Team Beachbody Guest

As perhaps the fittest first couple of all time, Barack and Michelle Obama are living proof that regular workouts really do work. And Mrs. Obama's well-toned arms in particular have become a symbol of female strength and beauty—as well as a demonstration of what even extremely busy people can accomplish with a little sustained effort.

If you want strong, sculpted muscles like the First Lady's, this post–4th of July week is the perfect time to get started. Here are eight tips for achieving those all-American arms.

1. Make workouts a regular part of your schedule. If Michelle Obama could find enough time to exercise during a presidential campaign and with the overscheduled life of a first lady, what excuses can anyone else have? According to published reports, she manages to work out for 90 minutes, three or four times a week, regardless of her other obligations.

Now, 90 minutes is a long time for sustained exercise, and you can get the same results from shorter but more frequent workouts, say 30 to 60 minutes, 5 to 7 times per week (without stressing the same muscle groups two days in a row). The important thing is to keep it up—don't let other daily tasks interfere with your workout plan. Not only does your body respond to consistent effort, but that's the best way to build up the habit that will keep you exercising regularly over the long term.

2. Don't just work your arms. Even if you're particularly interested in improving one "problem area," a proper workout program will deal with your entire body equally. This will give you a more natural look, and it's important for your well-being, too. Working on your legs, core, back, and chest will provide overall strength and flexibility, supporting you as you exercise and helping prevent injury.
3. Work all of your arms. When it comes to arm workouts, men and women have something in common: caring too much about a single part. While a lot of men concentrate on building their biceps for that show-offy "bulging" look, women tend to focus on the triceps in an attempt to avoid flab. But if you want genuinely strong arms (and an attractive, well-balanced appearance), you need a combination of moves that strengthen the biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Each of these areas supports the others.
4. Don't be afraid of weights. Stop worrying that resistance exercise will give you an overly muscular, "unfeminine" look. Lifting weights (or using resistance bands) is the best way to push your muscles beyond their capacity, causing them to grow stronger. But since women have a different hormonal profile than men, they'll become firm and toned rather than big and bulky. Take a look at the women who've completed ChaLEAN Extreme® or P90X®, and you'll see what we're talking about.
5. And do body-weight exercises too. Exercises using only your body weight are a great way to gain "functional" fitness that can help you move more easily in everyday life. In People magazine, Mrs. Obama credited her arm strength to the following exercise: "You go down into a push-up, then you jump up." (You'll find a similar move in the Core Synergistics workout of P90X.) If this seems too hard, start with regular push-ups and work your way up to the more complicated version.
6. Get lean. No matter how strong and beautiful your arms become, no one will know it if your muscles are covered in a layer of fat. According to a workout pal, Mrs. Obama cross-trains by mixing cardio into her weight-lifting sessions, which is great for raising the metabolism and melting away excess pounds. (You'll also need a proper diet plan, focusing on moderate portions of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beneficial fats.)
7. Get help. Michelle Obama uses a personal trainer, which is a great way to learn new exercises, get support, and add a level of accountability to your workout plan. The downside? A trainer can be expensive, and getting to the gym can be time-consuming. You'll get similar benefits by working out at home with enthusiastic friends (or WOWY SuperGym™ Workout Buddies), or by following your favorite home-fitness DVD program.
8. Assert your right to bare arms. Some media commentators criticized the first lady for her arm-baring outfits, saying they're too casual for someone in her position. We say that's bunk. Sure, you might want to dress up more formally for meetings with the French ambassador (or whatever job you happen to have). But once you've worked for those firm guns, why not show 'em off? After all, in this era of obesity and sloth, demonstrating the results of a fitness plan isn't just your right—it's practically your duty.

Guys: Get a Body Like Barack's (or Better)

Anyone who's seen those shirtless beach photos of President Barack Obama can see he's in remarkably good shape for a busy working father, not to mention the leader of the free world. But let's face it, he could still use some improvement. For someone who works out just about every morning, he has less lean muscle mass than he should—he calls himself "skinny"—and a relatively soft midsection. He's said that he exercises mainly to clear his head and get rid of stress (which are excellent reasons, to be sure), but he could be getting more from his efforts.

