Get Curves Naturally | Best Fitness and Nutrition Programs For Women | Naughty Living
4 Ways To Get Curves Naturally
The Hourglass Workout
Want to build curves naturally without surgery? Want to tone up, build muscle, look and feel sexier all while slowing the aging process and producing more collagen?
All this can be done through a fitness and nutrition program. Instead of looking up your nearest plastic surgeon or paying for other procedures like liposuction and butt implants, try exploring all the natural ways you can get the hourglass figure you're after.
What's more, you'll also be helping to get rid of cellulite, dimples and dull skin...simply by following the four tips below.
I've teamed up with my own personal trainer, Shawn Phillips, to share some easy, effective tips to help women who want to rediscover their curves.
Shawn has helped me totally transform my body, as well as reconfigure my mindset, so that working out is no longer a chore, it's something which invigorates and inspires me.
My Story
Last year, I'll admit I was struggling a little. I may have been only 38 and had always been in good shape (or so I thought) but nature has a way of creeping up on you when you're not looking.
Whereas before I could eat fast food, enjoy a drink and barely exercise yet still stay slim, now I was starting to see differences in how my body was reacting to that lifestyle - dimples, a little cellulite, more tiredness and lack of energy etc.
Despite a year-long fitness and nutrition regime to try and combat what was happening, nothing was working.
I hit a slump; together with the dimples and cellulite I was also getting a bit of a belly and my bum had started to sag.
Most people would never noticed as they were small changes, but I did, and we all know that things like self-confidence comes from within.
If something matters to you, then it's important, regardless of what others may or may not think.
I didn't want to use 'natural ageing' as an excuse for letting myself go, so I decided to look for a trainer and nutritionist who could really help me get back to where I needed to be.
I came across Shawn last year and I couldn't believe my luck when I found out he was a personal trainer, nutritionist and holistic advisor, all in one!
I was wary at first, as not all trainers know what they're talking about, especially in LA, where everyone seems to be a trainer of some description but, boy, I definitely hit the jackpot with Shawn!
I'm not just saying that, either, as I've had plenty of trainers in my life and I've gotten rid of most of them, but with Shawn it was clear straight away that he was the real deal.
The clock was ticking, after all, so I didn't have any time to waste!
Almost a year later and my body now has plenty more curves, exactly where I want them.
Some people think that adding curves adds weight, but it doesn't.
It's all about fat loss and weight distribution.
Working with Shawn I have lost 10 lbs of fat which has been replaced with muscle, and I've lost 2 inches around my waist plus 3 inches around my belly.
I'm also much stronger and have tons more energy, which was one of the most important things for me.
So now I'm going to share with you the tips Shawn has given me to help other women attain those beautiful, sexy curves you've always craved.
"Workout Smarter, Not Harder."
Tip #1 - Limit Your Cardio
The number one thing women tend to do when signing up to a gym or starting a new workout program is to pound those cardio machines, banging out miles and miles on the treadmill, powering through spinning classes and generally going as fast and hard as they can, as though the more intense the workout, the faster the fat will burn and the muscle will build.
If you want to build curves, you have to stop burning too many calories during cardio sessions because you'll actually lose muscle, which is going to give you your sexy curves.
Muscle also helps smooth out dimples and cellulite, and will improve the elasticity of your skin and prevent it from sagging.
Remember to work out smarter, not harder.
I've lost a lot of fat and a lot of inches from simply working out less and working out smarter.
Hitting the cardio machines might help you drop pounds more quickly, but in the long run it can actually keep you from reaching your goals.
I'm not saying, "don't do cardio." I'm saying watch how much cardio you're doing because it can keep you from creating curves and building muscle tone if you're doing too much along with putting stress on your heart and aging you.
My trainer has me doing 30-60 minutes cardio sessions, along with staying within my heart rate zone (see more below on finding your heart rate zone).
For days I have more natural energy, meaning I got lots of sleep, I'm not tired or stressed...I do 20 minute intervals.
Intervals are great as they help to burn fat for 24 hours. Plus if you're short on time, intervals are perfect as you only need to do 20 minutes.
Start with a 6 minute warm-up, then do 30 seconds really fast (always challenging yourself), slow down and let your heart rate come down for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then do 30 seconds again and repeat for 20 minutes.
When doing intervals, you do not need to stay within your heart rate zone...only with the 30 - 60 minute workouts.
To determine how much cardio you need to do a week...you will need a fitness and nutrition plan. If you're sticking to your fitness and nutrition (no cheating as you're only cheating yourself) and you're not seeing results or you've hit a plateau, increase your cardio sessions or maybe you need to tweek your nutrition program.
So if you're doing 4-30 minute sessions a week, then change it to 4-40 minute sessions. Or increase to 4-60 minute sessions.
Listen to your body and watch how it reacts to making these changes. Also, make sure you're nutrition is in check because if you're trying to lose weight with working out but you're out eating fast food, too many calories or too little then working out is pointless if you're not focusing on nutrition too.
Tip #2 - Eating Too Few Calories
Not only do we tend to do too much cardio, but we eat less as a result, and this is a big no-no.
It's not just the amount of calories in your food you need to look at, it's the type of food you're eating which is important.
And if you're used to doing lots of exercise, then your body will naturally crave more calories in order to keep up your energy levels.
So if you're going to work out, you need to eat, not less!
When you work out too much and eat fewer calories, you are starving your body, and your body enters starvation mode.
When this happens, your body will start to convert and store everything you put into it, as fat.
If you starve yourself or significantly reduce your calorie intake and work out, you won't be losing weight at all, you'll be gaining it, because your body will start making fat instead of burning it.
Worse, you have no control, either, where that fat ends up and once it's arrived at its final destination (bum, thighs, belly...) it can be impossible to shift.
So think about your diet and what you're putting into your body.
You need to maintain a healthy calorie intake but via healthy foods.
It goes without saying that you should avoid anything processed, fast food, TV dinners, anything in a packet.
Eat fresh, eat healthy. It's the nutrients, vitamins and water you're ingesting which will help you get those curves.
For example, if I said you needed 1800 calories a day, that doesn't mean you should just head out and eat any foods which add up to that number.
Do your homework, research the best foods to eat and make meal plans. You can actually eat a lot of food on 1800 calories if you know what's what.
Tip #3 - Lift Heavy
Lifting heavy does not mean you will look like a body builder. Lifting heavy helps you to burn fat and tone up.
Think back to when you do your normal workout - I bet that you do lots of reps but stay low on the weights, right?
So you might lift 8 lbs for squats or upper body while doing 15-20 reps.
But I have news for you; it's not going to do much for you.
Of course, you might see some results at the beginning, especially if you have more fat on your body or you're just starting out.
But if you're someone like me who doesn't really need to lose weight but just needs to tone up, lose body fat or build muscle, then you need to step it up.
Remember that building muscle is actually a lot harder to do then you think. Fat takes up more room, while muscle takes up very little.
So you want more muscle than fat, which means you'll be slimmer and more toned.
If you want to have that hourglass figure and nice round booty, then start lifting heavier weights.
Want to lose weight, too? Then combine lifting heavy with healthier, smarter cardio and a 'good calorie' diet, as mentioned above.
I'm up to 200 lbs on the leg press and I squat with 30 lbs weights each side.
I haven't gotten bulky at all! My legs are actually slimmer, as I've replaced the fat with muscle.
I know it's hard to get your brain around the fact that lifting heavy will help you tone up and slim down.
Bodybuilders are on a whole different level which require completely different exercises, regimes and diets, and that's something you don't have to worry about unless that's the route you want to take.
I'm still petite and little. I wear a XS in clothing, my waist is 25 inches and my hips are 34 inches.
I haven't gotten bigger, I've actually gotten smaller while building my booty, giving it a nice lift and toning up.
Tip #4 - Create An Hour Glass Figure
These tips will not only help you to lose weight and tone up, but create the appearance of a smaller waist creating that hourglass figure.
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1. Eating healthily and tracking your food because nutrition counts for 80% of results when it comes to losing weight.
If you work out but don't eat well, then good luck with getting the body you want.
That might work when you're 20 (it did for me!) but you've got to think long-term.
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2. Finding your fat burning zone for cardio. Remember workout out smarter, not harder.
You will want to work out smarter by finding your natural fat burning zone.
So many of us jump on a treadmill or take a workout class but don't stay within our fat burning zone.
Instead, we exceed the fat burning zone, which means you're less likely to reach your goals.
So get a heart rate monitor and start tracking your cardio more - this way you will be burning more fat.
An easy way to calculate it is to take 180 and then minus your age. This will be the likely
top end of your heart rate For example, mine would be 141, so I don't want to go over this
number when doing cardio. Then take 141 and minus it by 20 - that's your low end. For
me, this means I shouldn't go below 121. So 121-141 is my natural fat burning zone.
Do this every year as the number will go down as you get older.
When you start working out according to your fat burning zone, you might not feel like you're getting anywhere - it might even feel easy!
But this is where you have to get over the idea that working out more gives you better results. It doesn't.
Remember, work out smarter, not harder! I say this a lot because I'm trying to change the way you think about working out.
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3. Work out for 30-60 minutes, 4 times a week. Do this, while staying within your fat burning zone, and you'll start burning more fat which will help you to lose weight around your waist.
Remember to mix in 20 minute intervals when you're feeling your most energetic since you need energy for these workouts.
You can do one or two a week while doing two 30-60 minute workouts. Change it up weekly so as to challenge your body.
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4. Start lifting heavier weights so you can start building muscle and begin working on those curves. Make sure to read my tips above on Lifting Heavy. Also, always challenge yourself with each workout.
If you start with 15 lbs, eventually you'll need to move up to 20 lbs and so. When the workout starts to feel easy, then move up. This is how you will build muscle, tone up and burn fat.
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5. Work on your back muscles, in particular, as that will give you the V shape which can help accentuate a smaller waist. Do 3 sets of different back exercises and rows.
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6. Don't forget your legs! To help create that hour glass shape, you will need to work out your legs which will workout your booty and give it the lift it needs.
Remember to life heavy when working out legs. This will help you to lose fat and replace it with muscle helping to get rid of cellulite and dimples.
