TORONTO - As temperatures climb and bathing suit season beckons, many men and women may be inclined to tone up before doffing shirts and baring midriffs this summer.
For those dreaming of flaunting a taut tummy or washboard stomach, Canadian celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak says it's important to ensure you're working your abs from all angles to get full results.
"The problem most people make when they train their abdominals is they only train them from one plane and there's three muscle groups in the mid-section," said Pasternak who has worked with stars including Halle Berry, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson, Kanye West and Orlando Bloom.
"You have to train all three, and all three function in all different planes."
In addition to the traditional crunch sit-up movement, you can try the same moves doing the reverse motion as well as upper body crunches, he said. But individuals also need to train the body laterally by working the obliques, as well as through the core in a rotation to work the transverse abdominus.
As for strengthening arms, Pasternak said something as simple as a pair of dumbbells can be used in an "infinite number of exercises" to allow individuals to shake up their routines.
Individuals can try doing bicep curls as they supinate -- the movement of bringing the weight from palms facing thighs to facing up. Another option is to keep a palm-up supinated grip the whole time.
To work the triceps, extensions can be done lying on the ground, and the same exercise can be repeated sitting upright with one dumbbell over the head, he added.
Pasternak was recently in Toronto for the launch of Nestea Vitao, a new line of enhanced iced teas.
With a recent long-range forecast from Environment Canada suggesting a hot summer in store from coast to coast, staying hydrated as you break a sweat from the heat and your workout will be crucial.
Pasternak said getting in your six to eight glasses of fluids a day is key, which can be in the form of water or other beverages -- but that comes with a caveat.
"Water is important, and I wouldn't say stop drinking water and only drink iced tea," he said. "This is just in your arsenal in your toolbox of beverages. Some of them are calorie-free, and some of them have some calories -- but as long as you stay away from those that have a lot of calories."
Pasternak said the key to getting fit is not only about being in the gym.
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, getting off a stop early on the subway or the bus, or leaving your wheels at the furthest point possible in the parking lot are all small ways to incorporate exercise into everyday life, he said.
The fitness guru, who holds a master's in exercise physiology and nutritional sciences from the University of Toronto, is renowned for his 5-Factor program for diet and exercise.
The fitness component involves working out for a minimum 25 minutes a day, five days a week. The workout comprises five five-minute phases, including upper and lower body strength exercises and abdominals bookended by cardio.
Pasternak said individuals can use a formula to calculate your heart rate's target zone: take the number 220 minus your age, then multiply that amount by 0.65 to 0.85 and that gives you the range.
Whether your heart rate is reaching the low middle or high parts of the range, Pasternak said your focus should be to get into it.
And what do you do to get the heart racing?
"Anything and everything," said Pasternak, who has clients do everything from jumping rope to running around blocks or climbing stairs, in addition to using ellipticals, bikes and treadmills in-studio.
New mothers who want to get back into shape after giving birth may be feeling pressured seeing images of Hollywood celebs who often appear to quickly shed pounds post-baby.
Pasternak said it's important for women to get medical clearance to work out post-pregnancy and not to try to get back overnight to their pre-baby bodies.
"If it's too over the top, if it's two hours a day of spinning and two hours a day of weight training and yoga -- don't," he said.
"You're going to burn yourself out, you're going to get injured, you're going to get frustrated. Ease back into it, and ease back into it in a very sustainable, moderate and safe way."
