The wedding is in May 2014.

You found the perfect dress… and it’s backless (swoon)

You also just finished off the cheesecake.

Okay, girlfriend. No worries. We’re going to get your sexy back, well BACK!  We talked to Franci Cohen, a personal trainer, certified nutritionist and exercise physiologist in NYC. She says “A lot of women have trouble engaging their back muscles when exercising,” Franci suggests taking about 10 minutes and devoting it to strengthening your back.

Sadly, shaking the martini shaker doesn’t count.  Maybe the triceps?  These however, will help.

1.      Inverted Rows: This is a great exercise that can be done in every gym. All you need is a barbell that is rested on the weight stand. Get down on the floor under the bar and place your hands a little bit wider than shoulder width apart. Using an overhand grip and with your feet flat on the floor, raise yourself off the ground so that your chest touches the bar. The further out you extend your feet, the more advanced the exercise is. You should do 3 sets of 10-reps, and with each set move your legs out a little further.

2.      Russian twists: This exercise is mostly done to target the upper abdominal area, but the “twist” is what makes the exercise work all the way around to the upper back. Start by grabbing a 10 lb. dumbbell and sit down on the floor. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground and your back is straight. Then, holding the dumbbell in both hands twist to the left and tap the ground with the dumbbell right next to your hip, then twist to the right and tap down. Repeat this in 3 sets of 20 reps. If you are feeling strong, increase the weight of the dumbbell for each set about 5 lbs.

3.      Lat Pull Downs: This is a fun one that directly targets the upper back. Depending on your gym’s equipment, you will sit on the bench facing the machine and grab the horizontal bar using a wide grip. Start off with 25 lbs and bring the bar all the way down past your chin to your collarbone. Make sure to hold and squeeze your back muscles for about 2 seconds for each rep. Repeat 10-12 times and increase weight each rep.

These exercises are great for strengthening and toning, but if even after putting in hard work you don’t get the results you want.  Dr. Richard Chaffoo, a triple board-certified plastic surgeon in San Diego recommends FDA-cleared CoolSculpting®, a non-surgical alternative to liposuction.  CoolSculpting’s patented fat-freezing process helps women lose stubborn inches around their midsections quickly and easily.  During the hour-long treatment, a gel pad is applied to the treatment area followed by the CoolSculpting applicator. The applicator uses gentle suction to draw the skin and underlying tissue up into the cooling area.   Patients can typically return to normal activities immediately following a CoolSculpting treatment. Many people have CoolSculpting during their lunch hours and return to work the same day.

So there it is!  Keep up the good (hard) work, and I’m sure I’ll see you looking this fab too: