Get a Beautiful Beach Body - Tight Butt, Legs and Arms

It’s beautiful, it’s bright and it’s hot. Yes it is summer and it is here!

You too can be hot and beautiful like the most luscious season on earth. The only problem is that there is not much time left to build your fine behind to the point that it is so worth watching as you walk away.

That’s right, you know that you always look as people walk away, and be honest…it’s not because you are lovingly sending them warm wishes, you are checking out to see how much junk is in that trunk. And it that’s not sneaky enough, you know that you compare it to yours. Come on, that’s what we do. We live in a constant state of comparison, it’s not healthy, it’s not even practical, but the fact is, it’s real.

So how do you do you refine your behind in a short time and tighten your upper body so that when you wave at your friends across the beach, the sagginess on the back of your arm doesn’t wave in the breeze and create a giant wave.

Here is a great mini workout regime I put together for one of my music artists who had to shoot an album cover for her new release. She was in the studio putting the final touches on her CD and she got the call from hell. It was her manager telling her they had decided on the shoot location for her cover shot. It was to be on this spectacular island in a tropical paradise that most of us only dream of visiting when we win the lottery.

A few minutes later, I got the SOS (Shoot Only in my Skin) distress call. She had less than ten days to go from snackin’ in the recording studio to sexy on the beach for a CD cover for the world to see!

I went to work and put together an instant toning workout schedule and combined with my Low Glycemic Diet with Catabolic Foods. Hip Hop Cardio was a part of her workouts as well because it burns fat, develops rhythm and confidence. You can do any cardio you like as you do some cardio every day to keep your metabolism up and burn stored body fat. Oh yes, and the instant tanning to give her the authentic Island look. That came later after we made her arms, abs and behind look and feel tighter.

The key word is she felt tighter. You see when you feel good, you feel beautiful and when you feel beautiful you walk with more grace and confidence, which sends out great vibes that you love your beach body. That is the beginning of getting excited and inspired enough to continue on your program after the initial. All great changes happen from the inside out.

The Beautiful Beach Body Program

First of all, I love traditional training and how dance moves shape and tighten your body differently than a lot of other gym moves. Dancers have sleek, long lean muscles and they move with pure grace. I like gym moves too in a long-term fitness program. This program I am taking you back to the beginning of the women’s body training movement. My signature Vertical Training and Power Shaping technique is the base for this workout.

Workout Accessories to Gather for Your Workout

* Beach Towel - I personally have my clients lie on a beach towel because they are soft to touch on the skin which puts you in a wonderful mood.
* Water Bottle – 8-16 ounces of water – Stay hydrated during your workout.
* Music – Get in the zone. Turn on some music that is upbeat, happy and makes you feel good. This will inspire you to stay with the workout for the entire duration.
* Picture – Find some inspiring magazine pictures that inspire you to train. Your mind sees pictures and then it drives you in the direction of your visualized desire.

Beautiful Beach Body Circuit Isometric Training Techniques

1. Plies
2. Side Lying Leg Lifts
3. Triceps Push-ups

Move #1 - Plie’s

Begin with Dancer’s Plie’s or and easier explanation. Wide Leg Stance Knee Bends

A plie’ is a bend of the knees. It is a foundational strength and stretch that ballet dancers practice. It is a specific exercise that tones and strengthens your entire lower body. The hips, butt, thighs, hamstrings and calves are all worked together. It is compounded power move that works wonders.

Learning to plié correctly is fundamental to proper training and getting that beautiful lower body you desire. Yet most people do it incorrectly, in that they sink down with legs, and then quickly return to a standing position.

Begin by standing in front of a mirror so that you can monitor your alignment. Face the mirror in a wide stance, which in dance is known as second position. Be careful that you are aligning your knees with your toes at all times. Pull your abdominals in as to get a sense that your navel is couching your spine. This is called hollowing your abdominal wall so that your are shaping and engaging them as well throughout the move.

Stand up straight so that you can feel a vertical line up and down the center of your body.

Begin to lower your body weight toward the floor slowly with control to the count of four. Use your abdominal muscles, relax your back, and drop your tailbone. Be sure your body is centered over your feet , keep your heels down you lower your body down.

Now, press your feet into the floor making your muscles in your thighs and butt active. Hold for four isometric counts as you take deep breaths.

Then slowly press your feet into the floor and push yourself out of the plie’ as you return to the starting standing position.

If you don't feel these muscular sensations, you're doing the plié too fast. Now to the count of four begin pressing upwards and focus on feeling resistance in all of your lower body muscles as you come out of the plié. As you perfect this move you can add various arm moves with light two to five pound hand weights. This is what I did to my artist. As she felt balanced and centered I added bicep curls.

I had her start with hands by her side behind her legs, as she lowered her body to the count of four, she drew her hands toward her upper shoulders and held it for the count of four as she was in the plie’ isometrically and then lowered the weight as she pressed out of the plie. It was a great combination of upper and lower body movements that created a sensational feel and look to the muscles.

Here’s the Plie’ Pattern Breakdown

* 3 sets of 15 Plie’s (with bicep curls as you get stronger)
* Plie’ down to the count of four
* Hold at the bottom for four isometric counts
* Press upward for four
* Repeat for a total of three sets of fifteen.

Move # 2 - Side Leg Lifts (2 versions)

Lie on one side on your beach towel. Side-lying exercises strengthen lateral leg muscles, tighten your outer thighs, narrow your hips and tighten the medial glutes.

Side-lying Leg Lifts:
Lie on your side on the floor. Place your upper body and head in a comfortable position. You lie all the way down, or lie with your hand supporting your head as long as you keep your head in alignment with your neck. Keep your body in an extended position with your top leg straight and your bottom knee slightly bent to help balance your body. Place your top hand on the floor in front of your abdominals and contract your abdominals throughout the move. Begin by squeezing your butt. Now to the count of four, slowly lift your upper leg towards the ceiling with the knees facing forward 45 degrees or to a height where you can feel the muscles tightening without strain to the hip joint and hold in an isometric (static) position for the count of flour and then slowly lower back down. Repeat for fifteen reps per side. Repeat each side for a total of three sets. Per side both inner and outer thigh muscles. As you get stronger, you add one to two pound ankle weights for more resistance.

Side Lying Inner Thigh Leg Lifts:
Lie on your side on the floor. Place your upper body and head in a comfortable position. Keep your body in an extended position with your legs resting on top of each other. Then, move bend your top leg and place the foot on the floor behind the bottom leg. Make sure there is enough room to allow the bottom leg to be lifted off the floor. Contract your abdominals as to include them in your workout and to also help protect your spine and keep your back in a good stable position. Squeeze the inner thigh and slowly to the count of four lift the bottom leg approximately 12 to eighteen inches or as high as is comfortable for you to feel the inner thigh isolate and contract. Hold for four counts and then lower your leg down to the starting position and repeat for a total of fifteen repetitions. One set is completed once both legs have performed the exercise for the prescribed number of reps on the workout! Be sure to breath deeply throughout the entire sequence.

Here’s the Side Lying Leg Breakdown..

Side Leg Lift three sets of 15

* Squeeze the Butt and lift for four
* Hold for four (breathing deep)
* Down for Four

Inner Thigh Leg Lift

* Squeeze the inner thigh and Lift for the count of four
* Hold for the count of four (breathing deep)
* Slowly lower to the floor for the count of four
* Hold at the bottom for four isometric counts
* Repeat for a total of three sets of fifteen.
* Then roll over to the other side and repeat both top and bottom leg moves.
* Once you have completed both sides, you have done a complete set.
* Do three complete sets. That would be three sets of lifts for Outer Thigh and Three sets of Lifts for the Inner Thigh.

Move #3 - Bent Knee Tricep Pushups.

This move works the back of your arms and chest and abs. Begin on your hands and knees with your hands resting under your shoulders. Contract your abdominals and slowly lower your chest to the floor between your hands keeping your head and neck in alignment, lower down until your chest almost touches the floor and do not let your lower back sag, hold for two counts and slowly with control push yourself back up to your starting position. Keep the body locked in a straight position as you return to the starting position. Breathe comfortably throughout the move. Repeat for total set of ten repetitions. Then rest for thirty seconds by sitting on your knees in a child’s pose and then repeat for two more sets. This is a powerful exercise and in the beginning you may only be able to do perform two with accuracy and control. But don’t give up. It will get easier as you get stronger. It is a fantastic exercise for tightening the muscles in back of your arms and your chest muscles. This move will make your stronger and tighter at the same time. That is a great combination of fitness results to have whether you are sunbathing or surfing.

