Jennifer Lawrence’s Trainer Shows Us 4 Easy Workout Moves That’ll Make a Huge Difference
So here’s the deal: We’d love to be as fit as all those celebrity bods we see in the magazines, but instead of working out every day for six months to prep for a movie, we have to work from nine to five. And hey, we know how hard it is to hit the gym instead of social events like happy hour with all your friends. If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck workout-wise, you’re in luck. Celebrity trainer and author of The Feelgood Plan Dalton Wong stopped by Brit HQ to show us four quick moves that’ll go a long way.
Begin this move with your hands above your head. Dalton says this extra addition will “engage your lats and also work your tummy.” Then step back with one leg to form a ninety-degree angle. Step back into the original position and then step forward with the other. To finish, step out horizontally and do a side lunge on each leg. Set a timer for one minute and do that sequence as many times as you can while maintaining good form.
Dalton says, by combining all these moves into one motion (forward, backward and to the side), you’re “hitting all different muscles and really getting the glutes. Also, it makes it more time efficient.” Always a plus.
Push-Up Taps to Side Plank
Start this move by forming a totally straight line from your knees (or toes if you’re strong enough!) to your shoulders. With your shoulders right above your hands, go down into a push-up. When you come up, lift the right hand and tap your opposite shoulder. Move down into another push-up and when you come up, shift into a side plank. Repeat on the left side. Set a timer for one minute and do as many as you can while maintaining good form. Hold each position for one count.
Why a push-up? “In order to do a push you need strong back muscles, strong tummy muscles and strong bum muscles for your body to go down as one unit,” Dalton says. The additional tap requires one side of your obliques to work while the other arm is stabilizing.
Cobra Squats
Begin by moving into a squat position. Lift arms out to the side in a t-type formation with your thumbs pointing up. While holding the squat, press the shoulder blades together to create a cobra-like posture. Hold the squat and move the arm in this sequence for one to two minutes. If it feels too easy, hold water bottles or whatever size weight adds a challenging resistance.
While this might seem a little bit easy, Dalton stresses how important it is to incorporate posture exercises into your workout routine. He says, “Everyone does rowing. That’s good for working deep muscles in your back, but you also need to work some of the superficial muscles in your back, which are the ones responsible for holding you with really good posture.” If you work in front of a computer, this move is crucial.
Marching Hip Extension
Start this one by lying on the floor with your ankles close to your bum and your hands lifted straight up. Lift your bum off the ground to form a straight line from your chest to your knees. While holding that shape, lift the right leg to a 90-degree angle and hold for one count. Place that foot and bum back down and repeat continuously for one minute. Then repeat this same sequence on the opposite side. For an added bonus, finish this round by alternating legs in a marching motion without lowering your bum.
Dalton tells us this combo “targets the bum but also hits hamstrings.” The arms held above your arms engages the shoulders and by lifting your toes up you’ll put more emphasis on the hamstring and glutes. What Dalton loves the most about this sequence is that it takes about the same amount of time as a TV commercial!
If you’re feeling intimidated by all these moves, you don’t have to do them all at once! Dalton tells us, “You can do one in the morning, one at lunch and one at dinner.” As an FYI, the exercises should be somewhat uncomfortable. You shouldn’t be able to hold a fluid conversation. But hey, what’s lacking in convo will be made up for in that epic summer bod. ;)
If you’re dying to learn all of Dalton’s celebrity-approved fitness tips, check out his newly released book The Feelgood Plan!
Photography: Brittany Griffin
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