How to score a fab bod in 2010!

Is this the year when you're finally going to get down to it and work towards a fabulously toned body? If so, here's a cocktail of high-powered exercises to knock you into shape at express pace!

2010 Express Bootcamp combines stationary and dynamic strength exercises with cardio workouts. This burns the fat and shapes up the muscles, giving the body a lean and sculpted look and it only takes about 30 days to start seeing body definition!

Alternate one day of cardio with one day of sculpting exercises.

Caution:

• Please check with your doctor before starting this programme. It is not recommended for people with medical conditions.
• Begin the programme at an easy pace for the first week.
• Always warm up before exercising.
• Round off your workout with stretching all the muscles to prevent stiffness.

Cardio combos

Perform these cardio exercises on alternate days.

Day 1: Walk

Start with 5 minutes of walking at medium pace to warm up, then amp it up and walk at a brisk, high intensity pace for 30 minutes nonstop. You should feel your heart rate go up and get slightly out of breath by the end. Slow down the pace again for another 7 minutes to cool down. Make sure you don't skip the warm-up and cool down. They are important to keep your body safe from risk of injury.

Wear proper walking shoes and walk on even surfaces.

Day 2: Swim or cycle

Follow the same intensity pattern as above.

Day 3: Walk-run interval

After the 5 minute walking warm-up, do a 4 minute brisk walk, then a one minute fast-paced run. Go back to a 4-minute brisk walk and then another one minute run. Keep up with this pattern for the full 30 minutes and then lower the pace for the 7 minute cool-down.

Brinda Sapat is head of the Group Exercise Department at Gold's Gym, Napean Sea Road, Mumbai. Certified with Training Zone & Progressive Fitness (USA), she has been a fitness instructor for over a decade.

Follow this routine 3 alternating days of the week.

You will need 2 pairs of dumbbells; one pair should be medium in weight and the other pair should be heavy. Wear training shoes and preferably exercise in front of the mirror.

This sculpting workout includes 2 forms of exercises, basic and high-powered dynamic ones to give you the real burn!

Maintain proper posture for all exercises. Keep your head up, neck long and shoulders relaxed. Flatten your back and keep the abdominals held in tight.

Dynamic lunges

For the butt and thighs.

Stand with your legs together and hands on the waist. Now take a giant step forward with your right leg and bend both knees, lowering your body while keeping your back straight up. Make sure the front knee doesn't extend over the toe (this will cause undue pressure on the knee). Bring the right leg back and now take the giant step with your left leg. Keep alternating legs.

Do a total of 20 repetitions.

For the butt and thighs.

Stand in the lunge (giant step forward) position, right leg in front, with hands on the waist. Bend your knees and lower your body, then push up lifting your left knee, then go back into the lunge.

Do 12 reps, then switch legs.

For the butt and thighs.

Stand with your feet a little more than hip distance apart. Stand up tall, keeping your knees flexible. You can place your hands at your waist or keep them linked straight in front of you. Now push your hips back and bend your knees, lowering your body till your thighs are parallel to the floor. Press your heels into the floor, squeeze your butt and push yourself back into the standing position without locking your knees.

For the butt and thighs. Please do this exercise only on a wooden or carpeted flooring and wear training shoes.

Stand in a lowered squat position (knees bent and thighs parallel to the floor). Place your hands o either side of your shoulder. Now jump as high up as you can like a frog leaping, throwing your arms up and then lower yourself back into the squat position as you come down.

Do 12-16 jumps.

For the calves, ankles and shoulders.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart and hold your medium weight dumbbells in both hands. Start with your hands hanging down by your thighs, palms turned towards the thighs. Now come up on your tiptoes, squeezing the calf while simultaneously raising both arms up to shoulder height. Maintain a straight line of the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Slowly lower the arms and heels.

Do 12-16 reps.

For the large back muscles (lats), shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms and wrist.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart with your abs tightened. Hold a medium weight dumbbell in each hand and place them facing your shoulders. Extend the right arm out to the front at shoulder height (do not lock your elbow) as you turn your wrist so that the palm faces the floor, and then bring the hand back to the shoulder. The movement imitates a boxing punch. Take about 4 seconds and no less for one punch. It is important to do this slowly to prevent injury. Do 2 alternate punches at shoulder height, do the next 2 diagonally overhead and the next 2 diagonally down.