Here’s the Triceps Push up Breakdown…

* Hands and Knees, contract your abdominals then to the count of four
* Slowly lower your upper body down to the floor holding your elbows close to your side
* Hold for a count of two (isometric contraction) and then push yourself back up to the starting position.
* Repeat for a total of eight repetitions.

There you have it, a wonderful plan for your Beautiful Beach Body. You will feel long, lean and confident as you stroll along the beach. Beauty starts from the inside out. Don’t wait start today feeling great about yourself and build the best body ever.

Go to my website and sign up for my weekly newsletter, there are so many amazing tips, great award winning workouts and lots of juicy stories about my training adventures. You will love the inspiration and who knows maybe you will be a star I get to train someday.

Oh by the way, the artist who I got the SOS Distress call from looked absolutely gorgeous for her cover shoot. She was stunning in her birthday suit. She did not do a sleazy shot, she did a tasteful, elegant and soulful like Eve in Genesis shot. Eve did not wear anything in the garden you know.

God Bless and make it the Best Week Ever!

Fat Burning Foods that Burn Fat Fast

Victoria, I am so confused... I have no idea what to eat any more. With all the diet information out there right now, I don't know what to do. I just want to know what to eat to burn fat fast?
- Caroline R.

Caroline, I am so excited about your question. If you have ever struggled with dimply junk on the back of your legs and butt, then just take your time and soak up every word in this article. There are many gems that you can take away and begin today to start smoothing out that rocky road.

Your question reminded me of the time when I was getting ready for a fitness championship and I had a total melt down. I was looking good, so I thought. I was so excited because I had been posing at home in my bathroom mirror and I just could not wait to see how my much better the definition in my muscles would be under “posing lights" at the gym. Posing lights are special lights that are designed to make your muscles look more cut, defined and striated. Those are bodybuilding terms for looking “HOT and BUFF”!

I gathered up my swimsuit, posing oil and a scrunchie to pull back my hair so that it would not cover up one beautiful striation of hard earned muscle.

I went to the gym I was training at that had a perfect set of posing lights installed by the head trainer, a NPC Body Building champion.

Ok, I get to the gym, run in the women’s locker room, put on my skimpy competition posing suit and oiled myself up. I slipped into a comfy robe to cover myself as I walked across the gym to the room we used for posing. I confidently took off my robe and gracefully walked across the room as if I was walking on stage. I believe that we should always be “on” and rehearsing in our mind and with our body what we want to be.

I walked to center stage, did a customary quarter turn to face the mirror, which was my private audience, and stood in prejudging form. My first reaction was, “sweet, I look awesome". I hit some poses and did a few dance moves to try out my suit. Then I did my rear lat spread facing the back of the room. In this room you could see yourself from every angle because it had a three way mirror effect and that’s when the horror hit me.

AAAAHHHHH! I was so lean, so cut and so perfectly symmetrical in every direction and at every angle except when I turned around there were these horrific little dimply dents, cellulite, as we women have come to refer to it, on MY PERFECT BODY!

I was so upset, I broke out into tears, grabbed my robe, ran back into the locker room and threw on my sweats I wore on the way over to the gym. I did not even bother to take off all the oil I had on and my sweats became an oily mess which then made my car seats a spotted mess. I did not care one bit about my clothes or my car. I could buy some more sweats and I could buy a new car if I wanted to, but I had to do something fast to get those dimples off the back of my thighs and butt. I only had two weeks to get contest ready.

I called an associate I knew and asked her for help. She gave me a referral to a nutrition scientist in Arizona. I made a distress call immediately and he promptly began to tell me about certain foods that help your body go into a positive fat burning state and he also told me how some of the foods would act as a diuretic and help me lose trapped body water under my skin to make my body appear more lean and less dimply.

