Naomi Watts gets red-carpet ready
By Rob Parr
Before the stars hit the red carpet, they hit the gym. They all have their favorite workout regimens, from Pilates and yoga to spinning and kickboxing.
But some Hollywood A-listers, like Naomi Watts, like to take their workouts outdoors.
When Naomi and I train together, we hit the road running for four to six miles or take to the hills for an hour-and-a-half-long mountain bike ride.
During training for her most recent role in "King Kong," Naomi did an intense outdoor cardio workout about five days a week. The goal was to boost her stamina and overall fitness level so that she was up for the physical demands of filming, including some stunt work.
Naomi also did weight training, mainly to improve her upper body strength. Because "King Kong" is set in 1933, we didn't want her to look really cut but we did want to tone her up. So throughout the week we hit the weights, doing a few sets of 10 to 15 repetitions of various exercises including bench presses, military presses and lat pull-downs.
If you're tired of the gym and looking to spice up your workouts, consider taking them -- or part of them -- outside. Incorporating outdoor activity into your fitness plan can make it more challenging and motivating.
You can even build in some resistance activity when you're outdoors, so that you can skip the gym if you want.
Here's a beginner workout to get you started: Set aside half an hour two to three days a week for some outdoor activity such as walking. Walk for five to 10 minutes and then stop to do some calisthenics, such as squats, lunges or push-ups, for instance. Then walk another five minutes and stop at some stairs and do step-ups. Continue on with the walking and calisthenics, aiming to target all major muscle groups for three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
This is a great way to maximize your workout time and have fun, too. Over time, you could build up to jogging, if you like, and working out on four or five days a week.
