I don't really like fitness clubs. Some people like to study in the company and under supervision, others do not. What confuses me the most is that the journey back and forth to the club takes time, and I do not tolerate public showers). Of course, for beginners or those who have made fitness their hobby, equipment for the gym and the presence of a trainer are necessary. For those who cannot motivate themselves to exercise - the same.
And I like home workouts: you can do it at any time, adjust it to your daily schedule, today’s menu, disruptions in your diet, etc., no need to waste time getting ready, going to the club, panicking if you forgot to wash your uniform . You can experiment, come up with new exercises, and constantly change the program.
To taste and color, as they say... We are all so different, and I am always amazed when someone persistently advises someone to do the same thing that he himself does. Some people like bodyflex, but I don’t. breathing exercises and I am confused by the negative effect of their cancellation. Some people like callanetics - but for me, doing 50-100 identical repetitions of one exercise is just boring torture), although I use some exercises from callanetics. Some people like running in the morning - but for me, any morning exercise, and especially tinnitus when running, gives me a headache and makes me feel tired for the whole day. I don’t like classical aerobics either. And strength training on machines is generally contraindicated for me: my muscles grow so quickly that a bodybuilder would be jealous))))
In general, my favorite type of training is fitness complexes on video. Well, Pilates in all its glory, as well as dancing.
That's why my favorite trainer who creates video lessons is Tracy Anderson : her method is based on Pilates and dance cardio, and is designed to use mostly auxiliary small muscles, and not large ones - this means that according to her method the muscles are not pumped up to enormous sizes. Well, one more important thing: Tracy is a supporter of diversity, she has many different complexes, and there are no monotonous ones in them standard exercises which must be repeated a hundred times.
Who is this Tracy Anderson?
A petite blonde, a hereditary ballerina, who, like her mother, dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, but because of excess weight I couldn’t build a career in this field. In her endless attempts to lose weight, including after pregnancy, Tracy gradually developed a set of workouts that helped her, a food lover, little, with broad bone, become an airy fairy with a chiseled waist and thin arms. A set of hand exercises is her special pride.
Now Tracy Anderson is a famous Hollywood trainer, has her own fitness school, writes books, develops video tutorials and trains stars such as Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow .
Here's what Tracy writes in her book: " ....my movements are not traditional. If you want a neat, miniature, toned body, you need to forget about repetitive, straight-line movements that are harmful to your figure and let me teach you to move at an angle instead of straight lines. By angles I mean diagonal movements, forward, backward, in all directions, rather than the more linear up-down-up or bicep curl movements. In this way, I will awaken your accessory muscles and use them to cohesively work large muscle groups together. By driving the entire structure through strategic muscle exhaustion, exhausting large muscle so much so that the accessory muscles can be activated and strengthened, I can make your muscles work together to sculpt and strengthen your body ."
Tracy Anderson's basic tenets:
— Train for an hour a day, six days a week. First, work on your muscles (weights and stretching) for 30 minutes, thenhalf an hour of cardio (dancing, aerobics, jogging). Yes, you heard right: six days a week, for the rest of my life. (Personally, I don’t agree with this schedule: my muscles need rest, so to avoid overtraining, I do workouts 3-5 times a week).
- Don't rely on the gym. “When I was young, I trained a lot with free weights, as a result, my muscles developed excessively, I looked massive and unattractively “pumped up,” my neck practically disappeared,” Anderson shares his sad memories.
— Better sign up for dance lessons. “If you want a dancer’s body, dance. Dance aerobics is my favorite type of cardio exercise. Many people think that you need to have experience to do it - not at all. Choose one or two combinations a day and learn to your heart’s content from the DVD.”
- More repetitions, less weight on the weights. “The scheme could be, for example, this: 10 exercises of 60 repetitions, each with a weight of 1-1.5 kg or less.”
— Don’t switch off during training, perform all movements consciously. “I specifically conducted research: if you do the exercise not mechanically, but give it your all, playing it as if you were performing in public, like Madonna, for example, the effect will be faster and more noticeable.”
- Watch yourself when you practice. “Look at yourself in the mirror and evaluate yourself like a piece of art: what you like, what you don’t, and how to fix it.”
