Best Way to Acquire a Gorgeous Body

Sumptuous skin, shapely legs and a firm, toned body – these sound like the credentials of a supermodel, but achieving them is easier than you think. All it takes is a little discipline and a few tips from the supermodels’ own personal trainer.

You may not share Elle Macpherson’s vital statistics, but you can still have a desirable body. Before we look at how you can achieve this, let me introduce you to Radu – a fitness guru so famous that he requires no second name. This delightful Romanian opened his Physical Culture Center in New York in 1977 and is now undeniably the most imitated fitness instructor on the planet. By putting Cindy Crawford and a whole host of celebrities, models, dancers and actors through their paces – not to mention getting them to hold a few rather uncompromising positions – Radu has cultivated the bodies of some of the world’s most beautiful people. Here he shares his trade secrets with you.

Why bother exercising?

Sit back and be a couch potato if you like, but don’t then expect to have a good physique. Exercise is the key to a better body and is paramount when it comes to looking good. With the right training you can resculpt your body: a tighter bottom, firmer thighs, flatter stomach and more shapely legs can all be yours if you get into gear. Start exercising now and you will firm up any problem areas before they get out of hand.

But as Radu stresses, the benefits of exercising surpass aesthetic considerations alone: ‘Because in this day and age we lead such sedentary lifestyles, not only are physical activities and sports a health necessity, they are of great importance if we are to obtain balance in our lives,’ says Radu. ‘Exercise is like a very efficient short vacation, which can release stress and give a new perspective on your problems. Physical activities also help you to develop qualities of courage, honesty, discipline, quick decision-making and action-taking.’

Exercise is proven to be a mood enhancer. Because exercising encourages the production of endorphins (the body’s natural painkillers) which give you a natural high, after each workout you will feel on top of the world. And, by increasing the blood supply to your brain and stimulating the production of neurotrophins (the brain’s growth factor), working out also increases your mental capacity. A fit, strong body means that you will have greater physical reserves that you can draw upon in times of stress and illness.

Convinced of the merits of exercising? If so, before you make a hasty decision as to which exercise is right for you, assess your body by identifying any weak areas that need working on, and then pick the best exercises with which to tackle them. Always do what you enjoy and vary your exercise so that you don’t become bored.

Set yourself a goal

In order to force yourself to switch off the TV and grab your training shoes, you need motivation. To spur you on, imagine how you want to look and keep this image in your head while exercising. Radu suggests that you set yourself some long-term goals like I’ll change my lifestyle’, ‘lose weight so that I go down two dress sizes’, ‘take up squash again’ and so on. But no long-term goal can be achieved without also setting short-term targets: ‘Say to yourself “I am going to manage three visits to the gym this week or three runs”,’ insists Radu.

How quickly will you see results?

You can alter your body shape, sculpt your bottom and firm up your breasts, but you’ll need dedication and patience in order to do so. How intensely you train determines how quickly the results start to show: According to Radu, you will notice a difference after three to four weeks, but the real discoveries are visible after three months. ‘Once you see your new physique, nothing will stop you.’ If you are starting a new routine go easy to begin with, kicking off with three sessions a week with rest days inbetween and some form of activity at the weekend.