{"id":7089,"date":"2009-11-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-11-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/train-like-a-celebrity\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T16:51:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T16:51:51","slug":"train-like-a-celebrity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/train-like-a-celebrity\/","title":{"rendered":"Train Like a Celebrity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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 How do Hollywood\u2019s hottest celebs keep their envy-inducing figures?<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe key is consistency and intensity,\u201d says celebrity trainer and Gold\u2019s Gym Fitness Institute member Ramona Braganza<\/strong>, who helped Anne Hathaway tone up for the 2008 Oscars and Jessica Alba drop her post-baby weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen celebs have to get in shape, they are really on top of it,\u201d agrees Adam Friedman<\/strong>, a certified personal trainer at the Gold\u2019s Gym Fitness Institute whose clients include model and Olympic volleyball star Gabrielle Reece and NBA forward Austin Croshere. \u201cThey view working out as not just for health, but as a responsibility to their profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t create your own Hollywood-inspired workout at home. Braganza thinks taking fitness cues from your favorite celebs is a great way to put a fresh spin on your gym routine. For example, to help today\u2019s leading ladies perfect their figures for upcoming roles, Braganza alternates 10-minute intervals of cardio with three sets of circuit strength-training and core exercises. She notes: \u201cYou have to keep the heart rate up throughout the routine for maximum calorie burn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ramona\"<\/a><\/figure>
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Hot Celebrity Workout Trends<\/h2>\n

Today\u2019s starlets don\u2019t want to bulk up, so cardio is king, Friedman says. Cycling, running on the beach (and from paparazzi!) and climbing the trendy Santa Monica Stairs, a taxing set of 154 steep wood stairs, are popular ways to burn calories. The Los Angeles-based trainer also relies on functional body-weight exercises \u2014 moves like push-ups and squats, which challenge your muscle groups to work together at once \u2014 to get his famous clients in their best shape ever. \u201cThe idea is to recruit the highest amount of muscle fibers at a time, because the more you\u2019re getting your nervous system involved, the more calories you\u2019re going to burn, the more fat you\u2019re going to burn, the more challenging the exercise is going to be,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\"workout-adam\"<\/a><\/figure>
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His tried-and-true favorite? The dreaded lunge.<\/p>\n

\u201cLunges are the No. 1 most hated exercise among all my clients,\u201d Friedman says with a smile. \u201cThey\u2019re hard and they hurt! But there are so many benefits and so many variations that hit all the areas you want to target.\u201d Case in point: Braganza\u2019s client Jessica Alba reportedly owes her refined behind to a strict diet of lunges.<\/p>\n

For an extra challenge, pair the moves with a weight known as a kettlebell, as Friedman makes his pro athletes do, to really work your core and develop explosiveness. \u201cBut you should already have a strong foundation in your core, so it\u2019s not something to go to right away,\u201d he warns.<\/p>\n

According to Braganza, making those basic changes to your routine will help to keep exercise fresh and exciting.<\/p>\n

\u201cVariety is very important,\u201d she says. \u201cFor my clients, I try to find what they enjoy and then include it somehow every few workouts, whether it\u2019s boxing drills, hiking or dance classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrity Workout Favorite<\/h2>\n

One activity in particular is especially popular with today\u2019s leading ladies: yoga.<\/p>\n

\u201cCelebrities love yoga!\u201d Friedman says. \u201cIt works for them on a mental level, and they love stretching and the feeling they get.\u201d Not to mention long, lean muscles and improved balance and posture. And good posture can mean the difference between a great red-carpet photo and a nod on the worst-dressed list.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarrying your head and shoulders<\/a> forward with bad posture doesn\u2019t look good in pictures or in the mirror,\u201d Friedman explains. \u201cBut if you improve your posture and strengthen your back, you\u2019ll look dramatically different and your energy will be different.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ultimate Hollywood Workout<\/h2>\n

In her 3-2-1 Method, celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza mixes short bursts of cardio with three sets of strength training to keep the workout interesting and the muscles guessing. This particular workout focuses on the triceps and legs, but you can easily sub in alternate exercises. \u201cVariety is very important,\u201d she says. \u201cFind what you enjoy and include it somehow, whether it\u2019s boxing drills, hiking or dance classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