Do a total of 24 reps in this pattern.

For the large back muscles (lats), midback and back of the shoulders.

Stand in a lunge position and lower your torso till your body makes a diagonal plane from head to hip to toe. Hold medium weight dumbbells in both hands and let the hands hang down by your side. First do a row by lifting the weights till your chest by bending the elbows, sweeping them past the waist. Slowly lower.

Next do a reverse fly by taking your straight arms out to the side till they are in line with the shoulders in a flying movement and slowly lower. Squeeze your shoulder blades tight as you lift the arms. Keep alternating between a row and a fly. Maintain the lowered torso position all through.

Do 16 reps.

For the butt, thighs, calves, arms and abs.

Get into the lowered squat position and place your palms on the floor, shoulder width apart. Now with a thrust throw both your legs behind at once. Your body should be in a diagonal plane from head to hip to heel. Now jump back into the squat position.

Do 12 thrusts.

For the chest, shoulder, triceps and abs.

Get into the thrust out position and this time take your hands wide apart. Now lower your body getting your chest towards the floor while bending the elbows. Make sure your back doesn't sag down. Keep the abs tight to help maintain proper alignment.

Do 12 to 16 reps.

For the triceps.

Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Recline back with your fingers pointing in towards your body. Start with bending your elbows as much as possible. Press the palms into the floor and push yourself up by straightening your elbows and getting the hips off the floor. Bend your elbows and lower your hips till they are one inch off the floor, then lift up again. The important movement here is the bending and straightening of the elbow and it doesn't matter how high you raise your hips.

Do 12-16 reps.

For the biceps and forearms.

Stand with heavy dumbbells in both hands and place your hands by your thighs, with the palms facing your thighs. Now raise the dumbbells to the shoulders squeezing the biceps. Slowly lower without locking your elbow.

Do 12-16 reps.

Hammer curl variation

This works the same muscles from a different angle.

Stand with weights in both hands and place your hands down by your thighs with the palms facing the front. Keep your chest open and shoulder blades flat. Now raise the weights to the shoulders forming semi-circles to the right and left of your body.

Do 12-16 reps.

This exercise combines the upper abs curl, oblique crunch and the reverse crunch. Do 8 reps of each without stopping in between.

Upper abs curl

Lie on a mat with your knees bent. Place your hands under the head with your elbows out to the side. Keep your head comfortably positioned. Tighten the tummy and lift your upper body till the shoulder blades come off the floor. Gently lower and before your head touches down, lift up again.

Oblique crunch

Start off in the same position as above. Now instead of lifting up, you lift and twist your torso to the right, trying to get the left shoulder towards the right knee. Make sure your elbows don't come forward. Repeat the other side.

Reverse crunch

Once again start in the same position, but lift your feet off the floor and keep your knees bent at about 90 degrees. Now squeeze your lower abs and in a smooth movement, lift your hips up and curl in towards your chest. Slowly lower.

This exercise combines back hyper extensions, torso rotations and leg raises. Do 8 reps of each without stopping in between.

Back hyper extensions

Lie face down on a mat. Place your hands under your chin and keep your nose turned down towards the mat. Feet stay on the floor. Lift your upper body till the chest comes off the floor. Feel the contraction in the back as you lift. Slowly lower.

Torso rotations

Start in the same position. This time lift your upper body and twist up to the right , as if your right elbow is reaching for the ceiling. Repeat with the left.

Leg raises

Start in the same position. Keep your upper body fixed on the floor. Lift both legs off the floor as high as you can, focussing on the contraction in your lower back. Slowly lower.

Once you get used to this routine, move on to doing 2 sets of each exercise.

Eat right!

For a get in shape programme to be successful, exercise must be combined with eating a healthy diet and eating often:

• Jumpstart your day with a breakfast of cereals, whole grain toast, egg white and fruit. This will fuel your body with the right kind of calories and energy.
• Snack on a handful of nuts and/or dried fruits mid-morning.
• For lunch, pick a wholegrain sandwich with a low fat filling of your choice or roti, veggies and dal.
• Have an evening snack of fruit, low fat yoghurt or raw veggies. Have your teas and coffees with skimmed milk and a sugar substitute (green tea has metabolism-boosting properties).
• Round off your day with an early dinner of soup, salad and chicken/ fish/ lentils.
• Drink plenty of water all through the day.