YES, there is a God in Heaven and He answers prayers I thought. I took copious notes and then… do you know that he actually sent me a mini diet plan written on a piece of notebook paper. Not a science manual, not a registered FDA document, or a two hundred page book like most people sell today. It was almost illegible because like many scientists and health professionals they scribble when they write.

Well the plan not only worked, it was amazing how fast my body responded to the foods I began eating and I ended up winning my competition!

So... that plan that I received years ago, that worked wonders for me, is what I am going to share with you today.

Now keep in mind, I am not a scientist. I am a published author, professional trainer of certification programs for fitness trainers and a top selling DVD Celebrity Fitness Personality. I am all of the above but the most important attribute I am teaching you with today is, I am an ex-fat person who was over sixty pounds heavier who had cottage cheese thighs and dimply butt... and now it's gone! I bring you today my personal experience as I share with you what I have found.

FOODS THAT HELP BURN FAT FAST

Thermic Effect Principle
Foods have a thermic effect. The term "thermic effect of food" is used to describe the energy expended by our bodies in order to eat and process (digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. We expend energy by living which is metabolic functioning, breathing, working, exercising and anything else that uses muscular contractions. This is what causes your body to burn calories. Excess fat in your body is actually stored energy, whether it is on your belly or on your legs and butt. It’s fat, energy, and it has to be burned and removed in order to remove those dimples. So remember, your not fat, you just have a lot of extra energy!

This is so amazing! Processing protein requires the greatest amount of energy. Estimates range as high as 30% above your resting metabolic rate. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is so easily processed and turned into body fat that there is little thermic effect, perhaps only 2 or 3% above your resting metabolic rate. The amount of energy required to process carbohydrates falls between that of protein and fat. A range of around 10% is usually used to account for the thermic effect of food you eat.

Most of us have never heard about thermic effect of food so we just grab whatever is convenient when we are hungry

Protein causes your body to burn hotter which helps you burn more calories. So now that we know that, we have to choose the best protein sources to keep our furnace burning hot and strong all day long.

Choose low-fat protein sources
Meat, poultry and fish along with egg whites and egg substitutes are some of your best sources of protein. But be careful to choose lower fat options, such as grilled or baked, not fried or breaded. Choose milk such as skim milk rather than whole milk and always select skinless chicken breasts rather than fried chicken patties.

Fish is another good alternative to high-fat meats. Some types of fish — such as cod, tuna and halibut — have less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than do meat and poultry. And certain types of fish are heart healthy because they're rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fats may help lower blood fats called triglycerides and may reduce your risk of sudden cardiac death. Omega-3 fats are most abundant in fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring.

Catabolic Foods
Catabolic foods burn up more calories than they supply. Catabolic foods are the opposite of Anabolic foods. For example a medium sized apple (which is catabolic), would provide an average of 85 calories, however your metabolism would require an additional 99 more calories to metabolize it. As a result, you burn more calories than you are ingesting for a overall net loss.

To help maintain your weight it is helpful to eat a minimum of ten servings of catabolic foods each day. In addition to catabolic foods you can eat proteins and other carbohydrates in moderation without gaining weight.

High grade catabolic foods are more effective than others. It is best to spread the consumption of your catabolic foods over the course of the whole day. You can eat these items to your heart’s delight. You don’t have to go around counting calories or skimping on volume and quantity with theses catabolic foods. I like to combine my proteins from my list above with the vegetables listed below for my meals and then for my snacks I go to town on the fruits and vegetables listed below. I also drink two to three quarts of water per day to keep flushing my system.

HIGH GRADE CATABOLIC FOODS

FRUIT:
Black/Blueberries, Limes, Pineapple, Cantaloupe
Grapefruit, Oranges, Plums-Damson, Strawberries, Lemons, Raspberries - fresh, Pears-Bartlett, Watermelon


VEGETABLES:
Artichokes, Celery, Parsley leaves, Sweet Potato
Asparagus, Cucumbers, Peppers, Tomato
Broccoli, Eggplant, Radishes, Zucchini
Brussels, Sprouts, Leeks - cooked, Spinach
Carrots, Lettuce

There you go, this is the beginning of the entire process that can help you burn fast faster. It is enough to get you started today on your journey to a whole new you.

