How do A-listers like Angelina Jolie grace the Red Carpet looking so beautiful? Good genes, celebrity stylists, haute couture gowns and priceless diamonds have something to do with it, but nothing looks as glamorous as a movie star with a genuinely fit and toned body. Whilst the majority of us will never win an Oscar, we can all aim for the stars and achieve an Oscar worthy body.
Although the likes of Anne Hathaway and Scarlett Johansson exercise all year round, their personal trainers definitely up the intensity in the weeks leading up to the award shows. Even if you're not expecting to be nominated for an award this year, there are certain to be special events in your life that you want to look amazing for. Here are my top tips for getting a hot body in just four weeks:
Eat like a caveman
Coined the Caveman Diet, the low-carbohydrate Paleolithic diet seeks to mimic the foods eaten by pre-agricultural hunter gatherers, who hunted, fished and gathered their nutrition from the land. Suitable foods include; meat, preferably lean and organic, seafood, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. Neolithic, or agricultural foods are excluded from the diet; grains, beans, dairy products, salt, alcohol and refined sugar are all off limits. This diet isn't for everyone, especially long term, but it can really kick-start your weight loss.
Train like an Olympian
Forget jogging on the treadmill, or resistance machines. In fact, you don't even need a gym membership to get in the best shape of your life. You can find everything you need to train at home, and all your cardio can be done outside in the fresh air, saving both time and money. The best way to burn fat and tone up quickly, is to alternate between the following types of workout:
Workout 1: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a type of cardio that will help boost your metabolism and burn fat. It involves short bursts of high-intensity work (eg. one to two minutes of running fast) interspersed with recovery periods of low-intensity work (eg. one to two minutes of running slowly). The high-intensity periods are typically near maximal effort. Try to complete 10 intervals in total.
Workout 2: Strength Training
Instead of machines, concentrate on big compound movements using your own bodyweight as resistance. Strength training helps to improve muscle tone, and has the added benefit of increasing your metabolism. That means you're burning calories even while resting. Try to do three sets of each exercise, completing as many repetitions as you can. If you don't have dumbbells, use water bottles instead.
My top five red carpet exercises to pull off the perfect gown:
1. Alternate Lunge with Shoulder Press - Perfect for toning your legs, bum and shoulders.
2. Half Press Up - This upper body exercise targets the chest, triceps and shoulders.
3. Plank - This is a fantastic core exercise, that targets your abs and waist simultaneously.
4. Squat with Bicep Curl - A whole body exercise that will tone your legs, bum and biceps.
5. Chair Dips - This movement has a powerful effect on the tricep muscles on the back of the arm.
Try the following training split for a month before your event:
Monday: Strength Training
Tuesday: HIIT Cardio
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Strength Training
Friday: HIIT Cardio
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest
Conclusion:
The key to success is hard work. You may not have the nutritionists and trainers the stars enjoy, but if you set your mind to it and train with intensity, anything is possible. Good Luck!