gunnar peterson

Drumroll, please . . . the secret to a six-pack has finally been revealed! If you've been working on your abs and still aren't seeing results, then it might be time to switch things up. According to Gunnar Peterson, Celebrity trainer to stars like Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani, there are three things you should focus on when doing core work, and not one of them requires a traditional sit-up!

1. Be consistent: As with all workouts, being consistent is the key to great abs! Gunnar suggests you work your abs at least twice a week or every other day. Sticking with an ab routine like this will help build strength and maximize results. When it comes to your abs, doing regular cardio and sticking with a clean eating plan and flat-belly foods is equally important.
2. Work in multiple planes of motion: Consider this your excuse to skip the crunches! Although crunches have their benefits, they don't work your entire core. Because our midsection is divided into three parts — the upper abs, obliques, and lower abs — you must do a variety of exercises to see results. This all-abs workout will work your entire midsection, and this video will tackle all four layers of abdominal muscles for a sleek midsection. Bonus: many of these exercises work more than just your abs too!
3. Add weights: Adding weights to your core workout will make an ab series more effective. Gunnar helps his celebrity clients get cover-worthy abs with five- to 10-pound dumbbells and a similar weighted ab workout.

Whether she's hamming it up in front of Saturday Night Live cameras or going glam on the red carpet, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara always looks the part. But the self-described gym hater also works hard to keep fit. We spoke to her trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients have also included Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie), to learn more about how Sofia stays fit. Read his tips below.

Make it fun: How does Gunnar keep his celebrity clients sticking to their routine? "I try to keep it fun. I try and put a little bit of levity in it, but at the same time, I don’t sacrifice the work. We may goof around and stuff, but we’re definitely going to goof around while we’re working." A boring workout is one you won't want to stick to, so read our tips on how to keep a workout fun.

Whole-body workout: Gunnar doesn't like to waste time with isolated moves. Burn more calories and work more of your body at the same time instead. "I don’t do that many isolation movements, like single joint stuff," Gunnar says. "I do bigger movements. If we’re going to do a lunge, we’re probably going to add an upper body component to it, like a lunge with a wood chop, a side lunge with a wood chop, or a rear lunge with a lateral raise, or a forward lunge with a front raise." Try it yourself: incorporate this medicine ball wood chop the next time you do lunges, and check out Gunnar's cutting-edge double-duty gym equipment here.

Read on for more tips from celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson.

Like many brides-to-be, Vanessa Minnillo is stepping up her fitness game before the big day. The star, who became engaged to Nick Lachey in November, has been working out three times a week with celeb trainer Gunnar Peterson. At a recent Under Armour event for its new Charged Cotton activewear, Vanessa told InTouch Weekly that she and Gunnar have been working out hard and that he trains her "like an athlete." She's still eating the kinds of food she wants, like pizza, but practicing portion control. Most of all it seems like Vanessa has a healthy attitude: "I am happy with where my body is now. I am happy in general, and I think it's all connected."

With the wedding less than two weeks away, TV celebrity La La Vazquez has been working out with trainer Gunnar Peterson to slim down for the big day. La La, 30, recently told Us Weekly that she's already lost a total of 13 pounds!

To get in shape, La La hits the gym with Gunnar five days a week and hikes in Runyon Canyon to "get the cardio up." Gunnar — who also trains Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian — focuses on circuit training, mixing strength training moves with cardio intervals. La La changed up her diet, too, and says she's been watching what she eats without starving herself.

"No soda. After a certain time I cut it out. I love chocolate. Nestle Crunch, Kit Kat, chocolate cookies, I love them. I've completely cut that out."

With a fitness regimen like this, La La will be looking her best come the big day!

New brides, pay attention! We'll be bringing you tips on how to prepare your body for the big day, but we want to hear what you've been doing to stay in shape, too. Head over to the FitSugar Community and post your wedding workout tips, or, if you're already hitched, how did you get healthy for your big day?

Most people I know react very strongly — read: absolute adoration or total disgust — to the Kardashians. And even though I sit somewhere in the middle, I was surprised to see Kim on the latest cover of Shape, since I, like most people, am used to seeing her in more celebrity-driven publications or on her hit reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Besides talking to Kim about her love for working out and eating right, the magazine relays Kim's message of embracing your body, regardless of size. There's also a great slideshow of the cardio sculpting workout Kim does with her trainer Gunnar Peterson. And while the reality star comes across as being positive, I wished they would have asked her why she continues to promote QuickTrim diet products with such vigor, and whether or not she thinks it sends a mixed message to her audience.

Find out what Kim said in the interview when you read more