God Bless and make it the Best Week Ever!

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Emergency Plan for a Bikini Butt

Question
Victoria, I am going on a summer vacation with my husband in two weeks and I need help getting my a** in a swimsuit without wearing one of those old lady ones like my grandmother has. You know the one with the built in skirt. Help Victoria! What can I do?
- J. McMurphy


Hello Ms J.
You sure know how to challenge me don’t you? First... whatever you do, make sure your husband does NOT see you in a “skirt swimsuit”. There is only so much Viagra can do girlfriend!

Second... I have some great tips for your "exit muscles" (the last ones people see when you leave the room) to look presentable. If you are really strict, you may look so good, your husband won’t want you to exit the room at all on this year's vacation!

A few years ago, I needed to get ready for a swimsuit photo shoot at the exclusive Beverly Hills Celebrity hotel LeMontrose. I was not happy with my "rear view" so I put together this emergency bikini butt regime. It worked beautifully. After working my plan, my legs were more defined, my butt was tighter and, shall I say, high and lifted up. I felt great at the photo shoot. My results were validated when the rapper (name withheld) who was not in need of a tan, kept coming out by the pool and accidentally dropping his D&G sunglasses every other minute. I think I must have looked great to him. He was sneaking a look at my "assets" as he was pretending to recover his D&G’s.

Okay Ms. J. get out your highlighter, print this page and highlight the tips you will follow diligently, even while you are on vacation. That’s right. The last thing you want to do is look great the first day, then go on a “I’m on vacation” binge fest and bloat up like those cute little gold fish snacks.

1. Get Mentally and Spiritually ready. Center yourself. Prayers, affirmations and meditation are great ways to relax and make the preparation for your vacation and a fun and exciting challenge.

2. Start drinking at least 10 cups of water a day right away. The last 3 - 4 days I will add in a cup of herbal diuretic tea a day. The days when I'm drinking the tea I cut my water in half.

3. Do sixty minutes of cardio each day at a low-moderate intensity. You will want to do this for at least two weeks before your vacation, or as much time as you have before you leave. You can break this up into two sessions if you need to, but one long session is optimal. My Swimsuit Shape Up Collection is a great way to get that cardio in each day. Don't balk, we're getting ready for vacation here!

4. Sculpt and Tone every other day, do a full body workout with light-weights, with special emphasis on plies’, lunges, floorwork - leg lifts and donkey kicks. 3 sets of 25 reps per side of each exercise. Do your abdominals every other day as well. Figure out your three favorite abdominal exercises and review last week’ s abdominal hollowing tips and apply them.

5. Do not eat after 7:00 PM. That means NOTHING at 7:00PM. Water or tea but no calories. This is a big key!

6. Eat clean staying away from salt, sugar, desserts, ice cream and dairy. My Quick Start Fat Loss Program is perfect way to diet for optimal health and conditioning. If you don't have it already, pick one up today!

7. Increase Low Glycemic Index foods which help with weight release such as cabbage, onions, broccoli, cooked tomatoes, beans, wheat and certain fruit.

8. AVOID ALL HIGH Glycemic Foods. I have an extensive list in my Quick Start Fat Loss Program. Do NOT eat these foods. They could turn to fat faster than butter.

9. Eat 4-5 meals a day slightly smaller than my normal servings. Go easy on the condiments. For the last three days during the diuretic phase, omit any high salt food, condiments and drink distilled water.

10. Finally use a series of Herbal Baths to smooth and tighten the skin around your legs, hips and buns. Take 2 - 3 baths a week for 30 minutes each. You'll need the downtime with all that cardio and sculpting! In addition to working on any remaining cellulite areas, the baths will help detoxify your skin and improve your overall complexion.

Okay girlfriend, you have some great tips for getting you’re a** ready for your revealing beach unveiling. You can do it. If you start today, you can possibly lose up to an inch or even more in your hips and thighs for that awesome vacation. Have a great time, and send me some photos!

God Bless and make it the Best Week Ever!

Is Sweetness YOUR Weakness… Get over it!