— If you are not overweight, eat whatever you want, but in reasonable quantities. “I’m not a fan of this sophisticated game with your own brain - meticulous calorie counting, hunger strikes and so on.”
- If you need to lose weight, become your own strict parent. “I don't like processed food and avoid dairy products. Every day I drink a glass of freshly squeezed juice from parsley, kale, apple and ginger. I mainly eat dishes made from lean meat and fish, with quinoa and brown rice as a side dish.
- Alcohol - only occasionally. “Alcohol causes your metabolism to slow down for three days after you drink it.”
T. Anderson wrote a book "30-day method" , where she described step-by-step nutrition and training for 30 days: for every 10 days new complex strength exercises+ dance cardio workout. For each complex described in the book, there is a video tutorial. Since the book was published a long time ago, many other video complexes have appeared since then.
a group of Tracy Anderson fans, where there is information about her and a translation of the book, a list of all videos:
1) Tracy Anderson's book "The 30-Day Method" can be downloaded here :
The book is in English, but with pictures. Translation in the group, link above.
2) A video on the method of metamorphosis T, Anderson (sequential transformation of the body, a new complex for every 10 days) can be viewed here:
3) Cardio training included with the book :
4) Popular Tracy complex for all muscles (can be done every other day):
Recently I was looking for some home exercises and among others I saw. Before spending time on training, I wanted to know what was good about it. It turns out that for the past three years, Tracy Anderson has been personal trainer Madonnas. And one can only envy Madonna’s physical form! Although Tracy Anderson was discovered by none other than Gwyneth Paltrow, who at that time was already desperate to return to her previous shape after the birth of her child. Now, among Tracy's clients are Scarlett Johansson, who needed to lose weight for the filming of the film Iron Man 2, as well as Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston and singer Shakira. In addition, Tracy claims that the method she developed allows you to lose 20 kg in 3 months. Impressive, isn't it?
The Tracy Anderson method is based on that attention is paid to the accessory muscles. If you train them correctly, the body structure will not become pumped up, but more miniature, that is, you will get a chiseled “dancer figure”. The exercises themselves are a mixture of Pilates and ballet. To train her clients, Tracy uses a machine that she created herself - the Hybrid Body Reformer machine. It is similar to the Pilates machine, but unlike it, it affects the muscles from several sides at once. This allows the trainer to create up to 40 new exercises per month. After all, one of the main rules in Tracy’s training is a variety of exercises, which needs to be changed from time to time.
Of course, a simulator is good, but not everyone has the opportunity and desire to purchase it. Today there are several freely available full training according to the Tracy Anderson method, which are accessible to any woman.
Classes with Tracy Anderson
Dance Aerobic and Dance Cardio are dance workouts that Tracy considers the most effective in the fight against excess weight. In addition to the workout itself, the discs contain 30-minute instructions with detailed movements described, which is certainly a nice fact. The training itself is very active, you will have to jump a lot. The only negative is that it requires a lot of free space for classes.
Mat Workout – strength training. In it you can find both familiar exercises and completely unusual ones, but still simple to perform. This approach prevents you from getting bored or missing an exercise. The exercises for legs with a chair, which make up the first part of the lesson, are very interesting and effective. You should also pay special attention to hand exercises. For all its apparent lightness, the arms are under constant tension, and it is very difficult to complete all the exercises without breaks. In addition, even in strength training, Tracy Anderson uses dance moves, which allows you not to get bored.
Recently, the Post-Pregnancy Workout has appeared, which includes exercises for the muscles of the abs, legs and arms. Difference from usual strength training is that these exercises have a slower tempo and are performed to classical music. That is, a baby sleeping in the next room will not be awakened by energetic music and movements.
In addition, new exercise videos are constantly appearing on Tracy Anderson’s official website (http://action.tracyandersonmethod.com/site). Among them, the 30-minute workout for the abs, arms and buttocks is especially interesting, divided into three parts. It is suitable for those who do not have time for a full lesson. And also a recently released 20-minute lesson designed specifically for Gwyneth Paltrow. True, it seems to me that without preliminary yoga or Pilates classes it will be difficult to perform some exercises.