We've never worked out with the president (darn it!), but based on interviews and news accounts by those who've seen him in action, we have an idea of what he tends to do in the gym: a regular routine of isolated-muscle weight-lifting moves. And that's fine, as far as it goes. (We doubt we could concentrate on dumbbell flyes with the economy, foreign policy, and various other crises hanging over our heads.) But here are 5 tips to do it better.

1. Learn a wide variety of moves and change things up frequently—the method that P90X's Tony Horton refers to as Muscle Confusion™. When your muscles aren't allowed to get used to any particular set of exercises, they'll react to new challenges by growing faster.

2. In addition to ab-specific exercises like crunches, do multiple-movement exercises that tax several areas at once, including your core. (Mrs. Obama's push-up/jump mentioned above is a good example.) A strong midsection doesn't just look great; it also supports your whole body and helps prevent injury.

3. President Obama told Men's Health magazine that he'll "lift one day and do cardio the next." While that's a decent plan, you'll get better fat-burning results by doing strength training and cardio during the same workout, at least sometimes. And while it's important to let your muscles recover between weight workouts, there's nothing wrong with lifting two days in a row, as long as you work on different muscle groups.

4. The president was also quoted as saying that "there's always a tradeoff between sleep and working out." While we're happy to know that he spends as many hours as possible running the country, missing out on sleep is detrimental to your fitness plan. Sleep helps your muscles recover, and it also helps your body produce important substances like testosterone and the human growth hormone. So skimp on shut-eye only if you absolutely have to.

5. Mr. Obama enjoys sports, including basketball and bicycling—you should also find athletic activities you enjoy. By turning exercise into play, you'll get plenty of extra cardio without it seeming like a chore.

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1. Legumes. The humble bean (and also chickpea, lentil, and pea) is chock-full of nutritious fiber. A cup of black beans or lentils contains a whopping 15 grams of fiber—half the daily minimum supply required for a man and more than half the minimum required for a woman. Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, have 13 grams of fiber. A cup of peas has 9 grams of fiber. The big winner is the cranberry bean with 18 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein. Cranberry beans have a creamy texture and a chestnut-like flavor.
2. Bran. While not as great a source of fiber as beans, they're still pretty fiber rich, and may not have the unpleasant auditory and olfactory effects associated with excessive bean consumption. A cup of bran flakes has about 7 grams of fiber, and a cup of oatmeal has 4 grams of fiber. Substituting whole-wheat products for their traditional white-flour counterparts is an easy way to work some fiber into your diet without much hassle. A cup of whole-wheat spaghetti has over 6 grams of fiber, and whole-wheat bread has about 2 grams of fiber per slice.
3. Prunes. Not just for old people anymore. Grandpa and Grandma knew what they were doing when they were suffering from constipation. A cup of prunes contains 8 grams of fiber, and the prune's hydrated counterpart, the plum, is also an excellent source of fiber—prunes/plums contain insoluble fiber in the skin and soluble fiber in the pulp. That's a two-for-one special!
4. Artichokes. One medium artichoke contains 6.5 grams of fiber. One cup of artichoke hearts contains 14 grams of fiber and only 90 calories. I like to get one of those little jars of marinated artichokes (in vinegar, not oil) and treat myself to eating the whole jar as an afternoon snack or hors d'oeuvre before dinner. Tasty and filling, you'll eat less at dinner and put a serious dent in your daily fiber tally.
5. Brussels sprouts. Yes, they look like the alien heads from Mars Attacks!, but these little powerhouses pack almost 7 grams of fiber into a 1-cup serving and only about 60 calories. Not everyone is enamored with their slightly chalky taste. I recommend a generous spritz of lemon juice and maybe a dash of soy sauce or Tabasco to enhance the flavor. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is delicious too.
6. Asian pear. According to the Micronutrient Center of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, the Asian pear is one of their five fiber-rich superfoods (legumes, bran, prunes, and quinoa are the others). One Asian pear, about 3 inches in diameter, contains a whopping 10 grams of fiber, the most of any similarly sized fruit. And because it has a higher water content than its European brethren, it only contains around 100 calories. So you can crunch your way to a cleaner colon.
7. Quinoa. Relatively new to the U.S., quinoa has been a South American staple for over 6,000 years. In a 1-cup serving, the edible seeds of the quinoa plant have 10 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein—in fact, quinoa seeds contain many essential amino acids that are missing from rice, proving to be a good substitute for rice. If you check your local health food store, and even some supermarkets, you can find quinoa plain and as a main ingredient in many cereals, breads, and salads.
8. Nuts. Not just filling, heart-healthy snacks, nuts are great sources of fiber (but highly caloric, so nosh carefully). A quarter-cup of almonds has 4 grams of fiber and about 200 calories. It's another great snack for between meals. Watch out for the salt content in the hickory-smoked varieties. Also, it's a good idea to portion out a serving size beforehand, so you don't absentmindedly munch a thousand or so calories from a big bag.

Now, thanks to The Fiber from Shakeology, you can take some of the guesswork out of getting enough fiber in your diet. With five different kinds of fiber, The Fiber gives you a full 10 grams per serving, so you can still have a fiber-rich diet even if you don’t have the time to eat right.

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1. Andrew Jackson – The Brawler. One of the most popular U.S. presidents, this wild-eyed redhead (until it turned gray) proved his toughness by fighting in two wars, the War of 1812 and the First Seminole War. Historians estimate that he participated in 14 to 50 duels. When he wasn't getting the nation out of debt or trying to exterminate Native Americans, he was beating people down with his hands. Man hands! Just ask Richard Lawrence, the would-be assassin whose, not one, but TWO pistols misfired while trying to ice Jackson. Immediately, "Old Hickory" was all over Lawrence, like white on rice, attacking him with furious punches and some serious cane lashing. And to top it off, the man walked around with two bullets lodged in his side. Hard-core!
2. Abraham Lincoln – The Giant. The man in the top hat was no joke. Standing at 6 feet 4 inches, "Honest Abe" was, honestly, the tallest U.S. president. He was self-educated and governed during one of the most turbulent times in American history. He was also an avid wrestler and deceptively strong, and burly Jack Armstrong knew this all too well. Word is their match ended with Lincoln snatching Armstrong by the neck, holding him out at arm's length, and then shaking him like a ragdoll, showing Armstrong that Lincoln's arm's strong, too.
3. George Washington – The Muscle. Forget about legends and folklore of wooden teeth and chopping down cherry trees, Washington was a larger-than-life figure. This 6-foot-2-inch (6 inches taller than the average man at the time) war hero was not only a founding father, but he was also a ridiculously gifted athlete, excelling at many events. Legend has it that he flung a coin-shaped chunk of slate across the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Apparently, no one has done it since. This is before protein shakes, people! In another account, G.W. hurled an iron javelin way past his competitors' marks—all while still wearing his coat and daring them to try to beat it! George Washington will break your face!
4. Ronald Reagan – The Lifesaver. "The Gipper" may have been a Hollywood actor who enjoyed the benefits of his celebrity for a time, but don't let that fool you. The dude was tough as nails . . . and hammers. Not only was he a 3-sport high school athlete, at age 69, he was the oldest person ever elected to the presidential office. Survival is a tough-guy requirement. Like Jackson, he survived an assassination attempt. On the flip side of that, he also saved 77 lives during his seven summers as a lifeguard. Plus, one of his favorite movies was Rambo. Tough guys everywhere just nodded their heads in respect.
5. Gerald Ford – The All-American. Born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., Gerald Ford proved his less-than-tough birth name wrong. He was yet another war-vet president who could break your face. Despite surviving falling down some stairs and being known as the guy who pardoned Nixon, Ford also sent the Grim Reaper packing twice when he survived two assassination attempts. In his younger days, he played center for the University of Michigan's football team, walking away with the 1932 and 1933 national championships (undefeated for both seasons) and making the 1935 college all-star squad. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers both wanted him, but he turned them down cold. Why? Because he could. That's why! Tough guys do what they want. (He wanted to attend Yale.)