Take steps now to ensure you'll still be light on your feet when the party's over.

Alternate Dumbbell Curls Miss North Carolina USA 2003 Kristen Luneberg demonstrates the correct technique for performing the Alternate Dumbbell Curls exercise.
1. Stand and hold dumbbells down beside your legs. 2. Keeping elbows tucked to your sides, raise right dumbbell to your right shoulder as close as possible. (Keep palm facing up.) 3. Squeeze bicep for two seconds then lower dumbbell and repeat exercise with left arm. A. Exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down. B. Always keep a slight bend in the elbow when dumbbell is down beside your leg. This will keep the weight from doing damage to the elbow.

Lights! Camera! Action! No, this is not a Hollywood movie, but it is one of the most exciting nights of your life! This is you, standing in front of the camera for your prom photo. To you, this is as important as a Hollywood movie! You have been waiting for this moment all year. Everyone has been asking "How are you going to wear your hair" and "Which gown are you going to wear"?

Stop the presses! Gown? Did I say gown? Did I say "Which gown"? This is it, the question that takes your head out of the clouds and puts your feet back on the ground. It is time for you to decide if you are going to wear the most exciting gown that you can find to show off your awesome figure or if you are going to wear the gown that does the best job of hiding your over weight, out of shape body. Do you want to be the girl that everyone is turning their head to see because her body and gown looks incredible? The answer is simple; of course you want to be the girl everyone is looking at. But the answer is more involved than a simple "yes". The real question is "How sincere are you and how much are you willing to work on your body to make this happen." It's going to take hard work with physical and mental preparation to have your body ready for the prom.

First, let's talk about mentally preparing yourself to change your body. You must make the decision to change your body and then follow through with that decision. There comes a time when you must decide that you are going to be 100 percent committed to making your goal a reality. Changing your body happens as a result of adopting proper nutrition and cardiovascular and muscle-toning exercises. It won't be easy but it will be worth it once you have completed. No matter how much temptation comes your way, you must stay focused on changing your body.

Now that you are mentally prepared to make the change, it's time to actually begin to physically make the effort.

1st Stop eating hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and pizza, and start eating grilled chicken sandwiches, blackened tuna sandwiches, and turkey burgers.

2nd Stop drinking colas and milk shakes, and start drinking fat-free milk, juice, and lots of water. Drink eight to 10 8-oz. glasses of water daily.

3rd Stop eating candy, cookies, cakes, and pies, and start eating fruit, fat-free yogurt, graham crackers and fat-free Jell-O.

4th Stop sitting on the couch watching TV, and start a cardiovascular program of running, jogging, or fast walking for 30 minutes a day, four to six days a week. A good heart rate per minute for burning body fat is 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Begin your cardio routine by starting slowly. Take about 10 minutes to warm up to your target heart rate. Once you reach your target heart rate's beats per minute, keep it there 20 to 30 minutes. Do a 10-minute cool-down to slowly return your heart rate back to normal.

Figure your target heart rate by following this mathematic equation: 220 - age x 70% (.70) = BPM (beats per minute) Example: 220 - 17 = 203 x 70% (.70) = 142 beats per minute

5th Start exercising your muscles three times a week or every other day. You should complete three to four sets for each exercise with 10-12 repetitions per set. Remember: there are three areas of the body that will normally show when wearing an evening gown — the arms, legs, and back. I realize that you must have your stomach and hips toned and tight in order to fit into your gown, and you will definitely need to exercise these areas of the body. What I am talking about now are the areas of your body that everyone will actually see when you arrive at the prom.

Running and fast walking will help tone your legs along with burning body fat. Performing Alternate Dumbbell Curls (see accompanying photo illustration) will improve the look of your arms. Doing Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows will give your back a more attractive appearance.

All right, Miss Glamour Girl, if you follow this advice, you'll be ready for "Lights! Camera! Action!" Trust me, when you arrive at the prom wearing a beautiful gown and you have an awesome body, you'll definitely see the action begin as people ask what you did to develop your fantastic body. The guys will be turning their heads for that second, third, and fourth look. By the end of the night you'll feel as if you're a Hollywood star!

Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows
	1. Holding the dumbbell in your right hand, bend at the hips placing your left hand and knee on a bench. 2. Keeping your back level and looking straight ahead, your arm holding the weight should hang straight down perpendicular to your trunk. 3. Hold the dumbbell with your palm facing toward your body. 4. Pull the dumbbell up as high as possible keeping your elbow in close to your side as your upper arm goes past the level of your back. (Your back should remain horizontal). 5. Lower the dumbbell slowly to the starting position and repeat. A. Concentrate on pulling with your back muscles. B. Exhale as you raise the weight and inhale as you lower the weight.
Miss North Carolina USA 2003 Kristen Luneberg demonstrates the correct technique for performing bent-over dumbbell rows.

Mike Mauney, owner of Body Design By Mike fitness center in North Carolina, is a Personal Fitness Trainer certified by the National Federation of Professional Trainers. Mike specializes in Personal Fitness Training for women of all ages. For twelve years he has been training dancers, models, cheerleaders, pageant and swimsuit contestants of all ages and competition levels (local, state, national, and international). His daughter Michelle Mauney was Miss North Carolina USA 1995. Some of Mike's training credits includes the following: Carrie Stroup, Miss World representative 2001, Chelsea Cooley, National Titleholder, Janice Ward, Mrs. United States 1999, Vanessa Minnillo, swimsuit winner and Miss Teen USA 1998, and Michelle Warren, 1st runner-up Miss America Pageant 1998.

Click below to visit Mike's own website located at...

http://www.bodydesignbymike.com

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