With Oscar Sunday, it might be hard not to feel a bit insecure when you compare yourself with celebrities walking the red carpet in evening dresses and slim-fitting suits.
Metro spoke with Vancouver’s Nathan Mellalieu — who’s trained the likes of Anne Hathaway and Ashley Greene — for tips on how to get lean, but still look feminine.
He suggests using compound movements that work multiple muscles and joints at the same time to get more athletic, instead of getting ripped. You’ll also burn more calories, which means getting leaner.
Overall health should be a person’s primary concern, he cautions.
Modified thruster
Benefit: Show off your legs and ensure you’re toned all around.
What to do: Stand with a dumbbell in each arm and hold your hands next to your cheeks or next to your shoulders. Squat low and make sure the weight stays on your heels. Thrust your hands all the way up nice and smoothly. Do three sets of 15.
Pull-ups
Benefit: Look put together with good posture and a nice-looking back — not to mention toned biceps.
What to do: Find something to hang off of and maintain balance and control. Use your chin to pull over the bar and lower yourself back down. Start with one pull-up and gradually add up. It’s a hard move. Consider the lat pull-down machine.
Reverse lunge/lateral raise
Benefit: This move works your shoulders for that sleeveless dress. It also works your core, trunk and legs.
What to do: With a dumbbell in each arm, send one foot backwards and try to touch that same leg’s knee to the ground. As you step back, lift your arms up to the side. Do three sets of 10 per leg.
Kick-boxing
Benefit: Kick-boxing helps get a feminine look without looking muscle-tight.
What to do: Do a series of punches and front kicks or round-house kicks. Keep toenails from breaking by ensuring you use your lower shin, not your lower toe. Kickboxing gets your heart rate up within a minute. Substitute with martial arts or other movement-based sports.
Curl and press
Benefit: Tube-top dresses are hard to pull off, but this exercise helps by making your shoulders round.
What to do: With a dumbbell in each arm, curl to shoulder height. Press the dumbbells above the head by straightening elbows and extending shoulders up so palms face inward. Curl back down. Do three sets of 15.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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