Celebrity Workouts Diets Fitness & Weight Loss

Iron Man 2 opened last Friday and brought in over $130 million in box office sales, putting it at #5 for top grossing opening weekends of all time. The blockbuster action flick’s all-star cast certainly spent a lot of time in the gym preparing for their roles. We’ve already reviewed Robert Downey Jr.’s workout and the diet and fitness plan Gwyneth Paltrow used to tone up for the big screen. Today, we take a look at the training Scarlett Johansson did to squeeze into her catsuit for her role as Black Widow.

On commitment…
“There is no magic wand to wave over oneself to look good in a latex catsuit. Eating healthy and getting fit is about commitment, determination, consistency and the dedication to self-preservation,” Johansson wrote in a letter to the Huffington Post.

Staying active while busy…
“Pull ups, crunches, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, planks, walking, jogging and push ups are all exercises that can be performed without fancy trainers or gym memberships. I’ve realized through this process that no matter how busy my life may be, I feel better when I take a little time to focus on staying active,” said Scarlett

From the trainer…
SELF Magazine caught up with Johansson’s trainer Bobby Strom, who also trains her husband Ryan Reynolds, to get some details on the workout routine the actress used. “No workout was ever exactly the same because I didn’t want her to get bored. I wanted to keep her in a place where she wanted to do more,” he says. “I was having her do a lot of balance, coordination, and core work, but what she really loved was the strength training–things like pullups and kettlebells–and the idea of feeling and looking strong,” said Strom.

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Strength Training World Cup Soccer Workout: Oguchi Onyewu

by Nate

in Athlete Workouts, Celebrity Workouts, Workout Routines

Soccer Workout for Strength Training - Oguchi Onyewu

Our fifth installment of our World Cup soccer workout series features the strength training workout of United States National Team defender Oguchi Onyewu.

Men’s Health recently revealed the soccer workout secrets of four members of the U.S. squad, including those of Oguchi Onyewu and his teammates Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, and Jozy Altidore, with soccer specific workout plans for building endurance, strength, speed, and agility.

Onyewu, who goes by the nickname “Gooch,” says, “Strikers get the fame, but as a defender you do just as much work and you don’t have the luxury of making so many mistakes.”

At 6’4″ and 210 pounds Oguchi Onyewu, who plays for Italy’s AC Milan is as strong as the come in soccer. “Gooch has to anchor himself, hold off contact, and withstand bumping,” says national team fitness coach Pierre Barrieu. The strength Onyewu uses against opponents comes from his powerful legs and his strength training workout allows him to not only be explosive but also quick enough to make a tackle on a speedy striker or head the ball away as its screaming toward the goal.

Men’s Health reports, “Norwegian soccer research reveals that doing squats with maximal loads dramatically improves jumping ability, sprinting speed over 10 meters, and running economy. Here’s why: ‘Because of the high resistance, the movement speed is slow, but the muscular contraction when you push with your quads is fast,’ says Jan Hoff, Ph.D., a professor of medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. In other words, you’re teaching your muscles to activate faster. In Hoff’s 2008 study, participants who did three squat sessions a week for 8 weeks saw a 5 percent increase in running economy, which means they used less energy to move on the field. That translates to over half a mile more covered in a match. Another benefit to strength training: It reduces your risk of soccer injury by 50 percent, according to a University of Maine study.”

To develop powerful legs like Oguchi Onyewu try this self test and strength training soccer workout.

Rachel Bilson’s Workout and Diet Plan by David Kirsch

by Jessica

in Celebrity Diets, Celebrity Fitness, Celebrity Workouts, Fitness Tips

Post image for Rachel Bilson’s Workout and Diet Plan by David Kirsch

Nostalgic fans of The O.C., rejoice! – Rachel Bilson is finally returning to the small screen this fall, in a lead role for a new CW drama series, Hart of Dixie. Since she was cast as breezy O.C. girl Summer Roberts eight years ago until now, Rachel has fascinated people with her iconic style and petite physique. But with her toned body, Rachel says, comes a balance of diet, exercise, and discipline.

Almost all of Rachel’s fitness regimen – both diet and exercise aspects alike – can be credited to renowned health guru David Kirsch, an advocate of mind-body wellness. Under his carefully crafted fitness training exercise program, Rachel undergoes cardio exercises, lunges, squats, and resistance exercises using equipment like light weights, up to five times a week. The variety of David’s programs is expansive – targeting anything from legs to butt to abs – but one of his most popular is his general 10-Minute Total Body Workout, a quick workout consisting of 3 moves: reverse prone scissors, Spider-Man push ups, and double crunches. Here’s a walk-through for each:

Reverse Prone Scissors: Lie facedown on the floor, resting your forehead on your hands. Spread your legs so your feet are about a yard apart and flex your feet so the tips of your toes are touching the floor. Squeeze your butt muscles to raise your legs as high as you can off the floor, and bring your heels together until they touch. Hold for 3 counts, then return legs to the starting position.
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