- To achieve maximum results, you need to exercise six days a week, devoting 30 minutes to strength exercises and 30 minutes to cardio (by the way, Madonna devoted 2 hours to training every day).
- You can vary your cardio workout by running, jumping rope, spin classes, or dance DVDs. Alternating classes will lead to greater results.
- To avoid building up extra muscles, never use dumbbells weighing more than 1.5 kg.
- During any workout, you need to perform exercises on the abdominal muscles.
- Train in a warm room. This will allow the muscles to be more elastic, which means they work better.
- An important condition is a good accompaniment, which will make you want to move and not sit still.
In addition, you cannot do without a diet. However, the recommendations here are pretty standard. Breakfast: soft-boiled egg with herbs or oatmeal with milk. For lunch - a piece of lean meat or fish with vegetable salad. Afternoon snack – a glass of fresh berries. Dinner – rice or buckwheat with vegetables.
As an “ambulance” before summer, you can use the diet that Tracy advised. It includes 14 servings of baby puree every day, and for dinner a normal adult meal (albeit without oil, salt and spices). But this is just a temporary diet for a quick effect.
Of course, in order to achieve the promised result of minus 20 kg in 3 months, you will have to work hard. Yes, and it’s somehow difficult for me to imagine this. However, I can absolutely say that the obvious effect of training according to the Tracy Anderson method becomes noticeable within a week - verified. It’s even starting to seem to me that a body like Madonna’s is possible.
She is a super successful celebrity trainer and a former failed ballerina. She is known as a personal trainer to Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and Courteney Cox. Tracy Anderson's method has been tested by the stars and is indeed very effective.
Tracy Anderson has achieved amazing results in her fitness studio. Some women lost 25 kg in 6 months, while others canceled their plastic surgery. This is how it arose. In 2004, people began inviting her to Los Angeles, in 2006 she received a call with an offer to train her, and then Madonna invited her.
Tracy Anderson was Madonna's personal trainer for 3 years and said of her: “I want to keep her body looking 20 years old. Because you shouldn't have saggy arms or unattractive thighs at 50. This simply shouldn't happen. An attractive body should be your standard from a young age, and after that, why should you want anything less? It is very good for your body to exercise all the time, it will help keep it young. Who wants to grow old?
“I want everyone to have an amazing body until they are 100, regardless of age or genetics.” That's Tracy Anderson's mantra: Every woman can beat genetics and have, as she says, a "petite dancer's body."
Tracy Anderson has invented a contraption called the Hybrid Body Reformer, her own version of the Pilates machine Madonna installed in her London home. She also developed thousands of exercises to correct “defects of nature.” But despite this, Tracy's method is draconian: 60 repetitions of exercises (with light weights) for most people and 100 for Madonna, with whom she worked out for 2 hours every day, 6 times a week. “I want every woman to look like the (Victoria's Secret lingerie brand) models.”
Tracy Anderson's most popular program, perhaps, remains a 1-hour workout, thanks to which many women have forgotten about their “problem areas.”
The main essence of the Tracy Anderson method is to train small muscles that are located near the main ones, and the exercises need to be changed every 10 days. This will allow you not to build muscle, but to make a miniature beautiful figure. You also need to adhere to a certain diet.
- Do fitness 1 hour a day 6 times a week.“Do 30 minutes of (dancing, running, aerobics) followed by 30 minutes of strength training (weights, exercise), says Tracy Anderson. - Do them 6 times a week for the rest of your days. Yes, you read that right—for the rest of your life.”
- Beware of gyms: There is too much burden there. "After classes at gym my muscles became too big and I began to look like a gymnast, not a ballerina. My neck got really short."
- Learn to dance instead.“If you want a dancer’s body, dance. Dance aerobics is my favorite cardio workout. It's very sad when people think that you should become a dancer first and then dance. This is not true at all. My DVD lessons are very simple and clear. You can choose 1-2 combinations and learn them.”
- It's better to do more repetitions with less weight."I mean 60 reps of ten various exercises with a weight of 1-1.5 kg or less,” advises Tracy Anderson.
