Have you seen Jennifer Garner’s arms lately? How about Reese Witherspoon’s legs? You should know they both got their badass bods from celebrity trainer Simone de la Rue.
She’s learned to get creative with workouts thanks to her in-demand clientele. “I work out in the most bizarre places, from makeup trailers to sets to a beach,” she says. “I love to work out using your own bodyweight, because you can do it anywhere.”
This bodyweight workout—made up of all de la Rue’s favorite moves—will give you a taste of her celebrity clients’ routines. “I chose these moves because they’re each targeting a certain muscle group,” she says. “So if you do an entire circuit, you’re going to get a full-body workout.”
Time: 20 minutes
Equipment: Mat
Good for: Total-body toning
Instructions: Complete three sets of the indicated number of reps for each exercise. Move from one exercise to the next, taking 15 seconds of rest in between each. Move through the entire circuit once. To up the intensity (and time), incorporate 10 reps of squat jumps in between each move.
Do this bodyweight workout at home two to three times a week for optimal results.
Jump Squat
How to: Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out. Keeping your chest upright and core tight, bend your knees and sit your hips back, keeping your hands folded in front of your chest. Make sure your ankles are under your knees and your knees are under your hips. Press through your heels to jump as high as you can off the ground, swinging your arms behind you. Land softly and immediately lower into your next squat. That’s one rep. Do three sets of 10 reps. Continue on to the next move. (Note: For a more intense circuit, incorporate a set of these in between each move.)
Bird Dog
How to: Get on your hands and knees, and make sure your wrists are underneath your shoulders. Draw your belly button in to your spine, and make sure there’s no arch in your back. Then raise one arm and one leg to shoulder height, no higher. Hold for a moment, and make sure your body stays aligned. Then, bring your elbow to your knee. Extend your arm and leg again. That’s one rep. Do three sets of 20 reps. Continue on to the next move.
Explosive Pushup
How to: Get into a pushup position, with your wrists stacked under your shoulders. You can also do this on your knees as a modification. Keep your butt scooped under, and core engaged. From here, bend your elbows and lower yourself down. At the bottom, energetically push yourself off the floor with enough force so your hands become airborne. Land back onto the ground with arms slightly bent. That’s one rep. Do three sets of 10-12 reps. Then continue on to the next move.
Core Scissor
How to: Lie on your back, legs long and toes pointed. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground, bend your arms, and place your hands behind your head. Imagine an apple is under your chin—you don’t want to crunch your chin into your chest. Lift both your legs up so they’re hovering a few inches above the ground. Keep your back pressed against the mat as you lift one leg up toward the sky, while the other continues hovering. Lower your leg back down to start. That’s one rep. Do three sets of 10-12 reps on each side. Then continue on to the next move.
Mermaid
How to: Sit on your mat with your legs bent and angled to your right side. Keep your hips square and facing forward. Wrap your left hand around your right side, and reach your right hand across your body. Allow your body to slowly fall to the left, almost like you’re about to get in fetal position. But once your body reaches a 45-degree angle with the ground, energetically push off the floor with your right hand, so your body returns to an upright position. When you do this, let your arm reach a 90-degree angle, and engage your triceps to push your body up. That’s one rep. Do two sets of 10-12 reps on each side. Continue to the next move.
Glute Bridge With Leg Lift
How to: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Straighten one leg and keep it lifted, so both knees are lined up next to each other. Then, lift that leg so it’s straight in the air, and forms a 90-degree angle with the ground. Lower back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do three sets of 10-12 reps on each side. Continue on to the next move.
Side Shaper
How to: Lie on your left side, with your legs and hips stacked on top of each other. Place your left elbow and forearm down on the ground and lift your body up so only your hips and leg are touching the floor. Raise your right arm to the sky. Engage your right oblique, core, and outer thigh muscle to lift your right leg to hip height. Then lift your left leg to meet it. Lower your left leg down, then your right. That’s one rep. Do three sets of 10 reps on each side.
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