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Media personality, blogger and mum, Rebecca Judd always looks immaculate. Years of modelling have honed her hair and makeup skills and she wears her enviable wardrobe extremely well. Her long, lithe limbs and dancer’s grace all byproducts of a smart and time efficient fitness regime based on interval training and pilates.

Being married to AFL player Chris Judd means that her home gym is kitted out with the latest equipment and, as a family, their diet is full of fresh, wholesome food. And, as Bec admits, it also comes down to genes. “I’m lucky, I’ve got my mum’s body and she’s really lean. My sister and I are very lucky. We don’t have to do a lot to maintain our figure.” She has, however, created an exercise routine that fits into her lifestyle, maintaining that there are secrets to keeping fit when time is of the essence.

1. IN A HURRY? TRY H.I.I.T

THE WATT BIKE

The secret to getting the most out of your workout in the least amount of time? High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) workouts are fast bursts of intense exertion with rest breaks at various intervals. Bec does hers on a Watt bike (https://wattbike.com/au/). “It’s a spin bike, but the hardest, worst spin bike you’ve ever been on in your life, because it kills you and doesn’t let you get any momentum! It’s got a magnetic force on it.

2. CHOOSE YOUR INTERVALS WISELY

AN APP FOR TIMING TABATA SPRINTS

There are a variety of H.I.I.T intervals you can do, but there has been much research around Tabata sprints – which Bec is a fan of. Tabata technique, named after Japanese physician and researcher Dr Izumi Tabata, is based on 20/10 intervals, which means cycling for twenty seconds then resting for ten, repeating the combo eight times for a total of four minutes. “It kills you but it’s only four minutes! I do that about four times a week,” says Bec. While Bec does it on her Watt bike, you can do Tabata H.I.I.T sprints while running or doing weights, too, just maintain the twenty seconds on, ten seconds off rule for maximum results.

3. PRACTISE PILATES

WHEN BEC TRAVELS SHE DOES PILATES MATT WORKOUTS

To keep her muscles looking long and lean, Bec does Pilates twice a week. “I always recommend doing pilates at a studio where the instructors are physios. They have a better understanding of human movement and muscles and are great at tailoring a programme to the individual’s needs based on any concerns, injuries or target areas they wish to work on. Oh, and if you’ve got private health insurance, you can claim it! I go to Pilates class, and my trainer writes me a program and I come home and do it, “ she explains. “I don’t do it every day but I aim for twice a week.” She’s lucky enough to have a professional reformer in her gym at home, but she recommends Be Active in Prahran or doing mat pilates at home. “You can jump on Youtube to see some good workouts.”

4. LAPS ARE TIME EFFICIENT

KEEPS RUNS TO A MINIMUM WITH H.I.I.T

When Bec is away from her home gym she will take to the park and do some quick sprints. “I am such a lazy runner so prefer to do short hits than long runs,” she explains. “I’ll often do four or five lots of 400m laps around an oval. They are over and done with quickly and you can time yourself to maintain your speed and challenge yourself.”

5. DON’T DIET BUT CHOOSE WHOLE FOODS

ENJOY EATING UNPROCESSED FOODS

“I’ve never dieted and stay slim due to inheriting good genes,” says Bec. “Having said that, I don’t like to eat too much processed food or high sugar foods (chocolate excluded!), not because they are high in calories but merely due to the fact that they are full of crap and not great for your insides. I like to eat whole foods; lean cuts of meat (all meats), fresh fruit and veggies and lots of seeds and grains for fibre.”

6. CARBS AND CHOC ARE NOT THE ENEMY

AND THE ODD TREAT HERE AND THERE

“I need carbs otherwise I feel hungry all the time and I get angry, so I always choose high fibre, multigrain breads and I eat lots of brown rice,” she says, adding that she also indulges in chocolate and sweet treats plus yummy cheeses from time to time, but as a general rule she eat a healthy balanced diet, “because it makes me feel good.”

Comment (2)

  1. October 9, 2016
    Sharon

    I’ve seen amazing results from HIIT workouts!

  2. October 9, 2016
    Selena

    Never knew you could claim pilates with health insurance, awesome!