- Don't get distracted while you are doing the exercises.“I compared the results of people who “think” they are doing the exercises and people like Madonna or professional dancers who are actually “doing” the exercises. The second ones have much better results.”
- Look at yourself when you are practicing. “Look at yourself in the mirror and evaluate yourself and your movements as if you were part of a work of art. Draw conclusions about how you move.”
- Don't beat yourself up for not being Madonna.“Are you ready to train 2 hours a day? I think not. The reason my celebrity clients train 2 hours a day is because their endurance levels are so high, says Tracy Anderson. “Madonna, in order to get results and maintain them, has to train very hard, it’s like professional athletic training.”
- If you don't want to lose weight, eat whatever you want, but within reason.“I like people who don’t worry too much about food. Restricting food can become a real mental game and I'm not a fan of that."
- If you need to lose weight, be strict with yourself.“I’m not a fan of dairy and industrial food. Every day I drink juice from parsley, cabbage, ginger and apple. I eat lean proteins like fish, chicken, quinoa and brown rice,” shares Tracy Anderson.
- Drink as little alcohol as possible.“I drink wine very rarely. Alcohol slows down your metabolism (metabolism) for 3 days after you drink it.”
If you want to try the Tracy Anderson method, you can check out some of her
In the new “Hero of the Month” section, we talk about professionals who inspire us to change for the better. The column opens with star trainer Tracy Anderson, who is responsible for the figures of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira and motivates thousands of women and men around the world to play sports and lead healthy image life. How Tracy's approach differs, her main principles and 7 examples of training are in this post.
Tracy dreamed of becoming a ballerina, but due to her strong physique and speed dial weight in college was forced to give up trying to break into the world of professional dancing. Over the course of several years, Tracy developed her own method of training and nutrition, which helped her get into great shape. physical fitness: “I wanted to understand if it was possible to help women with a genetic predisposition to obesity and in return give them the body of a dancer. And it definitely can be done.” Tracy has recorded 160 DVDs with signature exercises, opened five fitness schools in America, trained Madonna during her world tour, helped Gwyneth Paltrow get into perfect shape after the birth of her son, and became not only the actress’s fitness trainer, but also her business partner.
The essence of the Tracy Anderson method
There are more than 600 muscles in the human body. Most workouts involve approximately 200 muscles, but thanks to the Tracy Anderson program, 400 are included in the work. These smallest muscle groups force the body to develop harmoniously and improve towards perfect figure. Tracy stands up against the heavy ones power loads and building biceps, but insists on repeating each exercise multiple times and changing the exercise regimen every 10 days. She believes that a woman's body should be flexible and feminine, not pumped up. And she built her method on this philosophy - daily workouts and diet will allow every woman to have the figure of a miniature dancer, and not a professional bodybuilder.
The main principles of the Tracy Anderson method:
Training with Tracy
Or a 5-minute excerpt with a series of dance exercises from the Dance Cardio program:
Exercises for various groups muscles that need to be performed daily, combining them with cardio exercises:
Hand exercises:
Leg exercises:
For the muscles of the shoulder girdle:
For toned thighs:
Tracy about nutrition, harmony with the body, routine and chocolate
“I wake up every day at 6.00 or 6.15 am to spend time with your child before school. I don’t eat breakfast right away. Sometimes in the morning I give an interview or communicate with a client who practices my method somewhere on the other side of the globe. At 8.30 I drink my coffee and then a protein shake. At 9.30 it’s time for my training. I can't live without sweets, so if before physical activity I want a gummy bear or cookies, I won’t deny myself. But now I still prefer something sweet, but healthy.”
"I don't strive for perfection. But every day I work on what I think needs my attention. If I do something wrong, I start a mental dialogue with myself, trying to understand what I can improve. We need to listen to the signals that our body sends us, and sometimes take into account the opinions of our loved ones.”
“My mother was a ballerina and for a long time I was going to follow in her footsteps. But then I realized that ballet was my parents’ dream, not mine. And I have to stop and think in what direction to develop my talent.”
