out. But after about a month or so, your body gets better at it -- and because the challenge isn’t there anymore, you’re not going to keep getting results. It’s the primary reason women plateau.” The fix: Thomas says "Mix it up. You don’t have to completely reinvent your workout, just tweak it,” he says. "Do a few more reps when strength training or try moves like shoulder presses standing on one leg, or on a bosu ball. For cardio, up the intensity (either the speed or resistance) or try out a different program on the treadmill. Try kickboxing, or jump-rope, or speed bags to up your cardio intensity"