A celebrity trainer shares her best tips on achieving your fitness goals
What do the likes of David Beckham, Lara Stone and Jessica Gomes have in common? They all have a killer body, which they can partially thank celebrity trainer Tegan Haining for. We spoke exclusively to the personal trainer, fascial stretch therapist and former Survivor Australia contestant who seriously knows her stuff when it comes to seeing results from your workout. If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get fitter and leaner this year, read on for her workout rules you should stick to this summer.
1 / Focus on strength training
To really tone up your muscles, Haining recommends strength training. “Women shouldn’t be afraid of lifting weights. This doesn’t mean you have to turn into a CrossFit junkie or Olympic lifter. Working within the parameters of your own body is important. Pilates is also excellent for core strengthening. But the fastest way to see a change in your body tone is to find a reputable trainer or group strength training gym and get there two to three times per week.”
2 / Get your heart rate up
Successfully losing fat comes down to one simple rule: get your heart rate up. “Generally anything that is going to get your heart rate up and stay there is great for burning fat. For some people, even walking is challenging and their heart rate will skyrocket. Others could run 10km and feel like they could keep going. I think HIIT cardio is excellent for burning excess fat as you work your muscles a lot more than low intensity, long duration cardio. I would suggest wearing a heart rate monitor and working within your own fitness parameters when doing HIIT.”
3 / Do something different
If you’re someone that gets bored of working out, one way to keep things interesting is by introducing variety. “Change up your routine now that summer is here. Get outdoors, make plans with friends to meet up and go for a hike, or take up a new hobby like swimming, golf, tennis or anything you’ve been thinking you ’should’ do but just haven’t got around to yet. Variety is the spice of life after all, right? Same goes for your fitness.”
4 / Be careful of overtraining
Think that cramming several high-intensity training sessions in a week will bring on results faster? Think again. “Overtraining can feel like you are just constantly tired all the time. Your body is sore. You aren’t getting the results you want anymore. It’s getting harder to function in the rest of your daily life. You feel you have plateaued. Clients often think that training more means they will get results faster, but this is not often the case. Allowing your body time to rest is actually when your muscles rebuild and you burn through excess fat stores. If you don’t give your body this time to rest, then when is this magic supposed to happen? This doesn’t mean you have to lie on the couch and watch Netflix; you can still go for a walk, get a massage or do a light yoga or stretching session. Just stay away from anything that feels like strength or HIIT on those days. And go for twice per week if you can!”
5 / Watch out for flexibility
Fact: Your flexibility contributes to your results so much more than you think. “When our muscles and/or fascia is tight, it can pull our body into misalignment. Say you are trying to do a lunge but your hip flexors are tight, then you can’t lunge very deep so you are not getting the most out of the exercise unless you compromise by doing the exercise incorrectly, which could lead to injury. Having adequate flexibility means you can get the most out of your exercises and workouts - safely - as your body will move through correct movement patterns.”
If you’d like to meet Tegan Haining and learn more about reaching your 2019 wellness goals, check out The 'Bare It All' Wellness Series by O-NAKED, which is happening in Woolloomooloo in Sydney on February 5. She’ll also be joined by Lady Lolas, Charlie De Haas and Kim McIntosh. Get your tickets here.
Looking for more motivation to exercise? Here’s how 11 celebs stay fit.
What’s your ultimate summer workout rule that you always abide by? Let us know in the comments below.
Main image credit: @iamjessicagomes
Iantha is BEAUTYcrew's Beauty Editor, and has been part of the team since the site launched in 2016. Besides pinky-nude nail polish and wispy false lashes, she has a healthy obsession with face masks and skin care ingredients. Her previous work can be found in Virgin Australia Voyeur, Women's Health, and SHOP Til You Drop.
