Celebrity workouts for everyday people

The trouble with books written by fitness trainers to the stars isn’t that people read them. It’s that they read them for the wrong reasons.

No book by an A-list Hollywood trainer can make you look like Halle Berry in a cat suit (or, for that matter, Christian Slater in boxers). And whatever they can deliver will take a lot longer than the improbably few weeks hyped on the cover.

But the programs subject to these pumped-up claims do offer some value for those of us who aren’t celebrities, people I think of as members of the “E-list,” as in Everybody Else.

I know this only because, to spare you the embarrassment, cost and pain, I have spent the last couple of months reading these books and performing some of the workouts that appear in them.

First, let me say that the books can be wildly uneven and impractical. “The Ultimate New York Body Plan” presents a nuttily difficult program that, if followed as written, would become a part-time job. Most other workouts don’t realistically fit into their alleged time limits.

All that said, the A-listers’ workout routines for the most part fit E-listers well, largely because we have at least some things in common with celebrities: We’re busy and don’t want to spend much time working out but would like to see some results within a reasonable period of time.

Most A-list trainer books I’ve checked out embrace, to various degrees, the following concepts, which serve the rest of us well. They also happen to represent some of today’s key fitness trends.

* Circuit training: In circuit workouts, you perform a sequence of three to 10 different exercises with little or no rest in between, then repeat the circuit two or three times.

Circuit training is very time-efficient, delivering simultaneously the benefits of a cardio session with those of strength training. And by keeping you working without rest, it torches more calories than conventional weight work.

In other words, circuit training is a good approach for people who do a lot of meetings, whether with agents or day-care teachers.

* Multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises: Do a half-squat against a wall while curling a pair of dumbbells. Then press them overhead. That’s a multi-joint exercise, and it’ll work your thighs, shoulders, arms and gut.

Multi-joint, multi-muscle work boosts your heart rate, multiplying the cardio benefits of circuit training. It spreads the benefits around your body, so you don’t look distended in some spots and puny in others.

These workouts can actually prepare your body to do stuff, not just look like it can do stuff. This is called functional exercise.

* Interval workouts: These exercises mix brief bursts of higher-intensity work with longer periods of lower-intensity recovery. The opposite type is called steady-state training, where you sustain the same pace for an extended period.

The great thing about intervals compared with steady-state workouts is that intervals save time, build your cardiovascular capacity more efficiently and microwave more calories.

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The E-list workout

Now it’s time to begin the workout. I’ve cobbled together a circuit of six exercises, sampling the celebrity-trainer books listed in the accompanying box.

I’ve arranged the sample exercises in a manner often used in circuit workouts, where different body parts are worked in sequence to prevent excessive fatigue in any one.

Do single sets of each exercise in the order shown, without resting in between. Catch your breath at the end of the circuit, then do the whole thing again.

If each exercise plus the transition to the next takes three minutes, a circuit will take 18 minutes. After a few workouts you’ll have it down to 12 minutes; two orbits will mean your workout is done in 24 minutes. Add six minutes of various inefficiencies and distractions and call it an even 30 minutes.

This workout isn’t for beginners. It’s suited to someone who is already exercising at least modestly -- someone capable of brisk walking for 30 minutes and performing some basic strength exercises with free weights or machines.

The first time you perform these exercises, do just a few repetitions, either without weights or with very light weights -- 1- or 2-pound dumbbells.

* Shadowbox With Dumbbells (adapted from “The Ultimate New York Body Plan,” by David Kirsch).

This exercise builds arm strength, core flexibility and cardio fitness. It also develops balance and coordination.

Grab a very light dumbbell with each hand, your fists near your armpits, your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your gut tight and your stance upright. Use your left arm to “punch” across your body(from left to right, not straight out). Return to starting position, as if dodging a similar punch by an opponent.

Now do the same punch with your right arm, again crossing over your body. Do 20 repetitions, alternating arms.

Next, with your left elbow against your ribs and your knuckles turned up, punch upward as if popping someone under the chin with an uppercut. Repeat with the other arm and alternate through 20 reps.

* Static Bridge With Leg Raise (adapted from “20-Minute Burn: Four New High-Intensity Workouts,” by Matt Roberts).

This move will challenge your core -- the sheath of muscles wrapping your belly and back. It’s hard at first, but you should be able to improve rapidly.

Assume a push-up position, but instead of balancing on your hands and toes, balance on your forearms and toes. Tighten your abs and keep your back straight; don’t let your butt point upward or your back sag. Keep your head in line with your backbone, not cranked back.

When you first do this exercise, simply hold this position for as long as you can. Don’t hold your breath, though you’ll be tempted to.

Once you can do a full minute, add to the challenge by lifting one leg six inches off the ground, keeping your knee straight (but not locked). Hold briefly, return to starting position and repeat with the other leg. Alternate to 10 reps on each leg. Add more reps to reach 20 on each leg, and when you have that mastered, lift your leg 12 inches.

* Wall-Sit With Curl and Press (adapted from “Body Express Makeover: Trim and Sculpt Your Body in Less Than Six Weeks,” by Michael George).

Grab a pair of dumbbells. Put your back and butt against a wall, and step your feet away so you are doing a partial squat (not so far that your thighs are parallel to the floor). Hold that pose for the whole exercise.

Now curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders, keeping your elbows at your sides. Turn your hands around so your palms are facing forward. Press upward into the “touchdown!” position. Reverse the process, very slowly, maintaining the bend in your knees. Do 15 repetitions.

* Double Crunch (adapted from “5-Factor Fitness: The Diet and Fitness Secret of Hollywood’s A-List,” by Harley Pasternak).

This exercise targets the upper and lower abdominal muscles. Lie on a mat with your knees bent, your feet hovering a few inches off the floor, your hands lightly holding your head but your fingers not locked. Curl your shoulders up from the mat while rolling your butt and thighs up toward your head. Keep your chin away from your chest and your eyes up.

Do as many as you can in sets of 10 or 15, keeping good form.

* Side Step Squat With Medicine Ball (adapted from Kirsch).

Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart. Grab a light medicine ball with both hands, holding it at your sternum. Bend your left knee and lower yourself into a half-squat, keeping your left leg vertical from foot to knee. Your right leg forms the hypotenuse of a right triangle. Don’t let any part of your body extend beyond the vertical plane formed by your left leg.

As you squat, push the ball away from your chest and extend your arms straight out, without locking your elbows. Return to starting position and do the same thing on your right leg. Do 15 reps.

* Ball Chest Press With Fly (adapted from George).

The best way to do this one is on a big stability ball; if you don’t have one, use a weight bench.

With dumbbells in hand, lie back so the ball is supporting your midback. Keep your hips up, so your back is straight and parallel to the floor. (If you don’t pay attention to this, your hips will drop down.) Perform a basic bench press with the dumbbells. When your arms are almost straight up, turn your wrists so the dumbbells are parallel to your body. Slowly lower them to your sides until your hands are at shoulder level, opening your chest. You should feel a good slight tug in your chest.

Slowly reverse the movement, bringing your hands together at the top. Then turn your wrists back into the bench press position and lower your arms. Do 20 reps.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)Sure, they name-drop, but they’ll make you feel the burn

* “5-Factor Fitness: The Diet and Fitness Secret of Hollywood’s A-List,” by Harley Pasternak (Putnam, $21.95)

Client names shamelessly dropped: Halle Berry, Christian Slater, Eve, Benjamin Bratt.

Credentials cited: A master’s of science in exercise physiology and nutritional sciences, University of Toronto; trainer certification by American College of Sports Medicine.

The gimmick: Five weeks; five workout phases, five minutes each; five workouts a week; five meals a day, five minutes to prep and cook.

Observations: Each workout features two conventional dumbbell exercises and one core exercise, framed by five-minute cardio sessions. The workout is challenging but over quickly. Pasternak wiggles out of the five-minute box by saying you can do more cardio at the end if you want. You should.

Best for: People willing to work hard in exchange for a shorter workout, who like to keep exercises simple and can abide a detailed program that invites no modifications.

* “20-Minute Burn: Four New High-Intensity Workouts,” by Matt Roberts (Dorling Kindersley, $15)

Client names shamelessly dropped: Sandra Bullock, Naomi Campbell, Mel C, Faye Dunaway.

Credentials cited: Former competitive sprinter; trainer certifications by American Council on Exercise and American College of Sports Medicine.

The gimmick: Peripheral heart action (PHA) workouts arrange strength exercises so they deliver cardio benefits too. Book offers four different workouts: fat-burning, muscle-sculpting, adding muscle and building endurance.

Observations: Excellent color pictures, clear text and good mix of exercises for home and gym. The purportedly 20-minute fat-burner has 26 exercises plus warm-up and cool-down; it took at least 40 minutes each time we tried it. A slim paperback, it’s the most gym-portable of the bunch.

Best for: Beginners looking for explicit directions and exercise variety. By editing workouts, it’s possible to stay within the 20-minute goal.

* “The Ultimate New York Body Plan,” by David Kirsch (McGraw-Hill, $21.95)

Client names shamelessly dropped: Heidi Klum, Liv Tyler, Faith Hill.

Credentials cited: Founder of Madison Square Club in New York, 15 years of training experience; spokesman for the Almond Board of America.

The gimmick: Ultimate fitness, ultimate nutrition, ultimate motivation, ultimate maintenance. And purportedly achievable in two weeks.

Observations: Punishing workouts that are advisable only for the already fit. Purported 45-minute body-sculpting workout includes 40 exercises, many of them challenging and novel. This reporter completed no more than 30 of them in two tries of more than an hour each, and was asked in the locker room afterward if he was OK. (He was.) Oh, and after that you’re supposed to do 45 minutes of cardio. The book is full of motivational hoo-ha that would make Deepak Chopra giggle.

Best for: Veteran gym rats skilled at functional core exercises yet looking for a challenge -- or for some novel moves to add to their repertoire.

* “Body Express Makeover: Trim and Sculpt Your Body in Less Than Six Weeks,” by Michael George (Fireside, $24.95)

Client names shamelessly dropped: Meg Ryan, Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Maguire, Christian Slater.

Credentials cited: Certifications by American Council on Exercise and National Assn. of Sports Medicine; martial artist devoted to East-West integration; spokesman for Nike.

The gimmick: Three workouts mix weight training, calisthenics and aerobics with yoga- and Pilates-derived exercises into very challenging but doable workouts.

Observations: Equivalent exercises tailored differently for men and women. Once learned, the exercises are the best of the bunch in the books reviewed. The routines can almost fit into the time allotted, though advanced workouts require three sets of 20 reps of 10 exercises. Clear instructions and photos; varied, challenging and effective exercises.

Best for: Moderately fit exercisers looking for a well-scripted, challenging, realistic program that will deliver results for far more than six weeks.

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Craig Stoltz