How to get a body like Madonna

And early reports from fans who watched her perform at London's O2 this weekend say the most famous woman in the world looks hotter in fishnets than a 20-year-old.

Her secret is trainer Tracy Anderson, who is also credited with Gwyneth Paltrow's ultra-toned legs.

The American fitness coach puts Madonna and her dancers through their paces for two hours a day and warms them up before each show.

Their special regime involves "dancing" on a treadmill, lifting light weights and writhing around on a specially converted Pilates machine.

Tracy can transform your body - but there are no short-cuts. "Madonna is unique and in another league, like an athlete," says Tracy. "My job is to make sure she looks great in fishnets. But there are no quick-fixes to getting fit.

"She eats what she likes because she burns up so many calories every night. Yet she still has to train every day. You have to allot six days a week to working out."

Tracy says that many women fall into the trap of thinking that because they are dashing around, working and looking after the kids that they don't need to exercise as well.

Tracy has some exclusive tips for Standard readers who want to achieve a superstar body, including working out in front of the mirror and changing your moves so your muscles don't get bored - Pilates and yoga are banned in the Madonna camp because they "mess with your system and your muscles".

"It's taken me 11 years of research to come up with a system that works," says Tracy. "I know how to work the right muscles to give every woman the body she wants."

Tracy only does personal sessions with a small circle of exclusive clients but her DVD and "webisodes" - 10-minute online workouts (www.tracyandersonconnect.com) - are the perfect do-it-yourself dance regime. She also has a book in the pipeline.

However, Londoners can also now get an experience of the treadmill dance workout thanks to Jonathan Goodair, who is the only British fitness trainer to have worked closely with Tracy.

He has also helped Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and designer Stella McCartney work out.

Based at the Home House club in Marylebone, Jonathan is offering his four-week Body Plan for a superstar physique.

Writer Amy Iggulden signed up for the Madonna challenge.

TREADMILL DANCING

WEEK ONE
For the next four weeks I'll be working through Jonathan's Body Plan. The good news is we will be starting easy. The bad is that the workouts will last 90 minutes every day. "Madonna works out for two hours a day," he explains.

"It's going to get intense." He is as good as his word. We start with endless leg lifts and crunches before moving on to arm exercises.

Then comes 15 minutes of dance routines on the mini-trampoline before a full 40 minutes of basic moves — skipping and twirling — on the treadmill.

WEEK TWO
We graduate to pliés, "arm aerobics" and skipping while facing backwards on the treadmill. The treadmill routines are hard to follow initially but after one near-tumble I get the hang of it. Between steps, Jonathan quizzes me about my diet, reminding me that food is the key.

Madonna, he reveals, "eats a lot" but it's all "incredibly healthy" [her diet is macrobiotic]. Jonathan warns: "She burns it off every night. You're sitting at a desk all day. So you're allowed hot chocolate. But only one."

WEEK THREE
The routines get more complicated. I do a full 45 minutes on the treadmill, including skipping, sideways jumping and squats.

Then we rotate, with a "jig" facing backwards, forward-facing leaps and an ice-skater style move that involves hopping while kicking the leg backwards. Every 10 minutes we sprint for two minutes.

WEEK FOUR
For the final sessions, Jonathan focuses on arms using dance-style exercises based on low resistance/high repetition.

Heavy weights are banned — they build up too much muscle while failing to burn fat. He says: "By using movements from dance, you're making sure every muscle group is being worked."

VERDICT
Dancing on the treadmill certainly beats running. My body fat dropped from 27 per cent to just over 20 and I felt far stronger.

Was I as fit as Madonna? No. But if I could only stick to the routine for two hours a day, six days a week for the next 20 years I think I'd be in with a chance.

www.jonathangoodair.com