So pull out your shorts and swimsuit for inspiration and get started you could be shopping for smaller sizes by the end of the month!

Transcription

1 Passionate, Powerful, Persuasive 4WEEKS TO Fit & Fabulous Want to go from winter flab to summer fab? That s what 43-year-old Kim Hampsey and 18 other women did when they tried this revolutionary workout (and followed a healthy eating plan). They lost up to 11 pounds and 8 inches in just 4 weeks. Hampsey kept it up for 8 more weeks and shed a total of 20 pounds. After shunning swimsuits for about 20 years, she s ready to wear one this summer! The key to this unique plan, developed with Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, is its one-two punch. Part 1 trains your body to burn more fat even when you re sleeping while Part 2 revs up your calorie burn for faster weight loss. So pull out your shorts and swimsuit for inspiration and get started you could be shopping for smaller sizes by the end of the month! Turn Up Your Fat Burn Plan You ll do each of these high-powered workouts 2 days a week. ( ) ( FAT-BURNING CARDIO INTERVALS + ) METABOLISM- REVVING STRENGTH CIRCUITS Sample Weekly Schedule You can move the workouts to different days, but don t do both workouts on the same day, and don t do the same routine on back-to-back days. DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 Cardio intervals Rest Strength Rest Cardio Rest circuit intervals Strength circuit PREVENTION.COM 1

2 FAT-BURNING CARDIO INTERVALS 2 DAYS A WEEK Fat is one of two key sources of fuel your body relies on for energy; the other is glucose (stored carbs). Most of us burn about equal amounts of each when we re sleeping or sitting around. But the fitter you are, the more fat you burn at rest up to 70%. You can rev your fat-burning power by raising your ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1), the point at which you re exercising hard enough that your body shifts from using primarily fat for energy to using primarily glucose. To do this, you need to work out just past this point a bit out of your comfort zone but not so hard that you re gasping for air (that s closer to your VT2, when you re burning almost all glucose). HOW IT WORKS Warm up for 3 at an easy pace (you can carry on a conversation). Next, pick up the intensity for a hard VT1 interval (you should be breathing hard but able to speak in short sentences). Recover at a moderate intensity (you should be breathing normally and able to speak in full sentences). Repeat intervals 3 times, as shown below. CARDIO ACTIVITIES: Running Cycling Swimming Walking WEEK WEEK WEEK WEEK Cool down for 2 at an easy intensity. METABOLISM-REVVING STRENGTH CIRCUITS 2 DAYS A WEEK This nonstop strength routine burns about 25% more calories than traditional weight lifting, which usually includes longer breaks. The higher intensity can boost your metabolism for up to 38 hours postworkout. HOW IT WORKS Warm up by marching in place for 3 and doing 5 reps of that day s exercises without dumbbells. Then pick up your weights and do 10 to 12 reps (unless otherwise noted) of each exercise in the order given, taking a 15-second rest between moves. That s 1 circuit. Do 2 or 3 circuits, resting for a minute after each. For best results, always engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso before beginning each exercise. FIT TIP You should use dumbbells that are very challenging to lift as you do the final reps of each exercise. If you feel as if you could do more than the recommended number of reps, you need a heavier weight. The amount of weight you lift may vary, depending on the exercise. PREVENTION.COM 2

3 Week 1 Base moves LUNGE Tones butt, thighs Hold weights at sides and stand with right foot 2 to 3 feet in front of left. Bend both knees 90 degrees, lowering left knee toward ground. Don t lean forward or back, and keep front knee directly above ankle. Straighten legs to stand back up. Switch legs. Bent-Over Row Tones upper back Hinge forward from hips and extend arms directly under shoulders. Keeping arms close to body, bend elbows toward sky and pull weights toward ribs. Slowly straighten arms. Deadlift Tones butt, back of thighs Stand with knees slightly bent. Keeping abs tight, hinge forward from hips, push butt backward, and slowly lower weights. Squeeze glutes to stand back up. Kneeling Push-Up Tones chest, arms, abs With hands under shoulders, bend elbows out to sides and slowly lower. Don t let hips sag toward floor. Press back up. I used to feel stiff bending over to put my pants on. Now I feel younger when I wake up in the morning. Pam Garin, 49, lost nearly 9 pounds, plus 1 inch off her hips TOP BY NEW BALANCE; SHOES BY ASICS Overhead Press Tones shoulders Hold weights at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Keeping shoulders down, straighten arms and press weights up. Slowly lower. Biceps Curl Tones front of arms Hold weights at sides, palms facing forward. Bend elbows and curl weights toward shoulders. Slowly lower. Keep elbows close to body throughout. Squat Tones thighs, butt Bend hips and push butt backward, then bend knees as if sitting back into a chair. Keep body weight on heels, and knees behind toes. Stand back up. Triceps Kickback Tones back of arms Hinge forward at hips. Hold weights, arms bent 90 degrees, elbows at sides. Straighten arms, pressing weights back. Keep upper arms still. Bend elbows back to start. PREVENTION.COM 3

