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 By: Brian Bullman
She first burst onto the scene with her hit single Oops I Did it Again, which was one of MTV's hottest videos. I remember it well. I was on deployment with the army at the time, and it was the talk of the platoon; the chick with the killer body in the catholic schoolgirl uniform. What a memory!!
  Click To Enlarge. Britney Is Making The Comeback Of Comebacks. Check Out More Great Pics Of Britney On Her Website: www.britneyspears.com From there, Britney catapulted into Hollywood's rank of superstardom. She had it all: fame, wealth, beauty and the killer body. Then, some time back, it all went pear shaped. She married some "wanna be" rapper guy, had some kids, partied hard, lost her kids, had a breakdown, and started to look like a train wreck, to put it mildly. It was looking bleaker and bleaker for this young girl, who had recently been at the top of the pile, but was now foraging at the bottom. "Oops I did it again" seemed to be becoming her family motto, as she fell further and further from grace with each and every mistake. After losing her kids and seemingly going from bad to worse, she finally had some good fortune thrown her way; her father was placed in control of all major decisions in her life. His first move was bringing back her old manager, who has pretty much sent her to boot camp in a bid to revive her pop career. So to achieve this objective, as everyone knows, the first task is to create a new image. And this is exactly what they did. Britney was placed on a new nutritional plan consisting of 6 small meals per day. These meals were made up of specially prepared organic foods such as chicken, salads and vegetables and other low fat fare. There were regimented pampering treatments to aid in boosting confidence and encouragement; after all it would be a tough road back to the top of Hollywood's A list.
 Click To Enlarge. It Would Be A Tough Road Back To The Top Of Hollywood's A List. Check Out More Great Pics Of Britney On Her Website: www.britneyspears.com Britney also had facials as well as hair and skin treatments to help improve her appearance and achieve that superstar look. I can hear some of you ladies say, "That sounds like heaven, pamper treatments and facials, that's not so tough." This is true, but this is where Britney earned my respect. Under the guidance of her personal trainer, Britney worked out three times per DAY. Yes, 3 workouts a day, five days a week. And as if that wasn't enough, she had to perform an extra 1000 crunches a day on her own time. Now if that's not a hardcore blood and guts attitude, I don't know what is. According to the tabloids, Britney has been seen regularly in Bally Total Fitness, Hollywood, on a regular basis over the last few months. Apparently, she likes to listen to pop music station 102.7 however, I believe she is tuning into Pro Bodybuilding Weekly so she can keep up with us! I bet you are all wondering just exactly what Britney did to get back into shape. Well hold your horses because below I will outline what Britney's workout might have looked like, had I designed it. So have a look and we'll Spear you in the right direction for the ultimate Britney comeback workout.
Single Arm Rows - 4 sets of 12 - 15 Reps This exercise should be performed free standing, so that the core muscles are recruited as much as possible. Light weight is used and the emphasis is on technique, stretch & squeeze.
Pulldowns - 4 sets of 12 - 15 Reps Again this exercise should be performed under super strict form, when in the fully extended position the arms should be straight up, this is the correct grip width for optimal muscle recruitment.
Bent Rows - 4 sets of 12 - 15 Reps Bent rows are a compound movement, in that in involves more than one joint movement, and is great for overall toning, it is without doubt one of the best back exercises out there.
Isolateral Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps Primarily for sculpting and toning the deltoids, this exercise is done isolaterally to maximize the involvement of the core, a must for any celebrity marketing a new album release.
Lateral Raises - 4 Sets of 12 - 15 Reps This exercise really isolates the deltoids, well developed deltoids create that hour glass or X frame look.
Leg Curls - 4 Sets 15 - 20 Reps The mainstay of your leg biceps development, this exercise isolates the hamstrings (aka leg biceps) for optimal development.
Walking Lunges - 4 Sets 30 - 50 Reps This exercise can be performed with light dumbbells in hand for added resistance. When competent at performing this exercise, you can progress to flex the hind leg, to maximize glute development.
Stiff Leg Deadlift - 4 Sets 15 - 20 Reps This is another great exercise for the hamstring and glutes, the exercise should be performed with the feet at shoulder width, and only a slight bend in the knees.
