We can’t get enough of The Only Way Is Essex and now you can get a body like the girls on the show. Lydia Bright and Sam and Billie Faiers have teamed up with trainer to the stars Glenn Ball, 26, to create their own fitness DVD, The Only Way Is Essex – The Essexercise Workout DVD. Glenn, who has worked with Kylie Minogue, J-Lo and Girls Aloud, tells Closer how to shape up Essex style.
What was it like working with the TOWIE lot?
They were all brilliant, really fun, lovely girls. There was quite a lot of moaning at first and they chatted and messed about a lot. I tried to be stern and tell them off, but after I while, I didn’t need to – they were there because they wanted to be. Despite the whinging, they worked really hard and got good results.
Which areas did you target for them?
Lydia has a fantastic body, but she felt her legs were too big and she wanted to slim them down. Sam wanted to get rid of her belly, while Billie wanted to tone her bum – she’s very curvy and has big boobs, too. All three have completely different body shapes and an area they weren’t confident with, which is great because it enabled us to appeal to more people.
'The girls said they felt more energetic, slept better and felt more supple and flexible'
How long was it before they started to notice a difference?
After five days of training, the girls were kicking a lot higher in the fight section of the DVD and their punching techniques were a lot better. Their abs and backs were stronger, too, because they’d done a lot of work on their core muscles. The girls all said they felt more energetic, slept better and felt more supple and flexible. They also learnt about the importance of stretching and recovery after doing a workout. After working out with me, the girls were shocked at the toll it took on their bodies!
So how can we get a body like Lydia, Sam and Billie?
The key is to combine cardio, which burns calories, with toning exercises that condition the body and develop muscle tissue. Don’t think that you need to do hours of exercise – a series of sprints can be just as beneficial as an hour-long run. And an energetic 20-minute blast is better than a half-hearted hour. That’s why we did the DVD in 20-minute segments – so people can do as much as they feel like. Nutrition-wise, drink lots of water – it keeps your body well-oiled and stops you feeling hungry, so you snack less. Of course, what you eat and how much completely depends on the amount of exercise you do.
What’s so good about this DVD?
There are three sections, which you can do separately or combined for a 60-minute workout. The first section, Totally Retro Reem, sees the girls dance to their favourite club tracks of the ’80s and ’90s, such as Liberty X’s Just A Little and The Only Way Is Up by Yazz. The second section is Burn Those Carbs Before Marbs, where we turn combat moves into a fitness routine. And the last part is the Well Jel Workout, which is a fast-paced routine to showstopping tunes like Push The Feeling by Nightcrawlers and Finally by Ce Ce Peniston. Having three short sections means you can do a workout quickly without the thought of a whole hour hanging over you. But it’s so much fun, you won’t be able to stop!
Exercises:
Stomach
The core is key for stomach toning, which is what I kept telling Sam. I got her to do a lot of reverse sit-ups where you lie down with your feet on the floor, your knees bent and your arms behind your head. Sit up as if you’re doing a stomach crunch, but start the exercise from there. Lower your back until you’re lying down (this really works your abs) then repeat 15 times for three sets
Bums
Squats are great for toning bums, so these were best for Billie. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing forwards. Making sure your knees don’t go over your toes, squat as if you’re sitting on a chair and repeat 10 times. Then sit low and pulse for one set, which works different muscles. And for the third set, open your toes out more to give your whole bottom a good workout.
Legs
I got Lydia to do a lot of bunny hops to help slim down her legs. Just start in a squatting position, then spring forward. Repeat the hops for 30 seconds, then take a 10-second break and repeat for another 30 seconds.
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***The Only Way is Essex – The Essexercise Workout DVD (£19.99) is out now.