Cover Story

Valerie Bertinelli's Back-to-Bikini Workout

By Elizabeth Leonard

Thursday March 26, 2009 12:35 PM EDT

Valerie Bertinelli: Before and After

Courtesy Jenny Craig; Stephen Danelian

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Valerie Bertinelli had already shed 40 lbs. in 2007 on the Jenny Craig diet – she is a company spokeswoman, after all – when the 48-year-old former One Day at a Time star decided, after keeping the weight off for more than a year, to step up her game. Her goal? To slim down and trim up enough to slip into a bikini for the first time in nearly 30 years.

The results – on display in the new PEOPLE, on sale Friday – are nothing short of spectacular. "I can't believe I did it," says Bertinelli. Here's how:

Bertinelli's 60-minute bikini workout routine, done four to five times a week, included two fitness components.

Cardio: Overall, she ran on a treadmill for 30-45 minutes. But some days she broke up the time into 5-minute segments, starting with a 5-minute warm-up run followed by strength exercises, before getting back on the treadmill for another 5 minutes.

Strength training: Bertinelli used resistance bands along with weights to perform a series of alternating combinations of up to 25 triceps dips, 20 push-ups, up to 30 squats, step-ups and over 100 sit-ups total.

For more on Bertinelli's stunning transformation, including must-see pictures, pick up the latest PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

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