Hi Victoria,
I am sixteen years old and I love your Dance... DVD. My mom bought it for me for my birthday and all I got so say is ..YOU ROCK! I have been trying to lose weight for two years now and my mom said that I am a sugar addict and that I have slowed down my metabolism and have become a sugarholic by over dieting. I have this uncontrollable desire for sugar that I can’t seem to kick. I think it's causing my severe PMS and some days I get so bugged that I become a raving maniac. Could she be right for the first time? I need major help.
- Candee


Candee??? Is that your real name or did you fall in love with sugar and change it?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not picking on your name, it’s just that everything on the planet is connected and it seems ironic how you have a name that may be one of your weaknesses… Sugar is like a drug to your system's sweet tooth and you have to be willing to give it up if you want to permanently lose fat and have a beautiful dancer’s body. All teasing aside, I have to say, I love your name, it’s sweet!

You are not the only one who has this problem either, so don’t feel bad or beat yourself up. I guarantee you half of the people reading this newsletter has some form of chocolate hidden in their desk drawer (Gotcha). As a matter of record, I use to buy a two pound bag of M&M’s (with peanuts of course) when I went to the movies. I would eat the ENTIRE bag before the movie was over! I would take my sweater, lay it across my lap and pour them into my sweater. I loved the red ones… I have no clue why. I would eat all the red ones first, then the yellow ones and then the green ones. I was like a human vacuum. I was almost inhaling those little chocolate devil beads like a crack addict or something.

I swear I went into this crazy carnal zone that was uncontrollable. That’s why when I went to the movies I sat in the darkest part of the theater, in the corner with just enough light to see the color of my little treats. So believe me, I totally understand your problem.

Candee, here’s how you have to think about eating now that you have decided you want to be lean. You have to understand that white sugar is not even a food and has NO nutritional value. If you don’t cut sugar out of your diet, you will never have a great body and be light on your feet for dancing. Dancing is such an awesome way to be creative and engage in an art form of expression that is healthy and fun. I love the freedom of dance. That’s why I made my Body Shoppe Dance Workout Series and use dance as the foundation for all of my DVD’s and videos. To me, dancing frees your soul and sculpts your body.

Candee, you are not alone. The average American consumes more than a pound (16 ounces or 108 teaspoons) of refined sugar a week. It sounds unbelievable until you realize that sugar goes by more than 50 different names and is an ingredient in virtually all processed foods, from your morning doughnut to the ketchup on your burger. Isn’t that crazy? I bet you had no idea there was that much sugar in the world.

Your body's primary source of fuel is blood sugar (not the same as raw sugar). Your blood sugar plays a vital role in your physical and mental well-being. Raw sugar from candie or processed foods causes your body's blood sugar levels to skyrocket. When it rises even slightly above normal --thanks to excess body fat, lack of exercise, and/or genetics-- your health, your energy levels, and your weight-loss efforts are pretty much a waste of time. You have to get your body’s blood sugar into balance so that you can actually lose weight

That’s why the Glycemic Index is vital to you Candee. It is a measurement tool to help you decide which foods digest and convert to excess sugar in your blood stream. You have to eat foods that help you on your fat loss plan (low glycemic foods) and not hinder your progress (high glycemic foods). You have to become vigilant about watching every morsel of food you consume. You will either burn it or store it. In other words, you will use it or wear it.

Candee, you have to do something today! You can’t play around with this anymore. Every day that you are eating high glycemic foods is a day that you are possibly moving your body towards diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. Right now you are concerned about how you look in tights, but you need to consider how you may look with an insulin pump.

Relax everyone……I know….. that was a tough punch to take. But that’s my job. To get you to understand so that you have to take positive effective action today to become the person you want to be so that you can live an outstanding life.

I know because I did it. I kicked my sugar habit and I have the dancer’s body that I always dreamed was impossible to achieve. With the right fuel (low glycemic food) and the perfect moves, you can too.

This week take note of the sugar in your diet, read every label and begin immediately reducing the amount of raw sugar from candie and processed foods that you consume daily for improved health and vitality. Decide today to kick your sugar habit and live a life of fun and freedom!

God Bless and make it the Best Week Ever!