I RECENTLY HAD MY THIRD CHILD, Carolina Regina Mattia, a perfect, tiny jewel. Not too long after, I looked in the mirror and saw something that was decidedly imperfect: my body. I thought I knew what to do—go to the gym, sweat, strain and eat less, but it all seemed so arbitrary and tortuous. What I needed was a plan, a goal and a role model. I found all those in Mary Ann Browning-—triathlete, trainer and guru to more than 400 satisfied clients.
Her base is elite Manhattan gyms, but now, Southampton has been officially invaded by Brownings Fitness and “The Browning Method,” a mixture of toning and tough talk that’s based on building muscle to burn fat and a personalized cardio and nutritional plan to shed pounds and change your body shape.
HAMPTONS: Describe The Browning Method’s postpartum regimen.
MARY ANN BROWNING: A new mom should go for fast walks and use Browning Method posture. Imagine balancing a book on your head, squeezing a credit card in your buttocks and pulling your abs in. Do Browning Method butt and leg lifts daily to get ready for slow jogging. When you feel your fitness is back, train with at least a 45-minute cardio, using Browning Method training sessions personally designed for you, at least three times a week.
How do you develop core strength?
Invest in an undergarment like a ballerina girdle to help bring the abdominal muscles together and teach you to hold them tight. Do all your walking like this; hold them in all day, so when you work out your back or biceps, for example, you engage the core.
What program do you put your clients on once they achieve their desired physicality?
My certified trainers and I never want people to get bored, so every week is different. I have competitions for people who can lose the most weight, and I like people to enter races as goals.
How do diet and nutrition factor in?
I don’t believe in diets, but eating well and the quality of your calories is important. We do cardio to exercise off extra calories. Americans eat too much protein, so a good start is to eat half the protein and more vegetables.
For appointments, call 315-955-6989 or e-mail appointments@browningsfitness.com. 60 Windmill Lane, Southampton; browningmethod.com; browningsfitness.com
