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!

The Puff Report

Are you feeling puffy? Is the travel, late nights, parties, alcohol and sweets giving you the dreaded carb face? Does your stomach feel swollen and your digestion off? You may need to de-puff. I know I do.

Fortunately it’s rather painless and in 4 days or less, you will be feeling remarkably slimmer.

I used a similar plan with my client Rachel Nichols, who had just 4 days between a vacation in Brazil (including the long flight back) and her Maxim magazine cover shoot. She totally rocked her shoot and you can rock your next event if you follow my de-puff routine. You will need a few supplies outside of your normal Red Carpet Ready food.

They are:

- 1 bag frozen peas
- A couple lemons
- Dandelion Root
- Chia Seeds
- Coconut Water

Purge & Prepare

Start with a kitchen purge. You absolutely must get the cookies, candy, crackers and other puff inducing foods out of the house. The first day is the toughest because you may be detoxing a bit which leaves you a little vulnerable. Make it easier on yourself by removing the temptation and replacing them with flat belly foods. Also now is the time to stock up on your de-puff rescue items.

Hot Lemon Water & Frozen Peas

Start your de-puff routine with a cup of hot lemon water. This will act as a mild diuretic. Have a few sips and then find a comfortable place to recline for 5 minutes with the frozen peas on your face. I usually wrap them in a thin t-shirt or a paper towel will work too. This really helps reduce eye puffiness. Continue drinking your lemon water as you relax.

The Valrise

I’ve written about this in a previous blog post. It is something I use regularly but find it particularly helpful when I need to de-puff. The chia seeds are a great source of fiber, so helpful in getting your elimination back on track. The coconut water will help balance electrolytes (particularly helpful if you also have a hangover) and the supergreens add a bunch of important nutrients but even more important is that they bring you back to a more balanced, alkaline state which is what we are going for. So drink your Valrise.

- 4 oz. of coconut water

- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

- 1 teaspoon of supergreens

- optional 1/2 teaspoon probiotics

Stir vigorously and then drink it down quickly. The chia seeds will start to gel quickly.

The Hangover Workout

Gratuitous shirtless picture of former client and Hangover star, Bradley Cooper.

You have many options here but the goal is to sweat. Since you may have a hangover either alcohol or food related, I do not recommend the super intense 4 minute tabata workouts or wind sprints. Instead, I like big circuits and high reps with a combination body weight and moderate weight exercises. Again, this is just an example. You may prefer a different circuit, a run outside or a hot yoga class.

Hangover Workout

1. Valband Side to sides – 20 reps
2. Overhead Squat  - 15 reps (I just use a stick or dowel)
3. Lunge Kick – 20 each
4. Push Ups – 15
5. TRX Row – 15
6. Valslide Bodysaw – 20
7. Valslide 1 arm slide – 10 each arm

Repeat this circuit 3 times.

1. Half-Jack – 20
2. Valslide Side Lunge with reach – 20 each
3. Bruce Lee Kicks – 20 each
4. Standing Y’s, T’s W’s – 10/10/10
5. Valslide Mini Pike – 15
6. Valslide Upside Down Snow Angel – 20

The Depuff Diet.

You are going to follow the Rachel Nichols’ 4 day Maxim diet for best de-puffing results.

Rachel ROCKED this shoot - with only 4 days to prepare.

Here’s a sample day:

**Coconut water, Chia Seeds + Super Green – 1st thing! (The Valrise)

Breakfast (choose one)

Cherry Berry Cacao Kapow Smoothie OR
Green Goddess Smoothie OR
More Veggie than Egg Scramble

Lunch

4 oz. protein (chicken, fish, steak or eggs) + Veggies or Salad
*Can add 1/3 avocado OR 1/3 cup black beans OR 1/2 sweet potato

 

Snack

Smoothie OR
1/2 apple + 1-2 oz. of cheese OR
Piece of Turkey and some Grapes

(Basically a little piece of protein + 1/2 cup low gylcemic carbs)

 

Dinner
3-4 oz. Protein and 2 cups of Veggies

 

**Dandelion Root – 2caps – 2 times per day

The Soak

I love a good steam when I want to detox but that’s not always an option. My next favorite is just a good soak in the tub filled with hot water and a half of carton of Epsom salt. This also helps me relax and prep for an early bedtime which curbs late night munchies.

