How to get in shape in 5 days
Josh Salzmann, the new fitness expert for The Telegraph, has helped Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson shape up fast, and look and feel their best. He writes:
“For the past 30 years I have worked with countless people whose livelihood depends on looking great. What we have discovered is that you don’t need a lot of time to be physically fit. When I worked with Angelina I had just six weeks to create a body that Lara Croft would be proud of, but still we worked out together only three times per week for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Doing simple resistance exercises such as squats and press-ups is a really effective way to change and improve your body shape in a short amount of time. By working slowly and methodically on each repetition you will gently tone your existing muscle, build new muscle and raise your heart rate. You should repeat each exercise until you cannot complete another repetition. This principle of “exercise to failure” means that you are working within the boundaries of your body every time you train.
The key to effecting significant changes in a short amount of time is the combination of exercise, eating properly, resting, and having the right emotional fitness. If you exercise without paying attention to your nutrition, you will find that progress is slow or, even worse, you can cause long-term damage to your body - particularly your joints.”
Salzmann talks about the benefits of resistance training, and talks about his wrestling workouts with Angelina Jolie. He particularly likes this form of training because wrestling helped to transform him from an overweight child into an athletic wrestling champion and captain of the school’s football team.
He also points out that good nutrition is essential for keeping in shape. He recommends:
- Eating 5-6 small meals a day, of equal palm-sized portions of protein and complex carbs
- Keeping a stock of healthy snacks like nuts, fresh fruit and dried frut
- Drinking more water - your body mistakes hunger for thirst, so drink water when you think you’re hungry
- Getting at least one hour’s extra sleep a night
- Taking a day off between workouts
- Reading the labels of foods for hidden sugars and salt
Well, if it’s good enough for Lara Croft, It’s good enough for me.