(“Shape” magazine, april 1999)

Fitness

Have you ever been sweating from heat in a blouse with long sleeves on a hot day, just because you were too shy to put something more open on, then you know when one wants to have well-toned arms. And you are not the only one wishing that. Movie industry can be blamed for that to some extent: seems like each and single new movie star looks even better than the previous one. Beautiful arms are not only a pass to the magical world of open dresses, but an evidence of how well you can look after yourself.

Today, more and more women do heavy-weight training in fitness centers. They have finally gotten rid of the fear and understood that if you don't take on steroids, you won't get muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is an opinion of a canadian fitness instructor Alvin Green, who is a “co-author” of a stunning body of actress Peta Wilson, star of “La Femme Nikita” TV-series. “You won't turn into a body-builder with steel muscles”, — claims Green, “but will quickly give a nice shape and tone to your arms, as muscles will get stronger after muscle-strengthening exercises. Green advises women to train with maximum poundage and perform 8-14 reps, and this can develop not only the strenth, but endurance as well. “The main components of a success are: correct body posture and correct technique of performing the exercises. If the weight is a way too heavy, you are bound to do the exercise incorrectly, and thus the result will be unsatisfactory. That's why you should listen to your body and concentrate your attention on each and single muscle, if you want to get the best result out of your training session”, — says Green, who has developed the offered set of exercises. Green included 6 intensive exercises into this complex that will give you the maximum result with minimum time-spending. The exercises are very effective because they isolate each muscle and work it out in earnest, and also because both arms are involved when exercising. If you work hard on performing this complex of exercises, you will see your arms strengthening in 2-3 weeks time, and the visible change will be evident after 3-4 weeks. And then — say goodbye to your long sleeves, hooray!

Femme Fatale

Star of USA Network's drama “La Femme Nikita”, Peta Wilson plays a tough government operative who shoots, punches and kickboxes her way out of jams with terrorists. In real life, Wilson is considerably more mellow than her character. The 27-year-old Australian, a yoga devotee, begins her days with a routine that the hard-boiled Nikita wouldn't appreciate: a five-minute headstand. “It wakes me up and gets the blood going to my brain”, says the husky-voiced Wilson, speaking from the show's set in Toronto.

Beginning her days with relaxation exercises is crucial for Wilson, who often works 15-hour stints. Equally important are her strength training and kick boxing workouts. “Sure, I have to look good, but that's not why I work out”, — she says. “The energy it gives you is unbelievable. It's good for cleaning your mind, getting rid of stress, increasing (your) confidence and allowing for more creative thought.”

Wilson has to cram her fitness regimen into intense sessions with trainer Alvin Greene. The set doesn't have weight machines, so Wilson works out with body bars and weighted balls. The toughest exercise is the wall squat, a ski-training move that involves sitting against a wall, thighs parallel to the floor, and holding the position until your quadriceps burn. “I can do it for nine minutes”, Wilson says. “But the whole time I'm screaming at my trainer.”

Wilson concentrates all of her energy into each exercise. “I watch my muscles, really focusing on each individual body part — my biceps, my triceps, my abs. You've got to be in the right state of mind for an exercise to be effective.”