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IMAGES: Hotties with lean, mean bodies!
Thin isn't in and nor is bootylicious buxomness -- it's time to tone up!
Size zero has flown off the charts and voluptuous curves are also taking a backseat lately as celebs take the athletic route for a muscular, toned look.
In the following pages, we bring you a few famous personalities who are part of this worldwide trend -- and if you want to achieve similar body tone, fitness trainer Brinda Sapat provides a few tips!
Anushka Sharma
The demure gal has begun to flash the flesh and we're not complaining! Anushka's toned, taut abs and hips are 'in' -- slim she may be, but definition is what it's all about.
Marisa Miller
In a sea of waifish figures, supermodel Marisa is sure to stand out. With sculpted legs and a perfect derriere, she's the toast of fashion circles.
Priyanka Chopra
Tough, sporty, sexy...Piggy Chops is all that and more. She's proved her mettle time and again with action sequences in various movies and they take a lot of work. Gymming, martial arts training, whatever it takes, she's been there, done that -- and the results are simply stunning, what say?
Gisele Bundchen
The taut and tantalising Brazilian bombshell has a body to die for and again, she's not reed-thin. Gisele's well-defined curves and ab-tastic appeal have her set to become the world's first billionaire model.
Bipasha Basu
Nobody in the Indian entertainment industry can possibly have worked as hard as this Bong beauty to achieve an athletic figure. Bipasha's trained long and hard for blow-away muscle tone and she even shared her secrets in a workout DVD.
Elisabetta Canalis
No skin and bones here! The Italian actress preserves her legendary form by sweating up a storm with an intense workout regimen -- it's all about being fantastically fit.
Kalki Koechlin
Swimming and yoga are Mrs Anurag Kashyap's fitness mantras and they certainly seem to be working for her. Kalki's bod is lean and mean, particularly for someone with her statuesque frame.
Madonna
The Queen of Pop seems preternaturally preserved at 53. Madge's rippling muscles could put a man to shame, if not crush him to a pulp! While speculation runs rife as to how she manages to keep up with women half her age, one thing is for sure -- the effort involved is enormous.
Himarsha Venkatsamy
She was picked from among several bikini calendar hopefuls for the Kingfisher Calendar's 2010 edition and it's easy to see why. Himarsha is trim and strong, athletic in every sense of the word...that's what helps her rock a swimsuit!
Jessica Biel
She's an actress, but Jessica is more famous for her gorgeous figure than her career. Yoga, weight-training, volleyball, dance classes -- you name it, she does it. And that's where those defined thighs and washboard tummy come from!
Lisa Haydon
Lisa is on every magazine cover that matters and there's more to it than just her exotic face. With her amazing figure, she can carry off everything from a swimsuit to a potato sack and that just goes to prove that models need not look like clothes hangers!
Cameron Diaz
Strong and sculpted -- that's Cameron for you. The tomboy actress has abs that could rival a male's and her workouts and surfboarding ensure that she remains in top form. Can you believe she'll be 40 this year?
Deepika Padukone
No one in B-Town rocks a pair of shorts like Dippy -- no wonder she's seen in them so often. With her athletic background (reads badminton and basketball) and yoga and dancing and weight-training and...sigh. Now you know those arms and gams don't come so easy!
Nicole Scherzinger
Check out those taut calves and thighs -- too bad her super-flat abs are hidden from view! Former Pussycat Doll Nicole is still quite a doll and its thanks to her dancing background that she has a dancer's body. She keeps trim with workouts too and doesn't need to diet.
Malaika Arora Khan
Thirty-something mother of one -- Malaika doesn't look like she fits that bill, but she certainly looks fit alright! Yoga and dancing are behind that killer bod and she's now going to release a fitness DVD so we can follow in her footsteps.
Naomi Campbell
One of the original supermodels, Naomi's hotness quotient belies her age of 41. Her flawless skin (which she's honest enough to admit is down to good genes) is complemented by her admirable muscle tone -- and the reason behind that is gyrotonics, which tone the body and stretch the muscles.
