Gyms and trainers across the country are offering pre-wedding fitness camps for women who want to slim down before tying the knot.
"Anybody can get into shape if they really want to, and brides want to,” said trainer Doug Rice, who runs the Bridalicious Boot Camp in Dallas. “They have that desire."
The brides in his class agree.
“When I first tried my wedding dress on, you could see you kind of had the hangover in the back a little bit, and that's like every bride's nightmare. You don't want to ever have to have that,” said newlywed Joanna Higginbotham, who started the program a few months before her April wedding.
"And I have great pictures of me cutting my wedding cake, and you can just see the muscles in my back, and they're perfect, so that was my proudest moment," she said.
Bridal boot camps are for those who want to shed extra weight before their weddings, or simply sculpt their bodies before the big day. Rice’s classes feature intense interval training, and a lot of the exercises focus on what he calls the "bridal trifecta,” arms, back and shoulders – the perfect regime for those planning to wear strapless gowns.
“It's such an important day, it's the one time when you can look at the calendar and say, on this day, my life will change," said Rice.
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Rice motivates the brides-to-be with several signature phrases:
"We are sweating for the wedding ladies, let's go, let's go let’s go!"
“If the dress don't fit, it means you quit!"
"I never would have pushed myself this hard,” said Jennifer Tinker, who is getting married in February. “It is phenomenal. Literally after the first class, I started seeing results. I was sore in muscles I didn't even know that I had."
For the best results, Rice says you should try to start your boot camp at least 90-days before your wedding. But you can still see results even if you have less time. There's also a new Bridalicious Boot Camp DVD, available at bridalbodyclub.com.
More: Doug Rice's Bridalicious Boot Camp, Bridalicious Boot Camp's Facebook page
