Look your best on your big day

By Daisy Carrington, amNewYork Deputy Features Editor | daisy.carrington@am-ny.com

September 19, 2007

From the number of magazines and daytime television shows that target quivering hordes of brides-to-be with ads for wedding dresses and segments on workout regimens, it seems women are obsessed with looking their best on their big day.

But what about the stupefied grooms? Don't they deserve to look in tiptop shape as well?

"It's just as much his day as hers," says Jerry Gaspard, a trainer at the Park Slope Fitness Collective.

"Grooms want to look good for their wedding, be it in the tux for the wedding photos or on the honeymoon at the beach."

Gaspard has designed the following routine just for neglected grooms:

1. Reverse crunches
Lie on your back. Bring your knees in toward your stomach, then kick them forward. Depending how strong your core is, you may need to place your hands or a towel under your lower back or change the angle of your legs. The straighter your legs are, the more challenging the exercise is. Do two to three sets of 30 reps each.

2. Bicycles
Lie on your back. Place both your hands behind your head or behind your ears. Avoid putting pressure on your neck. Keep your lower back pressed firmly into the floor and bring your left knee to your right elbow, then reverse. Do two to three sets of 15-30 reps each.

3. Standing sit-ups
This exercise is very advanced and requires a second person to sit on your feet and hold your calves. Lie on your back. Do a full crunch with your hands behind your head. When you are fully sitting up, slowly stand up. Do two to three sets of five to 20 reps each.

4. Alternating shoulder press
Sit on a yoga ball at a 90-degree angle. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Extend both your arms halfway above your head, then bring your right arm all the way above your head. Hold the position for 12 seconds. Bring your right arm back down and switch sides. Do two to three sets of 10-15 reps each.

5. BOSU push-ups
Get into a push-up position, with both your feet resting on a BOSU ball. Raise your right leg up toward the ceiling, then bring it down and lower your body. While your body is lowered, raise your right leg, then bring it back down. Push up and repeat with your left leg. Do two to three sets on each side, of 10-20 reps each.

6. Curls
Kneel down on your right knee and rest your right arm on a yoga ball. Holding a weight in your right hand, extend your right arm over the ball and slowly curl your bicep up. Do two to three sets of 10-15 reps, then repeat on the opposite side.