Singer/Actress and former American Idol contestant, Jennifer Hudson, has lost approximately 50 pounds recently which has us all guessing how she did it.
After the birth of her son, she decided to get fit, which included diet and lifestyle changes along with an exercise program. As for her diet, she joined Weight Watchers. Hudson says of the program, (Weight Watchers) was natural choice for me because it teaches me how to live a healthier lifestyle, and it makes sense for my life. It’s the best weight loss program I’ve ever tried. I can follow the weight loss diet plan no matter where I am, still enjoy my favorite foods, and even use the iPhone app to track my points. With Weight Watchers I am enjoying the weight loss because I’m doing it the right way — I feel empowered with what I’ve learned, everything from the portion control diet plan to what foods will help keep me satisfied. It’s a lifestyle change more than just a weight loss diet.”
As for her exersise program, Hudson does 45 minutes to one hour of cardio every night alongside her personal trainer. She keeps it fresh by mixing it up by either walking, jogging or running; She also likes to play basketball. In addition to her cardio program she also does resistance training exercises by using her own body weight to build and tone her muscles. She does an hour worth of resistance training which includes 25 reps of the following exercises: push ups, leg squats, and sit ups.
Ashely Greene’s career has skyrocketed with her role as Alice Cullen in Twilight. So, what does she do to keep her picture perfect body? Well, here are some of her diet and exercise tips. As for her exercise plan, Greene prefers to do Pilates six days a week. “I do it early in the morning,” she says. “Sometimes [I do] cardio. I am not a big weight person because when I do weights I build muscle mass.” However, to get her body ready for the fight scenes in the Twilight series, the producers hired a personal trainer for the actors. Greene said that the trainer is very accommodating to her and designs programs around what she enjoys. Green told RadarOnline, “If I want to go kayaking, he’ll take me kayaking and mountain biking and yoga and martial arts. So it’s this whole mixture of everything, it’s really fun.” The key is to avoid boredom!
As for a diet plan, Ashley Greene does not subscribe to any particular diet. She says that she tries to maintain a healthy diet and tends to choose healthy foods. If she wants to indulge in something a little “less healthy” she limits her portion.
Victoria’s Secret model, Adriana Lima, has the kind of body most of us only think is possible if an airbrushed is involved. Well, here are some of her diet and exercise “secrets” to help you on your way to a picture perfect body.
Adriana Lima has tried many different forms of exercise including running, yog and spinning classes. However, the sport of boxing has won her over as she has found that it keeps her in the best shape, both physically and mentally. She says there’s something new to learn every day and this dynamic makes her feel consistently challenged. She told People magazine, “Boxing! It’s my favorite thing to do because it’s always exciting. It’s the best type of cardio that you can do. And you build up muscles
without being too big, just lean muscles.”
As for her diet plan, she is most focused on portion Control. She says “As the day goes on, I keep going smaller with my portions.” She claims that she sleeps better at night when she eats lighter at night. A typical “day in the life” of Lima’s food intake would consist of either egg whites, oatmeal w/raisins or muesli with plain yogurt and honey plus a cup of coffee and milk. For lunch, she enjoys a portion of either fish, chicken or red meat along with vegetables. For dinner, she has a small salad. Snacks include raw veggies and even indulges in chocolate sometimes. She also consumes a spoonful of raw honey as she states, “it helps your immune system.”
So, how the hell did Gerard Butler get those massive muscles for his role as King Leonidas in the movie, “300?” Well, for starters, he spent four months training his body and transforming his mind. He also enlisted the help of trainer, Mark Twight, who created what he calls the “300-rep Spartan workout.” This workout should be done consecutively and without resting in between exercises: 25 pull ups, 50 dead lifts with 135 pounds, 50 push ups, 50 jumps on a 24-inch box, 50 floor wipers, 50 single-arm clean-and-presses using a 36-pound kettle bell and then 25 more pull ups. Butler also enrolled in extra sessions with Venezuelan bodybuilder, Franco LiCastro in order to exaggerate the physique he was after. However, these types of workouts can overtax and burden your mind and body. So, after he finished filming, he took a very long (8-month) break from working out. These type of extreme plans are not overly healthy for the body, which Butler understood. However, as an actor, he needed a quick transformation. A better plan for the rest of us is a more balanced approach, which Butler adopted after his 8-month hiatus. He now goes to the gym 4 times a week and still does some of the routines recommended by Twight. Here are some tips that you may want to incorporate into your routine:
“Start off by doing 100 reps using four to six different exercises, 10 to 25 reps per exercise. Build up from there until you can do 300 without rest. Feel free to swap in exercises such as jumping jacks, dumbbell curls, and Swiss-ball crunches.” – Joe Dowdell, C.S.C.S. (Butler’s current trainer)
“Lie on the floor holding a 135-pound bar straight overhead. Keeping his legs straight, Butler touches his feet to one plate, lowers them to the floor in the center, and then raises them up to touch the other plate.” That’s one repetition. Try it yourself, but with an empty bar first, raising your feet until they’re about 8 inches away from the bar (since there’s no weight plate to touch). Mark Twight
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