Warrior Women: the new body shape for 2011

By: Sarah Hecks




The Body Warriors
While the rest of us
make do with freezing temperatures, the stars have headed for sunnier
climes. Now we're not trying to make you feel depressed but we thought
that we should bring it to your attention that there is a new bunch of
body idols frolicking in the wash. There is not a protruding collar bone
insight - instead they are all championing a hot new body shape: the
Warrior Woman - strong, athletic, curvy and above all healthy, just like
the gorgeous Rihanna - toned and sleek and above all enjoying herself
in Barbados last week.
Ladies it's time to put on weight - the
right way. This means forgetting about BMI and thinking about BPI - Body
Power Index. 2011 is about 'feminine bulk' - toned abs and curves to
boot. We've picked the cream of the Warrior Women crop in our gallery of
stars who have been on holiday recently and our expert personal
trainers explain how to achieve the look.



Paris Hilton
Even Paris Hilton has been looking curvier
than normal but still toned in all the right places and this was evident
when she stepped out all in white in Hawaii last week. "This look is
definitely achieved by adding resistance training to a workout," says
celebrity trainer James King (jameskingperformance.com). "Lifting
weights gives you a metabolic pump that can last for up to 36 hours
after a workout while your body repairs and super-compensates for the
next challenge. That means you'll fry up to 25 percent of the calories
you just scorched during your strength session," King says. So
technically, if you burned 300 calories lifting weights, it's really
closer to 400 overall. Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea!



Chloe Green
The Topshop heiress showed off an enviable
stomach in the Bahamas last week. "There's even more good news when it
comes to adding weights to your workout", says King. "For every three
pounds of muscle you build, you'll burn an extra 150-200 calories a day
at rest- even when you are doing nothing because muscle is literally
sustained by fat." So technically that is 10 pounds of fat lost over a
year without even changing your diet. YES PLEASE!

Fergie
Fergie
has obliques (abdominal muscles) to die for and they were fully on
display as she hung out with friends on a yacht in St Barts earlier this
week. Dieters trying to achieve a stomach like this are probably
cutting back on crucial muscle-maintaining foods when they slash their
overall calorie intake. The counterproductive result: they lose muscle
along with any fat that might have melted away. So make sure you are
adding high-quality protein into your diet, "the sources are chicken or
other lean meats, soy products and eggs," says personal trainer Nick
Cole (powerflexstudios.co.uk).

Cameron Diaz
Cameron
Diaz was spotted in Mexico over Christmas trying some stand-up
paddleboard surfing, which is definitely a contributing factor of why
she looks so great. "Sports like paddleboard surfing take a lot of
strength", explains Cole, "and strength training will not only get you
in amazing shape but will help prevent injury because it teaches your
brain to allow muscle contractions quicker - which in turn prevent
injuries."

Holly Valance
The
Kiss Kiss singer looks toned all over in the Bahamas - something that
is achieved only by working out your whole body. "Target your arms, abs,
legs, and back, and go for compound moves that will zap several
different muscle groups at a time - for example, squats, which call on
muscles in both the front and back of your legs as well as your back and
abs, opposed to exercises which isolate muscles," says King. Full-body
weight workouts are the biggest calorie burner.

Josie Goldberg
The
former Playboy model has fantastically ample curves, which were on
display this week in Miami and she has said she loves being that way and
doesn't rely on what the scales say. "Not looking at the scales is a
good attitude to have when it comes to weight loss," says Cole. "If you
are doing weight training, remember muscle is denser than fat, so don't
concentrate on the scales dropping as they actually might not - instead
concentrate on fitting into smaller sizes."


Stephanie Seymour
The ex-model and mum showcased a
super-toned stomach in St Barts. Even though weight training will help
you achieve this look, it is advisable to still keep cardio in your
regime - just the right type of cardio. "Aerobic training (long distance
running, for example) creates skinny 'fast' bodies, with no visible
muscle," explains King. So instead of going for distance and endurance,
opt for short intervals which will leave you breathless. This will
actually burn fat quicker but still retain muscle definition and allow
you to avoid that gaunt drained endurance look and feeling."

Chloë Sevigny
Chloë
has gone from super slim to super toned and this was certainly
noticeable as she holidayed in Miami. "Try making your exercise regime
old school and incorporate kettlebells and barbells into your workout",
advises King. There's a longer-term benefit to all that lifting, too:
Muscle accounts for about a third of the average woman's weight, so it
has a profound effect on her metabolism - muscle, unlike fat, is
metabolically active meaning it chews up calories even when you are not
in the gym.

Bar Rafaeli
The
Israeli model bucks the trend in the modelling world: instead of being
stick-thin, she is still very slim but also has curves in the right
places. These were on full display in Los Cabos, Mexico. "Strength
training has definitely helped her curves," says Cole. "It really is
beneficial and an added bonus is not only does it create enviable curves
but it also helps increase bone density and lowers your risk of
developing osteoporosis."