Katrina Kaif
Kat is the latest Bollywood babe to hop on the super-toned wagon. With her sizzling item numbers she's proudly displayed the results of intense workouts and healthy eating -- she left no stone unturned to outdo her beautiful rivals!
Gwyneth Paltrow
Tall, strong and stunning, Gwyneth is often ridiculed in the media for her lifestyle newsletter GOOP!, in which she shares beauty and fitness tips and insights. Well, mock all you want, but they certainly seem to be working for her!
Sameera Reddy
Sameera is naturally heavyset, but that doesn't mean she goes easy on herself. The gal's got amazing legs and overall body definition thanks to her relentless pursuit of fitness -- she describes herself as a 'fitness freak' who's addicted to working out.
Kelly Rowland
And finally, we come to the former Destiny's Child singer, who's going solo now and looking quite the star. She's shared her ab workout in a fitness DVD too and going by her own example, we're buying!
But don't go away yet -- move to the next page to see how you can achieve similar athletic form.
The muscle tone workout
Here, fitness trainer Brinda Sapat outlines 10 exercises that will help you achieve the same enviable definition as the femme fatales we featured (please consult your doctor before commencing with any exercise programme).
Note that you need to perform the following three to four times a week and also perform cardio exercises for about 20-25 minutes thrice a week -- for instance, you could take a brisk walk on the days you're not working out.
1: Lateral arm raises: Stand straight with your arms hanging down, holding 1 kg dumbbells, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Raise both arms to the sides till they are in line with the shoulders. The wrist, elbow and shoulder must all be in one line. Lower down. Do 12 to 16 reps.
2: Push-ups: Lie face down on the floor. Place each hand palm-down beside your shoulders. Push yourself up into a plank position. Lower down and push up for the next rep. Do 12 to 16 reps.
3: Reverse flyes: Stand in a lunge -- take a large step forward with the right leg. Lower your body by bending both knees (don't bend at the hip or back) while keeping the back straight. Make sure your right knee stays in line with the ankle. Focus your weight on the right leg. Your arms should be hanging down at your side, holding 1 kg dumbbells. Lift your arms up to the sides in line with your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly lower the arms. Do 12 to 16 reps. Make sure your chest stays parallel to the floor all through.
4: Back hyperextensions: Lie tummy-down on a mat on the floor. Link your fingers and place them on your hips. Keep the nose turned down towards the mat. Lift your upper body till your chest clears off the floor as you squeeze the back. Lower gently. Do 16 repetitions.
5: Oblique crunches: Lie on a mat on the floor. Place your hands behind the head, with your elbows out to the sides. Bring your legs up and bend at the knees, crossing one ankle over the other. Lift your shoulder blades off the foor and twist your torso to the right, bringing your left shoulder towards the right knee. Do two sets of 12 -16 reps per side.
6: Plank: Get into the push-up position and hold it for 20-30 seconds. Then drop and lift the knees for 8-12 reps.
7: Reverse crunches: Lie on a mat on the floor with your arms at your sides and your feet together. Now raise your legs off the floor and bring them up towards you without bending the knees as far as you can go, squeezing your stomach muscles as you do so. Next lower your legs to the floor, but don't go all the way down again till they touch it -- bring them back up. Perform 10-15 reps.
8: Squats: Stand with your feet hip distance apart. Extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height. Slowly lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, being careful not to let your knees go forward. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Then press the heels into the floor and come up to standing without locking your knees. Do 16 reps.
9: Dynamic lunges: Take a large stride, with at least a 3 foot gap between the front and rear foot. Hold dumbbells in both hands. Bend both knees and slowly lower your body towards the floor. Squeeze your thighs and come up to start position. Repeat with the other leg. The movement is up and down, not front and back. Your knee should never go forward past and over your toes. Do 16 reps.
10: Heel raises: Come up on your toes getting your heels off the floor. Then lower down and just before your heel touches down, lift up for the next rep. Do 16 reps. You can also perform this exercise one leg at a time.
Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh