Toning Up For Your Wedding Gown

Fitness Expert Has Advice For Buff Brides

(CBS)  One of the greatest joys in a bride-to-be's life is buying the wedding gown of her dreams. But lots of women feel like their arms are too wiggly or their backs a little too flabby to pull off the sleeveless or strapless gown that they've always imagined wearing on their walk down the aisle.

The Early Show fitness expert Minna Lessig has some tips for toning up arms, backs, and calves so any bride will look buff in the gown of her choice. A real-life bride-to-be, Elizabeth Ngonzi, also practiced the exercises along with Lessig to show how easy they are. Lessig targets the following body parts according to the type of wedding dress: a strapless dress (arms), a low-back dress (back), and a shorter dress (calves).

For Arms: Strapless Dresses

Dumbbell pullover and triceps extension with dumbbells lying face up on a bench or fit ball.

"These are great for strapless and sleeveless dresses," Lessig says. "Dumbbell pullovers work the latissimus dorsi muscle too, as well as a bit of chest, and a bit of triceps. It is very time efficient to follow a set of dumbbell pullovers with triceps extension. You've already worked your triceps a bit with the pullover, now you'll really focus in on them, while also continuing to work your latissimus dorsi because of the body position you are holding.

"Most women know that an area of the body to keep on is the back of the arms, or triceps muscle. We tend to hold body fat here. These two exercises can be done on the floor, on a bench, off the edge of a bed or on a Fit ball. Using a Fit ball is the most challenging because you engage your core muscles to keep your balance. Do a set of dumbbell pullovers and immediately follow with a set of triceps extensions, again a total of 3 sets and 15 reps. "

Shoulder press drop set with dumbbells:

"Strong, rounded shoulders help give the illusion of a slim waistline, not to mention are a key focal point if you are wearing a strapless wedding dress," says Lessig. "To really see results, you must make sure your shoulders are being challenged enough.”

Three-pound handweights usually are not enough and this is because the shoulder press is a compound movement; it not only works the shoulders, but also the triceps muscles and even a tiny amount of chest. Try doing a "drop" set to really challenge your deltoids (shoulders).

Start with the heaviest weight (10- or 15-pound dumbbells) and do as many reps as you can with good form (somewhere around 10-15 reps), then drop the heaviest dumbbells and pick up a lesser weight (5-, 8-, or 10-pound dumbbells) and do another 10-15 reps. Finally, finish the set with the lightest amount of weight (3- or 5-pound weights) and do another 10-15 reps. Your shoulders will feel it.

Concentration curl with dumbbell for biceps:

"This exercise allows you to really isolate the biceps muscle if you are lacking shape in this area of the body. Shapely arms for a sleeveless dress means not only working the triceps, but also the biceps," Lessig says.

For The Back: Low-Back Dresses

Lat pulldown to front; seated row using the dyna band.

"The lat pulldown to the front of your body (chest) targets the latissimus dorsi muscle, which is the area that women complain about as flab falling overtop of a strapless dress," Lessig says. "It is best to do this pulldown to the front of the body because it is a more natural movement for the shoulder joints to handle than pulling behind the head. Also, strengthening this muscle helps broaden the top portion of your back, which gives the perception of a narrower waistline.

"The seated row," she continues, "helps strengthen the rhomboid muscle (back) which is between the shoulder blades, and also strengthens the biceps muscle. It is a great exercise for toning your back if you plan on wearing a backless wedding gown. Doing it with the dyna band forces you to work not only the rhomboids, but also the abdominal and erector spinae muscles (muscles that run all along your spine), so you really improve your ability to sit or stand with a long spine (good posture). Do a set of lat pulldowns and then immediately a set of seated rows, for a total of 3 sets and 15 reps per set."

For the Calves: Shorter Gowns or Wedding Suits

Try calf raises off a step, holding onto a wall, or using a mop or broom to keep your balance:

"These work the calves incredibly well becuase you are lifting your own body weight," Lessig says. "Try all different angles — toes aligned straight ahead, toes turned outward, and toes turned inward. Make sure to stretch in between sets. Do three sets of as many as you can."