How to get in shape in a month with just a few pieces of everyday gym equipment that you can easily store in your home. From actress and Dancing With the Stars alumna Lisa Rinna, author of Rinnavation: Getting Your Best Life Ever
Doing these exercises, which concentrate on the upper body and core, every day for thirty days will lead to visible results — they are all you need to pull off that strapless dress or figure-hugging outfit.
I recommend that everyone have two- or three-pound weights at home. You should also have one of those rubber stretch bands with handles on both ends, and a big exercise ball. Keep them close by and do the following exercises while you are sitting at the computer or watching television.
Weights: the key to long, lean muscles and not bulking up is to use only two- or three-pound weights. I do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions, and experiment with working the various muscles — pectoral muscles, biceps, and triceps. One of my favorite moves is to hold my arms straight out at shoulder level and lift them straight up over my head and down to my sides to work my entire upper body.
Band: work your pectorals, abs, and arms by holding each handle of the band and stretching it outward at chest level. Pull it out as far as you can, and then release it very slowly, controlling the motion. Do the same motion with the band behind your back at shoulder level.
Work the triceps and biceps by holding one end of the strap over your head with the other hand holding the strap between your shoulder blades. Extend the front arm straight up as far as you can, while pulling the back hand down your back.
Exercise ball: you can do sit-ups and curls, push-ups, and leg lifts with this one piece of equipment. Work your butt by draping your back over the ball with your hands and feet touching the floor. Slowly raise yourself off the ball and squeeze your butt muscles as many times as you can.
Sounds pretty easy, right? It is! And I know that once you start seeing the results you’ll want to keep going and building on your routine. You don’t have to spend hours in a gym or studio to move your body, and the equipment that you need to set up your own at-home fitness area is easy to stow under a bed and inexpensive to purchase. Trust me, every minute and every penny you spend on fitness is well worth the investment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Rinna, the author of Rinnavation: Getting Your Best Life Ever (Copyright © 2009 by Lisa Rinna), is an award-winning actress and television host, best known for her roles on Days of Our Lives and Melrose Place, as well as her co-hosting duties on Soap Talk, her appearances on Dancing with the Stars, and her red-carpet interviews on the TV Guide Network. She is the creator of a line of dance-themed exercise DVDs called Lisa Rinna Dance Body Beautiful, and she runs her own successful boutique, Belle Gray, with her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, with whom she has two daughters, Delilah and Amelia.
MORE ARTICLES BY THE AUTHOR
- 7 Dynamite Drinks for Revving Up Metabolism and Boosting Energy
- 11 Fab Foods You Should Be Eating
- Home Beauty Remedies That Really Work
LEARN MORE
- Read the Introduction to Rinnavation: Getting Your Best Life Ever
- Watch a slideshow of photos from the book
