How a 39-year-old with three kids sculpted her dream body in just six weeks WITHOUT hardcore workouts
A 39-year-old mother has told how she transformed her body in just six weeks without difficult gym workouts or a restrictive diet.
In fact, running was one of the main secrets to her success.
Jenna Sanders, mother of three and flight attendant from Canada, has completely transformed her approach to health and fitness through Australian trainer Rachael Attard’s Lean Legs program.
Rachael is a sports nutritionist and scientist who specializes in women’s bodies and sculpting lean, strong legs.
The Queensland-based coach also advocates the sustainable 80:20 diet rule, where she eats healthy 80 percent of the time and gets what she wants the rest.
Jenna’s fitness journey started at a young age. She was always into sports and keeping fit at school, so when she left she went to the gym to stay as ‘fit as possible’.
“I did all kinds of workouts: kettlebells, Zumba classes, all kinds of things that were fun to do, but never really got the results I wanted,” Jenna said.
‘Then I found a personal trainer who had me lifting weights and doing workouts that were very intense and hardcore. I spent a few hours a day at the gym.
A 39-year-old mother has told how she transformed her body in just six weeks without difficult gym workouts or a restrictive diet
Jenna Sanders, mother of three and flight attendant from Canada, has completely transformed her approach to health and fitness through Australian trainer Rachael Attard’s Lean Legs Program
‘I was definitely getting stronger, but I didn’t feel like I was seeing the form I was looking for. Instead of feeling slim and light, I felt heavy and didn’t like the way my legs and arms looked.’
Jenna said she gained a lot of muscle mass and noticed that friends and strangers commented a lot on her calves.
“In my mind, I didn’t want to have these big calf muscles. “I wanted to look slimmer,” she said.
“Then I found Rachael online. I took the body type quiz and I was blown away by the fact that everything I did before I found you was so wrong for me.
‘I used to do bike sprints and uphill sprints and my legs were getting fatter and I was like, “Oh my god, I should get smaller and I’m getting bigger” and I was just spending so much time doing all the wrong things for my body.’
During the program, Jenna focused on light resistance work and walking instead of strength training and HIIT exercises.
‘Walking is the best form of exercise for skinny legs. It will help get rid of excess fat on your legs and make them lean forward,” trainer Rachael told FEMAIL.
‘When you do cardio at a low to moderate intensity, the body first burns the stored glycogen (carbohydrates) and then the fats. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Jenna’s fitness journey started at a young age. She was always busy with sports and keeping fit at school, so when she left she went to the gym to stay as ‘fit as possible’
‘Walking is the best form of exercise for skinny legs. It will help get rid of excess fat on your legs and make them lean forward,” trainer Rachael told FEMAIL
What does your body type say about how you should train?
ECTOMORPH
Ectomorphs are usually naturally slim (like Victoria’s Secret models) and find it difficult to build muscle.
If you have an ectomorphic body type, you probably already have naturally thinner legs. So your goal here is to maintain (or perhaps lose a little) that stubborn lower body fat while building muscle mass.
This way your leg will get firmness and definition and you will avoid the skinny, fat look.
MESOMORPH
Mesomorphs can be quite athletic and respond quickly to exercise, meaning they build muscle easily.
They can lose weight very quickly, but also gain weight quickly. Usually they are of average size.
If you’re a mesomorph, exaggerated workouts like squats and lunges can easily result in big legs. So your goal here is to reduce body fat percentage and avoid exercises that make your legs thicker in the process.
ENDOMORPHO
Endomorphs naturally have a strong build and a larger frame. They can build muscle very quickly and it is a little more difficult for them to lose weight. But it’s not impossible!
If you’re an endomorph body type, your goal is to really focus on reducing overall body fat and completely avoid workouts that could cause you to gain weight.
“Your body type plays a big role in how you tend to build muscle and lose weight, and some body types make you more likely to gain weight,” Rachael added.
‘The longer you train, the more fat your body will burn. By doing longer power walks, your body burns more fat and you get slimmer legs.’
Jenna said doing light resistance and walking a lot made her legs “change shape.”
‘I had much slimmer thighs and my calves became so much smaller, which I had been trying to achieve for so long. After six weeks I thought, ‘Wow, this is incredible,'” she said.
‘With the right diet it took six weeks before I achieved results. I remember looking down and my abs were literally popping and I was like, wow.”
Now, every summer, Jenna will roll up her sleeves and do a few rounds of the program to get back into shape, even with three young children in tow.
“I just know exactly how good I’m going to feel and the compliments I’m going to get, especially about my legs, so many compliments,” she said.
‘I remember putting on a bikini on my first holiday and never feeling so comfortable in a bikini. And I had a one-year-old and a two-year-old at the time.
‘I’m about to turn 40 and look back on my fitness journey and think, wow, I’ve come such a long way. I’m so grateful that I discovered this when I did.
During the program, Jenna focused on light resistance work and walking instead of strength training and HIIT exercises
‘I had much slimmer thighs and my calves became so much smaller, which I had been trying to achieve for so long. After six weeks I thought, ‘Wow, this is incredible,'” she said
‘I was so worried about falling off and getting fed up with the training I was doing. But I just found that knowing that I could get up in the morning, even if it was a walk, I could do an hour and get better results.”
Jenna’s friends often ask her about her “secret” and assume that she “spends hours at the gym” and “doesn’t eat much.”
“Once you eat and exercise just right, you have all the knowledge to be able to do and feel exactly how I feel,” she said.
‘I eat in moderation and I think that is important. I make healthy choices because I know that when I train, I get the best results from my training.
‘I also started sleeping better and generally feeling confident and good about myself.’
Meals include things like salmon and avocado on toast, a fruity smoothie, chicken stir-fry, and a few coconut chocolate chips.
Rachael typically eats about 1,600 calories per day and most of her programs are about the same.
Jenna wants other moms to know that while their bodies can change dramatically after having children, she has never felt more happy and confident.
“I can honestly say that I feel so much better about myself after having a third baby because I know that once I put my mind to it, I can achieve the results so easily,” she said.
Rachael is a sports nutritionist and scientist specializing in women’s bodies and shaping lean, strong legs
‘I absolutely love pushing the stroller. It’s nice to be outside and breathe the fresh air and take your steps. For a new mom, that’s a great way to get outside and walk again. I think if you feel good, as a mother I feel like that’s also a reflection of you as a person and as a mother.
‘My advice is to be consistent and take your time, whatever it is, even if it’s just half an hour, it’s better than doing nothing.’
Jenna’s transformation was also about much more than physical changes.
“It’s not about looking a certain way,” Jenna said.
“It’s about feeling good, confident and being your best for my kids and family.”