If I was an IRL celebrity (the real ones you get starry-eyed over if you see on on the tube), I too would be extremely toned, healthy and look like Giselle Bündchen.
Why? Because I could have nutritionists, personal trainers and coconut water bottles on tap. I'd obviously be ferried around to the most Insta-worthy boutique gyms, have top industry advice at my fingertips and have a devoted team telling them exactly what to eat at any given time of day.
So, in the name of journalism, I set out to see if I too could become a Giselle-type, if I had some fancy-shmancy personal trainer and went to a gym, where the changing rooms are overflowing with Kiehl's moisturiser and Gucci handbags. Here's my journey...
A brief background of my fitness journey
Let me be brutally honest. I do work out. I work out a lot. I'm not going to pretend I only count 'running away from my problems' as my official 2018 exercise, in a desperate bid to be 'relatable' because that couldn't be further from the truth.
From the age of 14-years-old, I would manically do Tracey Anderson's workout dvd, which promised me 'ballet-beautiful arms' and would count a cuppa soup sachet as a meal.
At 18-years-old, I'd go on long moody runs and (STUPIDLY) cut out carbs from my diet. This always ended in me feeling lethargic, miserable and leading me to scoff 6500 calories in one sitting.
Now, at 24-years-old, I'm careful to think of health holistically, rather than a number on a scale. For the first time, I want to be strong! I want to be able to do 10 press-ups! I want to feel agile and quick and able to get through the day without feeling like I'm going to faint and die.
I go to the gym three to four times a week, I cook healthy, nutritious meals and I own macca powder. I give a shit. I like channeling my inner-rage into something positive (have I mentioned, I'm also the type who never takes holiday from work nor stands on an escalator).
But weirdly, my actual fitness routine lacked direction and a clear focus. Aka, I'd run for a bit on the treadmill, half-heartedly do some squats and lunges and then go home when my legs hurt. But that all changed when I met Hannah...
The personal trainer
So, I worked with brilliant get-into-shape-whipper (official title) Hannah Frankson for two weeks at the very exclusive Equinox gym in Kensington - to see what it was really like to workout like a celeb.
Equinox in Beverley Hills is where the most iconic celebs of our generation (read: Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Ashley Tisdale) have be papped leaving, whilst carrying both a yoga mat and an oversized Starbuck cup, bigger than their heads.
The Kensington, London branch is equally brimming with celeb-types. A source told The Debrief how Henry Cavill, Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman and Arnold Schwarzenegger have gymmed there in the last few weeks.
Kanye West even raved about Equinox in his Life Of Pabolo track and said, 'need every bad bitch up in Equinox / Wanna know right now if you a freak or not'.
I'm a bad bitch, Kanye.
The plan
Twice a week with my personal trainer, I would complete 'a full body workout incorporating heavy weights and ruthless cardio finishers to push my body to the max.' Cry emoji x 1000.
The routine was the same each time and it looked like this:
The warm up
Five minutes of the stair machine to warm up, followed by foam-rolling. Hannah explained how the stair machine is perfect for getting your heart rate up and to begin to wake up your muscles. Ideal really, if you've just woken up or spend your days sat at a desk.
I have flirted with the occasional foam-rolling in the past, but Hannah stressed to me the importance of spending five minutes on the mat stretching out your hamstrings.
Ab exercises
Hannah championed a pilates-style ab workout, which was simple and effective. These exercises can even be done at home. Even if you live in a shoe box in Battersea, my friends.
Leg and glute exercises
This would typically involve three simple exercises using weights and then repeated three times. THREE IS THE POWER NUMBER, HERE CHAMPS! You would do each exercise for 12 reps with a challenging weight. E.g.
12 x squats holding a kettlebell
12 x lunges (each leg) holding dumbbells
12 x Hip thrusts with a kettlebell
Repeat x 3 with one minute of rest in between
Arm workout
None of this 'I don't do arm exercises because I don't want to bulk' rubbish. Firstly, it's very hard to 'bulk'. You need to be eating a calorie surplus, be lifting very strong weights and have your protein intake nailed.
A strong body that can do things and is healthy is the goal here. For the arm workout, I'd do two arm exercises as a mini circuit. This is called a 'compound exercise'.
E.g.
12 x Side lateral raises
12 x Bicep curls
Repeat 3 x with one minute of rest in between.
Cardio finisher
Hannah (despite me pleading mercy) would make me do a five minute 'cardio finisher' at the end of the workout.
This can be using a treadmill or a bike machine, but you want to go as hard as you can for 20 seconds and rest for 40. Then repeat three times. OWHHH.
What did I learn from having a celeb personal trainer?
Form is everything
If you aren't doing an exercise correctly, not only is it not doing anything for your fitness/muscles, but you could also injure yourself. YouTube is BRIMMING with fitness vloggers, so always check out how an exercise is done before doing it yourself.
It's all about the basic exercises
Despite training in one of the best gyms in London, with one of the best personal trainers, the main crux of my plan was using simple exercises that anyone can do. Squats, lunges, bicycle crunches - I even did these in year 10 PE class.
However, it's about perfecting your form and adding weights to see results...
Don't be scared to lift weights
As Hannah very wisely said, 'You can do 100's of squats using your bodyweight, or you can squat whilst holding a challenging weight and do three rounds of 12... I know what I'd rather do!'
Adding weights into my routine left me ACHING the next day, which for me is a sure sign I had a good workout. Even if I can't walk up the stairs ever, ever again.
The power of protein
I don't want to sound like those vest-wearing wankers who eats packets of ham and shouts 'PROTEIN! GAINS!' every five minutes, but upping my protein intake has helped by fitness game.
Hannah championed protein-rich foods and said that the macronutrient is incredibly important to aid strength training and toning up.
Since embarking on this health mission, I've been adding protein powder to my morning porridge, snacking on greek yoghurt, and my go-to dinner is chicken, vegetable and Mexican rice. It's basically a Nandos, if you close your eyes!
Protein shakes are a great way to up your intake and great to have after a grueling workout. My favourite is My Protein's vanilla Whey as it legit tastes like a milkshake.
Three is the magic number
The power of three, my friends! If you do an exercise for 10-12 reps, make sure you repeat it at least THREE times.
Rest days are important
Rest days leave me feeling horribly anxious - if I'm not at the gym and I'm in my jim-jams watching Riverdale, then I'm definitely going to morph into a human-potato.
Rest days are *just *as important as gym days, because during this time your muscles heal and grow. During my two weeks with my personal trainer, I went to the gym in total of four times of a week, which is plenty.
You can train with Hannah Frankson at Equinox, too! Check out the website here.
Like this? You Might Also Be Interested In:
Some Ways To Exercise That Don't Feel Like You're Exercising
**Follow Aimee on Instagram: **@a1meejakes
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.