Get a body like Jessica Alba with these tips
Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway are just a few of the celebrities who have worked their bodies with Ramona Braganza, and now we have her fitness tips to get in shape too.
Get an A-List celebrity body with the help of the fitness expert who has teamed up with Everything But the Cow, a new soya protein shake made with realy fruit, to bring you her top tops on toning up and staying in shape.
Follow her ten top tips to get the perfect celeb bod:
- 1. Pre-workout fuel
Are you fuelling up adequately with pre and post workout meals? If not you may be sabotaging your workouts. Eating the right foods at the right times will make a difference in the way you gain muscle tissue. Make sure you have a snack pre workout such as steel cut oats, eggs and toast, or if on the go, a handful of almonds or a protein shake like Everything But the Cow – it is a blend of soya protein and real fruit and will give you the energy you need to work hard.
- 2. Healthy eating
Giving your body what it needs includes restoring a natural balance. Training hard produces stress which in turn, creates free radicals which attack healthy tissue in the body. To help your body fight these free radicals, ensure you have a healthy intake of fruit and vegetables each day such as broccoli, berries and cherries.
- 3. No excuses
If you suddenly find yourself away from a gym then don’t skip a workout just because you don’t have any equipment. Try combinations that include single legged squats, single arm pushups, walking squats and sit ups. A full body workout can get you the sweat you need in 10 minutes.
- 4. Train smarter not longer
If you are one of those people that believes they need to spend as much as 2 hours a day in the gym then I have news for you: It is better to train in an efficient effective manner at an intensity level that challenges you, say 30-45 minutes than exercising for longer periods (anything over and hour) and risking overtraining. Overtraining can break down muscle tissue and can even lead to injury over time.
- 5. Lift heavy enough weights
I often see ladies in the gym not lifting enough weight. They are afraid of bulking up, but if not enough weight is lifted then not enough stress is put on the muscle to make a change. Women don’t need to worry about bulking up; hormonally women don’t have enough testosterone to look like men. My clients have included Halle Berry, Jessica Alba and Kate Beckinsale and all lift weights and none look bulky but instead are enviably toned.
- 6. Body composition should matter more than the number on the scales
Often we measure ourselves by stepping on the scales. Unfortunately that number tells only half the story. Our body composition reveals ratio of fat to lean muscle tissue and while muscle weighs more than fat, it looks better on a body and it burns calories even while we sleep, so step away from the scales and trust how you feel in your clothes and in yourself.
- 7. Mix up your routine
Doing the same thing all the time will only make you plateau. When it comes to your cardio don’t always run at the same pace, mix in intervals of fast of slow. When it comes to strength training mix up the exercises, sets and reps, challenge yourself with new equipment and training techniques such as drop sets or supersets. (Learn about these on my Ramona321 app available on iTunes).
- 8. Rest and recovery
When lifting weights, the body is “stressed”. This is necessary in order to get fitter or increase strength. Equally important is the recovery period - a time to rebuild muscle tissue and recharge energy supplies. Schedule rest days in your workouts, a good idea is to train three days on and one day off, especially if you train several days a week.
- 9. Hydrate before, during and after workout
Dehydration can impair your physical and mental performance in all types of sports and exercise. Being as little as 2% dehydrated can reduce your performance by 10-20%, most of us run around all day with 50% dehydration and expect our bodies and mind to perform .To achieve best results in a workout drink a glass of water before and sip some during.
- 10. Protein for muscle building
What you eat and drink is as important as your training. In fact proper nutrition is half the equation. Not getting enough protein in your daily diet can sabotage your goals. Include complete proteins that contain all the muscle building amino acids, such as eggs or soybeans. Also remember to follow your workout with a protein shake like Everything But The Cow, it’s the perfect blend of soya protein and real fruit, so will help your body recover quickly. Muscle tissue looks for glucose and needs protein to repair and rebuild, it’s crucial you give your body what it needs.
Everything But The Cow soya protein and real fruit shakes are now available nationwide at Holland & Barrett and retail at £2.49 for 330ml. For more information visit www.facebook.com/EverythingButTheCow or join the #EverythingBut conversation on www.twitter.com/EveryButTheCow
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