Leg Bomb like Angie – The Workout

Few stars know how to work the Red Carpet like Angelina Jolie but even she took it up a few notches with her “Leg Bomb” pose. Her right leg has been showing up all over the internet and even has it’s own Twitter with 30,000 followers.

I suspect soon we will see the “Leg Bomb” movement.

If you want to throw out a “Leg Bomb” like Angie then you better bust a few moves now.

Here are my top 5 exercises for getting your legs “bomb” worthy.

1. Skaters – 20 each way
2. Sumo Squat Leg Lift – 20 each side
3. The Valslide Sprinter – 15 each leg
4. Valslide Side Lunge with Weight – 15 each leg
5. Single Leg RDL with Body Bar – 12 each leg

Do these 5 exercises as a circuit with no rest in-between. Rest 1 minute at the end of the circuit. Do the circuit 3 times.

To completely rock the “Leg Bomb” your best bet would be to follow my “Bikini Body Express” diet. However, you will also have good results if you follow these basic Red Carpet Ready rules.

Yes, I went there.

1. Drink up! 80-100 oz. of pure water each day. This is mandatory. Most people simply do not drink enough water.

2. Eat your veggies. They’re a diet cliché for a reason.

3. Have a little protein at each meal and snack. The key here is portion control. About 4 oz of protein at meals and just 1.5 oz at snacks.

4. Ditch the processed foods and anything with white flour or sugar.

5. Dark chocolate is your friend. If you need a sweet treat this is your best bet.

Your skin matters. Diet and exercise will improve your skin tone. However if you don’t have Angie’s creamy white legs or Jennifer Lopez’s tawny legs than give yourself a spray tan or try my new fave “Body Bling” by Scott Barnes. By the way, Scott has recently teamed up with my long time stylist Frank Galasso to open a new special boutique salon “Barnes & Galasso”.

Okay, get to work and then rock the “Leg Bomb” pose.

Post your best “Leg Bomb” pose on my Facebook or Twitter between now and Monday for the chance to win something that will completely blow your  mind.

Ok, maybe not “blow your mind,” but it will be cool.  And this will be fun!

5 Reasons Why You WILL Get Your Best Body Ever in 2012

Every year starts with a flurry or resolution making. Typically, getting in shape is at the top of the list.  Then stuff happens (kids get colds, you have to work late) and the slippery slope of the uncommitted begins.I believe this year will be different for you.

I’ve been getting emails and hearing on Facebook and Twitter how bad you want it.I have created programs for you that work and I’ve introduced you to others like my friend John Romaniello who have also shared their best stuff. You have an incredible free resource at Livestrong.com and you can find a supportive community in the Red Carpet Ready Club or over at Jason Ferruggia’s Inner Circle.

There really are no excuses left.

Remember that Tony Robbins says “our past doesn’t equal our future”.  We can change.  You can change and I believe
you will.

Here’s why:

1. You want it. You really really want it.

Last year, getting in shape was something you thought you “should” do. Maybe you worked out some, until you got too busy or maybe you were in a bit of funk and just couldn’t push it very hard in your workouts. Well that was then. 2012 is about getting your best body ever!

No matter what! You want it, you can have it but you will have to do the work.

Three moves for arms, investing zero dollars in your equipment or just doing pilates is not going to cut it. You will sweat but you will love it! Getting your best body is now a”must” not a “should”.

2. You follow the plan.

Lots of different plans work but they don’t work if you don’t actually do them.

You are not a vegetarian if you still eat bacon on Sundays.

You are not doing Intermittent Fasting if you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at conventional times.

And you’re not following my Bikini Body Express plan if you only workout 2 times per week. You may get some results but they will not be the spectacular results that others are getting.

 It was so lovely to meet you again- you are always so encouraging and positive. I remembered how I told you at the reunion 2 years ago, that I simply couldn’t do the clean eating thing. You just gently but firmly disagreed with me then. Fast forward 2 years and it turns out YOU were right. Following your BBX program finally transformed my eating habits- It seems very strange, but eating clean is not difficult for me any longer.

The best thing was the last…trying on all the glamorous dresses (AND FITTING INTO size 4 and 6!!!!

- Silke Sheppard

3. You finally ditch the process junk and eat real food.

Ok, maybe you aren’t doing drive through anymore (thank goodness) but those frozen diet foods, sugary cereals, supermarket sushi and chocolate bars masquerading as protein bars have got to go.

The easiest way to make the switch is to do a giant kitchen purge and then a restock. Make sure you have healthy stuff on hand so you can make dinner in the same amount of time as it takes for the pizza delivery to show up.

Think about when you eat processed food and why. Is it because you skipped breakfast and then couldn’t resist the muffin at Starbucks? Is it because you just got home, you’re tired and there’s no food in the house?

Remember what I’ve said before “strategy trumps willpower.”

Get your strategies in place.

It will make healthy eating more automatic.

4. You eat and drink green.

It is an indisputable fact that green foods, like spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus and more are the cornerstone of every healthy diet yet many people still aren’t eating enough of them. I know you think you don’t like veggies but you’re not twelve.