“I really work out my method 7 days a week. And I am 100 percent sure that it is important to be focused on your training and follow the direction once chosen. Regular and monotonous work on yourself allows you to create balance in the body in the place where there was once an imbalance. If you try new-fangled workouts every time, you will certainly burn extra calories, but you will not be able to achieve the ideal body.”
“I believe in whole, organic food. I would like all people to understand what it is natural food and what benefits it brings to the body, and abandoned processed, refined foods.”
“Assess yourself and your body soberly and give up filters and Photoshop on photos on social networks. Look in the mirror and admit it - I need to work on myself here, here and here. This is necessary for my health and for me. And even though I’m not like my friend, this is my reflection. It's me."
“When I was 20 years old, I often thought: “Why is my body different from my roommate? She can eat whatever she wants and stay slim. But then I realized what it means to be in harmony with myself and my body. You don't need another person's legs or a friend's thighs to be happy."
« Start Healthy Habits Now, because with age it will be more difficult to do. You need to connect your health with your body in advance.”
“I would like people to understand exactly what they want to achieve, and rejoiced at their successes on the way to their intended goal. If they want pumped up muscles, let them pump them up and be proud of themselves, looking at themselves in the mirror. We are all individuals and deserve to look the way we want.”
"When I'm lazy and I feel like I have no motivation at all to go to the gym, I eat a piece of chocolate. And you will find something that motivates you to do great things.”
Material prepared by: Nastya Khvatova
“Repeat after me, it works...” - any photo of skinny Gwyneth Paltrow seems to tell us.
It was with Gwyneth's appearance on television that the story of mass hysteria about Tracy Anderson and her method began.
Tracy is a former dancer and advocate of ultra-low-calorie diets and two hours of exercise every day. Like? Most people go from loving Tracy and her method to being equally hated.
If, say, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels immediately somehow alarming, Tracy, on the contrary, radiates grace and femininity with her whole appearance.
Muscular guys, shouting at their charges, demands to keep a food diary against a slender blonde and “just repeat after me.” Dance moves and something like Pilates versus kettlebells, burpees and downright heavy dumbbells.
It seems we know who seems more attractive. Meanwhile, many who have tried the method do not call it anything other than “killer”.
What is Tracy Anderson's weight loss program?
Tracy's video and book can be purchased on her website for review. At the time of writing, the program consists of:
- The 30-day “Tracy Anderson Method” combines a diet of vegetable smoothies and a small amount of boiled chicken with almost 2 hours of cardio and exercises with micro dumbbells.
- The 90-day Metamorphosis course is a little more varied cardio and exercises with micro dumbbells, plus a slightly more varied, but again low-calorie diet.
The product is a bestseller in the US and Britain, and also almost... the most popular content on video sites.
In general, the entire process is supposed to be carried out at home, no additional equipment other than a mat and micro dumbbells you won’t need. Well, maybe a blender to prepare the smoothies that you will eat, for the most part.
Tracy Anderson Diet
We don’t know for certain what genius actually put together this diet. But it is very reminiscent of the menu of an anorexic ballerina in the best, non-candy and Coca-Cola form.
For example, here's one day:
- Morning: glass of water.
- Breakfast: Sweet potato and milk corn puree. We are not particularly happy - you can take no more than 80 g of both, it is suggested to bake the sweet potato in the microwave, you have not yet earned the spices, as well as the salt.
- Next comes the training. Yeah, 2 hours of video.
- Second breakfast: blueberry and apple smoothie. One serving. Green tea.
- Snack: A glass of green smoothie - usually made with celery or "leaf" cabbage, i.e. savoy cabbage. Prepared with water or ice, not fruit as you might think.
- Lunch: “gaspacho” - in fact, tomatoes chopped in a blender with herbs, vegetable puree (carrots, parsnips).
- Snack: green tea.
- Dinner: Broccoli, chicken breast, celery and spinach soup.
- Breakfast: turkey breast or 2 eggs, a piece of fruit (this is 50 grams, not a whole apple).
- Lunch: chicken breast and greens.
- Dinner: protein bar.
