Getting In Shape: How to Turn Your Butt into Bedrock

Yes, you've heard it all before. It's that time of the year again, when they tell you to slim down and strap on that swimsuit. Fight flab! Beat blubber! The chorus of American slim-pride is heralding you to do something NOW so you can strut your stuff this summer.

But let's face it: you hate working out. Weights are your enemy; cutting out cookies for carrot sticks sounds like a death sentence. So how do you prepare for your 'Perfect 10' moment?

Moderation. Okay, so you've heard that one before. But perhaps you're not really educated on the meaning of the term. It's not loaded with some kind of neo-hippie new-age pie-in-the-sky 'au naturale' terminology. It simply means keep it simple: don't eat ALL the rice crispie treats in the pan or gobble up an entire goodie bag of sweets. Indulge, but stop before you're sweet tooth starts to ache. Remember: you are smarter than your stomach. Listen to it. Make it happy. But like a child, don't spoil it.

Exercise. Ha! And you thought there was some magical new pill. (There is, but that's a whole other bag of no-no health hazard jellybeans). But here's a secret, THE number one trick to getting your juices flowing and your rear-end showing how hard you work on it, are lunge-walks. Jessica Biel does it. Jessica Simpson squats like a superstar. Jessica Alba.... Well, all the hard-bodied Jessica's and Janes and John Does do it.

Even better: hold a medicine ball or a small weight while you take a step, and twist to the side that your front leg is on. Confused? Take a look at the sultry step-lunge photos. (Okay, they're not sultry at all. In fact they look quite laborious and ugly. But you want that butt to turn into bedrock, don't you?)

Working out your lower body significantly increases your metabolic rate, which leads to a dramatic increase in fat burning. And everyone loves burning fat, right? Because they activate your largest muscle groups, squats and lunges are the most powerful tool you can use to invigorate and transform your entire body. If you're a gym lover, add on the leg press and leg extensions - but be wary of the leg extensions, because too much weight can put too much strain on your tender knee joints. The last thing you want are those knees to go.

Trust me. Running in track and field caused my knees to resent the frequent visits to the athletic trainer, and wearing a brace is not an ideal way to win a race. But these excerices, if done properly, can transfrom you. Weight lifting helped change my body into a leaner machine, and doesn't pose the hazards of pounding away on concrete.

If you're not a fan of the hot and sweaty "look at me" gym environment (some of us just can't pull off spandex), no problem. The essential exercises you need to turn blubber into brawn don't require fancy (and severely price-inflated) gym equipment.

Practice 8-12 reps of squats three times, and 8-12 lunges on each leg. If you're strong enough, or have been working out for several months, carry a weight with you. But don't push it. You will gain strength in time, and it sure beats sitting on your arse with a cold pack of ice on your overextended hamstrings.

And speaking of hamstrings, go ahead and add on a set of dead lifts. Do this by squatting slightly, making sure your knees are not locked, and bending forward so that your head is just dipping below the parallel line between your upper body and the floor. Then turn those calves into cows ala 'Ah-nold' by performing 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions of calf-raises. For the brave, hold a weight and try stepping up just one calf at a time. This is one burn that will get you fired up to finish.

A crucial step in all of this is to remember to stretch before you get pumped up. Stretching is said to increase the propensity to gain strength by 20%, not to mention the benefits of getting loosed up so that you won't pull anything in strange places. (Because a pulled groin is NOT fun.) To get the juices flowing, do a sun salutation or some simple running stretches. Remember to breathe into the muscles you want that energy to flow to. Not only will this increase your blood flow, but it will get your mind focused on the way you feel - rather than the way you want to look (without the burn, of course.)

While you probably won't win a spot on America's Next Top Model (but then again, why would you?), you will, if you diligently practice some form of restraint and physical activity as presented above, impress yourself. And that's all that really counts, anyway.