Drop a dress size in a month no matter your budget
Wednesday 05 September 2012
Whether you’ve got a wedding, a party or you’ve just put on a little too much holiday weight over the summer, Closer have got the top tips on dropping a dress size in just one month. If you’re a gym bunny or an exercise-at-home kinda gal, we’ve got the best exercises for you to really shift those pounds!
I’m a gym bunny…
If you love going to the gym but aren’t quite sure which exercises you should be concentrating on to get the best results, then look no further…
Interval training
Forget slogging it out on the treadmill for an hour, mixing hard efforts with bouts of recovery is one of the best ways of maximising calorie loss whilst improving fitness levels. Using Interval Training can burn the same amount of calories in 30 minutes that you normally might burn in 60 minutes of lower impact, lower-intensity cardio.
On the treadmill:
•Warm up for 15 minutes.
•Then run, bike, or row for 3 minutes at 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate (should feel like 8.5 or 9 on a scale of 1 to 10). Take 3 minutes active recovery (you're still moving, but at an easy pace) and repeat the 3 on/3 off pattern 3 to 4 more times.
•Finish with a 10-minute cooldown.
Strength training
Lifting weights will build the necessary muscle to speed the metabolism so you can burn fat calories when your body's at rest. Choose exercises that use large muscle groups and over-load the body.
Free weights:
Perform a dumbbell squat by holding a dumbbell in each hand to the sides of the body. This works the majority of the body, ensuring you get the most out of your weight session. Squat down by first pushing the hips back while keeping the lower back straight or slightly arched. Keep the shoulders back, the eyes forward, and the chest high while maintaining upper body posture. Squat until the thighs are parallel to the ground if you can still maintain proper form and posture. Goal is 12 to 15 repetitions in about 60 seconds. Slightly increase the weight and the number of sets each week.
Classes
Boxercise:
If you've only got time to go to one class a week, make it count!
Boxercise is renowned as one of the best classes for fat-burning. Its high intensity means that you heart rate is at a constant high meaning that fat-burning is also at a constant high. On average it is stated that during an hour boxercise class you can burn off up to 600 calories.
As well as burning fat, this class is also great for toning up your arms, back and core muscles.
I do all my exercise at home…
If you prefer to do your exercise in the comfort of your own home, then let us give you a few top tips on the best DVDs and DIY exercise for the best results…
DVD's:
Jillian Micheals Ripped in 30
If you need a bit of discipline with your workout this is the DVD for you! In her three-two-one interval format (three minutes of strength work, two minutes of cardio, one minute on abs), her newest DVD, 'Ripped in 30' will help you get the body you so desperately want.
The box set consists of one DVD to help you target your bum and thighs, the other your abs. With the latter, her workouts consists of four 24-minute workouts of increasing intensity, with the idea that you do the first workout five or six times the first week, the second workout the second week, and so on.
Callanetics
Callanetics became a national phenomenon in the world of exercise and fitness in the late eighties, but is sweeping the nation yet again! This revolutionary fitness program features three different types of muscle pulsing and unique body alignment principles that work together allowing you to design the body you've always wanted.
Youtube videos:
If you haven't got the spare cash to spend on a DVD, then there are plenty of free YouTube videos that work just as well! Here are a couple of the best...
Turbulence training
Craig Ballantyne’s Youtube page is full of high-intensity training for fat burning with a variety of short interval workouts. You can string several workouts together or add one to your normal routine for an extra dose of fat burning.
MyOMy Fitness
MyOMy Fitness promises "extreme home fitness workouts," and it delivers with creative kettlebell and body-weight exercises to build strength and burn fat.
I don’t have time for exercising
If you are too busy to go to the gym or just don’t have the energy to engage in a full-on exercise regime when you get home from work, then follow these top tips to losing weight by adapting the things you do every day…
Take the stairs
It sounds obvious but, taking the stairs at every given opportunity can work wonders. In fact Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs.
Cutting out the alcohol
Did you know that a medium glass of red wine has a mighty 102 calories in it? If you’re the type of gal that loves a glass of wine in front of the TV of an evening, cut it out and you’ll see the benefits in no time – saving at least 500 calories a week!
Don’t eat after 7pm
You are mostly sedentary at night, which means the calories consumed are not burned off like they are during the day. Stop eating after 7PM for a couple of weeks and see the difference.
Read more: