By Ana Carolina Kley Vita from São Paulo, Brasil - Jennifer Lopez, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20255991
A few weeks ago Jennifer Lopez released a picture on Instagram showing off her badass bod to celebrate her 49th birthday. All of my female clients and friends over 35 saw it as an inspiration and #aginggoals. They also asked me what kind of training program would help them get that sexy toned look that she has.
So what is J-Lo’s secret to looking damn good at the age of 49? She said for her workouts, she strength trains 3-4 times a week outside of dance and boxing. When you look at her Instagram stories and posts of her training in the gym, she focuses on a lot of compound movements, especially for her back, shoulders, triceps, legs and her most famous asset, dat booty.
Squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, pulls are all of the exercises that work those muscle groups. The reason why strength training is so important is because you need to build muscle to get the toned look that you want. Strength training is also anti-aging and helps boost your metabolism, kinda important as you get older.
For a majority of my female clients, I have them do full body workouts each time they train. Ladies can recover from workouts a bit easier than us fellas, they have more muscular endurance and their muscles can be hit with a lot more frequency especially if they are a beginner.
So without further ado, here is Tim’s J-Lo program that will get you lean and sexy with a booty that will stop traffic:
Day 1:
Warmup:
Lateral Band Walks 2x20 each side
Side Plank - 2x30 seconds each side
RKC Plank - 2x30 seconds
Band Pullaparts - 2x10
A. Wide Stance Barbell Back Squat or Dumbbell Goblet Squat: 3x6-8 reps
B. Bulgarian Split Squat: 3x10-12 reps each leg
C. Machine Leg Curl – 3x8-10 reps
D. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift – 3x12-15 reps
E. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press – 3x8-10 reps
F. Bent-Over Lateral Raise – 3x12-15 reps
G. Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 3x15-20 reps
Day 2:
Warmup:
Band Clamshells - 2x20 each side
Banded Glute Bridges - 2x20
Rope Face Pulls – 1x20
A. Barbell Hip Thrust – 3x8-10 reps
B1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3x10-15
B2. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges - 3x12 reps each leg
C1. Cable Rows – 3x12
C2. Triceps Pushdowns – 3x12-15 reps
D1. Lat Pulldowns – 3x10-12 reps
D2. Dumbbell French Press – 3x10-12 reps
Day 3:
Warmup:
Band Lateral Walks: 2x20 reps each side
Stability Ball Stir the Pot: 3x8 reps each direction
Rope Face Pulls: 2x20 reps
A1. Kettlebell Deadlift - 3x10-15 reps
A2. Pushups - 3xAMRAP (as many reps as possible with good form)
B1. Dumbbell Arnold Press – 3x10-12 reps
B2. Dumbbell Row – 3x10-12 reps each arm
C. Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 3x15 reps
D1. Stability Ball Leg Curls – 3x15-20 reps
D2. Dumbbell Walking Lunges – 3x10-12 reps each leg
Day 4:
Warmup:
Ab Wheel – 3x8 reps
Hanging Leg Raises – 3x10-15 reps
Band Pullaparts – 2x20 reps
A1. Goblet Squat: 3x12-15 reps
A2. Lat Pulldowns: 3x10-12 reps
B1. Pushups – 3xAMRAP
B2. Dumbbell Step Ups – 3x10-12 reps each leg
C1. Wide Grip Cable Row – 3x10-12 reps
C2. Bent-Over Lateral Raise – 3x10-15 reps
D. Heels-Elevated Dumbbell Glute Bridge– 2x20 reps
In this training program, I've paired exercises together by their letter and number. For example, do A1, then A2 back to back with little to no rest. Once you've completed the pair, rest as long as you need the next set. Once all the sets and reps are complete, move onto the B1, B2, etc.
For each of the exercises, be sure you’re doing it proper form and can feel the right muscles working. Pick a weight that is challenging but still doable. If done right, the last 2 reps should be pretty tough. If you can finish all of the reps prescribed, increase the weight on your next workout. Don’t be afraid to go heavy!
With regards to cardio, you can do it after your strength training sessions with whatever time you have left. If you have time on the non-weight training days, you can do hill sprints or HIIT intervals on your favorite cardio machine. My favorites are the assault bike, rowing machine, and stairclimber.
Nutrition
Now despite the fact you may have the right training program to get to your goal, nutrition plays just a big of a role.
If you do have a good amount of muscle on you, you won’t have that lean sexy toned look unless you get down into a good bodyfat percentage. For most women, it’s sub 20%.
Body fat too high? Then you’ll need to be sure you’re eating at a caloric deficit and getting enough protein in your diet.
If you’re not sure what you’re currently taking in exactly, I wrote a blogpost on how to track your calories and macros here.
That’s it.
This training program is going to help you get the body that you want. Train hard, focus on getting stronger every week and I guarantee you’ll see some changes.
For those who are going to do this program, I would love to hear the feedback on how it went and what results you get from it. What are you favorite exercises that you like to do in your own training program? Let me know in the comments section!