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To achieve thefirm midsection you’ve always wanted, become a blowhard.
“I feel my stomachmuscles contract more intensely, and I stay more focused.”
2.
Set it and forget it
Watch the clock goticktock and a 20-minute treadmill jog can feel like the BostonMarathon.
(It’s only been five minutes?!)
Instead, try a countdown.
3.
Grab an icy beverage
Chilled H2O (Youthought we meant beer?
Blahnik’skeep-it-cool tool: a refillable aluminum bottle.
4.
Be belle of the ball
A $1 rubber ball canhelp you score million-dollar legs.
5.
TheSELF Challengehasa simple but effective example.### 6.
“For example, I’m letting go of arelationship and a job.
George Michael’s’Freedom 90’and Frou Frou’s’Let Go’reflect that theme of release and let me use emotional energyto fuel my workout.
It becomes a cathartic, therapeutic experience.”
7.
At month’s end, I test myself again.
I stay motivated to seehow my performance improves."
8.
Begin at the bottom
When doing your strengthwork, start with your lower body.
Tacklebelow-the-belt moves when you’re fresh to sculpt a better bottom half.### 9.
Praise your assets
Dragging it midworkout?
“I repeat a funny mantra like ‘I have a great ass!
I have a great ass!
‘“says Ingber, who also cues thoughtsof sex and her latest crush to rev up her energy.
Butdon’t take my word for it; check out my ass!”
10.
11.
12.
“Visualizeexactly what you want.
13.
Catch some elliptical air
Add some treadmill-style action to your elliptical session.
In fact, intervals were thelose-fat-fast secret of just about every expert SELF consulted.
Next, sprint for 45 seconds, followed by a 45-second recovery.
Keepincreasing by 15 seconds until you reach a minute and a half, then workback down to 30.
You’re using an elliptical or doing some other cardioinstead of running?
Simply sub the wordsWork as hard asyou canforsprintandWhew!
it’s possible for you to slow downa bit forjog.### 15.
Erase Aches
Sore muscles can leave you limping through (or skipping)exercise.
Yet few people take time to stretch, which releases lacticacid so muscles recuperate faster.
Enter foam rollers ($10 to $25;PerformBetter.com).
Almost every trainer SELF interviewed named thesetubes as their must-have gear.
“I sit in front of the TV and roll.
Do an ab-athon
Abs can be one of your strongest muscle groupsbecause you use them while sitting and standing.
Unfortunately, thatmeans it can take extra effort to tone them.
Working your abs to the burning point delivers smoking-hotresults.
Targeting differentmuscle fibers gives you a diminishing rump, not diminishing returns!### 19.
Wear aheart-rate monitor to stay on trackin the 80 to 85 percent of maximumrange.
“I input my goals, and it devises aprogram and tracks my progress.
If I reach my target for the week, itflashes a trophy.
“### 20.
This way, yourhead is in line with your spine and your shoulders are back.### 21.
Photo Credit: Riccardo Tinelli
