Becoming a "Buff" Bride

Tips from New York Personal Training's own Mike Shaw

By Vané Broussard

You'd think that with a wedding coming up, you'd be super pumped and motivated to get in shape and fit in that dress...right?  Somehow, that didn't happen for me when I was getting married.  I had the gym membership, I think I even had a trainer at one point, but for some reason, I never went to the gym.  I ended up looking fine for the wedding, yet in the back of my mind, I was completely disappointed with myself.  Thats why now, a year and a half later, I've decided to get serious about working out and getting back into shape.  I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat, so I asked the owner of New York Personal Training to offer up some tips for getting into shape before your big day.

At New York Personal Training we have worked with hundreds of brides to help them look and feel confident, sexy, and beautiful on their wedding day....and honeymoon!

Here are some tips we hope you find helpful:

#1- Perform a complete body resistance training routine 3-4x per week. Train in a "circuit training" style, which means little or no rest between sets, moving from large muscle groups (legs, back, shoulders) to smaller groups (biceps, triceps). Perform two exercises per body part followed by a 30 second interval of cardiovascular work...like jumping jacks or running in place.

#2- Training multiple body parts at the same time helps build lean muscle and burn fat. For example - perform shoulder presses with dumbbells while performing a stationary lunge. Another example would be doing a dumbbell chest press while rising up into an abdominal crunch at the top of each rep.

#3- Of paramount importance is the correct nutrition plan. Eat small meals every three hours. Only consume foods that were once alive or grew in the ground. NO PROCESSED FOODS or REFINED SUGARS. A good rule to follow is 1g of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight, and .25 grams of healthy fats per pound of bodyweight. Eat 1/3 of your carbs for breakfast along with 1/5 of your protein. Repeat this formula within an hour before AND after your workout. Your other two meals should be all protein. Drink at least 64oz of water per day.

#4- Take one day per week to rest. No weights or cardio on this day. You can also eat a little bit extra on your rest day- but stick to your "good foods."

If you need more help, send us an email at nypt@nypersonaltraining.com