It’s time for you to do what’s good for you.

In the beginning, really try to eat what’s in season. They’ll taste soooo much better.

You can also sneak them into everything have a green smoothie, my more veggie than egg scramble or loaded vegetable soup. Add super greens to your morning drink. I put them in my Valrise everyday and sometimes again in my smoothie.

Try having a green juice for your afternoon snack instead of coffee and a muffin. The benefits are enormous but what you’ll notice right away is not only how good you feel but how good you feel about yourself.

It is a very clear action that says you love and respect your body, it is your temple after all.  Think of these greens (veggies, powders and juices) as your temple food.

Do this and other good acts tend to fall into place.

I LOVE this stuff:

5. You stay with it.

All trainers will tell you the most important thing is consistency. The best plan in the world won’t work if you quit. Sometimes you get results immediately but most results come with consistent action over time.

I started lifting weights at 14 and have not taken more than 2 weeks off since.

Cindy Crawford had a standing appointment with me, Monday Wednesday, and Friday at 10am for 10 years!

I’m pretty sure she is equally consistent now.

Poppy Montgomery works out a minimum of 3 times per week (usually 5 times) even while shooting her television show 15 hours a day and taking a red-eye to Los Angeles.

That’s commitment.

What are you committing to? How bad to you want it?

Leave me a comment below.

Fight Beach Body Panic: The Do’s & Dont’s

Shopping for a new bathing suit can be a traumatic experience. It is not helped by the fact that stores have yet to figure out that they would sell a lot more suits if the lighting was softened and they invested in  better quality mirrors. Also, why aren’t the dressing rooms bigger? I would love if I could step back a little. It’s best to wait until you start seeing changes. When you start any one of my programs you’ll notice your shape changing quickly. Even if you aren’t fully embracing the diet but are using the Valslide, you’ll see your butt start to lift and toned muscles replacing the sagging muscles of your hips and thighs. Commit to my eating plan and watch you belly start to shrink in just days. 21 days after beginning would be the right time to go shopping.

Do take your before picture.

This is not so you can beat yourself up or feel bad about where you are. It is to gain awareness and confront reality. Remember, “The short term pain of accepting the truth is much better than the long term pain of believing an illusion.” -The Daily Love

Don’t do endless cardio.

This is simply a waste of time! If you do cardio, shorten the total time and make it more effective by doing intervals.

Do weight train.

The foundation of all my programs are the strength training circuits. Not only is this your best fitness bang for the buck in terms of weight loss and strength building but weight training will change the shape of your body faster than anything else.

Don’t starve yourself.

You will lose weight in the short term but you will be sacrificing muscles, which helps keep your metabolism high and frankly, just looks better. Girls, skinny fat or skinny soft is simply not sexy. Guys, skinny is not sexy on you either – we need some muscles to grab on to.

Do watch your portions.

You CAN eat too much of a good thing. For your protein, figure about 4 oz. (the size of your palm). Guys, your palm is a little bigger so you will be getting about 5-6 oz.  Veggies,  you can go to town on, but limit your starchy carbs to about the size of a small fist.

Don’t feel you need to workout for 3 hours a day to get results.

You are more likely to burn yourself out or get injured.

Do consider upping your intensity.

We all go on fitness auto pilot from time to time. Consider adding in cardio strength training circuits, advanced single leg exercises, challenging lifts and timed workouts. By the way, my new I Want My Bikini Body Express has them all!

Don’t eat sugar or white flour.

Just consider this off limits until you reach your goal weight. Once you’re there, you won’t miss them so much.

Do choose from a wide variety of lean proteins, vegetables and fruits.

We all fall into food ruts at times but you want to make sure you are getting some variety. For protein, consider salmon, halibut, shrimp, sea bass, cod, organic chicken, grass fed beef or buffalo and organic, free range eggs. Vegetables could be broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, kale, celery, mushrooms, cabbage and so much more. Fruit: berries, apples, pears, plums, etc. Eating for a beach worthy body need not be boring. Experiment!!

Don’t do endless crunches.

The reality is, you don’t have a 6 pack or even a 2 pack because you have excess body fat covering them. You get rid of the fat most effectively through proper diet and strength training circuits. If you want to get your core stronger, then there are better ways to do this than crunches.

Do, do the Valslide Body Saw.

This exercise was first introduced to me a year ago by my friend Michael Boyle and it’s still one of my favorites. When this gets too easy, try it in a full push up position.

Don’t train without a plan.

I see so many people coming to the gym week after week and simply not getting results. They wander from machine to machine without a clear plan or idea of what they’re doing. It is no surprise that they aren’t getting results.

Do follow a plan and  chart your progress.

Whether you are following John Romaniello’s Final Phase Fat Loss or starting my brand new I Want My Bikini Body Express, record your progress and continue to push yourself. You will love looking back and seeing how far you’ve come. Remember weight is not the only measurement. Is it much more fun to see how many more push ups you can do, or how much faster you can complete a circuit. So write it down!

Share your favorite do or don’t in the comments section below…