How to get fit in 12 weeks (or less)

It’s not uncommon to view wedding prep like training for an athletic feat. “Nothing focuses the mind like the idea of having photographs taken of you and everyone looking at you all day,” says Simon Inman, fitness director at Surrenne, the London luxury fitness club. But what are the best ways to get results? 

Set your body goal

The dream body has changed. “When I started out, every man showed me the picture of Brad Pitt from Fight Club,” says Josh Silverman, head of education at Third Space Gyms. “Nowadays it’s more about David Gandy or Chris Hemsworth. Zac Efron when he is bigger, not smaller.” These stars have a “slim waist” but tout even more muscle than Pitt did in 1999. With women, it’s no longer the Kardashian physique of “big bum, small waist”, says Silverman. The preference now is for “more athletic physiques,” such as tennis player Maria Sharapova. “They want leanness, a flat stomach. They still want some shape in their bum. They want to look like they go to Pilates rather than bodybuilding.” Ultimately, pick your training regimen according to the shape you want – and the outfit you’ve chosen. “Visualising how you will look in the dress or suit will guide your workout,” adds London-based trainer Peter Cobby. “Strapless dress? Work the back and shoulders. Sleeveless? Increase the cardio and start Pilates.”

Go bespoke

In the age of ultra-personalised fitness, there is no one-size-fits-all workout. With CloudFit, you can enter all your information and requirements and a fitness and nutrition programme is generated by the latest AI technology (from £16 per month). Surrenne always starts with blood tests “to obtain the parameters of the individual – look at the strengths and weaknesses”, says Inman; then a Vo2 Max Test to assess your body’s capacity to take in oxygen, and, more crucially, find out what the ideal heart rate for burning fat is.

Try a compound lift

“Squats, deadlifts, push-ups or bench press, where you’re using multiple muscle groups, really do give you the best bang for your buck in a shorter amount of time,” says Phillips. “Add in high-intensity bursts of energy via burpees, rowing machines and walking lunges.” But beware of the treadmill: “It’s a great way to get aerobically fitter, but you lose muscle mass.”

Work to a deadline

Roughly three months before the big day is, according to Silverman, the bare minimum. Third Space’s 12-week Transform programme includes three sessions a week with a PT and three with a nutritionist as well as a weekly phone call with the head of nutrition (from £3,000). “Three months is a good window where you can really hit it hard,” agrees Kristian Phillips, co-founder of the AI-driven CloudFit app. Beware: that deadline may be a little earlier. “People want to get in shape for the stag,” says Phillips. “You don’t want to have the worst body on tour.”

It’s (still) all about diet

Everyone agrees: you’ve got to eat properly. “High protein is in,” says Cobby. “Focus on this alone, you’ll get halfway there.” But again, be smart and use the latest tech. As a “nice little tool”, Inman recommends buying a continuous glucose monitor (Lingo by Abbott, from £59) to help you regulate blood sugar. “It’s almost better than calorie counting. You’re not creating big insulin spikes in the body, which can perhaps lead to storage of fat.”

Try lymphatic massage

Water retention, or bloating, is often the biggest obstacle to fitting into your wedding suit or dress (especially when, as Silverman reports, many clients still insist on buying an outfit one size down from their usual). Choose a lymphatic drainage massage, says London-based facialist Teresa Tarmey. At her clinic, the Tri-Body Experience (£290) starts with applying radio frequency to help with skin tightening, then moves to muscle stimulation (as with EMS) to tone, and finally lymphatic drainage. “We recommend six sessions, one per week, for lasting results.” Otherwise, “electrolytes are a no-brainer”, says Inman (such as Willpowders, from £35). “The best way to reduce bloating is to limit processed foods and to try and stay off alcohol for a couple of weeks leading up to the big day,” says Phillips. “It’s a small sacrifice in the greater scheme of things.” 

Pick up the pace 

Work out more quickly, allowing for less rest time between exercises, to burn more calories. Inman also recommends Electro-Muscle Stimulation (EMS), where small electrical impulses are sent into the muscle via pads, in order to stimulate contraction. “It’s a great way of optimising training, particularly for people who are time poor, and of building muscle tone without building bulk.”

You didn’t quite get round to it…

There’s still a final window of opportunity. “On the morning of, for that fresh pump and glow, use some light resistance bands in your workout,” says Cobby. “It will get the body primed for the photoshoot.” 

If it’s really last-minute

Head to the Chenot Palace Weggis on Lake Lucerne, where its Advanced Detox plan is “formulated to entirely reset the physiology of the body over seven days for the ultimate pre-wedding glow”, says a spokesperson, thanks to a mix of medical consultations, diagnostic tests, assorted treatments – and an 850-calorie-a-day plant-based diet (from SFr5,500, about £4,800).