Show us the woman who says she wouldn't kill for Jessica Alba's amazing body - and we'll show you a liar!
Jess' rock-hard abs and toned limbs are the envy of millions of ladies worldwide - so we jumped at the chance to interview Miss Alba's very own personal trainer, Ramona Braganza, and find out how she whips the A-list onto shape.
Having trained the likes of Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and Halle Berry, we think Ramona's credentials speak for themselves. So, without further ado, here is what we learnt from the woman behind Hollywood's hottest bodies!
Your motto is 'make fitness a way of life' - do you have some everyday tips how to do that?
Walking is a great way to exercise because it burns calories consistently and you can do it anywhere - you don't need a gym, just keep moving and take the stairs instead of the lift!
Strength training is also important - you can come up with a regime of exercises that you can perform at home in your living room, including push-ups, squats and the plank.
And you can incorporate weight training in your daily routine by using your shopping bags as weights, for example: simply lift your bags while you're walking around, that alone helps to build muscles and tone your arms.
**What is your most important learning about keeping fit and exercising? **
It’s really important to stay properly hydrated because your body is using water all day long for all the bodily functions and the metabolism, so you you can get dehydrated easily as the day goes on. I know it's hard to drink water in cold weather, but it is the best drink. I'm a big fan of glaceau vitaminwater - it tastes great and has added vitamins and minerals, so it makes it easier for me to meet my water quota!
'When you're properly hydrated you'll find that you'll function so much better'
A lot of people drink coffee and tea, but those drinks are super dehydrating, so I'd reccommend that you have a glass of water with each cup of tea or coffee to make up for it.
When you’re properly hydrated you'll find that you’ll function so much better - you’ll be more alert at work and you’ll have more energy. My own fitness programme is based around a 3-2-1 system - three meals, two snacks and a minimum of one litre of water a day - it's easy to follow and keeps your metabolism on track.
What are your top snacks and snacking rules?
Definitely not crisps or anything like that, even though that’s the easiest to get in a lot of stores. Hummus and a little bag of carrots or celery are great. A pot of yoghurt or a little piece of cheese are good options too, and fruit is always great.
Try to chose snacks that will keep you feeling full a little longer and try to avoid snacking because you're bored. I reccommend to have breakfast, then a snack; lunch and a snack in the afternoon, and then dinner. If you include healthy snacks between your meals, you’re not going to overeat during your main meals either.
What is the secret behind Jessica Alba's amazing body?
With Jessica, we usually do a little bit of abs-training every day, and she likes to do yoga as well because it really works your core muscles and your abs. We do specific exercises for each of the four different muscle groups: some crunches for your upper abs or cycling for your obliques
I have worked with Jess for over ten years now, so it's important to keep your workouts interesting and consistent. Try to freshen things up by trying new classes, for example, like kick-boxing or dancing.
Another great tip is to work on your posture - it’ll make your body look longer and taller and make you look like you have a flat stomach. Yoga and Pilates are both great for improving your posture and flexibility.
**How has Jessica's workout changed over the years?
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Oh, it's changed a lot - we do a different workout for every movie according to the requirements. At the beginning, we did a lot of weight training for Dark Angel, and for her role in Honey her exercises were mostly dance related.
In Into The Blue she was in a bikini all the time, so we did circuits - you have to change your workout over the years, or it will stop working for you and you'll get bored.
You have worked with a few celeb mums - what kind of exercises did you do to get them back into shape?
My first new mum was Halle Berry, and we started by targeting specific body parts. After the baby is born, you may find that some muscles are really weak at first, especially your core and ab muscles and the muscles in your lower back.
'New mums have very little time and they're very tired, so you have to start slowly'
Then we went on to more cardio work and added the weight training in at the end. That's how I created my 3-2-1 Baby Bulge Be Gone workout, and it worked for Halle, Jess and also new mum Ashlee Simpson.
New mums have very little time and they’re very tired, so you have to start slowly and then work your way up and then actually really push them!
Are your celebrity clients usually more motivated to stay in shape?
A lot of actors come to me when they’re getting ready for a movie role, so at that point they're all keen to work hard because they know they will be on a screen soon. They’re very committed - I've trained a few guys recently, Zac Efron and Bradley Cooper, and they were quite easy to train - they both wanted to want to get bigger muscles!
Kate Beckinsale is great and absolutely lovely - she really liked the yoga movements I introduced her to.
Nobody's ever given me a super-hard time, but the new mums can be a little more challenging because they’re very tired and a bit irritable as a result.
**You like to use music to get people motivated, what tracks does the Hollywood A-list work out to? **
Obviously they all like different types of music, and a lot of my clients already have their own music selection on their iPods in their home gyms.
But I worked with Amanda Crew recently and she really likes Empire State Of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay Z, and Hally loves to workout to Prince!
Working on set, actors have to workout pretty early in the morning at times - is it true it's best to exercise on an empty stomach to burn more fat?
You definitely should eat a little something before you train, because if your sugar levels are running low, you’re not going to get a very good workout because you're lacking energy. I suggest to have a little snack, like half a banana or an egg, so you have something in your stomach.
There are loads of new fitness and workout trends emerging - which ones do you keep an eye on?
I really want to try hypoxi treatments - it eliminates cellulite and burns fat through acombination of exercise and targeted low atmospheric pressure.
And I love all the new classes they offer in the UK - Bollywood Fusion, Pole Dancing... and I think there was a Lady GaGa class I saw somewhere - what on earth do you in a Lady GaGa class?
Ramona Braganza hydrates with glaceau vitaminwater. Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Waitrose and all good independent retailers from £1.49 (RRP) a bottle.
For a diet that suits an active lifestyle go to www.closerdiets.com and choose from one of our 16 delicious meal plans!