Michael Simon/startraksphoto.comBrooke Burke-Charvet knows what it takes to stay in shape.
Not only does the superfit mother of four have a fabulous figure, but she's also a fitness instructor, who practices what she preaches. And if you're looking to get in shape for bikini season, well, she's got all the advice you need.
"It's gotta happen year-round," the brunette beauty told E! News while promoting her partnership with Popsicle. "Everybody's trying to cram in the bikini quick fix, but I don't do things necessarily different in summer time...My only tips would be to mix it up. I think every person you work out with and every class has something different to offer you. I teach a class in Malibu where the concept is just working to fatigue and working to your own burn and working kind of past that...I started doing Soul Cycle for the first time. I'm probably the last one who's tried it. I love it…and I always say eat more and eat often when you're trying to get into your best shape. I think it's really important to never skip meals and even add in a few small smart meals."
Eating more is definitely something we can manage, so what does Brooke's diet consist of day-to-day?
"Kind of Mediterranean inspired," she shared. "I eat fish. I eat meat. I eat a lot of vegetables, try to keep it fresh and green. I don't really do raw, but I try to eat a lot of different colors, soups, salads. I eat a lot of sushi as well. I drink a lot of green tea, drink a lot of lemon water. We eat really well in our family, and I love to cook so I don't think you have to compromise on flavor; I just think you have to be aware of what you're putting in your body."
As for her guilty pleasure?
"I'm more of a carb person," she admitted. "I guess margarita pizza with spicy olive oil. If I could eat carbs all day long that would be awesome."
For those of us who have been eating carbs all winter long, Brooke has additional fitness tips, although she admits it takes work to get your body back in shape.
"I think if you're not sweating, you're not working out hard enough," she reveals. "I think you have to increase your workouts. I think you have to work to fatigue, I think you have to work to sweat, you gotta get your heart rate up to blast fat, that's for sure, and you have to eat. You just have to figure out what the right food choices are for you."
She continued: "Everybody seems to want these drastic crazy, like 'Let's lose five ten pounds in a few weeks' and then you just put it right back on and most of that's water weight anyway. So I would say, Drink your body weight in water, in ounces of water…increase your cardio and work out five to six days a week and make sure you're sweating—it's gotta be that intense."
And in case you think you're too busy to put in the work, well, think again.
"I schedule it, just like I schedule everything for my kids," she says of how she balances fitness and motherhood. "I make myself a priority. I say this all the time, but I think women especially moms, have to give themselves the freedom and make themselves important enough to schedule me time for themselves…I really believe in the old fashion putting pen to paper and scheduling your workouts and doing something you enjoy."
As for her partnership with Popsicle?
"It's a great way to get moms and families to think about what are the rules for being a kid," she said. "And how can we encourage our kids to have fun and get the most out of family time."