Sometimes the word “sexy” isn’t even enough. From LL Cool J’s chiseled abs to Angela Bassett’s toned arms, Hollywood is packed with celebs whose bodies are as legendary as their talents. Celebrity fitness trainer, Chris Sainsbury knows this all too well. From sculpting Rihanna’s legs, to trimming Idris Elba’s torso, celeb trainer Chris Sainsbury has worked with them all. Read on for his quick tips for getting a physique as fit and as these stars, then check out this gallery of chiseled bodies to be inspired.
ESSENCE.com: How can we score gorgeous celeb bodies without paying a trainer like you?
CHRIS SAINSBURY: Everything you like on a celeb’s body you can generally achieve at home without any equipment, and for free. Jumping rope is good and they only cost from between $2-20 dollars. You can go outside and jog or ride a bike. Those are fun little things. If you were doing double-dutch back in the day, you can go outside and jump rope with the girls outside. Remember what it was like to feel young again. I like to bring it back to things we used to do as a kid. You can squats, crunches, push ups, and shoulder presses at home. Those are things that you can do to excite your body.
ESSENCE.com: What if you don’t have weights? What can you use at home for resistance training?
SAINSBURY: You can buy resistance bands, which are very reasonably prices. You can get them from WalMart or Target. With resistance bands, you can get from five to 100 lbs of resistance depending on how you manipulate and coil the band. There are suspension cable that you can also use to work out anywhere. You’re able to connect this to the door at home and you gauge your resistance and really have fun with it. If you look on my website or YouTube channel, I have (BET host) Rocsi using resistance bands. It’s really inexpensive, user friendly and accessible.
ESSENCE.com: Whats your advice to keep going and stay motivated?
SAINSBURY: Find a friend or a trainer to motivate you. Find a friend that has the same aspirations but who is a few steps ahead of you. You can always chase after what that other person is doing. That’s what I do for myself. Keep continually changing your program so it always provides a different type of stimulation. You can also journal everything that you’re doing and watch your progress grow. It’s the little things that count with fitness training to keep that motivation alive.
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Additional reporting by Kristina Bustos.