We all have workout goals, whether you're new to working out, trying to fit exercise into a busy schedule, preparing for a wedding, hoping to feel confident for a vacation or coming back from having a baby.
"GMA" Train My Way paired five high-profile fitness trainers with five women for 30 days to tackle their workout goals. We followed their journey and got their tips and workout guides.
We paired celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser, the founder of AKT, with Lanie Parr, a 29-year-old New York City resident who is getting married in June.
"I’m looking mostly forward to feeling good, looking good," Parr said. "I want to lean out. I’m actually looking forward to eating better and having more energy."
"It really is all about having fun," Kaiser told Parr at the start of the 30 days. "I don’t want your workouts to be grueling."
It really is all about having fun
Parr was working out one to two days per week prior to Train My Way.
1. Dance cardio and strength workouts: Kaiser put Parr on a schedule of six to seven workouts per week using her signature style of dance cardio paired with strength and resistance training. Parr trained in Kaiser's AKT studios in New York City but also used AKT On Demand to train from home and when she traveled.
"The first week I will say, after every class I thought I was going to pass out," Parr said. "After the first seven days, I just went into every class really excited and motivated because I was already seeing results."
2. Nutrition: Kaiser also had Parr eat foods high in protein and skip sugar, recommending that she eat a piece of dark chocolate if a craving struck.
"I think the hardest part of this was being in social settings where I couldn’t enjoy some things that I was used to enjoying," Parr said. "But then after a few weeks of that, it was just the norm for me."
At the end of the 30 days, Parr had lost 11 pounds overall and 13 pounds of fat and gained two pounds of muscle. Her body fat percentage also decreased by seven points.
When she went to try on her once-snug wedding dress, it fit perfectly.
"I felt 100 percent more comfortable in it," Parr said, adding that her advice for others is to just get started and not make excuses.
Kaiser attributed Parr's success to her dedication over the entire 30 days.
"The short-term fitness journey is most people will start to see results and back off," Kaiser said. "But If you really want to keep up a long term goal, keep yourself consistent."
Kaiser designed a circuit workout for brides-to-be.
In the first round, do each of the five exercises for one minute each, with no breaks in between. In the second round, do each exercise for 30 seconds with no breaks in between.
In the third and final round, do each exercise for 15 seconds at an all-out pace.
"Make sure you’re setting up proper form and then really push yourself," said Kaiser, who recommends doing the circuit four days per week.
1. Deep squat step outs: Hold 8 to 10 pound weights. Lunge to one side, with knees and toes at 45 degrees, return to center, step to the other side and keep repeating.
2. Push- up row: Use 5, 8 or 10 pound weights. Start in a wide push-up position. Bring your chest all the way down to tap the floor, push your body up and then pull one arm up to a row, keeping hips square to the floor. Repeat on other side. Modify by keeping knees on the floor or forgoing the rows and focusing on plank to push-up.
3. Switch lunge with overhead torso rotation: Start in a lunge position, holding an 8, 10 or 12 pound weight. Switch feet two times and then press arms overhead as you rotate your torso in the direction of your front knee.
4. Hammer curl to scaption: Bend forward slightly, lift weights to shoulders in a hammer curl and then extend arms to scaption as you raise your body.
5. Jacks in a circle: Hold a weight in both hands and extend it to the sky as you do a jumping jack, moving in a circle.
