People Swear By This Jennifer Lopez Circuit Training Workout For Weight Loss

Jennifer Lopez is 54 and in the best shape of her life—which is not an accident or a coincidence. The singer/actress/dancer works incredibly hard to stay fit and focused, something she is open about (no, it's not just genetics). “Very rarely will I skip my workout,” Lopez once told US Weekly. “Sometimes, I work too late the night before, and I’m like, ‘Ugh, I can’t do this.’ But I tell myself, ‘Just do it. It’s only an hour.’ It’s just talking yourself off the ledge of being a lazy bum.” Here’s how she does it.

1. The Workout

Lopez does dance-based workouts with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson. “It’s no secret that I love dancing, so it doesn’t even feel like exercise to me,” Lopez tells People. “I freestyle dance with Tracy Anderson five times a week. We’ll incorporate light weights (3 lbs/ 1.4 kgs) for the arms and moves that focus on the butt and thighs and engage the core. I also do circuit training with David Kirsch when I’m in New York. We do hour-long circuits at least three times a week. It's full-body training — so planks, pushups, boxing — really everything. It’s all about changing it up and keeping your body guessing.”

2. Stamina For Performing

Lopez needs stamina for her incredible live performances and shows, which is where circuit training is very useful. “Circuit training is a form of body conditioning that combines endurance training, strength training, and high intensity aerobics,” Jacqueline Kaminski, MS, RDN/LDN says in an article for the National Academy of Sports Medicine. “It typically involves several different exercises that target various muscle groups, and each exercise has a target rep range or time cap in which the exercise must be completed.”

3. The Benefits For You

Lopez does planks, pushups, boxing as part of her circuit training—other moves include jumping squats, lunges, later skaters and many more, some with weights. “Regardless of whether you do lunges or squats, you have to remember to engage your core,” Mumbai-based fitness coach Bhavna Harchandrai tells Vogue India. “They help work on your quads and glutes, and create engagement from the core of the body, making them perfect for a full lower body exercise.”

4. How To Get Started

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As with any new exercise, beginners should start slowly and work their way up. “Circuits can be completed in various time frames and evoke great health and fitness benefits regardless of the time devoted to it,” Kaminski says in her National Academy of Sports Medicine article. “Circuits can last between 15-60 minutes, and due to the high intensity structure, you’ll feel like you get a great workout regardless of how much time you must commit. Don’t believe it? Several studies have shown that individuals have seen major improvements in their fitness status with circuit durations of as little as 7 minutes.”

5. This Writer Did It

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Writer Emily Tannenbaum tried Lopez’s workout for a month, detailing her experience in an article for Women's Health. Tannenbaum says while doing grueling workouts every day indefinitely is not sustainable, she developed habits that will help her long-term when it comes to fitness. “The real victory was psychological. During the 28 days, my closest friends and family told me I seemed happier and more talkative. With each new achievement, like an additional push-up or upgrading from a 10-pound dumbbell to 15-pounders, I felt more excited to keep up the hard work.”

Whether Jennifer Lopez is showing off her perfectly toned figure on the red carpet or in an Instagram bikini pic, the actress continuously proves she's age-defying. While she may have one of the most famous bodies and killer curves, the 52-year-old didn't just get those abs by accident. The singer works incredibly hard to stay in shape and CelebWell spoke with experts who break down her diet and fitness regime. Read on to see 5 ways Jennifer Lopez stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. Hydration is Essential

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J. Lo drinks 7 cups of water a day, Us Weekly reports, and Jana Beaudoin, NBC-HWC Certified Health & Nutrition Coach Anti-Aging & Longevity Center of Philadelphia explains, "Drinking water may increase your resting energy expenditure, when you drink cold water your body uses energy to water the water up to body temperature. Research indicates that the resting energy expenditure may last for up to 60 minutes following water consumption.

Drinking water before meals has been shown to reduce the appetite for middle-aged and older individuals, leading to reduced caloric intake. This is also beneficial before reaching for that mid-day snack, many people confuse thirst for hunger, consuming a glass of water may curb snacking and cravings. Additionally, people who consume primarily water as their beverage of choice consume on average 200 less calories than those who sip on caloric beverages. Water also helps remove waste from the body and supports healthy digestion. When the body is dehydrated it can’t remove waste efficiently.

Water is necessary to burn fat. The process of metabolizing fat is called lipolysis, which requires water. Drinking enough water is essential for burning off fat from food/drink and stored fat. Water is essential for a good workout. Hydrate, before, during and after."