Dumbbell Flies - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps This exercise really isolates the pectoral muscles, a slight bend in the elbow joint is required, this really allows for a great stretch and contraction while performing the exercise.
Chest Press - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps This can be performed either on the bench press, machine press or even as a push up. These exercises also recruit the triceps and deltoids, making it great for toning a large portion of the upper body.
Crossovers - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps This is a great exercise to finish your chest workout with. It is real good for isolating the pectorals and focuses primarily on stretching and squeezing the muscle.
Crunches - 4 Sets 25 Reps
Leg Raises - 4 Sets 25 Reps
Leg Extensions - 4 Sets 15 - 20 Reps This exercise is used a pre-exhaust exercise, with women the legs are very strong so they can use a lot of weight, but we want to focus on toning the legs rather than building bulk!
Plie Squats - 4 Sets 20 - 25 Reps This exercise is performed with the legs wider than shoulder width, toes pointing outwards. One dumbbell should be held in the hands hanging centre line with the body, keeping the back straight, lower into the squat position, then drive up through the hips, this is one rep.
Standing Lunges - 4 Sets 20 - 25 Reps This exercise can be performed in the smith machine, I like to perform 5 reps on one leg then change and keep repeating until the full rep range is achieved.
Standing Calf Raise - 4 Sets 20 - 25 Reps A slight bend in the knees should be maintained throughout the movement, lowering the heels to achieve a full stretch, and then contract the calves holding in the flexed position for a count of two.
Alternate Dumbbell Curls - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps The isolateral nature of this exercise allows for complete focus on contracting the muscles with each and every rep. It also recruits the core muscles for stability.
Standing Barbell Curls - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps The bread and butter of any arm workout, this is the be all and end all of biceps training.
Triceps Pushdowns - 4 Sets 12 -15 Reps A great triceps exercise, it allows for the practitioner to maximize the stretch at the top of the movement and contraction at the end of the movement.
Kick Backs - 4 Sets 12 - 15 Reps Single arm kick backs are the way to go, it allows for complete focus on the movement, which is essential to maintaining strict form throughout.
Britney is known for her great dancing skills, which in her last comeback were not as polished as they should've been. It was noticed and she took flack for it in the tabloids. This comeback however, from looking at the effort she is putting in, would put Arnold's 1980 comeback in the shade.
 Click To Enlarge. Britney Is Known For Her Great Dancing Skills. Check Out More Great Pics Of Britney On Her Website: www.britneyspears.com Dancing for a pop star is far more than merely coordinating a few moves to the beat of the music; they have to sell themselves to an ever judgmental audience. All the while being able to sing the lyrics without missing a note, a tough task which requires a serious level of fitness and coordination skills.
 Click To Enlarge. Dancing For A Pop Star Is Far More Than Merely Coordinating A Few Moves To The Beat Of The Music. Check Out More Great Pics Of Britney On Her Website: www.britneyspears.com These dance sessions are as mentally draining as they are physically demanding and tune skills required by any pop princess that gym work and cardio simply cannot.
Cardiovascular training is the backbone of getting in shape; without an adequate level of CV fitness, what is achieved through the weight training and dance sessions will be minimized. The fitter you are the better the results that are achieved, recovery times are improved, which allows our pop star to get through her concerts without wavering.
Because Britney was performing cardio 5 times per week, she most likely benefited from both interval training and low impact fat burning sessions such as walking.
Stationary Bike, 2 minutes moderate pace, followed by 1 minute of all out sprint with a two minute recovery. This 1 minute sprint with 2 minute recovery constitutes one set. 12 - 15 sets are usually performed. Recovery time can be reduced when under time constrictions.
Treadmill/stair-master, the idea here is to keep the heart rate at approximately 60 - 70% of Max. This is the ideal work zone for burning fat, and should be maintained for 45 minutes per session.
So don't be a slave for you. Get up, get out and listen to the gym calling you and saying hit me baby one more time. You may not be on the Hollywood A list and may not have the paparazzi following your every move, but when they show up you can at least be in shape, and ready for all that they have. Stay fit and train hard, and in the words of a wise young friend of mine, "never settle for less than your best."
 Click To Enlarge. Never Settle For Less Than Your Best. Check Out More Great Pics Of Britney On Her Website: www.britneyspears.com Read Britney's blog, check out videos, pictures and more at:
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