Body Boot Camp

A personal trainer, a Pilates instructor, a nutritionist, and an aesthetician outline their get-fit plan.

• By Sara Cardace
• Published Fall 2005

THE PERSONAL TRAINER "Work like an athlete. Shoot for the moon. Think of it as if you're in training for your wedding. If you're faithful to the routine, you'll be tight, toned, and look like a goddess." -Trainer Kacy Duke, Equinox

The Rules . Start program three to six months in advance. . Exercise three to four times per week. . Unless otherwise indicated, perform three sets of twelve reps using five-pound weights. The Exercises • Biceps: Stand with your feet together, knees soft. Curl weights to the shoulder and down at a moderate pace. • Triceps and front delts: Stand with your feet together, abs contracted; bend over slightly from the waist. Bring weights in front of shoulders, and extend arms forward, working the chest; pull back to starting position and kick arms back to work triceps. • Shoulders: With a weight in each hand, bend arms upward at a 90-degree angle, palms forward; bring hands above your head toward each other, then back down to shoulder level. Exhale on the exertion and inhale coming down. • Legs and butt: Forward lunge: Keeping your hands on your waist with feet hips-width apart, step forward into a lunge, making sure that the front knee is right over the heel, the back leg is bent and heel is lifted. Push off and return to starting position. Then reverse by stepping backward. • Upper back: Sitting on a stool, bring your chest to your thighs, keeping your feet together, with both arms hanging behind knees. Lift arms out to the side and bring back. • Abs: When working abs, keep your navel-to-spine contractions strong, chin off of chest. And switch it up: Raise the legs 90 degrees, hold shoulders off the ground, do little pulses. • Outer thighs: Simulate a regular curtsy, except you really step back into it. Start with your legs far apart, lift leg up, around, and back. Reverse.

THE BEAUTY EXPERT "It is essential to feel beautiful in order to emanate confidence. The most basic thing is to get enough sleep so you look rested. The groom had better keep up with your gorgeous new look." -Tracie Martyn, owner of the Tracie Martyn Salon

Three Months Before the Wedding . Now is the time to detox. Colonics, saunas, fiber supplements, and green juices are excellent. . Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, especially berries. . Eat less red meat and white food: sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes. . Restrict your fat intake to good omega fatty acids: wild Pacific or Alaskan salmon. (Avoid seafood if you tend to break out.) . Drink plenty of water-six glasses per day-and green tea, which increases metabolism. One Month Before the Wedding . Stop any detox or juice fasting. . Do any dermatological treatment, such as a peel. . Go for a Resculpting facial to increase the elasticity of the skin. Follow with one each week-the effects are cumulative. . Stop eating sodium-rich foods. . If you tend toward puffiness, corn silk helps water retention. . Stop drinking: Red wine can make you puffy. Three Weeks Before the Wedding . Have a deep pore-cleansing facial that incorporates microdermabrasion and oxygen. Two Weeks Before the Wedding (Follow this regimen until the wedding day) . Use a high-quality cleanser twice a day, and a gentle yet effective exfoliator twice a week. . Choose a moisturizer with benefits, such as antioxidants. . Little things make a big difference. Consider: teeth whitening, eyebrow shaping, and eyelash curling. . Have a Resculpting facial one day before the wedding.