This is your year to look fabulous! Use this workout plan to get in shape and look great.
Visualise your goals:
Put on your dress in your mind and imagine what you’ll look like if you lose those 3kg, firm up your shoulders, or take a couple of centimetres off your middle. Use that image for inspiration during your workouts, but also make sure you’re shaping up for you, not for anyone else. You want to look good and feel good — in your dress and in your body.
Eat smart:
To drop weight quickly, I usually recommend avoiding refined carbs like sugar and white bread, which don’t have much nutritional value and are hard to eat in smaller portions. Instead, eat more lean protein like fish and poultry, vegetables, and healthy fats (the kind found in avocados, olive oil and almonds). Also, divide your kilojoules among five or six small meals throughout the day. It’s easier for your body to process smaller meals than large ones, and that can keep you from overeating.
Zero in on your target areas:
Your dress might show off everything from your shoulders and upper back to your hips and calves. Choose moves that focus on trouble zones and put those at the top of your priority list so you don’t skip them, especially when you’re tired. Aim to work your target areas three or four times a week (muscles need to rest and recover between strength workouts), using a variety of exercises. Of course, don’t forget to add cardio to the list — it’s the only way to get rid of flab.
Don’t obsess:
Women often detract from their looks by pulling on their dress self-consciously, trying to cover up their problem areas, or complaining about how bad their hips, belly or legs look. Relax! Revel in the excitement of the day and realise that (1) you look fantastic, and (2) confidence can outshine everything. When all is said and done, an extra centimetre on your hips will be the last thing you remember about the day.
How it works:
These moves will help you get in show-off shape for any event. Warm up for at least five minutes with easy cardio, then do one set of each exercise in order without resting. Complete the circuit three times (then do cardio if you want). On alternate days, do 45 minutes of cardio.
You’ll need:
A set of 2- to 4-kg dumbbells, a stability ball, and a medicine ball (optional).
1. Boxing drills
Works biceps, shoulders, triceps, back, and abs
Stand with feet wide and hold a 2- to 4-kg dumbbell in each hand. Do 10 seconds each of crosses (punching forward across body) [shown], uppercuts (punching up and twisting hand so pinkie finger faces chin), and hooks (punching from side to side out wide), alternating arms. Finish with 10 seconds of weighted jumping jacks: start with hands near shoulders, palms facing forward, and extend arms up when you jump. Repeat series twice, doing each drill for 20 seconds, then 30 seconds.
2. Sumo lunge with frog hop
Works thighs, bum and hips
Stand with feet together and arms bent, hands in fists next to shoulders.
Keeping knee bent, arc left leg up in front and wide out to the side (like sumo wrestlers do), then lower into a squat. Rise up, kick left leg out to the left, foot flexed [shown], and return to squat. Jump up, land with knees soft, and repeat. Do 15 reps, then change sides to complete set.
3. Oblique crunch
Works abs
Lie face-up on floor and roll slightly to the right so you’re resting on the right side of your bum. Place left hand behind head, rest right hand on floor out to the side, and cross ankles [A]. Lift legs and draw head and upper body towards knee [B]. Don’t tuck knees towards your chest; use your abs to draw your legs up. Do 10 to 15 reps; on the last one, pulse legs and head towards each other 10 times. Change sides to complete set.
4. Ball pullover
Works back, inner thighs and core
Hold a 2-kg dumbbell in each hand and lie face-up with a stability ball under your shoulders and a medicine ball between your thighs (optional); keep hips even with torso. Extend arms shoulder-width apart over chest, palms facing forward [A]. Keeping torso still, lower weights behind head and draw them out so they’re slightly wider than shoulders [B]. Return to start and repeat. Do 15 reps. If you can, grab 2- or 4-kg weights for subsequent sets and do 10 to 12 reps.
5. Crab walk and dip
Works triceps and upper back
Sit with knees bent, feet flat, and hands behind hips, fingers pointing away from feet. Lift hips several centimetres off floor and “walk” backward on hands and feet 5 steps, then walk forward 5 steps. Reverse hands so fingers point towards feet and do 5 dips (bend elbows and lower hips toward floor) [shown]. Do 10 of each for the second set and 15 of each for the third.
6. Dumbbell wraparound
Works chest
Hold a 1.5- to 2.5-kg dumbbell in each hand and lie with a stability ball under shoulders. Extend arms shoulder-width apart over chest, palms facing each other. Lower weights behind head until arms are parallel with floor, then turn palms away from each other and draw weights in an arc towards legs [shown]. Bring ends of weights together over hips, raise arms to start position and repeat. Do 12 to 15 reps.
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