As a celebrity personal trainer for over 10 years, I have been very lucky to work with some very wonderful clients including: Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel and Halle Berry, to name a few. I am often called on location by productions to help actresses prepare for a role, especially if it’s a physical one. This past summer, I was hired to help a young Vancouver actress named Amanda Crew get ready to act opposite Zac Effron in the soon to be released movie, “Charlie Saint Cloud“. Her role required her to look like a girl who sails around the world and so her upper body needed to look very strong and believable.
From the moment I met Amanda, I knew this was going to be one of those dream jobs. I liked her instantly and I could tell that everyone around appreciated her down to earth personality. At times, there can be a lot of pressure on young actresses and Amanda was a pro, she was still able to keep her sense of humour and take things in stride.
As for our workouts, she had the energy and dedication I needed from her to reach her goals; even arriving on time every morning at 6 am for our hour workouts before she went to work for the day.
Our greatest challenge was having to adjust her calorie intake. Being vegan, we needed to make sure Amanda was eating enough calories in order to build muscle mass. We added a shake or two a day and she started to see results.
As the filming and our workouts progressed, I noticed changes in Amanda, she liked feeling stronger, she had a lot more energy and by building back and shoulder muscles, she seemed to walk a little taller and with more confidence.
It was a pleasure helping Amanda reach her fitness goals, ones I think will stay with her for a long time. The best memories of my summer with Amanda will be all the ways we discovered how we could make fitness fun: early morning jogs with her Puggle, walking up the Grousse Grind, a big mountain in Vancouver with our iPods, taking a hip-hop dance class, or yoga class together and dancing to Empire State of Mind at the “Charlie Saint Cloud” wrap party.
Now if Dancing is one of your favorite ways to keep in shape, here’s a sample of songs Amada has on her ipod!

Nelly Furtado – Maneater
Rhianna – Run this town
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind

About Ramona

Ramona Braganza is recognized as one of the top Personal Trainers in the world among the entertainment industry, Ramona has worked with Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Zac Efron, Bradley Cooper, Kate Beckinsale, Ashlee Simpson Wentz, Jaime King, Dania Ramirez, Ryan Reynolds and Michael Weatherly. Many of her clients were shaped using Ramona’s own 3-2-1 Training Method and recently Ramona has been identified as being the woman responsible for getting new moms back into shape with her 321 Baby Bulge Be Gone program. Wanna know more about how the celebs stay healthy go to http://ramonabraganza.com

I do not love the gym. Sweating and blotchy face aside, I get bored. Running while staring at a wall doesn’t do it for me. I find myself watching the clock, aching for the minutes to go by faster.
I know I need to workout, for my well-being, but especially because of my sour candy habit, so I thought “There must be something MORE!!!” Well people, here it is. A collection of random workouts I’ve tried and ENJOYED! Imagine that!
Belly Dancing
I convinced two of my friends to sign up for this class. The first day, our instructor had sarongs covered in beads and coins for us to wear around our waists. Imagine shaking your booty, uh, I mean, hips and hearing “jingle, jingle” every time. FUN! So I thought it was going to be a little dance routine that would make us feel all sexy, but SWEET MOTHER did I sweat! We were all crashing into each other while trying to learn the routines and it was hilarious. When we got good at it, she’d throw curve ball moves in to change it up. I had a hard time not shaking my boobs whenever we had to “shimmie”, but it was a blast. So, entertaining + super workout = WIN! Go find a class and a friend! (Or convince your sister. Or your Mom. No really, there was a lot of Moms in our class)
Kickboxing
If you want something more hardcore and less dance-y, then check out a kickboxing class. Or get a video if you don’t feel confident enough to go to a class or there isn’t one where you live.
You will punch. And sweat. And kick. And sweat. I loved feeling so strong and powerful. I could kick some ass! The classes vary from “Okay, and kick, and punch, and jab” cardio-type workouts, to “Get on the floor and give me twenty! And then hit me with your hardest right hook!”, so find one that goes at your pace. The time flew by because I was so focused on every movement.
Power Yoga
When I first got into yoga, I thought it might be boring, and I tend to have a short attention span, so I decided to take a Power Yoga class. Haha, boring. How naive I was back then. We started out with the regular stretches and a few poses, and THEN, the instructor kicked it up ten notches. “And Downward-Facing Dog, into Warrior, and now the Tree Pose!” at lightening speed (well, it felt that way). I was falling over, huffing and puffing and so hopelessly lost on the poses. I thought “Please yoga. If you don’t kill me today, I swear I’ll give you a second chance and never again doubt your powers”.
So go get your workout on! Take a class, join a sports team, buy a video or just bust a move.

About Jen

Jen Pimm is the Editor for Girls By Design, a freelance graphic designer and writer who feels blessed to have found a way to turn her love for all things creative into a grown-up career. She wants to encourage self-expression and confidence in young women because, once upon a time, she was not so sure of herself. When she’s not working like a fool, she’s probably taking artsy pictures of stuff, watching Jeopardy, or snuggling with her pug Stella. She appreciates a quick wit and is currently planning her next travel adventure. And she’s on Twitter! At http://www.twitter.com/JenniferPimm

Rant: I can’t stand when people don’t wipe down the machines after they use them, like, EW!
Rave: Getting stronger and more in touch with my body.
Rant:You feel like collapsing on the street.
Rave: You feel good about yourself afterward.

Rant: Starting from the beginning/injuries/feeling self-conscious.
Rave: Adrenaline rush, seeing improvements, and powering through a run in torrential downpour then seeing only one other runner on your run – and doing a ‘runner’s high five’ – talk about a community empowered by a bond fueled with adrenaline and the love of intensity.

Rant:Going to the gym can be uber boring, maybe even awkward with all the people.
Rave: There’s TONS of different ways to do exercise and have fun at the same time, either with your pals or alone.

Rant:It’s so difficult to find the energy to exercise after you’re done everything.
Rave: It makes you feel goooood.

Rant: It’s hard to get into it, and it takes up time.
Rave: It helps me not feel like I’m dying after walking up one block.

Rant: Unsupportive sport bras are the worst, is it really that hard to hold the gals in place?
Rave: Glowing, healthy skin.

Rant: Waiting for machines. Being surrounded by extremely good looking already fit people.
Rave: The feeling of accomplishment after a good workout! Machines that are high-tech and have fun things to do on them, like play games!

Rant: Sweating while trying to look cute for guys.
Rave: But managing to work out.

Rant: Being sore… lol
Rave: Feeling energized, happy and looking hot! Raaaaaawwwrrrrr!

How I started running:
I always exercised during the week, but the idea of training for a 5k [3.10 miles] never came into my mind until one special day. On that day, I stumbled upon a music video created by my favorite artist Kina Grannis! The entire video logged Kina’s 26.2 mile marathon [the Nike’s Women Marathon], benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Just seeing that video was a total inspiration in itself. At that moment, I decided to set a goal for myself. This personal challenge was something I could work towards to see whether I could reach it or not.
Why I started running:
The reason to start running was the inspiration I drew from Kina, but why I continued to train extended far beyond that video. After deciding to train for a 5k, I immediately began searching for charities to run for. Being an avid animal lover, I discovered the Scotia Bank 5k benefiting the BC SPCA. Knowing that these animals needed help was reason enough to start and continue running! I can’t express just how much I LOVE animals! And again, the thought of challenging myself kept me interested. I really wanted to beat myself and run even more than 5k! Setting reasonable goals for myself, I knew it would take some work but also that I would eventually get there.

How to make it fun:
There are many things that help keep me motivated during training. In reality, I know sometimes it can be hard to keep your spirits high or to keep on a schedule. The poor, helpless animals at the BC SPCA were always in my thoughts. Knowing that I was running for them did wonders in keeping me motivated. Some other fun tips are: changing up your routes when running outdoors, creating a “workout” fun music list with fast-paced music, tracking and recording you progress, and finding friends and forming running groups. After doing all of these things, running doesn’t feel like a chore but more of a fun activity you look forward to doing!

About Jessica

Jessica Fong is a Contributor to Girls By Design, turning her passion for animals and other interests into fun and fascinating writings. Moving from the U.S. to Canada, she is currently attending a university in Vancouver to earn a graduate degree in business, where she hopes to land a career in the field of marketing on behalf of animals. Growing up without an important, elder-sister figure, Jessica enjoys contributing to Girls By Design as her way in helping to guide those who are looking for something similar in their lives – whether it be advice, support, or just simple big-sister love. She enjoys animals of all types(especially her three dogs Cookie, Brownie and Teddy), running, photography, traveling and going to museums.

I like to run with a whole group of friends. That way you can talk and feel motivated to keep going.
~Marlee
Making fitness fun can definitely be a challenge, especially when you’re short on time and energy. In general, however, I prefer to run around my neighborhood instead of on a treadmill because that way the scenery varies a bit, I can set my own pace without worrying about a speedometer, and I can’t just give up after 10 minutes, because I have to get back home somehow! At the gym, trying different machines (provided you know how to use them) can vary your workout too and seem a little more exciting than using the same one over and over again. Going with friends also helps because you can encourage each other and you’re more likely to go if you feel an obligation to someone other than yourself.
~Lauren

Working out doesn’t have to be boring!!! Get together with your girlfriends and put on some sexy music: create a raaaaawr  dance routine! Think Pussycat Dolls! An advantage? Well… When you hit the dancefloor you can show off and have a few male jaws falling down! lol
~Lucy

In my house, we put the elliptical right in front of the tv Helps me not get bored, and takes my mind off the fact I am completely out of shape and out of breath after 5 minutes.
~Mari

I think I can proudly say most like anyone else that I love to listen to music & make it fun usually blast the music up a little louder than needed but if I don’t keep it fresh it won’t work because I get bored so always keep it fresh & something you definitely won’t get bored with.
~Susy

To mix things up, something that my friends and I love to do is sign up for mud runs. A mud run is typically a 5 mile course at an army base littered with obstacles such as jumping over river beds, crawling through the mud, pulling yourself up over 10 feet piles of hay, using a rope to swing yourself across a creek, or jumping over stone hurtles. My friends and I absolutely love these races because you can sign up as a team, 5 people, and we usually go dressed in fun costumes. One year we went dressed as pigs because pigs love the mud! And another year we went dressed in all black with war paint and army patterns – they are so much fun, you feel intense, strong, and empowered – and the entire thing is just hysterical as you try to jump over hurdles and crawl in the mud with your best friends.
~Maia

Whenever I’m on the treadmill, which can get SO BORING, I start to people watch and decide what their life story is. I can get pretty creative. Sometimes they’ll catch me staring though. Creepy, right?
~Caitlin

Play some fun games! Go outside, play tag, play hide and seek, soccer, football. you can always play, no matter what your age is!
~Binks

80’s work out clothes, head bands, a hot pink thong over purple tights, leg warmers and wrist bands with the my favorite work-out song, “Lets Get Physical”.
~Kendra