If necessary, lunch and dinner can be swapped. Then you will need to spend 10 days again on smoothies. True, you can now add apple and beets to cabbage green juice. Judging by the reviews, the result turns out to have a rather peculiar taste, so try to drink it in one gulp.
The advantages of this menu:
- You will definitely lose weight. Anyone will lose weight on a diet of 700-1000 kcal.
- You will learn to eat vegetables and maybe love them. Hunger is no big deal!
- You will love green tea. Very. After all, it is he who will hold your nervous system in relatively decent shape until a low-calorie diet undermines its function.
The irony is, in fact, appropriate. Diets below 1200 kcal are prescribed to patients with morbid obesity and are carried out in a hospital. It is immediately suggested to live an ordinary life and expect an unrealistic surge of energy.
For an ordinary woman, the daily deficit can be about 1700 kcal. This may well result in a hormonal disaster, menstrual irregularities and constant weakness.
The diet seems specifically designed to deprive you of at least some muscle. This, by the way, corresponds to the philosophy of the method. It turns out that almost any woman will receive less than 0.5 g of protein per 1 kg of weight with such a “diet”. And this is already a risk of early osteoporosis.
At first glance, the diet contains enough vitamins (greens), but they have no chance of being absorbed in the fat-free environment that strict adherence to the method creates. In general, if you follow the diet as described in the book long enough, you can destroy your nervous system, lose most of your muscles and become exhausted.
In Tracy's defense, the only thing that can be said is that she does not have a special education in nutrition and, suddenly, a certification in fitness training that is respected enough. In the US, aerobics instructors can be certified by the ACSM based on completion of a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, which Anderson does not have.
Tracy Anderson Workouts
Tracy Anderson's workouts themselves are safe and may even be healthy. Such exercises can:
- Increase overall endurance.
- Improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Improve sleep.
- Help develop a habit of physical activity.
- Strengthen the muscles a little - mainly the muscles of the center of the body. With all due respect, high-repetition dumbbell swings do not work for all arms and backs.
However, this method is not suitable for everyone. The Tracy Anderson philosophy mentioned above is based on the fact that muscles are ugly. Maximum - thinness and slight relief. That’s why the ectomorph Gwyneth Paltrow became the face of the method, and not, say, the endomorph Kim Kardashian.
Tracy claims that during training you should only work on the stabilizer muscles so that they later “tighten” the large muscles. But under no circumstances should you touch the latter, otherwise the terrible pumping will disfigure your figure. And you can’t run - repeated monotonous movements serve the purpose of pumping. Yes, that's probably why marathon runners are so big.
In reality, stabilizers cannot tighten anything. Working on them can improve joint mobility and protect against household and indoor injuries. The plus is to improve your posture (again, due to mobility) and slightly reduce your waist circumference.
The workouts are designed in such a way that they develop predominantly “slow” fibers. Yes, this can result in a reduction in volume, but the progress of slow fibers is not endless. There will come a moment when the volumes “freeze” and the body may even partially lose its elasticity.
Dancers, frankly speaking, look the way they do not so much because of dancing, but because of their extremely low percentage of body fat. This is what Tracy advises us to achieve through diet, missing a simple fact: having achieved a body fat percentage of less than 18, many women will have to deal with extremely low estradiol levels and may have to resort to hormone replacement therapy.
Are 2-hour cardio sessions combined with a 700-1000 kcal diet safe for health? Most fitness professionals will answer no.
And the point is not that everyone is a dropout, and Tracy is in a white coat, but that such experiments cause very rapid adaptation and almost inevitable collapse immune system. The body will definitely try to “save” by simply turning off unnecessary functions. So a constant runny nose is not so much a trait of amateurs high intensity training, as much as a manifestation of your body’s rejection of a strict diet.
The complete lack of individual adaptation in the method is puzzling. The diet of a person weighing 80 and, say, 62 kg cannot be the same. And the general recommendations to eat green juice and smoothies, by the way, say quite a lot about the method. Yes, it will help you lose weight, but, rather, at any cost, and not for health benefits.
Reprinting or publication of articles on websites, forums, blogs, contact groups and mailing lists is permitted only if there is active link to the site.
