Ross Edgely’s tips for perfect abs
Want abs like these? Then listen to these words of wisdom from LA Muscle’s Ross Edgely.
‘I have worked with my fair share of celebrities and models, and one thing I have discovered over the years is that in Hollywood it seems the size and appearance of a celebrity’s waistline directly corresponds to their wage packet. You see it’s no coincidence Beyonce, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Cameron Diaz and Gisele Bundchen are amongst the highest paid and that they also own the tightest, firmest most defined stomachs around. So here are my tips to craft yourself a ‘Hollywood’ Stomach.
Tip 1: Upper Abs (Upper Rectus Abdominis)
To train and define the upper abs try performing the conventional sit-up but with a weight held against the chest. Use a weight with which you can perform between 10-20 sit-ups. This is perfect for burning calories, increasing the body’s metabolism and helping to define the stomach muscle.
Tip 2: Lower Abs (Lower Rectus Abdominis) The lower abdominals are so important to train if you want the appearance of a flat stomach. If it isn’t trained regularly, gravity can take its toll and the lower part of the stomach can stick out ever so slightly. One way to train the lower abdominals efficiently is by lying on your back, raising your feet 6 inches off the ground, holding that for 2 seconds and then raising them 25 inches off the floor, pause for 2 seconds and then lower back down to 6 inches off the floor. Repeat repeat 12 times.
Tip 3: Transverse Abdominis This muscle is far less well known than the abdominals (which are the muscles for producing the six-pack) yet is so important to the appearance of the stomach. It wraps around the abdomen like a corset and when trained, can produce a firmer, thinner and tighter waist. To train this muscle try the plank exercise. Assume a press up position but rest on your elbows instead of your hands. Then hold this position for 30 seconds, keeping the stomach and bum raised and tight at all times while remembering to breathe normally. Perform this 3 times and when it becomes easy, try it for 45 seconds and then 1 minute.
Tip 4: Side stomach To produce the lines that subtly appear down the side of the stomach simply try implementing a twist into all your stomach exercises. Whether it’s the conventional sit up, or leg raises, this will engage the oblique muscles (the muscles that run down the side of your stomach).
Tip 5: Body Fat Even if all of the above is done well and the relevant muscles are trained properly, how the stomach appears is mainly determined by body fat levels. Women should be aiming for a body fat level in the region of 17%-22%, and men in the region of 9%-12%, since this will ensure the definition in the stomach muscles is visible. A tip to attain these body fat levels is to perform anaerobic workouts such as weight lifting and sprinting, since these burn more calories than aerobic workouts (eg slow cycling, walking etc) and also they can increase the body’s metabolism for hours even after the person has stopped exercising.
Ross Edgley’s tips for great legs
Great legs can have a dramatic effect – just ask Gwyneth Paltrow whose new-look pins, shown off in a series of minis and killer heels, created a talking point for weeks. Here, celebrity fitness expert Ross Edgley shares his top four tips for luscious legs:
1 BEAUTIFUL BUM Develop a rounder, firmer bum by trying this squat: stand with your feet apart, bend your legs a the knees and hips, lower your body between your legs, then reverse direction to stand up straight again. Make sure your feet are wide apart so the emphasis is away from the muscles at the front of the leg (the quadriceps) and the back of the leg (the hamstrings) – and places more emphasis on the muscles in the bum (gluteus maximus, medius and minimus). Result? A perter, tighter behind.
2 THIGH HIGH Tone the muscles at the front and top of your leg – the quadriceps – (and look great in shorts) by doing another squat – but this time, with your feet only shoulder-width apart. Repeat the squat at described above to sculpt and tone your thighs.
3 HAM IT UP Now focus on your hamstring – at the top, behind your leg, directly below your bum. Tone these up with some lunges:
– Stand with feet flat and placed less than shoulder width with toes pointed slightly outward.
- Step forward, keeping the back straight.
- Bend the knee of the lead leg until it reaches a 90 degree angle. The knee of your back leg should be roughly two or three inches off the ground at this point.
- Push forcefully with your lead leg and return to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise with your other leg
4 CURVY CALVES Get your calves in shape, and your heels will look super-sexy. The calf raise exercise is effective and very simple: Choose a spot where you can stand with your toes on the platform and the heels hanging off the end. Then raise your entire body up a few inches by standing on the tips of your toes, then lower the body back down and repeat. Result? Slim and shapely calves.
Visit www.lamuscle.com for more tips from Ross Edgley
How to shake a cocktail…
So you’ve bought a shiny new cocktail shaker and you want to shake some drinks? Make sure you do it right, Jake Burger of swanky new cocktail emporium Portobello Star explains how:
‘I always tell my bartenders that they are shaking a drink to wake it up not put it to sleep! You need to do it with a certain amount of energy. The idea is to propel the ice cubes from one end of the shaker to the other, not to just have them swill around in the liquid.
‘So with two hands firmly grip the shaker and raise it parallel to your ears and then shake back and forth with as much effort as you can muster. But also with rhythm and dignity. Like William Powell said in the movie The Thin Man: “The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.”
‘Not that I think you should be shaking your Martini - but we’ll not go into that here, and don’t get me started on Japanese cocktail shaking, they have a completely different technique which takes about three years to learn!’
To see Jake in action, visit Portobello Star, 171 Portobello Road W11 (020 7229 8016)