2. She Eats Leafy Green Veggies

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According to Us Weekly, the 52-year-old includes plenty of leafy greens into her diet like, "kale, broccoli, and spinach." Beaudoin says, "Leafy greens are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals such as vitamin K, magnesium, B vitamins and calcium. These nutrients are critical for every cell function and help us feel and look younger and more vibrant. They are essential to your anti-aging regimen. Plus they are low in calories. Leafy greens are rich in fiber and water helping you to feel fuller on fewer calories. Eating leafy greens everyday also protects us from disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer."

3. No Caffeine

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The mother of two told Us Weekly she doesn't drink caffeine because it can "wreck your skin as you get older.” According to Beaudoin, "There certainly are proven health benefits of drinking a cup of coffee, including a faster metabolism, and possibly lowering the risk of Alzheimer's. However, there are also some real benefits of going caffeine free or at least considering a reduction in your daily caffeine intake.You may notice less anxiety, caffeine gives us a burst of energy, but for some it may also spike the cortisol and stimulate the fight or flight response. For those already prone to stress and anxiety, reducing or eliminating caffeine may help. Sleep is the foundation for health, your caffeine habit may be disrupting the quality and quantity of your sleep. If you do consume caffeine, it is best to limit it to before noon. Nutrient absorption could be impacted for some. The tannins in coffee may inhibit absorption of calcium, iron, and B vitamins. This may be especially true for people with high caffeine consumption and an imbalanced diet. Reducing or eliminating caffeine may also help lower your blood pressure and high caffeine intake 3-5 cups a day is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease."

4. Four-Circuit Workout

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The Marry Me star does a four-circuit workout, Hello! reports and Antoine Hamelin, a kinesiologist, a trainer with 20+ years of experience and CEO of First Step Fitness Trainings, says, "The 4 circuit workout is one of the best tools there is for women who wish to lose weight and develop a toned body. Working out in circuit means combining different weightlifting exercises, done one after another, with little or no rest in between each set. Here are the 3 reasons why circuits are highly effective:

1) It increases the size and strength of the muscles. A woman's body is at a disadvantage when it comes to weight loss. Women carry less muscle than men on their frame and thus have a slower metabolic rate—meaning they burn less calories when they exercise. This is why it can be hard for women to lose weight when all they do is cardio training. In fact, women will burn on average a mere 250 calories for 30 minutes of jogging. The amount of muscle one carries on their body is like the engine in a car. Little horsepower in an engine requires only a little bit of gas to move the car; little muscle mass on a body burns only a few calories with exercise. Performing 4 circuit workouts like J.Lo's is an amazing way to increase muscle on the whole body. As you increase muscle, your metabolism becomes faster, allowing you to burn more calories each time you workout. Moreover, arranging a workout in circuit fashion usually combines exercises for the legs and the upper body altogether, making it even more efficient.

2) Circuit training combines 3-4 exercises done with little or no rest in between the exercises. This type of workout—because of its rapid pace—burns a lot of calories; sometimes more than cardio training for the same duration. Done correctly and at the right intensity, a 4 circuit workout can be as effective as doing high-intensity sprints for weight loss; without the added stress on the joints. Thus, you can literally kill 2 birds with one stone; increase muscle tone AND burn a great amount of calories in one session. Moreover, arranging your exercises in circuit fashion is time efficient and can cut training time by half.

3) Any weight training workout keeps the metabolism elevated up to 24 hours after you are done. It is no different for circuits. Amazingly, you burn calories during the actual workout, and you keep burning calories while you carry on with your daily activities after. This is the main reason why circuits are the best option for women who wish to tone their body and keep in shape; an increased metabolism for hours on end!"

5. Resistance Bands

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Lopez uses resistance bands during her workouts and Hamelin reveals why they're so effective. "A workout done with resistance bands is a great way to build a toned body and to keep weight off. This type of workout offers plenty of amazing options both for at-home training or when traveling. Bands are inexpensive and the resistance on the bands can be adjusted to an extent according to the fitness level of the trainee. Working out with bands provides enough resistance on the exercises to stress the muscles enough into becoming stronger. Therefore, it is a good tool to make any exercise harder and more challenging. For example, doing bodyweight squats only will give a beginner results for a few weeks, but it will soon become so easy that it will not further improve the body. However, by adding bands, you can adjust the resistance, thus making the exercise harder and obtaining better results. Bands provide many exercise options to work both the upper and lower body muscles, making it a great option to create your own circuit training. This type of training burns many calories because of the fast pace at which it is done. Also, working out with bands provides the same metabolic increase that is brought about by free weights workouts and will help burn more calories for hours after the workout; thus making it an awesome tool to lose weight or to keep the weight off."