Summer is here and with that comes the dreaded swimsuit season. Since celebrities are lucky enough to be able to take vacations year round, therefore needing to be in great shape all of the time, we turn to them for our diet and exercise strategies.

Kate Hudson's trainer, Ashley Conrad, suggests banning all highly processed foods and eating every three hours.

She combines strength training and cardio for a pretty kick ass looking workout and has a website that tracks your progress.

Image © © Warner Bros.

Jessica Biel's go-to workout guy Jason Walsh suggests focusing on your whole body, not just problem areas, "The best way to lose weight is to blend nutrition, exercise, and physical therapy."

He also says that working out for more than an hour is a "waste of time." That's good news for all of us who don't have hours to spend in a gym!

Image © Universal Pictures

We have watched Lauren Conrad develop a toned body over the years of being on The Hills.

Her secret is a high intensity circuit-training program that involves lots of lunges, squats, step-ups, and boxing. All very easily done from the comfort of your own home if you are lacking said celebrity trainer.

Grant Roberts, who works with such stars as Vanessa Hudgens, Hilary Swank, and Clint Eastwood suggests that a healthy diet is the way to go: "Seventy percent of bikini friendly results will be found through optimum nutrition. The other thirty percent includes a workout program that includes weights, cardio, stretching, and lifestyle management."

So put down that piece of chocolate cake you were rewarding yourself with after your trip to the gym. It's doing nothing good for you!

Image © PR Photos

Another great celebrity secret is not really a secret at all- being active in general will get you fit. We always see them outside on hikes, surfing, paddle-boarding, walking their dogs, and biking. Matthew Mcconaughey is the poster child for outdoor fitness (or the poster child for working out shirtless- but let's not split hairs here). He is always outdoors and seems to really enjoy working hard for his body.

Let's face it -shopping may not get you his ripped abs, but it does burn a few hundred calories. So get off of the couch and get moving!

Some celebrity tricks to avoid:

Subsisting on coffee and cigarettes - you will have no energy to set foot in a gym.
Liquid Cleanses - you will most likely gain back all weight lost when you start eating real food again.
Abusing diet pills - ever heard of good old diet and exercise?

So pull out those bathing suits for motivation and get your butt into a gym, summer is upon us.

Story by Kristen Schoels

Starpulse contributing writer