CARDIO<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Recumbent bike, 10 minutes<\/p>\n

Begin at a moderate pace for the first three minutes, then gradually increase pace and resistance for the remaining seven minutes.<\/p>\n

CIRCUIT I<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Do this circuit three times, with one minute of rest between exercises.<\/p>\n

Flat bench chest press<\/strong><\/h3>\n

20 reps, use a challenging but liftable weight<\/em><\/p>\n

Lie on your back, gripping a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent 90 degrees. Press dumbbells upward until arms are extended. Lower to starting position.<\/p>\n

Standing rear lunge<\/strong><\/h3>\n

20 reps for each leg<\/em><\/p>\n

Stand with feet together, hands on your hips or down at your sides. Step back with one foot, landing on the ball of your foot. Bend the back knee until it almost or barely touches the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat with opposite leg.<\/p>\n

Bench dip<\/strong><\/h3>\n

20\u201330 reps<\/em><\/p>\n

Position your hands shoulder-width apart behind you on the edge of a secured bench. Walk your feet out in front of you until you are resting on your heels. Lower your upper body toward the floor by bending your elbows. Slowly press off with your hands to push yourself back up to the starting position.<\/p>\n

CARDIO<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Treadmill, 10 minutes<\/p>\n

Jog at a moderate pace for one minute, then switch to intervals: Every 30 seconds, increase pace to a sprint, then return to normal speed. For the final five minutes, gradually increase the incline.<\/p>\n

CIRCUIT II<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Do this circuit three times, with one minute of rest between exercises.<\/p>\n

Incline fly<\/strong><\/h3>\n

20 reps, use a challenging but liftable weight<\/em><\/p>\n

Lie on an incline bench with legs parted and feet firmly on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your chest and elbows slightly bent. Slowly lower the dumbbells out and away from each other until they are at chest level. Raise to starting position.<\/p>\n

Squat thrust<\/strong><\/h3>\n

15 reps<\/em><\/p>\n

Begin in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart. Squat and place your palms on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet back as if you are going to do a push-up. Quickly return to the squat position and then stand up.<\/p>\n

One-arm tricep extension<\/strong><\/h3>\n

10 reps for each arm, plus 10 reps for both arms together<\/em><\/p>\n

Sit on a seat with back support just below shoulder height. Grip dumbbell with one hand over head with arm straight up or slightly back. Keeping upper arm vertical, lower dumbbell behind the shoulder. Then extend arm to the starting position.<\/p>\n

CARDIO<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Elliptical trainer, 10 minutes<\/p>\n

Gradually increase resistance every 30 seconds until you are at about 80% heart rate.<\/p>\n

CORE<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Add a stability ball or BOSU balance trainer to any of these exercises to crank up the intensity.<\/p>\n

Crunch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

30 reps<\/em><\/p>\n

Lie on your back with your legs bent, hands behind your head and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your neck relaxed, roll your upper back off the floor and then slowly return to the starting position.<\/p>\n

Reverse crunch<\/strong><\/h3>\n

30 reps<\/em><\/p>\n

From the crunch position, lift your knees in a smooth arc toward your head, contract the abs and then lower knees back down, making sure not to touch them to the ground. That way, abdominal tension will be maintained.<\/p>\n

Plank<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hold for 30 seconds to one minute<\/em><\/p>\n

Lie facedown on a mat. Push off from your chest, as if you were performing a push-up, coming to rest on your forearms (elbows bent 90 degrees) and toes. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels with abs contracted, while you hold the position.<\/p>\n

STRETCHING<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Finish with five to 10 minutes of stretching<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<p>Get an A-list workout with these tips from our trainers to the stars!<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":7090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_post_subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[224,186,223,124,94],"class_list":["post-7089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-workouts","tag-chest-workouts","tag-improve-cardio","tag-lunge-workouts","tag-squats","tag-stretching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7089"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10076,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7089\/revisions\/10076"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}