It’s just months away and we’re guessing you feel swamped. On top of all of the planning details, you want to look your absolute best on W-day, but who has time to come up with a plan? We do! Here it is: your definitive, easy-to-follow plan with a full muscle-conditioning workout you can do in 30 minutes or less. Make use of our food plan downloads and tips too to get the body you want. We guarantee that by the big day, you’ll look so good in that dress, you’ll never want to take it off!
For Muscle Conditioning:
Lunge
Put one foot forward and one behind you (with your back foot up on its toes), drop your weight (and front hip) down towards the floor, pressing through your front heel and back up to a straight leg with a soft knee. Avoid shifting weight over your front toe. This great all-round toner works thighs, calves and buttocks.
Hard: Hold dumbbells.
Harder: Use dumbbells and alternate legs.
Wall Sit
Slide down a wall to a “chair-sitting” position. From the side it should look as though you were sitting in a chair and the chair was pulled out from under you. Press your weight into your heels, keep toes light on the floor, squeeze glutes and hold for 15 seconds or as long as you can. Slide back up the wall, rest and repeat.
Hard: Tap toes while you’re in the sitting position.
Harder: Tap toes and hold dumbbells.
Calf Raise
Stand with your feet together and raise up onto the balls of your feet as high as possible. Release slowly down, tap the floor with your heels and repeat.
Hard: Hold dumbbells.
Harder: Wrap one foot around the other ankle and do each calf separately.
Push-up
Start on your hands and knees, and flatten your glutes (dropping hips towards floor) to create a straight line from the backs of your knees, up your spine to the top of your head. Hands are shoulder width on the floor and directly under you. Matching the strength in your upper back with your chest, and that of your abdominals with your low back, guide your body down to the floor and back up. Work on your form by not allowing your back to “cave in” and perfecting your range of motion to the floor and up.
Hard: Do a full push-up from your toes.
Harder: Do a military push-up slowly.
Triceps Dip
On the edge of a secure chair, step or sofa, rest on your palms,
fingers facing you, elbows facing the wall behind you, feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Slide off the seat and drop your hips towards the floor. Keeping your elbows back and shoulders depressed, push back up using your triceps (back of the upper arm). Avoid moving out from the seat too far as this places added strain on the shoulders.
Hard: Straighten your legs.
Harder: Lay a dumbbell or ankle weight across your thighs.
For Core Training:
Plank
The exercise everyone loves to hate! Start by lying flat on your stomach. Press up onto your forearms and toes. Drop your hips, contract your abs and get as “flat as a board” (hence the name). Hold for as long as you can or until you feel your lower back dropping. Make sure not to hold your breath! Work on lengthening your time holding the position. This killer move incorporates both lower-back and abdominal conditioning.
Lower abdominals
Do the basic crunch with your feet in the air, knees bent. Remember this is harder the less “tucked” your knees are but also more challenging for your lower back, so play around with how far away from you your legs can get. This will improve as your abdominals get stronger.
Basic crunch
Lie on the floor, knees bent, feet flat and place your hands across your chest or fingertips lightly at your ears (do not clasp hands). Breathe out as you contract your abdominals by shortening the space between your rib cage and your hips. Avoid getting caught up in the common mistake of “bigger is better”. Your abdominals contract and pull you off the floor, not the other way around, so focus on that small squeeze on your midsection and allow the top of your shoulder blades to come off the floor in response. Breathe out as you lift and imagine “hollowing out” your abdominals.
Obliques
Do the basic crunch with your legs dropped to one side. Now the focus is on shortening up from your one rib cage to the opposite hip.
If you have any questions regarding this plan or would like the advice of a personal trainer, contact Kathy Magilton at kathymagilton@hotmail.com