4 Week 2 Base moves are combined to work more muscles simultaneously for a higher calorie burn Crunch Tones front and sides of abs Lie faceup, arms at sides, legs bent and lifted. Raise head, neck, and shoulders, reaching hands toward feet. Do 15 to 20 reps. Lower upper body for 1 count, then reach hands toward outside of right leg. Do 15 to 20 reps. Repeat, reaching toward outside of left leg. Deadlift Press Tones butt, back of thighs, shoulders Do a deadlift, then raise arms to shoulder height and do an overhead press. Lower arms to thighs and repeat the deadlift/press combo. Lunge with Curl Tones front of thighs, butt, front of arms Step forward and lower yourself into a lunge. Do a biceps curl. Then push off front foot to stand back up, feet together. Repeat, alternating legs each time. Push-Up Row Tones chest, back of arms, core, upper back Do 10 kneeling push-ups with hands wrapped around weights on ground. Then, staying in the up position, perform 8 to 10 rows with left hand, holding weight. Finish by doing 8 to 10 rows with right hand. Kickback Squat Tones front of thighs, butt, back of arms Stand with arms bent at sides. As you lower into a squat, press weights back for a kickback, then bend arms as you stand back up. I used to be gasping when I jogged in the park, and now I can breathe a lot easier. Laura Goldy, 49, lost nearly 6 pounds, plus 2 inches off her waist PREVENTION.COM 4

5 Week 3 Balance challenges are added to strengthen and tone core Lunge with Curl and Knee Lift Tones front of thighs, butt, front of arms Do a lunge with curl. As you push off with front foot to stand back up, raise that knee in front of you before placing oot on ground. Repeat, alternating legs each time. Push-Up Row Tones chest, back of arms, core, upper back Do 10 kneeling push-ups with hands wrapped around weights on ground. Then, staying in the up position, perform 8 to 10 rows with left hand, holding weight. Finish by doing 8 to 10 rows with right hand. Plank Tones abs Lie facedown on ground with elbows under shoulders, forearms on floor, fingers pointing forward, legs extended behind you, and feet about hip-distance apart. Lift hips, forming a straight line from head to heels, keeping abs tight. Hold for 15 seconds, working up to 60 seconds as you get stronger. Do once. Kickback Squat with Heel Lift Tones front of thighs, butt, back of arms, calves Do a kickback squat. Then raise heels, coming onto balls of feet and toes. Slowly lower heels. Repeat squat/ kickback/knee-lift combo. Single-Leg Deadlift Press Tones back of thighs, butt, shoulders Do a deadlift balancing on right foot, letting left leg rise behind you. Stand back up, then do an overhead press. Do 6 to 8 reps with each leg. I m wearing pants I haven t been able to get into in over a year, and everyone says I look better in my swimsuit. Lisa Miller, 64, lost nearly 8 ½ pounds and almost 5 inches PREVENTION.COM 5

6 Week 4 Some jumps are added to activate fast-twitch muscle fibers and rev your metabolism Burpee Tones arms, chest, abs, back, front of thighs, butt Do a kneeling pushup. Extend legs so on toes. Jump feet to hands; stand. Squat and put hands on ground. Jump feet back and repeat. Do 3 to 5 reps. Crunch Tones front and sides of abs Lie faceup, arms at sides, legs bent and lifted. Raise head, neck, and shoulders, reaching hands toward feet. Do 15 to 20 reps. Lower upper body for 1 count, then reach hands toward outside of right leg. Do 15 to 20 reps. Repeat, reaching toward outside of left leg. Single-Leg Deadlift Press Tones back of thighs, butt, shoulders Do a deadlift balancing on right foot, letting left leg rise behind you. Stand back up, then do an overhead press. Do 6 to 8 reps with each leg. Lunge with Curl and Knee Lift Tones front of thighs, butt, front of arms Do a lunge with curl. As you push off with front foot to stand, raise that knee in front of you before placing foot on ground. Repeat, alternating legs each time. Plank Tones abs Lie facedown on ground with elbows under shoulders, forearms on floor, fingers pointing forward, legs extended behind you, and feet about hip-distance apart. Lift hips, forming a straight line from head to heels, keeping abs tight. Hold for 15 seconds, working up to 60 seconds as you get stronger. Do once. Jump Squat Tones thighs, butt, abs, back Do a squat without weights. Instead of standing back up, jump up, swinging arms forward, and land back in a squat. Do 6 to 8 reps. When I had to go to a black-tie event, I pulled out a dress from my closet that was a full size smaller than I usually wore. I put it on, and it looked amazing! Leslie Kingston, 52, lost almost 11 pounds FASHION STYLING BY ELYSHA LENKIN; HAIR BY HAIRBYEDUARDOGARCIA.COM FOR AGADIRINT.COM; MAKEUP BY SIDNEY JAMILA; PROP STYLING BY MILEIDY CAMARGO; RIGHT: BOTH TOPS BY NEW BALANCE Adapted from Turn Up Your Fat Burn! by Alyssa Shaffer and the editors of Prevention, 2011 by Rodale Inc. PREVENTION.COM 6