Bonus – We’ve all heard the saying “fake it until you make it.” Well, I believe a good fake tan helps your appearance (especially if you are looking ragged from stress or too many late nights) and feeling better with the lift that self tanner gives you should be enough for you to stick with your de-puff protocol.

If you follow my routine you should be puff free in about 4 days. If you need more than just a quick de-puffing, then consider getting a jump start on your New Year’s fitness program with either my Valslide Essentials or my Action Hero Babe Plan. You will have time to de-puff before New Year’s Eve but you need to start now.

5 Tips For Getting Hot For The Holidays

If you’re like most people, you made a fitness or weight loss resolution last January.

If you’re like my Red Carpet Ready Club members, you’ve either succeeded in making them come true or you are still working on them and will continue to workout and eat clean all the way through “the get fat season.”

Er, I mean, the “holiday season.”

Sure you may have a have a cookie or 2 or 3 but you don’t use that as an excuse to completely go off the deep end. The next meal, you focus on protein and veggies and you kick butt in the gym.

I do understand that there are more demands on your time than ever so I want to make things easier for you.

Here are my “5 Get Hot for the Holidays” tips:

1. Take your gym with you!

Not having access to a gym should never be a problem. You can always do bodyweight exercises but with the Valslide, you can do better than bodyweight exercises and have hundreds of exercises at your disposal. Weighing less than a pound Valslides are extremely portable. Throw them in your purse, briefcase or carry-on and you will always have a gym with you. Do one of the 20 minute Valslide workouts or incorporate them into any program you are following by replacing the old lunge, push up or plank standbys with the new more effective Valslide variations. Be prepared to be amazed by your results!
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Seasons Change And So Should Your Workouts

Now that summer’s over and we all have that back to school, back to our routine feeling, this is good time to rethink your exercise program. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same 5 mile loop, going to the same bootcamp class or following the same exercise DVD for months. And while these workouts may have been effective in the beginning, 2 months later, not so much. Longer than that, and you are probably wasting your time.

It’s time to shake things up. Not only is this better for your body and the results you want, but it’s better for your mind. You will feel excited and challenged. You will look forward to your workouts again and you will love feeling and seeing your body respond to the change.

It’s easy to overthink what changes to make so I’m here to make it easy for you.

If you run the same route or jog the same amount of time on the treadmill, consider:

Lifting weights. Full body circuits are best. Women, if you want to sculpt long, lean sexy muscles, then my trademarked Red Carpet Ready program is for you. For you guys, get back on the program with John Romaniello’s Final Phase Fat Loss (one of my FAVORITE WORKOUTS EVER!). Not only will you build eye-catching muscles but your running will most likely improve as well.

If you spend 5-6 days a week in the weight room, consider:

Switching back to 3 full body strength workouts and adding 1-2 days of yoga. Your best bet will be a vinyasa flow or power yoga class. This is less “om” and more yoga as an athletic event. You will feel better almost immediately, but give yourself at least 5 classes to get the hang of it. Consistent yoga will extend your athletic life.

If you’ve been doing the same DVD or magazine pullout, consider:

A group class experience the power of the pack. This is what I’ve done lately by adding Spinning and an occasional Crossfit class. When you join a group, you get caught up in the collective energy of it. Plus, once class starts, you’re not leaving until it’s over. No checking email or other distractions.

If you need to add some spice to your strength routines, you need a new piece of equipment. My favorites are:

The Ultimate Sandbag


GymBoss Timer


The Valslide

And here’s a video of Jamie Milnes, demonstrating some really awesome exercises for you to add in for a little extra “spice.”

However you are stuck, fall is the season of change. Pick one or two ideas from above and infuse your workouts with energy and fun. The results you get will be a bonus.

Have you recently made a change that made a difference? Be sure to share in the comment section below.