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Fitness

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More home work(outs)
•“Personal Training with Jackie: 30 Day Fast Start” ($15; Anchor Bay). Celebrity body sculptor Jackie Warner’s technique for breaking through plateaus is “power pyramid training.” She pairs two exercises (such as push-ups and hammer curls) and forces you to do one of each, then two of each, and so on until you reach 10 reps. That’s 55 altogether. Choose between the upper-body routine and the lower-body (and abs) routine or do both, which takes about 50 minutes – and every ounce of your strength.
•“Sculpt & Burn Body Blitz” ($15; Lionsgate). Short on time? You need only 10 minutes for each of these four workouts with Denise Austin, a former member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. (The warm-up and cooldown add 10 minutes.) Austin pep-talks you through mixed martial arts (kicking drills), athletic conditioning (jump like a basketball player!), kettlebell-inspired moves (swing a dumbbell) and cardio sculpt exercises (effective combos that target two muscle groups at once).
•“Aim True Yoga” ($15; Gaiam). Kathryn Budig sneaks tricky stuff into both her beginner’s practice (25 minutes) and authentic flow (45 minutes). But her disarming teaching style will keep a smile on your face, regardless of whether you manage to keep up. Budig also breaks down poses in a 10-minute “workshop” with pointers on launching into crow and balancing during half-moon. Her pose prep secret is learning to compact your body into a “tiny little package.” It’ll get tinier if you stick with Budig.
How to stick with it
Personal trainer Nicole Nichols’ tips for keeping your New Year’s resolution:
Be realistic. ”It’s important that expectations aren’t over the moon,” she says. ”That’s what sets you up for failure.”
Set your alarm clock earlier. ”Morning workouts work for people for a reason. Nothing else will get in the way, and being tired is your only excuse,” she says. Later in the day, you’ll find many more reasons you don’t have time.
Prioritize. When people say they can’t fit exercise in their schedule, Nichols always asks, “How much TV do you watch?” Use your shows as a reward for your workout instead of the replacement, she suggests.
Washington Post photos
Nicole Nichols, front, chose exercisers with realistic physiques to make the program less intimidating.
Published: January 15, 2012 3:00 a.m.

A trainer’s regimen for success

Fitness star on Web issues DVD

Vicky Hallett | Washington Post

If you’ve seen a Nicole Nichols workout before, chances are it was on YouTube.

The fitness expert, known as just Coach Nicole to the millions of members of SparkPeople.com, has filmed dozens of routines for the free health website.

The popular videos showcasing her girl-next-door style, gentle encouragement and clear cueing have built such a devoted following that the American Council on Exercise and Life Fitness just named her “America’s top personal trainer to watch.”

But “SparkPeople: 28 Day Boot Camp” ($17; Acacia) is her first slickly produced DVD and a chance to bring her fans something beyond the quick hits she’s been able to offer online.

“We put it all together so you get more done in less time. There’s upper body, lower body and cardio intervals throughout to elevate the heart rate more,” she says.

Viewers can choose from four segments, ranging from 12 to 30 minutes. (The longest one, which is packed with kettlebell-inspired swings and lifts, is Nichols’ favorite.)

The DVD includes a calendar with a suggested plan for how to mix up the workouts, so you’re rarely repeating moves. And when you are, Nichols hopes you get comfortable challenging yourself with the more difficult modifications – which might mean balancing on one leg while you perform that lateral raise or turning a step into a jump.

“Whatever your level, there is something for you,” she says. “But I wanted to give people something to progress to.”

One unusual feature of the program is the countdown clock on the screen during each of the segments, reminding you of exactly how much longer you need to sweat it out.

At the end of the 28 days – which is how long research has shown it takes people to establish a habit – Nichols is certain you’ll see some progress of your own.

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