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Want to Have a Figure Like Madonna?

by Hannah Punitha on Mar 25 2008 8:20 PM

Want to be as fit as Madonna? Here's your ultimate chance to get a body like the star - and that too without shelling out big bucks.

Celebrity personal trainer Tracy Anderson, who's responsible for super-fit bodies of Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed her tips to a British newspaper on how she moulds her star-clients into toned-divas, reports the New York Daily News.

However, to start on with the regime, one should keep in mind the former dancer-turned-celebrity-trainer's cornerstone principle: variety.

The fitness guru stresses on keeping your routine, as varied as possible, as Anderson believes a stale repetitive routine can actually limit muscle building and toning. If you are constantly working on the same muscles, you will only build in those areas.

Here are Anderson's tips on keeping a toned body on your own:

1. With a half hour of your favourite songs on your iPod, hit the treadmill running with one song, skipping with another, and sprinting with another. Keep at it for the entire 30 minutes.

2. Now on to toning. For each of the below, start with 10 repetitions and work up to 100.

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-Arm raise: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, lift arms together into a V above your head holding 3 lb weights. Then lower your arms to your sides and back up again-- without stopping-- elbows and wrists bent a little.

-Single arm overhead pulse: Using the same 3 lb weights, lift one arm above your head, elbow bent, and then straighten your arm. Repeat this pulsing motion and alternate both sides of your body.

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-Ballet Grand Plies: With straight posture, stand with your heels together, toes a little apart. Bend your knees and go as low as you can, then return standing straight up.

-Abdominal Crunches: With your legs out in front of you, lie on your back with your arms next to your side. Lift your body up until your feel a crunch in your abs, then releasing yourself back down. Be sure to use your stomach here, keeping your legs straight at all times.

-Piking: While laying flat, keep your arms at your side lift your legs up to a 90 degree angle, then lower gently, but immediately raising again-- don't stop! Keep the rest of your body flat on the ground.

3. For those who want an even more intense workout, Anderson has suggested the fun and intense cardio plus toning workout, namely dance aerobics. Also the subject of her new DVD, "Dance Aerobics" focuses on losing inches by burning fat, but also toning muscles in a fun way. If you are a member at a gym, apply the same methods used in her DVD by simply combining a resistance class with a dance-cardio class.

4. If you want to build muscle but not look like the Terminator, Anderson suggests working accessory muscles first, avoiding bulking up the large groups. Also, never work out with weights heavier than 3 lbs.

5. Everyday is a good day to workout. Anderson believes 6 days a week, 30 minutes per workout are the perfect numbers.

Source-ANI
SPH/M


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