With bathing suit season looming and Girlawhirl's summer selection of sleeveless tops and dresses staring at her from her closet, she's extra motivated these days when it comes to working out. With advice from her trainer Tiffany Davidson she's happy to squeeze in an extra cardio session or up the ante when it comes to strength training, especially if she knows she'll see some shoulder, back and upper arm definition as a result...
• First up in her quest for a bikini worthy body is Karon Karter's book, The Six-Week Bikini Countdown. Karter's kick-butt cocktail of Pilates, strength training and cardio is an absolute must-have for any time of year. With fabulous photos and detailed explanations, these exercises are easy to understand. And with relatively little equipment required – a step, stability ball and light weights – Girlawhirl is all set to feel the burn!
• For a lean, shredded body, Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred DVD is the ticket. Jillian's three 20-minute workouts progress in intensity with low impact modifications demonstrated throughout each level. Her 3-2-1 Interval System combining 3 minutes of Strength, 2 minutes of Cardio and 1 minute of Abs promises extreme weight loss. And Girlawhirl is thrilled to know that all that's required to participate is a mat, hand weights… and motivation!
• When she wants to do an extra cardio session or two a week, but can't bear the thought of another treadmill or elliptical session, Petra Kolber's Step Moves New Grooves DVD is perfect for an at-home workout with the step she keeps under her bed.
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• And to make sure – really sure – she's getting in all the moves she can throughout the day, Girlawhirl's started wearing a pedometer. Even with her it's-just-a-few-blocks-so-I'll-walk-it lifestyle, truth be told, sitting in an office all day means she's got to be more active when she's not working. This one is fun because in addition to all the typical features like step counter and distance log, it also counts calories and has a mini flashlight and panic alarm on it as well. And there's a DVD for a walking workout too!
Tiffany Davidson is a personal trainer based in Weston, CT and the owner of Femme Fatale Fitness. Tiffany advises consulting a physician or health care professional before performing any of the exercises described on these pages or beginning any exercise program. The information herein is not intended to be diagnostic or prescriptive.
Have a fitness question for Tiffany? Click here.