Browse the Chicago area's premiere wedding venues and services
• Bachelor, Bachlorette, Rehearsals & Showers• Beauty-Makeup, Salons, Spas, Fitness
• Bridal Accessories
• Bridal Gowns
• Bridal Registries
• Bridal Shows
• Cakes, Confections & Desserts
• Catering
• Ceremony Sites
• Dance Instruction
• Decor & Linen Rental
• Entertainment
• Event Planners
• Flowers
• Formal Wear - Men
• Formal Wear - Women
• Gifts & Favors
• Home Furnishings
• Honeymoons & Travel
• Hotels & Inns
• Housewares
• Invitations
• Music, Instrumental, DJ's
• Photo Booths
• Photographers
• Receptions - Wedding
• Transportation
• Videographers
• Wine & Spirits
Bridal Body 911
Quick, targeted toning workouts for busy brides-to-be
You’re the kind of bride who wants to look fit and toned on her wedding day, and you’re the kind of woman who is willing to push herself hard. Problem is, what with work, wedding planning and life’s regular obligations, you don’t have endless extra hours to spend at the gym.
No need to start researching drastic weight-loss techniques just yet. Here are two different expert workouts that have you covered – one from Kelli Calabrese, MS, CSCS, a fitness and nutrition expert and author of the “30 Day Detox Fat Burning Meal Plan,” and one from Adam Noble, CSCS, RKC II, a Culver City, Calif.-based CrossFit trainer.
Each workout combines the best moves for your arms, shoulders, back, butt and abs – the high-priority body parts that are most likely to get noticed when you’re wearing a wedding dress. Perform the following moves in a row three times a week, on alternating days, for about one minute each. Beginners do one set, intermediates do two, advanced do three. Switch between the two workouts so that both you and your muscles don’t get bored. Increase your calorie burn by incorporating a 30-second plyometric exercise – high knees, butt kicks, throwing jabs or simulated jumping rope, jump-shots or cross-country skiing – in between.
Keep it up – while also watching what you eat – and you can expect to see noticeable results in about four weeks.
CALABRESE'S PLAN
Move: Bulgarian Lunges
Target: Legs, Butt
How To:
Stand about three feet from a chair, facing away, with one leg behind you on the chair. Slowly descend until your working leg is bent 90 degrees. Hold for two seconds, then return to start position. Spend 30 seconds on each leg.
Move: One-Arm Rows
Target: Back
How To:
Keep your left foot on the floor while your right knee and hand are up on the arm of a couch – your back is parallel with the ground. Let your left arm hang toward the ground, palms inward, holding a weight. Keeping abs tight, slowly pull the weight up in a rowing motion until it is level with your torso. Gently squeeze back muscles, then return to start. Spend 30 seconds on each side.
Move: Triceps Dips
Target: Arms
How To:
Position hands shoulder-width apart on a stable chair or table behind you, arms straight but not locked. Your feet are hip width apart on the floor, and legs are bent. Slowly bend at your elbows and lower your upper body toward the floor until arms are at about a 90 degree angle. Push back up to start.
Move: Double Crunches
Target: Abs
How To:
Lie on your back with hands behind your head and legs extended at 90 degrees. As you curl forward, pull knees towards chest. Hold for one second and then slowly lower to start position.
NOBLE'S PLAN
Move: Squat
Target: Butt, Legs, Lower Back
How To:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out and your weight in your heels. Extending arms in front of you and keeping your back straight and chest lifted, sit down and back until the crease of your hips drops below the line of your knee. Don’t allow knees to extend past toes. When thighs are parallel to the floor, slowly return to start position.
Move: Pull-Ups
Target: Arms, Back, Shoulders
How To:
Pull-up bars can often be found at your local park, or buy one for your home doorway. Stand with both hands placed shoulder-width apart on the bar, palms facing away from you, and then allow yourself to hang. Pull upward until your chin is over the bar, staying tight through your mid section, and then lower to start position. Beginners can purchase a giant rubber resistance band to take some of the load off.
Move: Push-Ups
Target: Arms, Shoulders, Chest
How To:
Lie with your hands palm-down at shoulder level, feet parallel and together with toes curled under. Looking straight ahead, straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Keep elbows tight to your body and lock your arms at the top. Pause, then return to start position, maintaining a tight mid-line so that chest and thighs touch the ground at the same time. Beginners can do push-ups from their knees.
Copyright © CTW Features
